Was the missing Persian army killed in an AMBUSH? Hieroglyphs may finally solve the 5th century disappearance of 50,000 men Dutch professor believes he's solved the mystery of missing Persian army
Professor Kaper claims the 50,000-strong army was defeated in battle
Previously it had been thought the army was swallowed by a sandstorm But new analysis of hieroglyphics reveals this story was merely a cover-up
Instead they were defeated by a rebel army led by Petubastis III in 524 BC
Professor Kaper says that disappearance of a Persian army in 524 BC has been solved, thanks to deciphering ancient temple blocks (pictured
According to Herodotus, Cambyses II - the son of Cyrus the Great - sent the soldiers from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa in 524 BC. Their mission was to destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun after the priests there refused to legitimise his claim to Egypt. But after they left, they were never seen or heard from again
Herodotus wrote that the disappearance of the 50,000-strong Persian army (illustrated here) could be attributed to a sandstorm. Professor Kaper, however, claims Egyptian rebel leader Petubastis III ambushed them - but this embarrassment was swept under the rug by King Cambyses II
In 524 BC, a Persian army of 50,000 men sent by King Cambyses II marched into the Egyptian desert from Thebes - now known as Luxor.
But, after entering the desert, they were never heard from again.
For centuries. it has been presumed they were swallowed by a sandstorm, but now a researcher claims that wasn’t the case - and instead they must have been defeated in battle.
In the 5th century BC, Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the disappearance of the army could be attributed to an unfortunate end involving sand dunes.
University of Leiden Egyptologist Professor Olaf Kaper, however, disagrees.
‘Since the 19th century, people have been looking for this army: amateurs, as well as professional archaeologists,’ he said.
‘Some expect to find, somewhere under the ground, an entire army, fully equipped.
‘However, experience has long shown that you can't die from a sandstorm, let alone have an entire army disappear.’
Professor Kaper is now putting forward an entirely different explanation.
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He argues that the army did not disappear, but was instead, defeated.
‘My research shows that the army was not simply passing through the desert; its final destination was the Dachla Oasis,’ he said.
‘This was the location of the troops of the Egyptian rebel leader Petubastis III.
‘He ultimately ambushed the army of Cambyses, and in this way managed from his base in the oasis to reconquer a large part of Egypt, after which he had himself crowned Pharaoh in the capital, Memphis.’
According to Herodotus, Cambyses II - the son of Cyrus the Great - sent the soldiers from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa in 524 BC. Their mission was to destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun after the priests there refused to legitimise his claim to Egypt. But after they left, they were never seen or heard from again
+3 According to Herodotus, Cambyses II - the son of Cyrus the Great - sent the soldiers from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa in 524 BC. Their mission was to destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun after the priests there refused to legitimise his claim to Egypt. But after they left, they were never seen or heard from again
Herodotus wrote that the disappearance of the 50,000-strong Persian army (illustrated here) could be attributed to a sandstorm. Professor Kaper, however, claims Egyptian rebel leader Petubastis III ambushed them - but this embarrassment was swept under the rug by King Cambyses II
+3 Herodotus wrote that the disappearance of the 50,000-strong Persian army (illustrated here) could be attributed to a sandstorm. Professor Kaper, however, claims Egyptian rebel leader Petubastis III ambushed them - but this embarrassment was swept under the rug by King Cambyses II
Kaper said he made the discovery accidentally.
In collaboration with New York University and the University of Lecce, he was involved for the last ten years in excavations in Amheida, in the Dachla Oasis.
And earlier this year, he deciphered the full list of titles of Petubastis III on ancient temple blocks.
‘That’s when the puzzle pieces fell into place’, said the Egyptologist.
‘The temple blocks indicate that this must have been a stronghold at the start of the Persian period.
‘Once we combined this with the limited information we had about Petubastis III, the excavation site and the story of Herodotus, we were able to reconstruct what happened.’
THE MISSING PERSIAN ARMY OF 50,000 MEN
Meeting between Cambyses II, King of Achaemenid of the Persian empire, from 529 to 522 BC and Psammetichus III, Pharaoh from 526 to 525. Painting by Jean Adrien Guignet (1816-1854)
According to the Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC), Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great, sent the soldiers from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa in 524 BC.
Their mission was to destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun after the priests there refused to legitimise his claim to Egypt.
After walking for seven days in the desert, the army was said to have arrived at an 'oasis', which historians believe was El-Kharga, 120 miles (190 kilometres) west of the Nile in the Libyan Desert.
After they left, a great sandstorm sprung up and they were never seen again.
Herodotus wrote 'a wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear'.
However, the new research by Professor Kaper says it wasn’t a sandstorm at all that defeated them - but rather another army in an embarrassing defeat, which was later covered up.
..
The fact that the fate of the army of Cambyses remained unclear for such a long time is probably due to the Persian King Darius I, who ended the Egyptian revolt with much bloodshed two years after Cambyses’ defeat.
He attributed the shameful defeat of his predecessor to natural elements, and 75 years after the events, all Herodotus could do was take note of the sandstorm story.
But now this new research sheds light on one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of all time
Posts: 5374 | From: sepedat/sirius | Registered: Jul 2012
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The book" The Rescue Of Jerusalem" by Henery T. Aubin 2002 has a very similar conclusion & outcome . I loved this book !
Posts: 135 | From: Bay Area | Registered: Jun 2007
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Tukuler
multidisciplinary Black Scholar
Member # 19944
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Great find Mena. Is there more?
That's a good book Nebsen but I fell asleep trying to read it, could only do specific readings.
Posts: 8179 | From: the Tekrur straddling Senegal & Mauritania | Registered: Dec 2011
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Tukuler, a couple of reasons why i loved this book by Mr. Aubin is ; the fact that he is an award winning journalist in Canada who did, I feel a magnificent job in researching this book, & the fact this was his first time writing about an African civilization ; in part because his adopted son who is of African descent ( Caribbean )who was very uninterested in any of the stories he read to his son with hero's who were white. I believe Mr. Aubin is of Jewish heritage himself, decided to look towards Africa & discovered the 25 Dynasty & the story about deliverance from the bible & Torah.
He did massive research & detective work in collecting very obscure passages from the Torah, other Jewish, & historical writings to get to the historical; to piece together from lies, distortions, lost passages, both Jewish, Assyrians/ Persians , & Egyptians. He did this with the utmost respect & humanity towards an African civilization Kush/ Nubia & Egypt. I found this most uncharacteristic for a person of European decent dealing with ancient Africa for the first time.
I wrote him & he was very gracious in responding back to me. Not perfect, but I give him very high marks for helping correct a perception about about a very important event in Jewish & Christian history ; all impart for the love of his son of African decent !
He went on later to write a historical novel for children ages 13 to 16 about Taharqo & the 25 dynasty, Called" The Rise Of The Golden Cobra" with the main characters being a Kushite boy & I believe his sister in the royal court .
Posts: 135 | From: Bay Area | Registered: Jun 2007
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