The Battle of Qaddesh

The Battle of Qaddesh was fought between the Hittites and the Egyptians, in large part to determine who would control this territory. Egypt had once controlled the land, but the expanding Hittite Empire had resulted in Hittite control of the northern portion. The region remained divided after the battle, with the Hitites controlling the north and the Egyptians controlling the south. And not surprisingly, that vacuum was quickly filled by various tribes which soon emerged as independent city-states.