CARCHEMISH, kar'kem-Ish, an ancient city on the Euphrates, formerly thought to be the same as the Roman Circesium, but now more generally located near Jerabis, a village on the west bank of the Euphrates. The earliest known references to Carchemish are found in the Cuneiform texts in the British Museum (II Bu. 88-5-12, 163; 11 and 88-5 12, 19, 8.) It was the northern capital of the Hittites. Thotnies III met the people of Carchemish in battle about 1501-1447 ac and in 1140-05 a.c.; it was once captured by Tiglath-Pileser I. It was made to pay tribute by Asurnazirpal III, and Shalmaneser whose artists represented the famous fortress on the walls of Balawat, but was not finally subdued by the Assyrians until taken in 717 B.C. by Sargon II, who deported the inhabit ants and settled Assyrians in the city. In 608 ac. it was captured by the Egyptian Pharaoh. Necho. At this time Josiah, icing of Judah, was killed (mentioned in 2 Chron.
xxxv); but the city was retaken by Nebu chadnezzar in 605. Consult Rawlinson, G., (The Five Great Monarchies) (2d ed., VoL II, p. 67); Finzi,