Editing Necho II (section)

===Phoenician expedition===
[[File:Herodotus5m1.jpg|thumb|right|The world according to [[Herodotus]], 440 BC]]
[[File:PtolemyWorldMap.jpg|thumb|right|A 15th-century depiction of the Ptolemy world map, reconstituted from Ptolemy's Geographia (c. 150)]]
At some point between 610 and before 594 BC, Necho reputedly commissioned an expedition of [[Phoenicians]],<ref>Unlikely with the intent of circumnavigating Africa, but for finding an alternative route to Asia than through the area near the [[Levant]]. Also, such voyages were undertaken for trading with more southern African cities; thereafter being blown off-course, if not tasked to sail around the lands.</ref> who it is said in three years sailed from the Red Sea around Africa back to the mouth of the Nile; and would thereby be the first completion of the [[Cape Route]].<ref>''Israel, India, Persia, Phoenicia, Minor Nations of Western Asia''. Edited by [[Henry Smith Williams]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=vPULAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA118 p118]</ref><ref>Anthony Tony Browder, Nile valley contributions to civilization,Volume 1. 1992 (''cf''. In the Twenty Fifth Dynasty, during the reign of Necho II, navigational technology had advanced to the point where sailors from Kemet successfully circumnavigated Africa and drew an extremely accurate map of the continent.)</ref> Herodotus' account was handed down to him by [[oral tradition]],<ref>M. J. Cary. ''The Ancient Explorers''. Penguin Books, 1963. Page 114</ref> but is seen as potentially credible because he stated with disbelief that the Phoenicians "as they sailed on a westerly course round the southern end of Libya (Africa), they had the sun on their right"—to northward of them (''The Histories'' 4.42).<ref>As for Libya, we know it to be washed on all sides by the sea, except where it is attached to Asia. This discovery was first made by Necos, the Egyptian king, who on desisting from the canal which he had begun between the Nile and the Arabian gulf (referring to the Red Sea), sent to sea a number of ships manned by Phoenicians, with orders to make for the Pillars of Hercules, and return to Egypt through them, and by the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians took their departure from Egypt by way of the Erythraean sea, and so sailed into the southern ocean. When autumn came, they went ashore, wherever they might happen to be, and having sown a tract of land with corn, waited until the grain was fit to cut. Having reaped it, they again set sail; and thus it came to pass that two whole years went by, and it was not till the third year that they doubled the Pillars of Hercules, and made good their voyage home. On their return, they declared—I for my part do not believe them, but perhaps others may—that in sailing round Libya they had the sun upon their right hand. In this way was the extent of Libya first discovered. {{cite wikisource |chapter=Book 4 |wslink=History of Herodotus |plaintitle=History of Herodotus}}</ref> Pliny reported that [[Hanno the Navigator|Hanno]] had circumnavigated Africa, which may have been a conflation with Necho's voyage, while [[Strabo]], [[Polybius]], and [[Ptolemy]] doubted the description;<ref>''The Geographical system of Herodotus'' by James Rennel. [https://books.google.com/books?id=6C0waiOScrEC&pg=PA348 p348]+</ref> [[History of geography#Greco-Roman world|at the time it was not generally known that Africa was surrounded by an ocean]] (with the southern part of Africa being thought connected to Asia).<ref>''Die umsegelung Asiens und Europas auf der Vega''. Volume 2. By Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8-SfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA148 p148]</ref> [[F. C. H. Wendel]], writing in 1890, concurred with Herodotus<ref>''History of Egypt''. By [[F. C. H. Wendel]]. American Book Co., 1890. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9MsXAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA127 p127] (''cf''. Herodotus relates a story of a great maritime enterprise undertaken at this time which seems quite credible. He states that Nekau sent out Phoenician ships from the Red Sea to circumnavigate Africa, and that in the third year of their journey they returned to the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar.)</ref> as did [[James Baikie]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baikie |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TSswAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA316 |title=The Story of the Pharaohs |date=1908 |publisher=A. and C. Black |language=en}}</ref> Egyptologist [[Alan B. Lloyd|A. B. Lloyd]] disputed in 1977 that an Egyptian Pharaoh would authorize such an expedition,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lloyd |first=Alan B. |date=1977 |title=Necho and the Red Sea: Some Considerations |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3856314 |journal=The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology |volume=63 |pages=142–155 |doi=10.2307/3856314 |jstor=3856314 |issn=0307-5133|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>Lloyd is to hold the position that [[History of geography|geographical knowledge at the time]] of [[Herodotus|Herodutus]] was such that Greeks would know that such a voyage would entail the sun being on their right but did not believe Africa could extend far enough for this to happen. He suggests that the Greeks at this time understood that anyone going south far enough and then turning west would have the sun on their right but found it unbelievable that Africa reached so far south. He wrote: "Given the context of [[Ancient Egyptian philosophy|Egyptian thought]], [[Ancient Egyptian trade|economic life]], and [[Military of ancient Egypt|military]] interests, it is impossible for one to imagine what stimulus could have motivated Necho in such a scheme and if we cannot provide a reason which is sound within Egyptian terms of reference, then we have good reason to doubt the historicity of the entire episode." Alan B. Lloyd, "Necho and the Red Sea: Some Considerations", ''Journal of Egyptian Archaeology'', 63 (1977) p.149.</ref> except for the reasons of Asiatic conquest<ref>''Twentieth Century''. Twentieth century, 1908. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bnDME1BzBEoC&pg=PA816 p816]</ref><ref>'The Historians' History of the World''. Edited by Henry Smith Williams. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BKQ-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA286 p286] (''cf''. Syria seems to have submitted to him, as far as the countries bordering the Euphrates. Gaza offered resistance, but was taken. But it was only for a short time that Neku II could feel himself a conqueror.)</ref> and trade in the [[Ancient maritime history|ancient maritime routes]].<ref>''Cosmos: A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe''. By [[Alexander von Humboldt]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=M_W_AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA489 p489]</ref><ref>''The Cambridge History of the British Empire''. CUP Archive, 1963. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ISg9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA56 p56]</ref>