The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford Illustrated History) (retail)

Author:The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford Illustrated History) (retail)
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press - A
Published: 2004-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

Thutmose IV in Syria-Palestine and Nubia

With regard to foreign policy in the east, Thutmose IV’s contacts with Mitanni are best considered in the context of the pre-existing peace with that power. This situation would have restricted military activity to campaigns against either upstart Egyptian vassals or Mitanni kinglets asserting pressure on the Egyptian city states. Thutmose IV took a daughter of the Mitanni ruler Artatama as wife, in order to seal a diplomatic relationship with the king.

The best-known inscription noting military activity for Thutmose IV is the laconic dedication text on a statue at Karnak that consists of a single line: ‘from the plunder of his Majesty from [...]na, defeated, from his first campaign of victory’. The toponym referred to on his Karnak dedication (and a statue base from Luxor temple) is likely to have been in Syria, given the several references in the Amarna Letters to the king in that region. The two most likely cities to restore on the Karnak dedication would have been Sidon (Zi-du-na), where Thutmose IV was known to have travelled and where Egypt clearly lacked support in the Amarna period; or Qatna, near Tunip in Nukhashshe (an amorphous area to the east of the Orontes). Whether the toponym was Qatna or Sidon or some other city, the northern Levant remains the likely area for the main campaign. This is all the more evident since the Mitannian king Artatama would have been impressed by a show of strength at his doorstep, particularly if negotiations for a diplomatic renewal were in progress.

A scene in the tomb of the standard-bearer Nebamun (TT 90) records the man’s promotion in year 6 and shows the Chiefs of Nahrin before the king in his kiosk. Captives also appear in this scene and are rare enough after the reign of Amenhotep II that they should be taken seriously. However, as captives taken in a campaign against both Mitanni vassals and rebellious Egyptian city states, these foreigners make the statement of Egypt’s obvious superiority over Mitanni. Such an assertion of dominance would have been appropriate at the moment of Egypt’s treaty renewal with Washshukanni. It may be that, rather than help us to document a war against the Mitanni ruler, this scene informs us of the date for Thutmose IV’s diplomatic marriage with the Syrian princess.

In the southern regions of Palestine, Thutmose can only be said to have taken punitive action against Gezer; actual warfare cannot be proven, but some of the population of this town were transported to Thebes. It is presently impossible to prove that the Levantine holdings of Egypt at the end of Thutmose’s reign were not similar to those of Amenhotep II. And it is similarly impossible to demonstrate that Artatama I could have been dealing from a position of strength when he decided to form a brotherhood with Thutmose IV. Thutmose never fought the Mitanni ruler directly, but his power in the far northern provinces was intact. Thus Artatama may have been renewing a diplomatic relationship established

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