Tuthmosis the 3rd; the first warrior to record his feats on the battlefield in great detail

BY DAVE RANKIN

Of all the glorious accomplishments Hatshepsut made during her reign, it was her foresight to ensure that her stepson, Tuthmosis 3^rd received a first rate education from the finest minds of Kemet. I like to think that she knew in her heart that Kemet would need the kind of ruler that the people would be proud of. Little did she know of the animosity Tuthmosis 3^rd had towards her.  We could only imagine what would have been brewing in his mind during his 22-year co-regency. It must have been difficult for a child at his age to: have to be schooled among the priesthood, join the military, and the obvious delay of his ascension to the throne.

However, those arduous days and nights spent with the military give Tuthmosis 3^rd the experience, which actually set him up to be one of Kemet’s greatest Nesew or King. While we can only speculate about what type of pharaoh or nesew he would have been if he had taken the throne before his time.

We do know Tuthmosis 3^rd became the first person to record his feats on the battlefield in great detail. Today we can refer to them on the walls of Amun-Ra’s Temple at Karnak. Originally, his scribe Thanuny, the world’s first war correspondent, recorded them in a journal.

Immediately after the passing of Hatshepsut, there was an uprising in the eastern parts of Asia. The king of Kadesh, an ancient city of Syria, marched an army of approximately 10-15 thousand men to the city of Megiddo in order to “rebel against his majesty.” In the eyes of the Tuthmois 3^rd, this meant war.

*As a side note, the city of Meggido is the biblical city of Armageddon where in Revelations 16:16 tells us “The kings of the world will have their final battle against the forces of God.”

According to the book When Egypt Ruled The East, the authors advise us that, “It was the twenty-fifth day of the eighth month, in the twenty-second year of his reign, that King Thutmose 3^rd passed the fortress of Tjaru on the eastern frontier of Egypt.” Tuthmosis 3^rd and his army marched to the loyal city of Gaza in ten days. After a days rest, his troops then proceeded north towards Yehem. This trip took about eleven days.

Here, he sent out scouts, which advised him of the enemy’s defense at the fortified city of Meggido. With his enemy in waiting, a decision had to be made on how to approach any further. He called a council of war to discuss the options. Three possible scenarios were on the table. Two of them were easy, one of them, a little more difficult. Tuthmosis 3^rd selected the hardest route possible as he thought his enemies would not expect him to do. “I will march on this road to Aruna… let him of you who will follow my majesty.”

His loyal troops followed him on that narrow road, where “horse must follow horse and man behind man.” At the helm on golden chariot, Tuthmosis 3^rd lead his troops without any problems for three days, setting up camp before the battle.

The battle began at dawn, with Tuthmosis 3^rd leading the charge. The Kemetian force appeared to take their enemies by surprise as the army of Kadesh did not expect them to arrive at the point they had. This forced them to retreat within the city walls. The armies of Kadesh suffered considerable loses, especially the numerous chariots and horses that were abandoned when they fled.

In so many ways, this had saved them, as the Tuthmosis 3^rd’s men were so enthralled with their newly found spoils, they had failed to take the city in one swift move. In all, the Kemetian forces had to erect a “blockade, which lasted seven months to starve them (the armies of Kadesh) into submission.” Ultimately, the heads of the armies of Kadesh fell and began the legend of Tuthmosis 3^rd as Kemet’s Warrior King.