Battle of Megiddo ( 15th century BC ) The Battle of Megiddo ( 15th century BC ) was fought between Egyptian forces under the command of Pharaoh Thutmose III and a large rebellious coalition of Canaan ite 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 hieroglyph ic writings on the Hall of Annals in the Temple of Amun - Re at Karnak , Thebes ( now Luxor ) , by the military scribe Tjaneni . The ancient Egyptian account gives the date of the battle as the 21st day of the first month of the third season , of Year 23 of the reign of Thutmose III . It has been claimed that this was April 16 , 1457 BC according to the Middle Chronology , although other publications place the battle in 1482 BC or 1479 BC . The Battle of Megiddo was an Egyptian victory and resulted in a rout of the Canaanite forces , which fled to safety in the city of Megiddo . Their action resulted in the subsequent lengthy Siege of Megiddo . By reestablishing Egyptian dominance in the Levant , Pharaoh Thutmose III began a reign in which the Egyptian Empire reached its greatest expanse . Annals of Thutmose III . During Thutmose III ' s first campaign in the Levant , his personal scribe , Tjaneni , kept a daily journal on parchment . In approximately his 42nd regnal year , many years after his campaigns in the Levant had ended , Thutmose III instructed his artisans to inscribe his military exploits into the walls of Amun - Re ' s temple at Karnak . The annals describe in lavish detail 14 campaigns led by Thutmose III in the Levant , the booty gained through his campaigning , tribute received from conquered regions , and , lastly , offerings to Amun - Re . The sequence of depictions indicate the New Kingdom ' s belief on the interactions of the gods with warfare : praise and offerings to the deities in exchange for their divine help in war . Additionally , the annals show the long - lasting effects of the battle of Megiddo . After Thutmose III ' s victory at Megiddo and his successful campaigns in the Levant over the next 20 years , Egypt ' s rise to power in the international community and its evolution into an empire is evident in the annals . Depictions show international diplomacy through the giving of gifts from Babylon , the Hittite Empire , and other prominent and powerful regions during this time period . Campaign against the kingdoms of Canaan . Pharaoh Thutmose III began a reign in which the Egyptian Empire reached its greatest expanse by reinforcing the long standing Egyptian presence in the Levant . After waiting impatiently for the end of his regency by the Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut , he immediately responded to a revolt of local rulers near Kadesh in the vicinity of modern - day Syria . As Egyptian buffer provinces in the land of the Amurru along the border with the Hittites attempted to change their vassalage , Thutmose III dealt with the threat personally . The Canaanites are thought to have been allied with the Mitanni and Amurru from the region of the two rivers between the headwaters of the Orantes and the Jordan . The driving and main force behind this revolt was the King of Kadesh . The powerful fortress of Kadesh offered protection to him and the city . The King of Megiddo , with an equally strong fortress , joined the alliance . The importance of Megiddo was its geographical location along the southwestern edge of the Jezreel Valley just beyond the Mount Carmel ridge and the Mediterranean . From this location , Megiddo controlled the Via Maris , the main trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia . The Egyptian inscriptions of the campaign on the Temple of Karnak come from a daily journal kept by the scribe Tjaneni during the campaign . In the Egyptian account Thutmose III gathered an army of chariot s and infantry that numbered between ten and twenty thousand men . As the Egyptians mustered their forces the king of Kadesh gathered many tribal chieftains from Syria , Aram and Canaan around him , estimated at between ten and fifteen thousand , entered Megiddo and set his forces at the waters of Taanach . He expected that his enemy would come by way of Dothaim - Taanach , the main route from the Mediterranean lowlands into the Valley of Kishon , and from Egypt to Mesopotamia . The army assembled at the border fortress Tjaru ( called " Sile " in Greek ) and arrived ten days later at the loyal city of Gaza . After one day ' s rest , it left for the city of Yehem , which was reached after 11 days . Here , Thutmose sent out scouts . To continue north , they had to pass the Mount Carmel ridge . Behind it lay the city and fortress of Megiddo , where the revolting forces had gathered . There were three possible routes from Yehem to Megiddo . Both the northern route , via Zefti , and the southern route , by way of Taanach , gave safe access to the Jezreel Valley . The middle route , via Aruna ( modern Wadi Ara ) , was more direct but risky ; it followed a narrow ravine , and the troops could only travel single - file . If the enemy waited at the end of the ravine , the Egyptians would risk being cut down piecemeal . The army leaders pleaded with him not to take the difficult road but to take either of the two easier roads . Instead , with information from the scouts , Thutmose III decided to take the direct path to Megiddo . He believed that if his generals advised him to take the easy route , then his enemy would assume he would do so , so he decided to do the unexpected . The King of Kadesh had left large infantry detachments guarding the two more likely paths , and virtually ignored Aruna , the narrow mountain pass coming in from the south . Ignoring the danger of spreading out his army in the mountains where leading elements might be subject to enemy ambush in narrow mountain passes , and his main force still far behind in Aruna , unable to come to their aid , Thutmose took the direct route through Wadi Ara . To reduce the risk , Thutmose himself led his men through Aruna . With his infantry and the light cavalry of mounted bowmen , known as haibrw or the horsemen going by the side of the mountains , to take out any scouts that might be posted and leaving the road to the main force of chariots , he moved in quickly . With the city lightly guarded by the enemy , Thutmose led a quick assault , scattered the rebels and entered the valley unopposed . Now , the Egyptian army had a clear path to Megiddo , with large parts of the rebel army far away to the north and south . Battle and siege . Thutmose seized the opportunity . He set up camp and , during the night , arrayed his forces close to the enemy . The next morning , they attacked . It cannot be established if the surprised King of Kadesh had managed to invert his front lines in time , and prepare for battle . Even if he did that , it did not bring him much help . His forces were on high ground adjacent to the fortress . The Egyptian line was arranged in a concave formation , consisting of three wings , that threatened both Caananite flanks . Both the Egyptians and the Caananites are estimated to have had around 1 , 000 chariots and 10 , 000 infantry . The Pharaoh led the attack from the center . The combination of position and numbers , superior maneuverability of their left wing along with an early , bold attack , broke the enemy ' s will ; their line immediately collapsed . Those near the city fled into it , closing the gates behind them . The Egyptian soldiers fell to plundering the enemy camp . During the plunder they captured 924 chariots and 200 suits of armor . Unfortunately for the Egyptians , during this confusion , the scattered Caananite forces , including the kings of Kadesh and Megiddo , were able to rejoin the defenders inside the city . Those inside lowered clothing to the men and chariots and pulled them up over the walls . Thus , the opportunity of a quick capture of the city following the battle was lost . The city was besieged for seven months and the King of Kadesh escaped . Tuthmoses set up siege - works and encircled the town , eventually forcing its occupants to surrender . At Karnak it is recorded that the victorious army took home 340 prisoners , 2 , 041 mares , 191 foals , 6 stallions , 924 chariots , 200 suits of armor , 502 bows , 1 , 929 cattle , 22 , 500 sheep , and the royal armor , chariot and tent - poles of the King of Megiddo . The city and citizens were spared . A number of other cities in the Jezreel Valley were conquered and Egyptian authority in the area was restored . Results . Egypt ' s realm was expanded by this campaign . As Paul K . Davis wrote , " By reestablishing Egyptian dominance in Palestine , Thutmose began a reign in which Egypt reached its greatest expanse as an empire . " Thutmose III required from the defeated kings that they each send a son to the Egyptian court . There , they received an Egyptian education . When they returned to their homelands , they governed with Egyptian sympathies . Nevertheless , the victory at Megiddo was only the beginning of the pacification of the Levant . Only after several further campaigns , conducted almost annually , was the unrest cooled .