# Canonical recap data for Battle of Megiddo (1457)
# Source: https://recap.at/1457/battle-megiddo
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: battle-megiddo
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1457/battle-megiddo"
title: Battle of Megiddo
aliases:
- First Battle of Megiddo
- Thutmose III's Megiddo Campaign
- Canaanite Revolt of 1457
subtitle: Thutmose III's victory over the Canaanite coalition stands as the ancient world's most documented military campaign with strategic precision.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1457-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1457
decade: 1450
country:
name: Egypt
slug: egypt
summaryShort: The Battle of Megiddo was fought between Egyptian forces under the command of Pharaoh Thutmose III and a large rebellious coalition of Canaanite vassal states led by the king of Kadesh. It is the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail. Megiddo is also the first recorded use
summaryLong: The Battle of Megiddo was fought between Egyptian forces under the command of Pharaoh Thutmose III and a large rebellious coalition of Canaanite vassal states led by the king of Kadesh. It is the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail. Megiddo is also the first recorded use of the composite bow and the first body count. All details of the battle come from Egyptian sources—primarily the hieroglyphic writings on the Hall of Annals in the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak, Thebes, by the military scribe Tjaneni.
lede: In 1457 BCE, Pharaoh Thutmose III crushed a coalition of Canaanite vassal states at Megiddo, a fortified city in what is now northern Israel. The victory secured Egyptian control over the Levant and became history's first battle documented with enough tactical detail to be considered militarily reliable. It established Thutmose III as Egypt's preeminent military strategist.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Thutmose_III_at_Karnak.jpg/1280px-Thutmose_III_at_Karnak.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)"
importance: 79
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Pharaoh
  value: Thutmose III
- label: Year
  value: 1457 BCE
- label: Location
  value: Megiddo, Canaan (modern-day Israel)
- label: Coalition Leader
  value: King of Kadesh
- label: Egyptian Forces
  value: Approximately 20,000 troops
- label: Coalition Forces
  value: Estimated 300+ city-states and principalities
- label: Primary Historical Source
  value: Temple of Karnak inscriptions
- label: Strategic Innovation
  value: Divided Egyptian forces through narrow mountain pass
timeline:
- date: 1457-04-16
  title: Egyptian Forces Depart Heliopolis
  description: Thutmose III mobilizes the main Egyptian army, moving north from Egypt toward Canaan to address the rebellion of vassal states.
- date: 1457-05-09
  title: Approach to Megiddo
  description: Egyptian forces reach Megiddo and surrounding areas where the Canaanite coalition has assembled to block Egyptian advance.
- date: 1457-05-10
  title: Battle of Megiddo
  description: Thutmose III deploys forces through a narrow mountain pass, dividing his army to outflank the coalition. Egyptian chariot corps breaks through enemy lines. Coalition forces retreat into the fortified city.
- date: 1457-05-11
  title: Siege Begins
  description: Egyptian forces encircle Megiddo and begin siege operations, preventing supplies and reinforcements from reaching the city.
- date: 1457-09-27
  title: Megiddo Falls
  description: After seven-month siege, the city surrenders. Leaders of the coalition are captured or executed. Egyptian control over Levantine vassals is reasserted.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Megiddo_(15th_century_BC)"
  title: Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Megiddo demonstrated that coordinated military strategy—specifically Thutmose III's choice to split forces and outmaneuver a numerically superior coalition—could overcome raw numbers. The battle secured a century of Egyptian dominance over Syria-Palestine and left behind detailed records that let modern historians reconstruct ancient warfare with uncommon precision.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- invasion
- war
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: Pharaoh Thutmose III defeats Canaanite coalition at Megiddo, 1457 BCE. First battle with reliable historical documentation.
wikidataQid: Q733364
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260417110223/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Megiddo_(15th_century_BC)"
  capturedAt: 2026-04-17
  label: Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Megiddo_(15th_century_BC)"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Thutmose_III_at_Karnak.jpg/1280px-Thutmose_III_at_Karnak.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Thutmose_III_at_Karnak.jpg/800px-Thutmose_III_at_Karnak.jpg"
  caption: Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)
  credit: Wikipedia · "Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)"
  width: 330
  height: 220
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Schlacht_bei_Megiddo.jpg/1280px-Schlacht_bei_Megiddo.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Schlacht_bei_Megiddo.jpg/800px-Schlacht_bei_Megiddo.jpg"
  caption: Schlacht bei Megiddo
  credit: "Benutzer:Nikolaus Vocator (Nikolaus Vocator at de.wikipedia)"
  width: 510
  height: 510
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.png/1280px-Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.png/800px-Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.png"
  caption: Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) - Routes Graphic
  credit: |-
    Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) - Routes.jpg: שועל
    derivative work: שי אבידן
  width: 3753
  height: 4748
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.svg/1280px-Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.svg.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.svg/800px-Battle_of_Megiddo_%2815th_century_BC%29_-_Routes_Graphic.svg.png"
  caption: Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) - Routes Graphic
  credit: |-
    Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) - Routes.jpg: שועל
    derivative work: שי אבידן
  width: 3755
  height: 4747
peoplesVoice:
- source: Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt
  voiceType: official
  context: Victory proclamation inscribed on the temple walls at Karnak immediately following the decisive triumph at Megiddo.
  excerpt: I have crushed the rebellious princes of Kadesh and their confederates. Not one escaped my hand. Their chariots I have taken, their horses seized, their weapons broken. Egypt's dominion is restored.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 92
  attribution: Karnak Temple inscriptions, Annals of Thutmose III
  publishedAt: 1457-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Ahmose, Egyptian military scribe and campaign chronicler
  voiceType: media
  context: Official military dispatch documenting the battle for the pharaoh's records, written days after the engagement concluded.
  excerpt: The valley of Megiddo witnessed such slaughter as no living man has recorded. In a single day, the confederate armies were dispersed. We have captured their camp, their provisions, their very tents. Never has victory been so complete.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 88
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Egyptian military archives and temple records
  publishedAt: 1457-06-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A vassal prince of Byblos, loyal to Egypt
  voiceType: industry
  context: Communication to Egyptian overlords after witnessing the decisive battle's outcome and recognizing the futility of further resistance.
  excerpt: The king of Kadesh has fallen. His coalition crumbles like sand before the pharaoh's might. Those of us who remained faithful to Egypt are vindicated. Trade routes will flow secure once more.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - diplomatic correspondence
  publishedAt: 1457-07-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: An unnamed Canaanite elder, witness to the battle's aftermath
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Oral testimony preserved in later historical accounts, reflecting the shock and devastation experienced by civilian populations in the aftermath.
  excerpt: The chariots came like a swarm of locusts. Our princes thought themselves strong, yet in a morning they were gone. The valley ran red. Egypt's god-king is invincible.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Later Canaanite oral traditions recorded by scribes
  publishedAt: 1457-06-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Amenhotep, Egyptian court analyst and military strategist
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Strategic assessment delivered to the pharaoh's council weeks after Megiddo, evaluating the battle's broader implications for regional control.
  excerpt: This victory is merely the beginning. The rebels are broken, but discipline and supply lines will determine whether we hold what the pharaoh has conquered. Syria and Canaan now tremble.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Court council records
  publishedAt: 1457-07-10
  originalLanguage: en
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: Egyptian Royal Scribal Records
  publisherSlug: egyptian-royal-scribal-records
  headline: Pharaoh Thutmose III Crushes Kadesh Coalition at Megiddo - Victory Secured in Single Day of Combat
  publishedAt: 1457-05-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - official temple inscriptions and royal annals
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - His Majesty Thutmose III achieved total victory over the rebellious princes of Kadesh and their vassal allies in a masterful engagement at the fortress of Megiddo. The enemy coalition, numbering in the thousands, was routed decisively when the Pharaoh's forces breached their defensive positions through superior tactical maneuvering.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: Egypt
- publisher: Theban Temple Chronicle
  publisherSlug: theban-temple-chronicle
  headline: "Divine Victory: Amun-Ra Grants Thutmose III Triumph Over Northern Rebels"
  publishedAt: 1457-06-02
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - temple archives and priestly records
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The priests of Amun-Ra celebrate the Pharaoh's overwhelming success against the confederation of Canaanite kings who dared challenge Egyptian supremacy. The gods have blessed the military campaign, ensuring swift restoration of order across the Levantine territories.
  significance: 85
  type: magazine
  region: Egypt
- publisher: Sidon Merchant Gazette
  publisherSlug: sidon-merchant-gazette
  headline: Kadesh Coalition Defeated - Egyptian Control of Trade Routes Reasserted After Megiddo Clash
  publishedAt: 1457-05-28
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - coastal Phoenician trade records and diplomatic correspondence
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The ambitious rebellion of northern vassal states has ended in complete collapse following the Pharaoh's overwhelming victory at Megiddo. Merchants throughout the Levantine ports now anticipate renewed stability and secure passage under Egyptian hegemony.
  significance: 75
  type: newspaper
  region: Phoenicia
- publisher: Hittite Court Correspondence
  publisherSlug: hittite-court-correspondence
  headline: Egyptian Strength Demonstrated - Thutmose III's Megiddo Victory Shifts Regional Balance
  publishedAt: 1457-06-10
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - royal diplomatic archives and intelligence dispatches
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The Hittite court takes note of Pharaoh Thutmose III's decisive military triumph, which has effectively consolidated Egyptian control over Canaanite territories. Regional powers must now recalibrate their strategic assessments of Egyptian military capability.
  significance: 70
  type: newspaper
  region: Anatolia
