27. The warrior Pharaoh who fought history’s earliest battle for which reliable details are available
Two centuries before Ramesses II established his reputation as ancient Egypt’s greatest warrior, there was Pharaoh Thutmose III. His best-known fight engagement was the Battle of Megiddo, in 1457 BC. It is the earliest recorded battle for which reliable details exist. It took place between an Egyptian army led by Pharaoh Thutmose III, and a coalition of rebellious Canaanite states seeking to free themselves of vassalage to Egypt. The rebellion was centered in the city of Megiddo, an important hub at the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley, astride the main trade route between Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Thutmose advanced from Egypt at the head of a strong army to Yaham. From there, he had the choice of three routes: a southern one via Taanach, a northern route via Yoqneam, and a central one via Aruna that would take him straight to Megiddo (see map above). The southern and northern routes were longer, but safer. The central route was quicker but risky, requiring passage through narrow ravines in which an army would have to advance single file, vulnerable to being bottled up front and rear.
