| Siege of Dapur | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Ramesses II campaigns in Syria | |||||||||
 The siege of Dapur on a mural in Ramesses II's temple in Thebes | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| New Kingdom of Egypt | Hittite Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Pharaoh Ramesses II Prince Khaemweset | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Unknown Several archers and foot soldiers Several chariots Several siege ladders Several mantlets |
Unknown (likely less than Egyptian strength) | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
Unknown (likely lower than Hittite losses) | Unknown | ||||||||
The siege of Dapur occurred as part of Pharaoh Ramesses II's campaign to suppress Galilee and conquer Syria in 1269 BC. He described his campaign on the wall of his mortuary temple, the Ramesseum in Thebes, Egypt. The inscriptions say that Dapur was "in the land of Hatti". Although Dapur has often been identified with Tabor in Canaan, Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen argues that this identification is incorrect and that the Dapur in question was in Syria, north of Kadesh.
Egyptian reliefs depict Dapur as a heavily fortified settlement with both inner and outer walls and situated on a rocky hill, which was usual for Bronze Age settlements in Syria and abroad, Egypt was also fortified.
Contemporary illustrations of the siege show the use of ladders, chariots, and mounted cavalry with Egyptian soldiers climbing scale ladders supported by archers. Six of the sons of Ramesses, still wearing their sidelocks of youth, also appear on those depictions of the siege. Those include:
King's son, of his body, his beloved, Khaemweset.
King's son, of his body, his beloved, Montu.
King's son, of his body, his beloved, Meriamon.
King's son, of his body, his beloved, Amenemuya.
King's son, of his body, his beloved, Seti.
King's son, of his body, his beloved, Setepenre.
-
Relief from Ramesseum showing the siege of Dapur in 1269 BC
References
- Kitchen, Kenneth A (1998-12-17). Ramesside Inscriptions. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-631-18435-5.
- Kitchen, Kenneth A (1998-12-17). Ramesside Inscriptions. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-631-18435-5.
- M. Healy, Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the warrior kings, 87
- James Henry Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part III § 359.
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