and sends a
Phoenician
fleet
to circumnavigate
Africa.
Previous
knowledge of
the coasts of
Africa.
Pharaoh
Necho
tion to a foreigner,1 lie relinquished the excavations for a still
more remarkable undertaking.
Nechus being determined to solve the geographical problem
of the peninsular form of Africa, employed certain Phoenicians
for this purpose, despatching them with instructions to circumnavigate
this continent, and return to Egypt through the
Pillars of Hercules. In accordance with these commands, the
fleet prepared for this purpose sailed down the Arabian Gulf,
and entering the Indian Ocean, continued to coast southward
till the autumn, when the crews landed and sowed some grain;
and having awaited the harvest, they continued the voyage,
again putting ashore to sow and reap as they advanced. After
the lapse of two years they reached the Pillars of Hercules, and
during the third year they returned to Egypt, and stated, adds
Herodotus, “ what is not credible to me though it may be so to
others,” that in their circumnavigation of Libya they had the
sun on their right hand, that is on the north.2
The alleged difficulty of giving credence to the fact thus
stated, is precisely that which in modern times best confirms its
truth, resting as it does upon a change of position during the
latter part of the voyage, which the mariners could not by any
possibility have imagined. But independently of the confirmation
thus given, the circumnavigation of Africa at the time in
question was not so much a fresh voyage of discovery, as the
extension of others which had been already carried along the
coasts of this continent for the extension of commerce. The
western coast was already known, whilst the previous and more
difficult enterprise to Ophir must, in connexion with the land-
trade, have given some knowledge of the eastern coast; so that
only the southern coasts of Africa, on each side of the continent,
were in reality unknown at the time Nechus despatched his
fleet.
Not satisfied with the well-merited distinction which he had
acquired in consequence of the benefits conferred upon mankind,
more particularly by the circumnavigation of Africa,
1 Seventy years later it was resumed by Darius Hvstaspes, and ultimately
completed by Ptolemy the Second. Strabo, lib. X V II., p. 1157.
2 Herod., lib. IV ., cap. x lii.; and Rennel, p. 672, ed. 1800.
Pharaoh Necho determined to take advantage of the unsettled invades Judea,
state of the countries beyond the Euphrates, arid marched, atan
the head of a large army, to Akko (now Ptolemais), in order to
proceed through Palestine and Gilead to the dominions of
Nabopolasar. Being refused a passage, however, by king
Josiah, a battle took place at Megiddo,1 in which the king of
Judah was killed; when a contribution of one hundred talents
of silver and one of gold was levied upon Jerusalem, and carried
into Egypt.2 Having now secured the intended line of
march, and made all the necessary preparations, he proceeded
towards Assyria. This was in the third year after the battle advances into . -n of Megiddo, and after crossing the Upper Euphi rates ih e attja_cki ejd Assyria, j
the celebrated city of Carchemish. During this operation an
extensive revolt having taken place in Ccele-Syria and Phoenicia,
two provinces which had been conquered by Nabopolasar, that
king determined to punish the delinquents in these provinces,
but being himself too far advanced in life to undertake such a
campaign, he sent his son, who is best known as Nebuchadnezzar,
then the partner of his throne, with a powerful army
against the Egyptians and revolted Syrians. A complete victory N e b u cM - j^
over the former, at Carchemish, was the consequence; and the the Egyptians,
young prince, pursuing his success, subdued the whole country
to the river Nile, with the exception of Judea, which was then
under Jehoiakim. Against this province, however, he speedily
turned his armsand Jerusalem being surrounded, Jehoiakim invades Judea,
saved his capital by promising tribute for the next three years.
As security for this payment a number of the principal inhabitants,
amongst whom was the prophet Ezekiel, were delivered
up, together with a portion of the treasures of the temple, and
carried as hostages to Babylon.3
On the death of his father, Nebuchadnezzar returneid to the and returns to a a Babylon by
capital; and to this event we owe the knowledge that two
different lines of march were in use at the period in question
1 Magdolus; Herod., lib. I I ., cap. clix. Cory’s Ancient Fragments, p. 157.
2 2 Kings, chap. X X I I I ., v. 2 9 -3 3 ; 2 Chron., chap. X X X V I., v. 3 -4 ;
compared with Herod., lib. I I ., cap. clix.
3 Jos., lib. X., cap. v i . ; 2 Kings, chap. X X IV ., v. 1 ; 2 Chron., chap.
XX XVI., v. 6,