Résumé
- A brief overview of the "rise" of the Egyptian New Kingdom (ca 1560 BC) and the rapid expansion upstream into Nubia (to the Second Cataract and beyond) inaugurates the historical overview to Thutmose III.
- The importance of the Sinai Route (the "Ways of Horus") is emphasized. The Egyptians realized that they had no chance of success in Asia unless logistic command over the Sinai was accomplished. Hence, my first half of the lecture will commence with Thutmose I and then swing into the fortification plans of Thutmose II/Hatshepsut/Thutmose III in order to show how it was necessary to establish a secure corridor northwards.
- This lecture will emphasize the "new" land based Egyptian army. The role of transporting war material with donkeys and cattle was combined with the march of chariots-based soldiers. Costs of transportation and the food upkeep of the animals (and men) are brought into the discussion.
- Then I shall cover the famous Megiddo campaign of regnal years 22-23 of Thutmose III (his accession is ca 1490 BC). I shall provide a description of the written evidence, the so-called "Annals," and a thorough coverage of the historical writing of this text and then move to the nature of Thutmose III’s leadership.
- A summary of Thutmose III’s success will end the lecture. But here one can posit the effectiveness of his intelligence, the newly established Sinai Corridor Road, and the "system" of his predecessors in Asia. Therefore, data from the reign of Thutmose I, the grandfather of Thutmose III, has to be surveyed.
- Before Thutmose II marched to Megiddo the Egyptian had developed an effective military conduit wherein all the fortressed were supplied with food and water (normally from the north through ships) so that the two ends of the Delta and Gaza were joined.
