Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt
Encyclopedia
The twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, known as the Nubia
n Dynasty or the Kushite Empire
, was the last dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt
.
The 25th dynasty was a line of rulers originating in the Nubian Kingdom of Kush
and most saw Napata
as their spiritual homeland. They reigned in part or all of Ancient Egypt from 760 BC to 656 BC. The dynasty began with Kashta
's invasion of Upper Egypt and culminated in several years of war with the Assyrians. The 25th's reunification of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush created the largest Egyptian empire since the New Kingdom. They ushered in an age of renaissance by restoring Ancient Egyptian religious traditions, temples, and artistic forms, while maintaining some unique aspects of Kushite culture. It was during the 25th dynasty that the Nile valley saw the first widespread construction of pyramids (many in modern Sudan) since the Middle Kingdom. After Assyrian king Esarhaddon
invaded Egypt and defeated the Nubians, they were succeeded by the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt
, the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest.
, for the twenty-fifth dynasty are the following:
The period starting with Kashta
and ending with Malonaqen
is sometimes called the Napata
n Period. The Kings from the twenty-fifth dynasty ruled over Napata
, Meroe
, and Egypt. The seat of government and the royal palace were in Napata
during this period, while Meroe
was a provincial city. The kings and queens were buried in El-Kurru
and Nuri
.
Alara
, the first known Nubian king and predecessor of Kashta
was not a 25th dynasty king since he did not control any region of Egypt during his reign. While Piye is viewed as the founder of the 25th dynasty, some publications may include Kashta who already controlled parts of Upper Egypt. A stela of his was found at Elephantine and Kashta likely exercised some authority at Thebes
since he held enough influence to have his daughter Amenirdis I
adopted as the next Divine Adoratrice of Amun
there.
The twenty-fifth dynasty originated in Kush
, or (Nubia
), which is presently in Northern Sudan
. The city-state of Napata
was the spiritual capitol and it was from there that Piye
(spelled Piankhi or Piankhy in older works) invaded and took control of Egypt
. Piye personally led the attack on Northern Egypt and recorded his victory in a lengthy hieroglyphic filled stele called the "Stele of Victory." Piye revived one of the greatest features of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, pyramid construction. He was a great builder. He constructed the oldest known pyramid at the royal burial site of El Kurru and expanded the Temple of Amun at Jebel Barkal. Although Manetho
does not mention the first king, Piye, mainstream Egyptologists consider him the first Pharaoh of the 25th dynasty. Manetho also does not mention the last king, Tantamani
, although inscriptions exist to attest to the existence of both Piye and Tantamani.
World Heritage
conquered the entire Nile valley, including Upper and Lower Egypt, around 710 BC. Shabaka had Bocchoris of the Sais dynasty burned to death for resisting him. After conquering Lower Egypt, Shabaka transferred the capitol to Memphis. Shabaka
restored the great Egytian monuments and returned Egypt to a theocratic monarchy by becoming the first priest of Amon. In addition, Shabaka is known for creating a well preserved example of Memphite theology by inscribing an old religious papyrus into the Shabaka Stone
.
was king of Egypt by 707/706 BC. This is based on evidence from an inscription of the Assyrian
king Sargon II
, which was found in modern day Northwestern Iran and dated to 706 BC. This inscription calls Shebitku the king of Meluhha
, and states that he sent back to Assyria, a rebel named Iamanni in handcuffs. Kahn's arguments have been widely accepted by many Egyptologists including Rolf Krauss, and Aidan Dodson and other scholars at the SCIEM 2000 (Synchronisation of Civilisations of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Second Millennium B.C.) project with the notable exception of Kenneth Kitchen
and Manfred Bietak
at present.
ushered in one of Ancient Egypt's greatest periods of renaissance. He ruled as Pharaoh from Memphis, but constructed great works throughout the Nile Valley, including works at Jebel Barkal, Kawa, and Karnak. At Karnak, the Sacred Lake structures, the kiosk in the first court, and the colonnades at the temple entrance are all owed to Taharqa and Mentuemhet. He is the pharaoh that is mentioned in the Christian bible (Isaiah 37:8-9, & 2 Kings 19:8-9) as the savior of the Hebrew people from Sennacherib's siege. Taharqa built the largest pyramid in the Nubian region at Nuri
(near El-Kurru
). Starting from the reign of Taharqa
onward, the kings of this dynasty were driven back into Nubia
, at first by the Assyria
ns under King Esarhaddon
, then by the kings of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty
. Their successors came to settle in Nubia, where they established a kingdom at Napata
(656 - 590 BC) then later, at Meroë
(590 BC - 4th century AD). Taharqa remains an important historical figure in Sudan and elsewhere, as is evidenced by Will Smith's current project to depict Taharqa in a major motion picture.
ns had appointed Necho I
as king and left Egypt, Tantamani
marched down the Nile
from Nubia and reoccupied all of Egypt including Memphis. Necho I, the Assyrians' representative, was killed in Tantamani's campaign. In reaction, the Assyrians returned to Egypt in force, defeated Tantamani's army in the Delta and advanced as far as south as Thebes
, which they sacked. The Assyrian reconquest effectively ended Nubian control over Egypt although Tantamani's authority was still recognised in Upper Egypt until his 8th year. In 656 BC, Psamtik I's navy peacefully took control of Thebes and effectively unified all of Egypt. Tantamani died later and was buried with full honors in the royal cemetery of el-kurru upstream from the Kushite capital Napata.
's references to the gods going to Ethiopia to convene). It's likely that Herodotus' claims were inspired by 25th dynasty inscriptions. It's known that the 25th Dynasty rulers restored many ancient texts. For example, Shabaka caused the "Shabako Stone
", or "Memphite Cosmology
", to be carved in stone from a more ancient text.
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
n Dynasty or the Kushite Empire
Kingdom of Kush
The native name of the Kingdom was likely kaš, recorded in Egyptian as .The name Kash is probably connected to Cush in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham ....
, was the last dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
.
The 25th dynasty was a line of rulers originating in the Nubian Kingdom of Kush
Kingdom of Kush
The native name of the Kingdom was likely kaš, recorded in Egyptian as .The name Kash is probably connected to Cush in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham ....
and most saw Napata
Napata
Napata was a city-state of ancient Nubia on the west bank of the Nile River, at the site of modern Karima, Northern Sudan.During the 8th to 7th centuries BC, Napata was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush, whence the 25th, or Nubian Dynasty conquered Egypt...
as their spiritual homeland. They reigned in part or all of Ancient Egypt from 760 BC to 656 BC. The dynasty began with Kashta
Kashta
Kashta was a king of the Kushite Dynasty and the successor of Alara. His name translates literally as "The Kushite".-Family:Kashta is thought to be a brother of his predecessor Alara. Both Alara and Kashta were thought to have married their sisters...
's invasion of Upper Egypt and culminated in several years of war with the Assyrians. The 25th's reunification of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush created the largest Egyptian empire since the New Kingdom. They ushered in an age of renaissance by restoring Ancient Egyptian religious traditions, temples, and artistic forms, while maintaining some unique aspects of Kushite culture. It was during the 25th dynasty that the Nile valley saw the first widespread construction of pyramids (many in modern Sudan) since the Middle Kingdom. After Assyrian king Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon , was a king of Assyria who reigned 681 – 669 BC. He was the youngest son of Sennacherib and the Aramean queen Naqi'a , Sennacherib's second wife....
invaded Egypt and defeated the Nubians, they were succeeded by the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt
Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt
The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC . The Dynasty's reign The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (also written Dynasty XXVI or Dynasty 26) was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC...
, the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest.
Rulers
The known rulers, in the History of EgyptHistory of Egypt
Egyptian history can be roughly divided into the following periods:*Prehistoric Egypt*Ancient Egypt**Early Dynastic Period of Egypt: 31st to 27th centuries BC**Old Kingdom of Egypt: 27th to 22nd centuries BC...
, for the twenty-fifth dynasty are the following:
| Pharaoh | |Horus-name | |Reign (BCE) | |Pyramid | |Consort(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kashta Kashta Kashta was a king of the Kushite Dynasty and the successor of Alara. His name translates literally as "The Kushite".-Family:Kashta is thought to be a brother of his predecessor Alara. Both Alara and Kashta were thought to have married their sisters... |
Maare | c. 760 BC – c. 752 BC | Kurru El-Kurru El-Kurru was one of the royal cemeteries used by the Nubian royal family. Reisner excavated the royal pyramids. Most of the pyramids date to the early part of the Kushite period, from Alara of Nubia to King Nastasen .... 8 |
Queen Pebatjma Pebatjma Pebatjma was a Nubiaqueen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the wife of King Kashta. She is mentioned on a statue of her daughter Amenirdis I, now in Cairo . She is also mentioned on a door-jamb from Abydos.-Family:... (Kurru 7?) |
| Piye Piye Piye, was a Kushite king and founder of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt who ruled Egypt from 747 BCE to 716 BCE according to Peter Clayton. He ruled from the city of Napata, located deep in Nubia, Sudan... |
Seneferre | c. 752 BC – 721 BC | Kurru 17 | Queen Tabiry Tabiry Tabiry was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Tabiry was the daughter of Alara of Nubia and his wife Kasaqa and the wife of King Piye... (Kurru 53) Queen Abar Abar (Queen) Abar was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.-Life:Abar was the mother of King Taharqa and wife of the King Piye. She was a niece of King Alara of Nubia .... (Nuri 53?) Queen Khensa Khensa Khensa was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Khensa is named as a King's Wife and King's Sister together with King Piye... (Kurru 4) Queen Peksater Peksater Peksater was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.-Biography:Peksater was the daughter of King Kashta and Queen Pebatjma. She appears with her husband Piye in a relief in the Amun Temple at Barkal. Piye is dressed as a high priest and officiates before the barque of Amun... (Kurru 54) Nefrukekashta (Kurru 52) |
| Shabaka Shabaka Shabaka or Shabaka Neferkare, 'Beautiful is the Soul of Re', was a Kushite pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, between according to Peter Clayton .-Family:... |
Neferkare | 721 BC – 707 BC | Kurru 15 | Queen Qalhata Qalhata Qalhata was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Qalhata was a daughter of King Piye and a queen consort to her brother Shabaka. She is known from the Dream Stela of King Tantamani and from her pyramid in El-Kurru .... (Kurru 5) Queen Mesbat Queen Tabekenamun Tabekenamun Tabekenamun was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Tabekenamun was a daughter of King Piye and may have been a queen consort to her brother Taharqa. She is known from Cairo Statue 49157 from Karnak.... ? |
| Shebitku Shebitku Shebitku was the third king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt who ruled from 702 BCE to 690 BCE according to Peter Clayton or 707/706 BC-690 BC, according to Dan'el Kahn's most recent academic research. He was the nephew and successor of Shabaka. He was a son of Piye, the founder of this dynasty... |
Djedkare | 707 BC – 690 BC | Kurru 18 | Queen Arty (Kurru 6) |
| Taharqa Taharqa Taharqa was a pharaoh of the Ancient Egyptian 25th dynasty and king of the Kingdom of Kush, which was located in Northern Sudan.Taharqa was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt. Taharqa was also the cousin and successor of Shebitku. The successful campaigns of... |
Khunefertumre | 690 – 664 BC | Nuri Nuri Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the south side of the Nile. Close to it, there are pyramids belonging to Nubian kings. Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam, and 10 km from Jebel Barkal. All these remains belonged to the ancient city Napata, the first capital of the Nubian kingdom of... 1 |
Queen Takahatenamun Takahatenamun Takahatenamun was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Takahatamun was the daughter of King Piye and the sister-wife of King Taharqa... (Nuri 21?) Queen Atakhebasken Atakhebasken Atakhebasken was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Taharqa.-Burial:... (Nuri 36) Queen Naparaye Naparaye Naparaye was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Naparaye was the daughter of King Piye and the sister-wife of King Taharqa.... (Kurru 3) Queen Tabekenamun Tabekenamun Tabekenamun was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.Tabekenamun was a daughter of King Piye and may have been a queen consort to her brother Taharqa. She is known from Cairo Statue 49157 from Karnak.... ? |
| Tantamani Tantamani Tantamani or Tanwetamani or Tementhes was a Pharaoh of Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush located in Northern Sudan and a member of the Nubian or Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt... |
Bakare | 664 – 656 BC (died 653 BC) | Kurru 16 | Queen Piankharty Queen [..]salka Queen Malaqaye? (Nuri 59) |
The period starting with Kashta
Kashta
Kashta was a king of the Kushite Dynasty and the successor of Alara. His name translates literally as "The Kushite".-Family:Kashta is thought to be a brother of his predecessor Alara. Both Alara and Kashta were thought to have married their sisters...
and ending with Malonaqen
Malonaqen
Malonaqen was a Nubian king who probably governed in the first half of the 6th century BC. His prenomen was "Sekhemkare."He is thought to be the son of king Aramatle-qo and queen Amanitakaye although this is based merely on assumptions. His queen consort is thought to be Tagtal, who was buried at...
is sometimes called the Napata
Napata
Napata was a city-state of ancient Nubia on the west bank of the Nile River, at the site of modern Karima, Northern Sudan.During the 8th to 7th centuries BC, Napata was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush, whence the 25th, or Nubian Dynasty conquered Egypt...
n Period. The Kings from the twenty-fifth dynasty ruled over Napata
Napata
Napata was a city-state of ancient Nubia on the west bank of the Nile River, at the site of modern Karima, Northern Sudan.During the 8th to 7th centuries BC, Napata was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush, whence the 25th, or Nubian Dynasty conquered Egypt...
, Meroe
Meroë
Meroë Meroitic: Medewi or Bedewi; Arabic: and Meruwi) is an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east of the Kabushiya station near Shendi, Sudan, approximately 200 km north-east of Khartoum. Near the site are a group of villages called Bagrawiyah...
, and Egypt. The seat of government and the royal palace were in Napata
Napata
Napata was a city-state of ancient Nubia on the west bank of the Nile River, at the site of modern Karima, Northern Sudan.During the 8th to 7th centuries BC, Napata was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush, whence the 25th, or Nubian Dynasty conquered Egypt...
during this period, while Meroe
Meroë
Meroë Meroitic: Medewi or Bedewi; Arabic: and Meruwi) is an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east of the Kabushiya station near Shendi, Sudan, approximately 200 km north-east of Khartoum. Near the site are a group of villages called Bagrawiyah...
was a provincial city. The kings and queens were buried in El-Kurru
El-Kurru
El-Kurru was one of the royal cemeteries used by the Nubian royal family. Reisner excavated the royal pyramids. Most of the pyramids date to the early part of the Kushite period, from Alara of Nubia to King Nastasen ....
and Nuri
Nuri
Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the south side of the Nile. Close to it, there are pyramids belonging to Nubian kings. Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam, and 10 km from Jebel Barkal. All these remains belonged to the ancient city Napata, the first capital of the Nubian kingdom of...
.
Alara
Alara of Nubia
Alara was a King of Kush who is generally regarded as the founder of the Napatan royal dynasty by his 25th Dynasty Nubian successors and was the first recorded prince of Nubia. He unified all of Upper Nubia from Meroë to the Third Cataract and is possibly attested at the Temple of Amun at Kawa....
, the first known Nubian king and predecessor of Kashta
Kashta
Kashta was a king of the Kushite Dynasty and the successor of Alara. His name translates literally as "The Kushite".-Family:Kashta is thought to be a brother of his predecessor Alara. Both Alara and Kashta were thought to have married their sisters...
was not a 25th dynasty king since he did not control any region of Egypt during his reign. While Piye is viewed as the founder of the 25th dynasty, some publications may include Kashta who already controlled parts of Upper Egypt. A stela of his was found at Elephantine and Kashta likely exercised some authority at Thebes
Thebes, Egypt
Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
since he held enough influence to have his daughter Amenirdis I
Amenirdis I
Amenirdis I was a God's Wife of Amun in ancient Egypt.She was a Kushite princess, daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma. She is likely to have been the sister of pharaohs Shabaka and Piye. Kashta arranged to have her adopted by the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, Shepenupet I, at Thebes as her...
adopted as the next Divine Adoratrice of Amun
Divine Adoratrice of Amun
The Divine Adoratrice of Amun was a second title created for the chief priestess of the ancient Egyptian deity, Amun. During the first millennium BCE, when the holder of this office exercised her largest measure of influence, her position was an important appointment facilitating the transfer of...
there.
Piye
Kingdom of Kush
The native name of the Kingdom was likely kaš, recorded in Egyptian as .The name Kash is probably connected to Cush in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham ....
, or (Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
), which is presently in Northern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. The city-state of Napata
Napata
Napata was a city-state of ancient Nubia on the west bank of the Nile River, at the site of modern Karima, Northern Sudan.During the 8th to 7th centuries BC, Napata was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush, whence the 25th, or Nubian Dynasty conquered Egypt...
was the spiritual capitol and it was from there that Piye
Piye
Piye, was a Kushite king and founder of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt who ruled Egypt from 747 BCE to 716 BCE according to Peter Clayton. He ruled from the city of Napata, located deep in Nubia, Sudan...
(spelled Piankhi or Piankhy in older works) invaded and took control of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Piye personally led the attack on Northern Egypt and recorded his victory in a lengthy hieroglyphic filled stele called the "Stele of Victory." Piye revived one of the greatest features of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, pyramid construction. He was a great builder. He constructed the oldest known pyramid at the royal burial site of El Kurru and expanded the Temple of Amun at Jebel Barkal. Although Manetho
Manetho
Manetho was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolemaic era, approximately during the 3rd century BC. Manetho wrote the Aegyptiaca...
does not mention the first king, Piye, mainstream Egyptologists consider him the first Pharaoh of the 25th dynasty. Manetho also does not mention the last king, Tantamani
Tantamani
Tantamani or Tanwetamani or Tementhes was a Pharaoh of Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush located in Northern Sudan and a member of the Nubian or Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt...
, although inscriptions exist to attest to the existence of both Piye and Tantamani.
Shabaka
ShabakaShabaka
Shabaka or Shabaka Neferkare, 'Beautiful is the Soul of Re', was a Kushite pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, between according to Peter Clayton .-Family:...
conquered the entire Nile valley, including Upper and Lower Egypt, around 710 BC. Shabaka had Bocchoris of the Sais dynasty burned to death for resisting him. After conquering Lower Egypt, Shabaka transferred the capitol to Memphis. Shabaka
Shabaka
Shabaka or Shabaka Neferkare, 'Beautiful is the Soul of Re', was a Kushite pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, between according to Peter Clayton .-Family:...
restored the great Egytian monuments and returned Egypt to a theocratic monarchy by becoming the first priest of Amon. In addition, Shabaka is known for creating a well preserved example of Memphite theology by inscribing an old religious papyrus into the Shabaka Stone
Shabaka Stone
The Shabaka Stone is a relic from the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. It is a stone slab measuring 66 cm in height and 137 cm in width and was incised with the surviving hieroglyphs of a worm-ridden, decaying papyrus...
.
Shebitku
Recent research by Dan'el Kahn suggests that ShebitkuShebitku
Shebitku was the third king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt who ruled from 702 BCE to 690 BCE according to Peter Clayton or 707/706 BC-690 BC, according to Dan'el Kahn's most recent academic research. He was the nephew and successor of Shabaka. He was a son of Piye, the founder of this dynasty...
was king of Egypt by 707/706 BC. This is based on evidence from an inscription of the Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
king Sargon II
Sargon II
Sargon II was an Assyrian king. Sargon II became co-regent with Shalmaneser V in 722 BC, and became the sole ruler of the kingdom of Assyria in 722 BC after the death of Shalmaneser V. It is not clear whether he was the son of Tiglath-Pileser III or a usurper unrelated to the royal family...
, which was found in modern day Northwestern Iran and dated to 706 BC. This inscription calls Shebitku the king of Meluhha
Meluhha
' or Melukhkha is the Sumerian name of a prominent trading partner of Sumer during the Middle Bronze Age. Its identification remains an open question.-Trade with Sumer:...
, and states that he sent back to Assyria, a rebel named Iamanni in handcuffs. Kahn's arguments have been widely accepted by many Egyptologists including Rolf Krauss, and Aidan Dodson and other scholars at the SCIEM 2000 (Synchronisation of Civilisations of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Second Millennium B.C.) project with the notable exception of Kenneth Kitchen
Kenneth Kitchen
Kenneth Anderson Kitchen is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, England...
and Manfred Bietak
Manfred Bietak
Manfred Bietak is an Austrian archaeologist. He is Professor emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Vienna and Director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Cairo 1973-2009...
at present.
Taharqa
TaharqaTaharqa
Taharqa was a pharaoh of the Ancient Egyptian 25th dynasty and king of the Kingdom of Kush, which was located in Northern Sudan.Taharqa was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt. Taharqa was also the cousin and successor of Shebitku. The successful campaigns of...
ushered in one of Ancient Egypt's greatest periods of renaissance. He ruled as Pharaoh from Memphis, but constructed great works throughout the Nile Valley, including works at Jebel Barkal, Kawa, and Karnak. At Karnak, the Sacred Lake structures, the kiosk in the first court, and the colonnades at the temple entrance are all owed to Taharqa and Mentuemhet. He is the pharaoh that is mentioned in the Christian bible (Isaiah 37:8-9, & 2 Kings 19:8-9) as the savior of the Hebrew people from Sennacherib's siege. Taharqa built the largest pyramid in the Nubian region at Nuri
Nuri
Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the south side of the Nile. Close to it, there are pyramids belonging to Nubian kings. Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam, and 10 km from Jebel Barkal. All these remains belonged to the ancient city Napata, the first capital of the Nubian kingdom of...
(near El-Kurru
El-Kurru
El-Kurru was one of the royal cemeteries used by the Nubian royal family. Reisner excavated the royal pyramids. Most of the pyramids date to the early part of the Kushite period, from Alara of Nubia to King Nastasen ....
). Starting from the reign of Taharqa
Taharqa
Taharqa was a pharaoh of the Ancient Egyptian 25th dynasty and king of the Kingdom of Kush, which was located in Northern Sudan.Taharqa was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt. Taharqa was also the cousin and successor of Shebitku. The successful campaigns of...
onward, the kings of this dynasty were driven back into Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
, at first by the Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns under King Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon , was a king of Assyria who reigned 681 – 669 BC. He was the youngest son of Sennacherib and the Aramean queen Naqi'a , Sennacherib's second wife....
, then by the kings of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty
Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt
The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC . The Dynasty's reign The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (also written Dynasty XXVI or Dynasty 26) was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC...
. Their successors came to settle in Nubia, where they established a kingdom at Napata
Napata
Napata was a city-state of ancient Nubia on the west bank of the Nile River, at the site of modern Karima, Northern Sudan.During the 8th to 7th centuries BC, Napata was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush, whence the 25th, or Nubian Dynasty conquered Egypt...
(656 - 590 BC) then later, at Meroë
Meroë
Meroë Meroitic: Medewi or Bedewi; Arabic: and Meruwi) is an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east of the Kabushiya station near Shendi, Sudan, approximately 200 km north-east of Khartoum. Near the site are a group of villages called Bagrawiyah...
(590 BC - 4th century AD). Taharqa remains an important historical figure in Sudan and elsewhere, as is evidenced by Will Smith's current project to depict Taharqa in a major motion picture.
Tantamani
Once the AssyriaAssyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns had appointed Necho I
Necho I
Necho I was the prince or governor of the Egyptian city of Sais. He was the first attested local Saite king of the twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt who reigned for 8 years, according to Manetho's Epitome. Egypt was reunified by his son, Psamtik I...
as king and left Egypt, Tantamani
Tantamani
Tantamani or Tanwetamani or Tementhes was a Pharaoh of Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush located in Northern Sudan and a member of the Nubian or Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt...
marched down the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
from Nubia and reoccupied all of Egypt including Memphis. Necho I, the Assyrians' representative, was killed in Tantamani's campaign. In reaction, the Assyrians returned to Egypt in force, defeated Tantamani's army in the Delta and advanced as far as south as Thebes
Thebes, Egypt
Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
, which they sacked. The Assyrian reconquest effectively ended Nubian control over Egypt although Tantamani's authority was still recognised in Upper Egypt until his 8th year. In 656 BC, Psamtik I's navy peacefully took control of Thebes and effectively unified all of Egypt. Tantamani died later and was buried with full honors in the royal cemetery of el-kurru upstream from the Kushite capital Napata.
Influence
Although the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty did not control Egypt for very long, it holds an important place in Egyptian history due to the restoration of traditional Egyptian values, culture, art, and architecture. The 25th dynasty likely influenced Greek visitors. Herodotus wrote that the Aethiopians (Greek name for Kush) may have been the most ancient people on Earth and that Egypt was founded from Ethiopia. Herodotus also posited that the Greek gods originated in Ethiopia (e.g. HomerHomer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's references to the gods going to Ethiopia to convene). It's likely that Herodotus' claims were inspired by 25th dynasty inscriptions. It's known that the 25th Dynasty rulers restored many ancient texts. For example, Shabaka caused the "Shabako Stone
Shabaka Stone
The Shabaka Stone is a relic from the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. It is a stone slab measuring 66 cm in height and 137 cm in width and was incised with the surviving hieroglyphs of a worm-ridden, decaying papyrus...
", or "Memphite Cosmology
Shabaka Stone
The Shabaka Stone is a relic from the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. It is a stone slab measuring 66 cm in height and 137 cm in width and was incised with the surviving hieroglyphs of a worm-ridden, decaying papyrus...
", to be carved in stone from a more ancient text.
See also
- History of Ancient EgyptHistory of Ancient EgyptThe History of Ancient Egypt spans the period from the early predynastic settlements of the northern Nile Valley to the Roman conquest in 30 BC...
- List of monarchs of Kush
- Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt family treeTwenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt family treeThe family tree of the 25th Dynasty is complex. It is not always clear of successive kings are father and son or possibly brothers. The family tree is too complex to show in its entirety. denotes a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt and King of Kush. denotes a King of Kush....
Further reading
- G.A. Reisner, "Discovery of the Tombs of the Egyptian XXVth Dynasty", Sudan Notes and Records, 2 (1919), pp. 237–254