Bible Dictionary: Carchemish

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Carchemish

(fortress of Chemosh) occupied nearly the site of the later Mabug or Hierapolis. It seems to have commanded the ordinary passage of the Euphrates at Bir or Birekjik . Carchemish appears to have been taken by Pharoah Necho shortly after the battle of Megiddo (cir. B.C. 608), and retaken by Nebuchadnezzar after a battle three years later, B.C. 605. (Jeremiah 46:2)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Carchemish

Probably the same with Circesium or Circusium, a fortified city on the west of the Euphrates, where the river Chaboras enters it. In Isaiah 10:9, it appears as taken by some king of Assyria. It was attacked by Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, near the close of king Josiah's reign, 2 Chronicles 35:20. Five years afterwards Necho was signally defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah 46:1-12. In later times was held as a frontier post of the Roman empire on the east.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Fortress of Chemosh, a city on the west bank of the Euphrates (Jeremiah 46:2; 2 Chronicles 35:20), not, as was once supposed, the Circesium at the confluence of the Chebar and the Euphrates, but a city considerably higher up the river, and commanding the ordinary passage of the Euphrates; probably identical with Hierapolis. It was the capital of the kingdom of the northern Hittites. The Babylonian army, under Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar, here met and conquered the army of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt (B.C. 607). It is mentioned in monuments in B.C. 1600 and down to B.C. 717.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

CARCHEMISH

kar'-ke-mish (karkemish; Charmeis, Karchameis): An exceedingly ancient Hittite city on the banks of the Euphrates, identified with Jerablus (Hierapolis) about 23 hours from Aleppo, between Birejik and Membij. The Assyrian form of the name is Kargamis or Gargamis, but its meaning is doubtful, the interpretation "Fort of the god Chemosh" having been suggested before it was known that the Assyrian-Babylon form of Chemosh was not Kamish or Gamish, but Kammusu (Kammosu). Systematic excavations on the site have apparently only just been made, those undertaken by Consul J. Henderson, after the death of G. Smith the Assyriologist, having been mainly devoted to the excavation of sculptures, etc. The site has vast walls and palace-mounds about. 8,000 ft. in circumference.

1. Evidence of the City's Early Existence:

The earliest occurrence of the name is in an adjectival form, namely, Karkarnisu, "Carchemishite," applied to a vase or measure of 200 qa, in a list of property at Sippar in the reign of Ammi-caduga (circa 1900 B.C.). Later on, the Egyptian poet known as Pentaur refers to the people of Carchemish (Qarqamesa) as forming, with the men of Arvad, Aleppo and Gozan, part of "the host of the miserable king of the Hittites" (Hattu-sil), who fought against Rameses II at the battle of Kadesh. The first Assyrian king to mention Carchemish is Tiglath-pileser I (circa 1268 B.C.), who states that he plundered "from the neighborhood of the land of Suhu (the Shuhites) as far as Carchemish of the land of Hattu" in one day.

2. Its Later History:

Later, the city attracted the attention of the Assyrian king Assur-nacir-apli, who started on the 8th of Iyyar, about the year 870 B.C., to the conquest of the district, and received tribute from the son of Bit-Bahiani; and, a little later, from Sangara of Carchemish, who is described as king of the Hittites. This tribute consisted of 20 talents of silver, various objects of gold, 100 talents of copper, 250 talents of iron, furniture, chariots and horses-an enormous treasure. Shalmaneser II, son of Assur-nacir-apli, also took tribute from the king of Carchemish here referred to. On the first occasion when the two monarchs met, Sangara was in alliance with the Sam'alians, Patinians, and Til-Bursip. After the capture of Sazabe (858 B.C.), a strong city of Sangara of Carchemish, all the opposing princes submitted. The tribute paid by the Hittite king on this occasion is depicted on strip F of the bronze coverings of the gates of Balawat, which has four representations of the place-two in the upper and two in the lower row of reliefs. The Kurkh monolith states that the tribute consisted of "2 talents of gold, 70 talents of silver, 80 talents of bronze, 100 talents of iron, 30 talents of purple stuff, 500 weapons, his daughter with a dowry, and 100 daughters of his great men, 500 oxen, and 5,000 sheep." A yearly tax was also imposed. The reliefs show two long trains of tribute-bearers, that in the lower row escorting the princess, who, apparently accompanied by her father, goes to meet the Assyrian king. Samsi-Adad, Shalmaneser II's son, merely mentions Carchemish as being on the western limits of his empire.

3. Tiglath-pileser IV Receives Its Tribute, and Sargon of Assyria Incorporates It:

In the time of Tiglath-pileser IV, the city was ruled by King Pisiri(s), who paid tribute as an Assyrian vassal. On the accession of Sargon of Assyria, however, Pisiris tried to throw off the Assyrian yoke, and made alliance with Meta of Moschi (Mesech) and other rulers, but was taken prisoner in the operations which followed. In the subsequent plundering of the city, those who suffered most were the inhabitants of the city who had been most active against Assyria. These were carried captive, and their places filled, as was the custom, by Assyrian settlers. The city's importance under Assyrian rule continued, the "mana of Carchemish" being one of the standard weights in use at Nineveh. After incorporation into the Assyrian empire it was ruled by Assyrian governors, one of whom, Bel-emuranni, was eponym for. the year 691 B.C. (reign of Sennacherib). The Old Testament gives later details. In the time of Josiah, Pharaoh Necoh marched to fight against the city, and the Jewish king went out to meet him, but lost his life at Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:20). Four years later (605 B.C.), the Egyptian king was himself defeated by Nebuchadrezzar under the walls of the city (Jeremiah 46:2) in the battle which decided the fate of Western Asia.

4. Sculpture and Inscriptions Found at Carchemish:

The art of Carchemish was that of the Hittite nation to which the city belonged, but it was strongly influenced by the style of the Assyrians, and exhibits a mannerism if anything more pronounced. The Inscriptions found on the site are in the usual Hittite style-boldly carved natural objects and implements in relief arranged in boustrophedonbands between division-lines. It is not improbable, however, that cuneiform was also used, and texts in Phoenician characters may, by chance, be found. The patron-deity of the city was the Asiatic goddess Atargatis, whose worship, when the place lost its importance, was removed to the new Hierapolis now represented by the ruins of Membij.

T. G. Pinches

Strong's Hebrew

3751. Karkemish -- a city on the Euphrates
... 3750, 3751. Karkemish. 3752 . a city on the Euphrates. Transliteration: Karkemish
Phonetic Spelling: (kar-kem-eesh') Short Definition: Carchemish. ... Carchemish ...
/hebrew/3751.htm - 6k

Library

The Battle of Carchemish
... LYRICS VIII THE BATTLE OF CARCHEMISH. 1 Order ye the buckler and shield,
and draw near to battle; Harness the horses, and get up ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/viii the battle of carchemish.htm

From Megiddo to Carchemish, 608-605.
... 1. From Megiddo to Carchemish, 608-605. Josiah's faithful ... imminent. Their
armies met in 605-4 at Carchemish on The River. Necoh ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 from megiddo to carchemish.htm

The Nations of the North-East
... The Hittite empire broke up into a multitude of small principalities. Of these
Carchemish, now Jerablus, on the Euphrates, was perhaps the most important. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iv the nations of.htm

Habakkuk
... The prophecy may be placed about the year 600 BC The Assyrian empire had fallen,
and by the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Babylonian supremacy was ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/habakkuk.htm

Jeremiah
... that, in four years, for the vassalage of Babylonia, whose supremacy over Western
Asia was assured by her victory on the epoch-making field of Carchemish (605 ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/jeremiah.htm

Parables. (xiii, xviii-xx, xxxv. )
... of the uncertainty of such points, we may suppose it, along with the Parable of
the Potter, to have been uttered before the Battle of Carchemish, when the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 parables xiii xviii-xx xxxv.htm

Select Masterpieces of Biblical Literature
... VI DAVID'S SONG OF VICTORY. VII THE BRIDE'S REMINISCENCES. VIII THE BATTLE OF
CARCHEMISH. IX A SONG OF ZION REDEEMED. X ISAIAH'S. XI NAHUM'S DOOM OF NINEVEH. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/

The Prophet in the Reign of Josiah. 627-26-608 BC
... when the Scythians had long come and gone, the Assyrian Empire had collapsed, its
rival Egypt had been defeated at the Battle of Carchemish, and Nebuchadrezzar ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture iv the prophet in.htm

Sacrifice.
... deeper and more yearning. From the year of Carchemish onward he appears not
again to have tried or prayed to escape. Through the rest ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 sacrifice.htm

Index of Names and Subjects.
... Baruch, 4, 8, 23, 26, 82, 178, 227. Budde, Professor, 38. Calvin, 278, 283, 315.
Carchemish, battle of, 175. Chaldeans, the, 110, 121, 122, etc. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/index of names and subjects.htm

Thesaurus

Carchemish (3 Occurrences)
... Egypt (BC 607). It is mentioned in monuments in BC 1600 and down to BC 717.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CARCHEMISH. kar'-ke-mish ...
/c/carchemish.htm - 13k

Car'chemish (3 Occurrences)
Car'chemish. Carchemish, Car'chemish. Care . Multi-Version Concordance ... (See
RSV). Isaiah 10:9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? ...
/c/car'chemish.htm - 7k

Hittites (39 Occurrences)
... They inhabited the whole region between the Euphrates and Damascus, their chief
cities being Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Kadesh, now Tell Neby Mendeh, in ...
/h/hittites.htm - 55k

Neco (9 Occurrences)
... 2 Chronicles 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king
of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates: and Josiah ...
/n/neco.htm - 11k

Pharaohnecoh
... 3. Battle of Carchemish, 604 BC: The Egyptian monarch still kept some hold upon
Syria, and his presence there had attracted the attention of the newly ...
/p/pharaohnecoh.htm - 11k

Pethor (2 Occurrences)
... Interpretation of dreams, identified with Pitru, on the west bank of the Euphrates,
a few miles south of the Hittite capital of Carchemish (Numbers 22:5 ...
/p/pethor.htm - 10k

Pharaoh-necoh (3 Occurrences)
... 3. Battle of Carchemish, 604 BC: The Egyptian monarch still kept some hold upon
Syria, and his presence there had attracted the attention of the newly ...
/p/pharaoh-necoh.htm - 12k

Phrat (17 Occurrences)
... 2 Chronicles 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king
of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates: and Josiah ...
/p/phrat.htm - 11k

Nebuchadrezzar (31 Occurrences)
... BC At any rate, he was at the head of the army which defeated Pharaoh-necoh at
Carchemish on the Euphrates in 605 BC (see 2 Kings 23:31 2 Chronicles 35:20;). ...
/n/nebuchadrezzar.htm - 29k

Euphrates (36 Occurrences)
... direction, the current descends in a succession of rapids and cataracts to the Syrian
plain, some distance above the ancient city of Carchemish, where it is ...
/e/euphrates.htm - 26k

Bible Concordance

Carchemish (3 Occurrences)

2 Chronicles 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
(WEB JPS ASV BBE YLT NAS NIV)

Isaiah 10:9 Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Jeremiah 46:2 Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Carchemish

Carchemish: A Babylonian City on the Euphrates, Against Which the King of Egypt Made War

Related Terms

Car'chemish (3 Occurrences)

Hittites (39 Occurrences)

Neco (9 Occurrences)

Pharaohnecoh

Pethor (2 Occurrences)

Pharaoh-necoh (3 Occurrences)

Phrat (17 Occurrences)

Nebuchadrezzar (31 Occurrences)