The Assyrians were known for their wide knowledge of warfare and organization, and they obtained extensive territories through military campaigns.  From 671 (676) B.C. to 663 B.C. is the period when Egypt was invaded by Assyria. Before the invasion by the Assyrians, the first pharaoh of the twenty-fifth dynasty was Shebaka. He had a policy of conciliation and cooperation with Assyria.  This policy helped to prevent Assyrians from coming further into Egypt.  However, Shebitku, the second king of the twenty-fifth dynasty did not have the same policy, and he tried to resist.  Shebitku participated in the resistance against Sennacherib of Assyria with the king of Ethiopia, who was also against Sennachenb, when Jerselem was attacked by Assyria.  Taharqa, brother of Shebitku directed Egyptian army sent to Palestine and helped Palestine’s resistance against Sennachenb.  Then, Taharqa became the third kind of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty in 690 B.C.. 

        In 676 B.C., the Assyrians invaded Egypt.  This was the time when they introduced iron to this area.  A few years after the invasion, they sacked Thebes, the city of Egypt.  Declining Egypt was invaded by Nubians, and Egypt had a Nubian king, but the Assyrian defeated Nubians, and sent them back to their home.  In 671 B.C., Esarhaddon, Sennachenb’s son and the king of Assyria (680 B.C.-669 B.C.) defeated Taharqa’s army, and captured Memphis.  According to the record left by Esarhaddon, there was the siege and destruction of Memphis.  Memphis was the capital of Egypt, and the royal residence of Taharqa.  Esarhaddon set out for a further campaign, but he got sick at Harran and died. 

    After Esarhaddon’s death, Taharqa got a chance to regain Memphis from Assyrians and occupied it. However, in 667 (668) Taharqa was kicked out of Memphis by Ashurbanipal, Esarhaddon’s son and the king of Assyria reigned from 668 to 627 B.C..  At the time of Ashurbaipal’s Egyptian campaign, the power of Assyria was at its zenith.  Although, one year after the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 B.C., Assyrians were severely beaten by the Babylonians, and their attempts to regain the lost land never succeeded.  In 612 B.C., Assyria collapsed, and this resulted in the return of the Egyptian’s independence of the 26th dynasty.  This independence did not last so long because of another invasion by Persian.

    Ancient Egypt was known as one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  Food produced by Egyptian was more than enough to feed their own people, and this surplus grains played an important role in Egypt's economy as well as fish, fine linen, papyrus and an extended trade in perfume and fine oils. They developed trading routes to far away places.  There is not much doubt about Egypt had reached Assyria where Syria and Lebanon are located present days.   The first recorded mention of Greater Syria is in Egyptian annals detailing expeditions to the Syrian coastland to log the cedar, pine, and cypress of the Ammanus and Lebanon mountain ranges in the fourth millennium.  During 12th Dynasty, During Egyptian conquered Nubia and this led to the promotion of trading with Palestine and Syria.  Egyptians imported timber applicable for carpentry on a large scale and for boat construction from Syria and Lebanon. 

    Syria exported gold, lapis lazuli, and ivory as well.  Gubla (later known as Byblos and present day Jubayl) was the first Phoenician City to trade frequently with Egypt and the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom.  Assyrian provided cedar, olive oil, and wine, while importing gold and other merchandise through the Nile Valley.   Byblos, the Syrian port city, was negotiating with Egypt for exportation of timber and the resin suitable for mummification. Egyptian also imported silver and irons from Syria and Lebanon. In the Late Period, horses were exported to Assyria and other Asiatic countries by ship although Egypt imported houses during the New Kingdom.

            Assyrians

Phoenicians

Hittites

Minoans

Babylonians

Persians

   

 

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