a king of Egypt, who began his reign 690 before Christ, and was killed eight years afterwards by Sabacon king of Ethiopia. Psammetichus his son succeeded him, and was the father, as Herodotus informs us, of Necho II., who reigned about 616 before Christ. This Necho II. is celebrated in history for attempting, though in vain, to cut a canal from the Nile to the Arabian Gulf. He carried his arms as far as the Euphrates, and conquered the city of Carchemish. This prince is not only known in Scripture, but also in profane history, under the name of Necho. He had no sooner succeeded to the crown than he raised great armies, and fitted out vast fleets, as well upon the Mediterranean as upon the Red Sea; he gave battle to the Syrians near the city of Migdol, and having routed them, made himself master of the city of Cadytis. The learned, however, are not agreed respecting this city of Cadytis. Some conceive it to have been Cades in Arabia Petraea, others Jerusalem, and others the city of Cedes, or Kedeshi, in Galilee, in the tribe of Naphtali.

The Scriptures inform us of the expedition of Necho in all its particulars (2 Kings, xxiii. 29, &c.; and 2 Chronicles, xxxv. 20, 21, &c.). In the year of the world 3394, this prince having drawn out his army into the field in order to make war with the Assyrians or Babylonians, and to take the city of Carchemish, otherwise called Circeum, upon the Euphrates, Josiah king of Judah, who was a tributary to the king of Babylon, marched to oppose his passage. Necho, who had no designs against Josiah, sent to remonstrate with him. "What have I to do with you, king of Judah? It is not against you that I am come forth, but against another people, against whom the Lord has commanded me to make war. Leave off, therefore, to set yourself against me, for fear the Lord should punish you for your resistance." But Josiah would not hearken to the remonstrances of Necho, and gave him battle at Megiddo, where he received the wound of which he died. The people of Jerusalem set up Jehoahaz as king of Judah, and Necho soon advanced, without making any longer stay in Judea.

But at his return from his expedition, which proved very successful, he halted at Riblah in Syria; and send- ing for Jehoshaz the king of the Jews, he there deposed him, loaded him with chains, and carried him into Egypt. Then marching to Jerusalem, he set up Eliakim, or Jehoiakim, in his stead, and exacted the payment of an hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold from the country. Jeremiah (xlvii. 2) informs us that the city of Carchemish was taken from Necho, by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim king of Judah; and Josephus adds, that the king of Babylon, pursuing his victory, brought under his dominion all the country which is situated between the Euphrates and Egypt, excepting Judea. Thus Necho was again reduced within the limits of his own country.