Carchemish is mentioned only a few times in the Bible, but it was one of the most significant cities in the ancient Bible world.
- Isaiah made a reference to Carchemish (Isaiah 10:9). The city had been sacked by Sargon II in 717 B.C.
- Pharaoh Necho of Egypt went up to Carchemish on the Euphrates to assist the Assyrians against the Babylonians in 609 B.C. (2 Chronicles 35:20; Jeremiah 46:2). King Josiah of Judah tried to stop him, but was killed.
One of the Babylonian Chronicles says that Nebuchadnezzar “crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Carchemish.”
Our photo shows the tell in the distance. The tell is in Turkey today. In the far left of the photo you may see a bridge over the Euphrates River. The bridge crosses into Syria.
We are informed that a new excavation will begin at Carchemish this year. The area has been cleared of 1200 land mines. A few details, along with a photo of some of the land mines, may be viewed here.