Neco נְכוֹ

Pharaoh Neco II (also known as Necho II) was an Egyptian ruler of the 26th Dynasty who reigned from approximately 610 to 595 BC. He is mentioned in several passages in the Old Testament, primarily in relation to his interactions with the kingdom of Judah and his military campaigns against the Babylonians.

According to 2Ch.35.20-24 and 2Ki.23.29-30, Pharaoh Neco led his army to the Euphrates River to aid the Assyrians in their battle against the Babylonians. King Josiah of Judah, however, opposed Neco's advance and confronted him at Megiddo. Despite Neco's warning that he had no quarrel with Josiah, the Judean king persisted, and in the ensuing battle, Josiah was mortally wounded by the Egyptian archers. Josiah's death marked the end of his righteous reign and the beginning of a period of decline for Judah.

Following Josiah's death, Pharaoh Neco asserted his control over Judah. He deposed Josiah's son Jehoahaz, who had been made king by the people, and installed Jehoiakim, another of Josiah's sons, as a vassal king (2Ki.23.31-35; 2Ch.36.1-4). Neco imposed heavy tribute on Judah, which Jehoiakim exacted from the people of the land.

However, Pharaoh Neco's power was soon challenged by the rising Babylonian Empire. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign, Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated Neco's army at the Battle of Carchemish, as recorded in Jer.46.2. This decisive victory marked the end of Egyptian dominance in the region and paved the way for Babylonian control over Judah.

The prophet Jeremiah also mentions Pharaoh Neco in his prophecies against Egypt (Jer.46.17, 25). These passages foretell the defeat and humiliation of Egypt at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, highlighting the shifting power dynamics in the ancient Near East.

Pharaoh Neco's interactions with Judah and his military campaigns against Babylon had significant consequences for the region. His defeat of Josiah and installation of Jehoiakim as a vassal king brought Judah under Egyptian influence, while his subsequent defeat at Carchemish marked the beginning of Babylonian dominance. These events set the stage for the eventual fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, which had profound impacts on the history and religious development of the Jewish people.