The Orontes River in Syria, today mainly…
1281 BCE to 1270 BCE
The Orontes River in Syria, today mainly unnavigable and of little use for irrigation, derives its historical importance solely from the convenience of its valley for traffic from north to south; roads from the north and northeast, converging at Antioch, follow the course of the stream up to Homs where the roads fork to Damascus and to Syria and the south.
Along its valley pass the armies and traffic bound to and from Egypt in all ages.
On the Orontes is fought the Battle of Kadesh during the reign of Ramesses II (1279 – 1213 BCE).