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Necho II

Necho II (Egyptian: nḫw; throne name: wꜣḥ-mꜣʿt-rꜥ), the sixth pharaoh of Egypt's Twenty-sixth Dynasty, ruled from 610 to 595 BCE as the successor to his father Psamtik I, during a period of Saite resurgence following Assyrian dominance.^[1]^[2] His reign featured aggressive military interventions in the Levant to prop up the crumbling Assyrian Empire against Babylonian expansion, including the decisive defeat and death of Judah's King Josiah at the Battle of Megiddo in 609 BCE, corroborated by recent archaeological finds of Egyptian ceramics at the site.^[3]^[4]^[5] Subsequent campaigns culminated in Egypt's loss to Nebuchadnezzar II at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE, curtailing Egyptian influence in Syria-Palestine and paving the way for Babylonian hegemony.^[1] Necho's broader ambitions extended to maritime and engineering feats: he initiated a precursor canal from the Nile Delta to the Red Sea, with remnants later expanded under Persian and Ptolemaic rule, and dispatched Phoenician navigators from the Red Sea who reportedly circumnavigated Africa over three years, returning via the Mediterranean after observing the sun on their right in the south—claims preserved in Herodotus but aligning with feasible ancient seafaring capabilities.^[1]^[6] Archaeological attestation includes statues like BM EA 37891, where his names were later erased in acts of post-reign condemnation, alongside inscriptions such as the Serapeum Stela documenting temple dedications and administrative acts.^[7]^[2] These elements underscore Necho's role as a proactive ruler blending expansionist warfare with innovative infrastructure, though his efforts ultimately yielded mixed strategic outcomes amid shifting Near Eastern powers.^[8]

Background and Ascension

Lineage and Family

Necho II was the son of Pharaoh Psammetichus I, the founder of Egypt's 26th Dynasty who unified the realm after Assyrian influence waned, and his principal consort, the Great Royal Wife Mehytenweskhet.^[8]^[9] His paternal grandfather was Necho I, a local ruler of Sais who briefly held pharaonic titles before Assyrian intervention.^[10] Known siblings include his sister Nitocris I, who served as God's Wife of Amun in Thebes, a role that bolstered the dynasty's religious legitimacy in Upper Egypt.^[10] Necho II's primary wife was Khedebneithirbinet I, whose titles and sarcophagus attest to her status as queen consort during his reign from 610 to 595 BCE.^[11] She is presumed to be the mother of his successor, Psammetichus II, who ascended in 595 BCE following Necho's death, though direct epigraphic evidence linking her explicitly to Psammetichus II remains indirect and based on contemporary burial goods and titulary associations.^[11]^[8] Other potential consorts or children are sparsely attested in surviving records, with no confirmed additional heirs or secondary wives bearing royal offspring that impacted the succession.^[1]

Rise to Power

Necho II, the eldest son of Pharaoh Psamtik I and his principal wife Mehtenweskhet, was positioned as the designated successor within the hereditary framework of the 26th Saite Dynasty. Psamtik I, who had ruled since approximately 664 BC, had consolidated power by expelling Kushite influences from Upper Egypt by 656 BC and fostering economic recovery through Greek mercenary alliances and trade. Necho, likely groomed for rule through administrative or military roles in Lower Egypt—though specific titles like viceroy of Memphis are inferred from dynastic patterns rather than direct inscriptions—assumed the throne seamlessly upon his father's death in 610 BC.^[9]^[1] This transition occurred amid a shifting Near Eastern geopolitical landscape, with Assyria's empire crumbling under pressure from Medes and Babylonians following the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC. Necho inherited a unified Egypt experiencing a renaissance in art, sculpture, and monumental building, bolstered by Psamtik I's policies of centralization and foreign recruitment, yet still nominally aligned with a weakened Assyria as a strategic buffer. No contemporary records indicate internal rivalries or usurpation attempts during the accession, reflecting the dynasty's stability after decades of reunification efforts.^[1]^[8]

Domestic Policies and Projects

Infrastructure and Construction Efforts

Necho II launched an ambitious canal project to link the Pelusiac branch of the Nile River near Bubastis to the Red Sea, intended to enable direct maritime trade and bypass overland routes through the Sinai Peninsula.^[9] This initiative, often regarded as a precursor to the modern Suez Canal, drew on earlier Middle Kingdom attempts but marked a significant revival under the Saite dynasty.^[12] Historical accounts attribute the effort to Necho's strategic response to growing eastern trade demands, with construction involving massive labor mobilization estimated at 120,000 Egyptian workers over several years.^[13] The project progressed to connect the Nile to the Bitter Lakes but was halted short of the Red Sea, reportedly after excavating a channel spanning approximately 150 kilometers, based on later surveys of ancient canal traces.^[14] Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BCE, details the scale, claiming the proposed length equated to a four-day voyage for a vessel with the wind astern, though this figure likely exaggerates the actual work completed under Necho.^[15] Abandonment stemmed from prohibitive costs, worker fatalities exceeding 120,000 according to Herodotus, and an oracle's warning that the waterway would benefit foreign "barbarians"—a prophecy fulfilled when Persian king Darius I later completed and inscribed it around 500 BCE.^[13] ^[12] Archaeological remnants, including canal bed traces near Tell el-Maskhuta and Darius-era stelae referencing prior pharaonic digs, corroborate the undertaking's existence, though direct inscriptions from Necho's reign linking him specifically to the site remain elusive.^[16] Complementing hydraulic engineering, Necho invested in naval construction, commissioning approximately 300 triremes for Mediterranean operations and 200 vessels for Red Sea exploration, built at state yards along the Nile Delta and eastern fringes.^[15] These efforts enhanced Egypt's maritime infrastructure, though many ships saw limited use due to sailors' unfamiliarity with open-sea navigation, as noted by Herodotus.^[1] Such projects underscore Necho's focus on economic connectivity, leveraging Egypt's Late Period resurgence to integrate riverine and coastal capabilities, with excavations at Sais revealing contemporaneous administrative complexes supporting logistics for these undertakings.^[17]

Administrative and Economic Reforms

Necho II continued the Saite dynasty's administrative framework established by his father Psamtik I, which emphasized centralized control and integration of foreign elements into Egypt's governance and military structure. He relied heavily on Greek, Carian, and Phoenician mercenaries to bolster the army, diversifying the traditional Egyptian forces and reducing dependence on corvée labor for defense, thereby streamlining military administration amid expansionist campaigns.^[18] This policy reflected a pragmatic adaptation to Mediterranean geopolitical realities, allowing for a professionalized force that supported both internal stability and external ambitions.^[19] Economically, Necho II promoted Egypt's role as a Mediterranean trade hub through pro-Greek initiatives, including the encouragement of Ionian advisors and settlers, which facilitated cultural and commercial exchanges. Building on the Delta trading post at Naukratis—initially founded under Psamtik I—his reign saw expanded commerce with Greek city-states, contributing to prosperity via imports of timber, metals, and luxury goods in exchange for Egyptian grain, linen, and papyrus.^[18]^[19] These measures, while not introducing novel reforms, sustained the dynasty's outward-oriented economy, leveraging Egypt's agricultural surplus and strategic location to counterbalance military expenditures.^[20]

Military Campaigns

Northern Expedition to Aid Assyria

In spring 609 BC, Necho II mobilized a large army from Egypt to reinforce the Assyrian remnants under King Ashur-uballit II, who were defending Harran against a Babylonian siege led by Nabopolassar following the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC.^[9]^[8] This expedition aimed to preserve Assyrian control over northern Mesopotamia and prevent Babylonian expansion westward, aligning with Egypt's longstanding alliance with Assyria established under Necho's father, Psammetichus I.^[1]^[15] Necho's forces advanced rapidly through the Levant along the coastal route, but encountered opposition from Judah's King Josiah at Megiddo, where the Judean ruler sought to impede the Egyptian passage, likely due to pro-Babylonian leanings or concerns over Egyptian dominance in trade corridors.^[1]^[21] Necho reportedly urged Josiah to withdraw, asserting that his campaign followed divine command and posed no threat to Judah, yet the battle ensued, resulting in Josiah's fatal wounding by Egyptian archers.^[3]^[5] The delay at Megiddo proved costly; by the time Necho reached Harran, Assyrian defenders had abandoned the city under Babylonian pressure, as corroborated by the Nabopolassar Chronicle, which records the Egyptians and Assyrians' inability to hold the stronghold.^[1]^[22] Harran fell to the Babylonians shortly thereafter, effectively dismantling organized Assyrian resistance, though Necho secured temporary Egyptian influence by installing vassals in Syrian and Palestinian territories.^[9]^[15]

Key Battles and Outcomes

In 609 BCE, Necho II led an Egyptian army northward through Judah to support the remnants of the Assyrian Empire against Babylonian forces besieging Harran. King Josiah of Judah intercepted the Egyptian forces at Megiddo, possibly to prevent passage or align with Babylonian interests, resulting in a decisive Egyptian victory.^[1]^[5] Josiah sustained fatal arrow wounds during the engagement and died shortly after, allowing Necho to install Jehoahaz as a puppet king in Jerusalem before deposing him in favor of Jehoiakim as a vassal.^[23]^[9] Archaeological evidence from Megiddo, including Greek mercenary presence and Egyptian-style artifacts dated to the late 7th century BCE, corroborates foreign military activity at the site around this period.^[24] Despite initial successes, Necho's relief effort at Harran failed as Egyptian-Assyrian forces withdrew without engaging in a major pitched battle, leaving the city to fall to the Babylonians later that year.^[1] In 605 BCE, Necho positioned his army at Carchemish on the Euphrates to counter Babylonian advances, where they faced Crown Prince Nebuchadnezzar II's forces in a climactic confrontation.^[25] The battle ended in a crushing defeat for the Egyptians and their Assyrian allies, with Babylonian chariotry and infantry routing the Egyptian lines, pursuing and annihilating survivors as far south as the Egyptian border.^[26]^[27] This outcome marked the effective end of Egyptian influence in Syria and the Levant, paving the way for Babylonian hegemony under Nebuchadnezzar, who ascended the throne shortly thereafter.^[28]

Exploration and Maritime Initiatives

Phoenician Circumnavigation Attempt

Necho II (r. 610–595 BC) initiated a maritime expedition by commissioning Phoenician sailors to attempt the first recorded circumnavigation of Africa, departing from the northern Red Sea. According to Herodotus in his Histories (Book 4.42), the pharaoh sought to determine whether the sea encircling Libya—Herodotus' term for the African continent—formed a continuous navigable route westward, instructing the fleet to return to Egypt via the Mediterranean if successful.^[29] This venture followed Necho's abandonment of an ambitious Nile-Red Sea canal project due to its immense labor demands, estimated by Herodotus at over 120,000 workers, redirecting efforts toward oceanic exploration.^[30] The Phoenicians, renowned for their seafaring expertise, undertook the journey around 600 BC, navigating southward along Africa's east coast. Herodotus reports the expedition required three years, during which the crews made seasonal stops in Libya to sow wheat, await harvests, and reprovision, rather than relying solely on carried stores—a practice he deemed improbable for experienced mariners.^[29] Upon completing the circuit and entering the Mediterranean through the Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar), the sailors recounted observing the noonday sun to their right while sailing westward along the southern shore, a phenomenon aligning with southern hemisphere orientation and suggesting they had rounded the continent's southern cape.^[29]^[31] No surviving Egyptian inscriptions or Phoenician records corroborate the event, with the account preserved solely through Herodotus, who composed his work circa 440 BC based on oral traditions and inquiries over a century after Necho's reign.^[32] The expedition's potential strategic value lay in mapping trade routes or assessing naval capabilities amid Necho's broader efforts to bolster Egypt's maritime and defensive posture against Assyrian decline and emerging threats.^[1] Modern assessments note the feasibility given Phoenician navigational prowess, evidenced by their established Red Sea and Mediterranean operations, though the three-year duration implies deliberate pacing for exploration rather than haste.^[30]

Controversies and Scholarly Debates

Skepticism Surrounding the African Expedition

Herodotus, the primary ancient source for the expedition, relayed the account from Phoenician sailors but voiced explicit doubt concerning their reported observation that, upon reaching southern latitudes, "the sun stood to the north of them" during their eastward voyages, placing it on their right hand—a phenomenon incompatible with contemporary Greek understandings of geography and astronomy, which presumed a flat earth and limited southern extent for Libya (Africa). This celestial reversal, while retrospectively explicable by a southern hemisphere perspective on a spherical earth, led Herodotus to question the tale's veracity overall, suggesting it strained credulity even in antiquity.^[29] The absence of any corroborating evidence in Egyptian records amplifies scholarly reservations, as major royal initiatives under Necho II, such as canal construction and military campaigns, are documented in inscriptions and administrative papyri, yet no hieroglyphic or monumental reference attests to funding or dispatching a multi-year maritime venture of this scale. Egyptologist Alan B. Lloyd emphasized this evidentiary gap, contending that an operation involving dozens of ships, extensive provisioning, and Phoenician crews—potentially spanning 15,000–20,000 nautical miles—would inevitably leave archaeological or textual traces if executed, rendering its undocumented status highly improbable for a pragmatic ruler focused on immediate strategic gains like Assyrian alliances.^[32] Logistical critiques further undermine the narrative's historicity: Phoenician vessels, optimized for Mediterranean cabotage rather than prolonged open-ocean or coastal exposure to African monsoons and currents, faced formidable barriers including the Agulhas Current's turbulence near the Cape of Good Hope, uncharted reefs, and hostile indigenous encounters, with the reported three-year duration implying unprecedented resupply via on-shore agriculture in unfamiliar terrains—details Lloyd and others view as implausibly precise yet unsupported by comparative voyages, such as the earlier failed Egyptian Nile explorations or later Carthaginian periploi that balked at sub-Saharan extents.^[31]^[33] Some historians interpret the story as reflective of intellectual curiosity rather than empirical fact, positing Necho as a "philosopher-king" archetype in Greek historiography, where exploratory motifs served to elevate Egyptian ingenuity amid Persian conquest narratives, potentially drawing from oral traditions or exaggerated coastal reconnaissance rather than a full circumnavigation; this aligns with Herodotus's pattern of attributing speculative inquiries to pharaohs, absent incentives like trade routes that Egyptian records prioritize elsewhere.^[31] While proponents highlight the sun detail's inadvertent accuracy as anti-forgery evidence, skeptics counter that Herodotus's second-hand sourcing—likely from Egyptian priests or Ionian merchants over a century removed—permits conflation with mythical periploi or partial voyages, such as Red Sea-to-Indian Ocean probes, yielding a composite legend without verifiable causation.^[33]

Interpretations of Military Engagements and Josiah's Death

In 609 BCE, Necho II led an Egyptian army northward through the Levant to support Assyrian forces against the Babylonian advance following the fall of Harran, traversing the strategic Via Maris route that passed through Judahite territory.^[3] Josiah, king of Judah, mobilized his forces to intercept the Egyptians at Megiddo, resulting in his death during the confrontation, which marked a turning point leading to Judah's rapid decline.^[5] Biblical sources in 2 Kings 23:29–30 and 2 Chronicles 35:20–27 describe Josiah ignoring Necho's diplomatic warning—framed as divinely mandated—and being struck by arrows while disguised in battle, dying en route to Jerusalem.^[23] These accounts, while embedding theological interpretations of Josiah's demise as judgment for disregarding prophecy, align with Egyptian chronological records of Necho's Syrian campaign shortly after his accession.^[34] Scholarly interpretations of Josiah's intervention emphasize strategic rather than purely ideological motives. Egyptologist Donald Redford posits that Josiah aimed to block Egyptian passage through Megiddo to preserve Judahite control over this vital northern pass, amid his broader expansionist policies post-Assyrian collapse.^[1] Historian Dan'el Kahn argues that Necho viewed Josiah as a rebellious vassal—Judah having previously acknowledged Egyptian suzerainty—and executed him as capital punishment, drawing parallels to Egyptian practices of enforcing loyalty oaths upon a new pharaoh's enthronement in 610 BCE. Alternative views suggest Josiah's pro-Babylonian alignment, seeking to aid the Chaldeans by hindering Egyptian-Assyrian reinforcement, though this lacks direct corroboration beyond inferred geopolitical tensions.^[35] No Egyptian inscriptions detail the incident, likely deeming it insignificant amid larger objectives, underscoring the biblical narrative's Judah-centric perspective.^[3] Debates persist on the engagement's scale and Josiah's precise fate. While 2 Kings implies a pitched battle, 2 Chronicles stresses wounding and transport to Jerusalem, prompting questions of whether death occurred at Megiddo or later; consensus favors the former as site of combat, with the latter adding dramatic embellishment.^[36] Theological receptions in biblical texts vary, with some portraying the event as a "conspiracy of silence" to downplay Josiah's folly against a pious image, contrasting his earlier reforms.^[37] Archaeological excavations at Tel Megiddo have yielded no direct battle artifacts like mass graves or weapons from 609 BCE, but recent 2025 discoveries of late seventh-century Egyptian scarabs, Greek mercenary pottery, and military ceramics in a construction layer confirm an Egyptian garrison presence contemporaneous with Necho's campaign, bolstering the historicity of Judahite-Egyptian clash without proving pitched combat.^[4]^[24] These finds counter prior skepticism, indicating Necho maintained forward bases in the region, potentially sparking Josiah's preemptive action.^[38]

Death, Succession, and Legacy

Final Years and Demise

In the years following the decisive defeat at Carchemish in 605 BC, Necho II shifted focus from expansive northern campaigns to bolstering Egypt's defenses against the rising Babylonian threat under Nebuchadnezzar II. In 601 BC, when Babylonian forces invaded Egypt's eastern Delta, Necho successfully repelled the assault, inflicting heavy casualties on the invaders and temporarily securing the kingdom's borders.^[8] This victory, however, came at significant cost to Egypt's military resources and did not restore lost Levantine territories, as Babylonian dominance over Syria-Palestine solidified thereafter.^[28] Necho II died in 595 BC after a 15-year reign marked by military setbacks abroad but internal stability and economic continuity.^[9] No contemporary records specify the cause of his death, which appears to have been from natural means rather than violence or battle. He was succeeded by his son, Psamtik II (also known as Psammetichus II), who continued the 26th Dynasty's policies with less emphasis on Mesopotamian entanglements.^[8] Psamtik II's accession proceeded without reported disputes, reflecting the dynasty's consolidated power base in the Delta.^[1]

Historical Impact and Assessments

Necho II's military expeditions, particularly the decisive defeat at Carchemish in 605 BC against the Neo-Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II, effectively ended Egypt's capacity to project power into the Levant and Syria, allowing Babylonian dominance to extend unchecked and contributing to the subsequent fall of the Kingdom of Judah in 586 BC.^[3]^[9] This outcome marked the close of the Saite Period's brief resurgence of Egyptian influence abroad, as Necho's armies, despite initial successes like the victory over Josiah of Judah at Megiddo in 609 BC, proved unable to counter the rising Mesopotamian empire.^[1] Scholars assess these campaigns as overambitious, reflecting Necho's strategic miscalculation in prioritizing aid to a collapsing Assyria over consolidating defenses against emergent threats, which hastened Egypt's retreat to a more insular posture for the remainder of the 26th Dynasty.^[9] His infrastructure initiatives, notably the attempted canal linking the Nile River's Pelusiac branch to the Red Sea—spanning approximately 50 miles but abandoned after an estimated 120,000 laborers perished—demonstrated foresight in enhancing maritime trade but incurred unsustainable human and economic costs.^[14] This project, partially realized by connecting the Nile to the Bitter Lakes, served as a prototype for subsequent efforts by Persian king Darius I around 500 BC and Ptolemy II in the 3rd century BC, ultimately influencing the 19th-century Suez Canal's route and engineering principles under Ferdinand de Lesseps. Assessments highlight Necho's role in pioneering hydraulic engineering amid the Late Period's economic revival, though the initiative's failure underscored the logistical limits of ancient labor-intensive construction without advanced tools.^[9] The commissioning of a Phoenician fleet to circumnavigate Africa, as recounted by Herodotus (c. 440 BC), is evaluated by historians as a rare instance of pre-Hellenistic exploratory ambition, potentially confirming the continent's southern extent and equatorial navigation challenges after a three-year voyage returning via Gibraltar with tales of a sun rising rightward.^[39] While some modern scholars question the account's veracity due to Herodotus's reliance on secondhand reports and the logistical improbability for Bronze Age vessels, others credit it as evidence of Necho's intellectual curiosity driving empirical geographic knowledge, predating European Age of Discovery efforts by millennia.^[17] Overall, Necho is appraised as an innovative ruler whose blend of military, mercantile, and exploratory pursuits temporarily bolstered Egypt's Saite renaissance—evident in military modernization like trireme construction—but whose legacies were overshadowed by strategic defeats and unfinished visions, rendering him a transitional figure in the shift from New Kingdom imperial heights to Persian conquest.^[9]^[1]

References

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Pharaoh Necho II ordered the expedition around Africa. He ruled the nation between 610 and 595 BC, during an incredibly dangerous time. In the east, the ...<|separator|>