The city of Thebes was situated on the Nile River, over five hundred kilometres from its mouth. It was the most important city in Upper Egypt, and from 1570 to 1085 BC, the period of Egypt’s greatest power and splendour, it was the country’s capital. Its Hebrew name was No, and its god was Amon (Jeremiah 46:25; Nahum 3:8). The wealth that poured into Thebes during those five hundred years helped to make the city the most magnificent in all Egypt.
One reason for Thebes’ lengthy supremacy was the strong defence that the Nile River provided against enemy invasion. But these defences were not able to withstand the Assyrians, who in 663 BC plundered and destroyed the city (Ezekiel 30:14-16; Nahum 3:8-10). (For map and other details see EGYPT.)