Battle of Djahy

Battle of Djahy
Part of Egyptian-Sea People wars
Sea Peoples in conflict with the Egyptians in the battle of Djahy
Date c. 1178 BC or 1175 BC Location Djahy Result Egyptian victory
Belligerents
Egypt	Sea Peoples
Commanders and leaders
Ramesses III	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Many killed, and captured

The Battle of Djahy was a major land battle between the forces of pharaoh Ramesses III and the Sea Peoples who intended to invade and conquer Egypt. The conflict occurred somewhere on the Ancient Egyptian Empire's easternmost frontier in Djahy or modern day southern Lebanon, in the eighth year of pharaoh Ramesses III or about c. 1178 BC.

In this battle the Egyptians, led personally by Ramesses III, defeated the Sea Peoples who were attempting to invade Ancient Egypt by land and sea. Almost all that we know about the battle comes from the mortuary temple of Ramesses III in Medinet Habu. The description of the battle and prisoners is well documented on temple walls where we also find the longest hieroglyphic inscription known to us. Temple reliefs feature many bound prisoners defeated in battle.

In Egypt, Ramesses III was fighting to save his country and Empire in the midst of the Bronze Age collapse, a prolonged period of region-wide droughts, crop failures, depopulation, and collapse of urban centers. It is likely that the Nile irrigated lands remained fruitful and would have been highly desirable to Egypt’s neighbors. During this chaotic time, a new warlike group of people from the north, the Sea People, repeatedly attacked and plundered various Near Eastern powers.

Ramesses III had previously defeated an attack by the Libyans on the Egyptian Empire's western frontier, in his fifth year. A greater threat was posed by a group of migrating peoples called the Sea Peoples. These were times of crisis in the Mediterranean, as many 12th century BC civilizations were destroyed by the Sea Peoples and other migrating nations. The great Hittite Empire fell, as did the Mycenaean civilization, the kingdom of Cyprus and Ugarit, and other great cultures.

...
Wikipedia