Ancient Egypt's Napoleon

Pharaoh Thutmose III’s legendary military career kicked off on 16th April, 1457 BC with the Battle of Megiddo, the first recorded battle in history.

Facing a rebellion from the Canaanite city-states, who thought they could take advantage of his inexperience, Thutmose assembled a massive army and marched straight to Megiddo, a crucial strategic hub in modern-day Israel. 

Boldly, he led his troops through a treacherous, narrow pass, single file, at great personal risk. His generals were understandably terrified, but the gamble paid off—and they took the enemy by surprise. Yet, despite his brilliant tactics, his troops got distracted looting the battlefield, and it took a further seven months of siege before they secured the city.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how detailed records of the Pharaoh’s expeditions have been passed down; wonder if scribes became weary of the warrior-king’s repeated victories; and discover why we should all pay attention to Megiddo - it’s in the Book of Revelation…

Further Reading:

• ‘Thutmose III's Battle of Megiddo Inscription’ (World History Encyclopedia, 2017): https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1102/thutmose-iiis-battle-of-megiddo-inscription/

• ‘Battle of Megiddo’ (National Army Musem): https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/battle-megiddo

• ‘​​The Deadliest Pharaoh | Thutmose III | Ancient Egypt Documentary’ (History Explained, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2XS3vmVGjU

#Egyptian #War #Israel #Royals

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.

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