March/April 600 - March April 599 B.C.
There is very little to say about the 14th campaign of the 39th year of Menkheperre. Everything that should have happened, happened.
In the aftermath of the battle with Egypt Nebuchadrezzar returned to Babylon. According to the Chronicle he remained in Babylon during his 5th year, clearly licking his wounds and preparing for the next encounter with Egypt.
In the fifth year the king of Akkad (stayed) in his own land and gathered together his chariots and horses in great numbers. (line 8)Meanwhile Piankhi proceeded to reclaim Retenu for Egypt. We have already quoted the Annals but the fact bears repeating.
Year 39. Behold, his majesty was in the land of Retenu on the fourteenth victorious expedition, after [his] going [to defeat] the fallen ones of Shasu. BAR II 517As stated earlier, the balance of the Annals for this year consists entirely of a list of the tribute of Retenu, resumed after a hiatus of five years.
The concluding entry records what is by now a yearly event, the re-supplying of Menkheperre's Mediterranean ports.
Behold, every harbor was supplied with every good thing according to their agreement of each [year]; in going northward [or sou]th[ward] -- -- likewise; the harvest of [Lebanon] ------- [the harvest] of Zahi, consisting of clean grain, incense, oil, -- s[ine] ----. BAR II 519
March/April 599 - March April 598 B.C.
After two years of preparation Nebuchadrezzar was ready to do battle once again. Late in his 6th year, in the month of Kislev, precisely two years after the disastrous stand-off battle at the border of Egypt, he returned to the Hatti-land. It was December/January 599/598 B.C.
In the sixth year in the month of Kislev the king of Akkad mustered his army and marched to the Hatti land. From the Hatti-land he sent out his companies, and scouring the desert they took much plunder from the Arabs, their possessions, animals and gods. In the month of Adar the king returned to his own land. (lines 9,10)It is apparent from the timing that Nebuchadrezzar waited to re-enter the Hatti lands (Retenu) until after the conclusion of the campaign season of Menkheperre. The strategy was successful. No encounter with Egypt is recorded.
In light of this entry in the Chronicle we expect that the Annals will record for this same year, the 40th year of Menkheperre, a 15th campaign to Retenu and Zahi. Assuming that Menkheperre followed his usual routine this campaign must have begun in the spring and concluded only weeks before Nebuchadrezzar returned to the Hatti land. Egypt must have occupied Retenu during the six month period from April to October. The Annals should confirm the fact.
The wall space surrounding the Amun temple sanctuary was by this time filled and the Annals were continued elsewhere, on the back of Pylon 6 at the southern extremity of the temple. Very little of this Pylon remains standing. and the Annals preserved at this location are intermittent at best. What remains is not dated. Breasted has attempted to interpret the scattered remains so as to read into the record at this location an account of three campaigns. But he admits to a certain amount of guesswork. According to him all that remains of the annals of the 15th campaign of Menkheperre's 40th year is a "tribute-list of Cyprus and the impost of Kush and Wawat". But the names of Kush and Wawat are missing from the record. Breasted supplies them in his reading. There follows without pause further lists of tribute, beginning with that from Retenu and Kheta, then from Kush and Wawat. Breasted attributes these last four tribute lists (Retenu, Kheta, Kush and Wawat) to a 16th campaign. But we respectfully disagree. They lack the usual introduction and give every appearance of continuing the list of tribute which began with Cyprus. The mention of Kush and Wawat (which the annals typically place at the end of the yearly record) confirms our suspicion that the entire record thus far belongs to the 15th year.
It was an active year for Menkheperre, following up on his re-conquest of Retenu the year before. For the first time since his 8th campaign in 605 B.C. the Egyptian king reached the northern fringes of Retenu and received again diplomatic gifts from the Hittite king (something made of gold is all that is mentioned). It was to be the last intrusion of Piankhi into northern Syria. As we have already noted, a few months after the conclusion of this campaign Nebuchadrezzar was on the move again to the Hatti land.
Once again the Chronicle
and the Annals complement one another.
March/April 598 - March April 597 B.C.
According to the Chronicle Nebuchadrezzar's return to the Hatti land in his sixth year - which followed by a month the end of the 15th campaign of Menkheperre continued until the month Adar following, February/March 598 B.C. The two kings are apparently avoiding each other, Nebuchadrezzar campaigning in the winter (Kislev to Adar) , Menkheperre from the spring to the fall. The pattern continues through the next year.
In March/April 598 B.C., the beginning of his 41st year, a month after Nebuchadrezzar's return to Babylon in the month Adar, Menkheperre initiated his 16th campaign. We assume this campaign is that described on the 6th Pylon walls immediately following the lists of tribute we assigned to his 15th year. [10] Unfortunately no date is preserved in the record..
During this 41st campaign Menkheperre is forced to suppress rebellion in central Syria. We understand the cause. The return of Nebuchadrezzar the previous winter has emboldened Kadesh and other cities on the fringes of Zahi, and even Tunip on the coast, to challenge Egyptian sovereignty. According to the Annals:
[Year 42 [which we correct to 41] ----- the Fenkhu. Behold, his majesty was upon the coast road, in order to overthrow the city of Erkatu and the cities of ----- Kana -----; this city was overthrown, together with its districts. (His majesty) arrived at Tunip, overthrew that city, harvested its grain, and cut down its groves ---- the citizens of the army. Behold, (he) came in safety, arrived at the district of Kadesh, captured the cities therein. List of the booty brought from there -- ------ of the wretched Naharin who were as auxiliaries among them, together with their horses; 691 people; 29 hands; 44 horses; -----.There follows a list of tribute from six areas, including Tunip, Tinay, Kush and Wawat. The names of the other two regions are in damaged sections of the annals and are not preserved. The harvests of several of these areas are mentioned, indication that the campaign extended into the fall. Included in these lists in the now ever-present reference to the supplying of the Phoenician ports:
Behold, every harbor was supplied with every good thing according to their agreement of each year; the harvest of this country [likewise] ------ BAR II 535.Nothing more need be said of this campaign except to repeat an observation noted in the last chapter, that auxiliaries from "wretched Naharin" assisted the cities of the district of Kadesh in their resistance to Egypt. These may or may not have garrison troops left by Nebuchadrezzar to protect his interests in the Hatti lands. If they were Babylonians the Chronicle does not mention them, not entirely surprising since the Chronicler is concerned only with actions of the main Babylonian army.
We assume that the Egyptian
army left southern Syria and the Phoenician coast in September/October
of 598 B.C. Menkheperre likely journeyed by boat to Egypt. The bulk of
the army would have used the land route through Palestine. It would be
the last Egyptian army to do so for many years. A month or two later, on
schedule in the month Kislev, Nebuchadrezzar returned to the Hatti land.
And this time he moved south, as he had late in 604 B.C. to resume control
of the
land corridor out of Egypt. It is December/January 598/597 B.C.
In the seventh year, the month of Kislev, the king of Akkad mustered his troops, marched to the Hatti-land, and encamped against (i.e. besieged) the city of Judah and on the second day of the month of Adar he seized the city and captured the king. He appointed there a king of his own choice (lit. heart), received its heavy tribute and sent (them) to Babylon. (lines 11-13).This two month siege of Jerusalem (the city of Judah) is documented in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings 24:10ff), and the deposition of its king, Jehoiakin, also receives considerable press. Jehoiakin was not long in office when Nebuchadrezzar invaded Judah. We recall that his father Jehoiakim had had a checkered career. He was installed in office by Menkheperre in 609 B.C. after the Egyptian pharaoh had deposed Jehoahaz, son of Josiah. For five years Jehoiakim's allegiance was toward Egypt until Nebuchadrezzar swept through the country to destroy Ashkelon in the month Kislev, 604 B.C. For three years following Jehoiakim paid tribute to Babylon. With the stand-off battle between Egypt and Babylon in the month Kislev 601 B.C. Judah once again became a vassal of Egypt. And three years later, probably only a month before Nebuchadrezzar invaded Judah, Jehoiakim died. He was replaced in office by his son Jehoiakin. It was unfortunate timing for the eighteen year old king. In Kislev 598 B.C., a month after he assumed office, his capital was attacked by Nebuchadrezzar. Two months later, thus early in 597 B.C. the capital fell and Jehoiakin was taken captive and deported to Babylon. In his place Nebuchadrezzar installed Zedekiah as king.
Judah once again is vassal to Babylon. More importantly, once again Egypt is denied land access to Syria and Zahi. But in this instance we are denied the opportunity to compare the Annals and the Chronicle in their discussion of the sequel to the story. For though the Chronicle continues on for four more years before the final tablet ends, the Annals terminate their discussion at this point. Abruptly the record stops.
A single line of inscription follows the mention of tribute from Kush and Wawat forthcoming from the 16th campaign. It alone belongs to Menkheperre's 42nd year.
Behold, his majesty commanded to record the victories which he won from the year 23 until the year 42, when this inscription was recorded upon this sanctuary; that he might be given life forever. BAR II 540Menkheperre Piankhi is by now an old man. He has reigned 42 years in Egypt. He is arguably over seventy years old. The latest, apparently uncontested, action by Nebuchadrezzar was perhaps an indication of his lack of resolve. Egyptian coffers were full from twenty years of campaigning in Syria, Kush and Wawat. His opponent Nebuchadrezzar was a young man. His wars were just beginning. Thirty years later the Babylonian king would be fighting still, and would finally achieve his ambition of conquering Egypt. But Piankhi was now old and tired and perhaps ill. Besides, Egypt still controlled Zahi and the Phoenician coast, access to which could be obtained by ship. And Piankhi still ruled a Phoenician empire which brought him yearly more wealth than he could possibly use. Time to retire from battling in Retenu.
Before we leave the Annals entirely we should return one last time to the memoirs of Amenemheb. When we last left the venerable army commander he was describing the elephant hunt near Niy which followed the conquest of Naharin in 605 B.C. apparently nothing significant had happened in the seven years following, for his next entry describes the battles in the vicinity of Kadesh in 598 B.C. His comments related to the Kadesh incident are inconsequential, but two incidental remarks are kparticularly relevant to our discussion. The first concerns Amenemheb's promotion in the ranks which has taken place in the interim. He boasts
I made this capture while [I] was an officer of the navy -----. I was the commander of [-] [his vessel] -- I was the chief of his associates on the voyage -- -- -- at his beautiful Feast of Opet, when all the land was in acclamation. BAR II 591Apparently Amenemheb has been transformed from a field officer into a commander of the fleet of Menkheperre. Egypt, following its losses in 604 B.C., had turned increasingly to the Sea. Control of the Phoenician ports made Menkheperre the master of the Mediterranean. And Amenemheb, whose life was previously restricted to warfare on land, had become a naval commander. We will have cause to comment on this change of venue later.
A second comment is even more instructive. The final entry on the walls of Amenemheb's tomb concerns the duration of Menkheperre's life following the completion of the Annals in his 42nd year.
Lo, the king completed his lifetime of many years, splendid in valor, in [might], and in triumph; from year 1 to year 54, third month of the second season, the last day (of the month) under [the majesty of] King Menkheperre, triumphant. He mounted to heaven, [he] joined the sun; the divine limbs mingling with him who begat him. BAR II 592If we are correct, Menkheperre Piankhi died at the end of the seventh month of his 54th year, around October/November of 584 B.C.. He was buried in a tomb near Napata in Nubia. In a later chapter we will examine his tomb. Twenty years after his death the treasure he accumulated would be lost to Babylon, as the armies of Nebuchadrezzar engulfed Egypt. But that story has already been told in the first book of our Displaced Dynasties series.