Carchemish, Charchemish

See also Carchemish


CARCHEMISH, CHARCHEMISH (kar'kē-mĭsh). An ancient city of the Hittites located on the west bank of the Euphrates 63 miles (105 km.) NE of Aleppo. It was important commercially and militarily. For many years it paid tribute to the kings of Assyria. When Sargon captured it in 717 b.c., the Hittite Empire fell with it (Isa.10.9). It was the scene of a great victory by Nebuchadnezzar over Pharaoh Neco in 605 (Jer.46.2; 2Chr.35.20). Its site is called Jerabis or Jerablus.