nd with it the
empire of the Assyrians, were thereby become so formidable, that they
drew upon themselves the jealousy of all their neighbours. Nechao,
alarmed at the danger, advanced to the Euphrates, at the head of a
powerful army, in order to check their progress. Josiah, king of
Judah, so famous for his uncommon piety, observing that he took his
route through Judea, resolved to oppose his passage. With this view he
raised all the forces of his kingdom, and posted himself in the valley
of Megiddo (a city on this side of Jordan, belonging to the tribe of
Manasseh, and called Magdolus by Herodotus). Nechao informed him by a
herald, that his enterprise was not designed against him; that he had
other enemies in view, and that he had undertaken this war in the name
of God, who was with him; that for this reason he advised Josiah not
to concern himself with this war for fear it otherwise should turn to
his disadvantage. However, Josiah was not moved by these reasons; he
was sensible that the bare march of so powerful an army through Judea
would entirely ruin it. And besides, he feared that the victor, after
the defeat of the Babylonians, would fall upon him and dispossess him
of part of his dominions. He therefore marched to engage Nechao; and
was not only overthrown by him, but unfortunately received a wound of
which he died at Jerusalem, whither he had ordered himself to be
carried.

Nechao, animated by this victory, continued his march and advanced
towards the Euphrates. He defeated the Babylonians; took Carchemish, a
large city in that country; and securing to himself the possession of
it by a strong garrison, returned to his own kingdom after having been
absent three months.

Being informed in his march homeward, that Jehoaz had caused himself
to be proclaimed king at Jerusalem, without first asking his consent,
he commanded him to meet him at Riblah in Syria. The unhappy prince
was no sooner arrived there than he was put in chains by Nechao's
order, and sent prisoner to Egypt, where he died. From thence,
pursuing his march, he came to Jerusalem, where he gave the sceptre to
Eliakim (called by him Jehoiakim), another of Josiah's sons, in the
room of his brother; and imposed an annual tribute on the land, of a
hundred talents of silver, and one talent of gold. This being done, he
returned in triumph to Egypt.

Herodotus, mentioning this king's expedition, and the victory gained
by him at Magdolus, (as he calls it,)