(5) Defeated by Babylonians. Pleased with his success, the Egyptian monarch dedicated the dress he wore to the deity who was supposed to have given him the victory. He did not long en joy the advantages he had obtained. In the fourth year after his expedition, being alarmed at the in creasing power of the Babylonians, he again marched into Syria, and advanced to the Euphra tes. The Babylonians were prepared for his ap proach. Nebuchadnezzar completely routed his army, recovered the town of Carchemish, and, pushing his conquests through Palestine, took from Necho all the territory belonging to the Pha raohs, from the Euphrates to the southern ex tremity of Syria (a Kings xxiv :7; Jer. xlvi:6; 2 Citron. xxxvi :9; 2 Kings xxiv :8).
(6) Death. Nebuchadnezzar deposed Jehoia chin, who had succeeded his father, and carried the warriors and treasures away to Babylon; a short time previous to which Necho died, and was succeeded by Psammetichus II. Wilkinson's Ant. Egyptians, vol. i: 57, sq.).
According to Manetho (Euseb. Chron. Armen., 1:219), Necho was the sixth king in the twenty sixth dynasty, successor to Psammetichus I., and as there had been another of the same name, he was properly Necho the Second. The period of his reign was, according to Manetho, six, accord ing to Hcrodotus sixteen, years (consult Ges enius, Isaiah i:596). J. R. B.
NECK (nek). (Hebrew usually. 97°. o-ref', as Gen. xlix:8, Lev. v:8, nafie; tsav-vawr', as Gen. xxvii:16; rt.% gaw-rone', properly throat, ls.
iii:16). That part of an animal body between the head and shoulders (Judg. v :30) ; both head and neck (Deut. xxi :4)• FiguratiVe. It denotes the heart ; and so a "hard," "stiff" or "iron neck," signifies men's ob stinacy in their love to, and practice of sin (Neh. ix :29 ; Ps. lxxv :5 ; Is. xlviii :4 )• (1) It stands for the whole man ; and so to have a "yoke" or bands on the ncck signifies be ing in slavery and bondage (Deut. xxviii:48; Is. lii :2; Jer. xxvii :2). (2) Transgressions come upon, or are wreathed about, the "neck," when they are punished with bondage and slavery (Lam. i (3) The Assyrians "reached even to the neck"; they almost totally overflowel and ruined Judah, taking all the cities thereof, but Jerusalem the capital (Is. viii :8 ; xxx :28). (4) The Ammonites 'came upon the necks of the slain" Jews, when they were murdered in like manner by the Chaltheans (Ezek. xxi :29). (5) To "lay down the neck," is to be ready to suffer slavery or death (Rom. xvi :4). (6) God "dis covers the foundations unto the neck," when he utterly unsettles and almost utterly destroys his enemies (Hab. :13). Brown.