Battle of the ages A statue of Thutmosis III, and (right) a modern depiction of the battle of Megiddo. Victory here in 1457 BC would act as a springboard for Egyptian domination of the near east
GETTY IMAGES/BRIDGEMAN
The King of Kadesh knew that he had gambled both his position and his life. Not only had he instigated a revolt against the Egyptian pharaoh, Thutmosis III, but he had also allied with Egypt’s enemy, the kingdom of Mitanni. More perilous still, he had left the safety of his own stronghold in Syria.
In the spring of 1457 BC, the king had led an army south to the fortress city of Megiddo on the outskirts of the Jezreel Valley in what is now northern Israel. And there he formed an alliance with the prince of Megiddo, another disgruntled vassal of the Egyptian empire. Their combined Canaanite army numbered perhaps 20,000 soldiers.