20 Facts About Necho II

Necho II of Egypt was a king of the 26th Dynasty, which ruled from Sais.

Necho II played a significant role in the histories of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Kingdom of Judah.

Necho II is most likely the pharaoh Neco who was mentioned in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah of the Bible.

The aim of the second of Necho II's campaigns was Asiatic conquest, to contain the westward advance of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and cut off its trade route across the Euphrates.

Necho II was the son of Psammetichus I by his Great Royal Wife Mehtenweskhet.

Necho II attempted to assist this remnant immediately upon his coronation, but the force he sent proved to be too small, and the combined armies were forced to retreat west across the Euphrates.

At the head of a large army, consisting mainly of his mercenaries, Necho II took the coast route Via Maris into Syria, supported by his Mediterranean fleet along the shore, and proceeded through the low tracts of Philistia and Sharon.

Necho II deployed these ships as needed, while he engaged in a pitched battle at Magdolos with the Syrians, and conquered them; and after this he took Cadytis, which is a great city of Syria.

Necho II sent the clothes he had worn in these battles to the Branchidae of Miletus and dedicated them to Apollo.

Necho II soon captured Kadesh on the Orontes and moved forward, joining forces with Ashur-uballit and together they crossed the Euphrates and laid siege to Harran.

Necho II brought Jehoahaz back to Egypt as his prisoner, where Jehoahaz ended his days.

Necho II responded the following year by retaking Kumukh after a four-month siege, and executed the Babylonian garrison.

When he did repel the Babylonian attack, Necho II managed to capture Gaza while pursuing the enemy.

Necho II turned his attention in his remaining years to forging relationships with new allies: the Carians, and further to the west, the Greeks.

At some point during his Syrian campaign, Necho II initiated but never completed the ambitious project of cutting a navigable canal from the Pelusiac branch of the Nile to the Red Sea.

Necho II's Canal was the earliest precursor of the Suez Canal.

Necho II formed an Egyptian navy by recruiting displaced Ionian Greeks.

The navy which Necho II created operated along both the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts.

At some point between 610 and before 594 BC, Necho II reputedly commissioned an expedition of Phoenicians, who it is said in three years sailed from the Red Sea around Africa back to the mouth of the Nile; and would thereby be the first completion of the Cape Route.

Necho II died in 595 BC and was succeeded by his son, Psamtik II, as the next pharaoh of Egypt.