NOTICES IN THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS.
185
commonly known
as that of Megiddo, seems to be mentioned by Herodotus* as the battle of Magdolurn, wherein he " says that Neko (Xecho) defeated the Palestinian Syrians," which appears to be his name for the Jews. There is reason to believe that the chief adversaries of the Jews on this occasion were the Greek and Carian mercenaries in the Egyptian service, since Necho was so pleased at their behavior that he sent the arms which he had worn in the battle as an offering to a Greek temple in Asia Minor. The success of Necho in detaching Syria from the
Babylonian empire, and attaching it to his own, implied in the narrative of Kings, and in Jer. xlvi. 2, is alluded to in a fragment of Berosus.f Berosus, as a Babylonian, independent position, and speaks of him as ignores Necho's " of the western provinces, who had caused the " satrap
He regards the " revolt " as extending to " revolt." to Egypt, Syria, and Phoenicia, and as lasting until, in B. c. 605, Nebuchadnezzar was sent by his father to re-establish the dominion of Babylon in the far west. them
* t
Herod,
ii.
159.
Beros. in the " Frugm. Hist. Gr." of C. Muller, vol.
ii.
Fr. 14.