It had to be taken at all costs. When Thutmosis III reached Aruna, he held a council with his generals. There were three routes to Megiddo: two long, easy ones and one narrow, difficult one that went through the hills. His generals advise him to take the easy road, but Thutmose decides to take the narrow road. Thutmose led his men on foot across the hills. The attack was unexpected: the troop fled towards the city of Megiddo leaving their belongings behind. Thutmosis surrounded the city until they surrendered. Pharaoh Tuthmosis III had an empire that controlled Nubia, the Syrian and Lebanese coasts, and parts of Israel and Palestine. Nubia was important to the empire, because the mines of Nubia were full of gold. This was the Egyptian economy, they had access to their gold and control over all the gold they wanted. Tuthmosis III actually created Egypt