Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Dynasty_of_Egypt[21/08/2012 19:13:52]
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt
Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt

760 BC656 BC

Kushite Egypt in 700 BC.
Capital Meroe
Language(s) Ancient Egyptian,
Nubian
Religion Ancient Egyptian religion
Government Monarchy
Pharaoh
- 760 BC-752 BC Kashta (first)
- 664 BC-656 BC Tantamani (last)
History
- Established 760 BC
- Disestablished 656 BC
Dynasties of ancient Egypt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt , known as
the Nubian 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.
[1]
The dynasty began with Kashta's invasion
of Upper Egypt and culminated in several years of
war with the Assyrians which was to result in the
destruction of the Kushite Empire. The 25th's
reunification of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and
also Kush (Nubia) created the largest Egyptian
empire since the New Kingdom. They ushered in
an age of renaissance by reaffirming Ancient
Egyptian religious traditions, temples, and artistic
forms, while introducing some unique aspects of
Kushite culture.
[2]
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.
[3][4][5]
After Assyrian
kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal invaded
Egypt and defeated and drove out the Nubians,
they were succeeded by the Twenty-sixth dynasty
of Egypt, the last native dynasty to rule Egypt
before the Persian conquest.
Contents [hide]
1 Rulers
1.1 Piye
1.2 Shabaka
1.3 Shebitku
1.4 Taharqa
1.5 Tantamani
2 Influence
3 See also
4 References
5 Sources
6 Further reading
7 External links
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Third Intermediate [show]
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Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Dynasty_of_Egypt[21/08/2012 19:13:52]
V T E
The known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the twenty-fifth
dynasty are the following:
Dynasty XXV pharaohs
Pharaoh Horus-name
Reign
(BCE)
Pyramid Consort(s)
Kashta Maare
c. 760
BC
c. 752
BC
Kurru 8
Queen
Pebatjma
(Kurru 7?)
Piye Seneferre
c. 752
BC
721
BC
Kurru 17
Queen Tabiry
(Kurru 53)
Queen Abar
(Nuri 53?)
Queen Khensa
(Kurru 4)
Queen
Peksater (Kurru
54)
Nefrukekashta
(Kurru 52)
Shabaka Neferkare
721
BC
707
BC
Kurru 15
Queen Qalhata
(Kurru 5)
Queen Mesbat
Queen
Tabekenamun?
Shebitku Djedkare
707
BC
690
BC
Kurru 18
Queen Arty
(Kurru 6)
Taharqa Khunefertumre
690
664
BC
Nuri 1
Queen
Takahatenamun
(Nuri 21?)
Queen
Atakhebasken
(Nuri 36)
Queen
Naparaye
(Kurru 3)
Queen
Tabekenamun?
Tantamani Bakare
664
656
BC
(died
653
BC)
Kurru 16
Queen
Piankharty
Queen [..]salka
Queen
Malaqaye?
(Nuri 59)
[edit]
Rulers
Late Period [show]
Hellenistic Period [show]
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The period starting with Kashta and ending with Malonaqen is sometimes called the Napatan Period.
The later 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.
[6]
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 some parts of Upper Egypt. A
stela of his was found at Elephantine and Kashta likely exercised some infuence at Thebes (although
he did not control it) since he held enough sway 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 capital and it
was from there that Piye (spelled Piankhi or Piankhy
in older works) invaded and took control of Egypt.
[7]
Piye personally led the attack on 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. An energetic builder, he constructed the
oldest known pyramid at the royal burial site of El
Kurru and expanded the Temple of Amun at J ebel
Barkal.
[8]
Although Manetho does not mention the
first king, Piye, mainstream Egyptologists consider him the first Pharaoh of the 25th dynasty.
[9]

[10]
[11]
Manetho also does not mention the last king, Tantamani, although inscriptions exist to attest to
the existence of both Piye and Tantamani.
Shabaka conquered the entire Nile valley, including
Upper and Lower Egypt, around 710 BC. Shabaka
had Bocchoris of the preceding Sais dynasty burned
to death for resisting him. After conquering Lower
Egypt, Shabaka transferred the capital 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. Shabaka supported an uprising
against the Assyrians in the Israelite city of Ashdod,
however he and his allies were defeated by Sargon II.
Recent research by Dan'el Kahn
[13]
suggests that
Shebitku 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
[edit] Piye
25th Dynasty royal monumental statues from
Doukki-Gel
25th Dynasty pyramids at Nuri
[edit] Shabaka
[edit] Shebitku
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Dynasty_of_Egypt[21/08/2012 19:13:52]
Northwestern Iran (then a colony of Assyria) 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
[14]
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.
Taharqa 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 J ebel Barkal, Kawa, and Karnak.
[15]
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.
Taharqa built the largest pyramid in the Nubian region at Nuri (near El-Kurru).
From the 10th Century BC onwards Egypt's Semitic allies in Canaan and Aramea (modern Syria)
had fallen to the Mesopotamian based Assyrian Empire, and by 700 BC war between the two
empires became inevitable. Taharqa enjoyed some success in his attempts to regain a foothold in
the Near East. He aided J erusalem and King Hezekiah in withstanding a siege by King Sennacherib
of the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:9;Isaiah 37:9), although it appears that disease among the besiegers
was a major factor
[16]
. Eventually however, Sennacherib drove the Egyptians from the entire region
and back into Egypt. Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons in revenge for the destruction of
Babylon. His successor, King Esarhaddon, tired of Egyptian meddling in the Assyrian Empire began
an invasion of Egypt in 671 BC. Taharqa was defeated with surprising ease by Esarhaddon, and fled
to his Nubian homeland
[17]
. Esarhaddon describes "installing local kings and governors" and "All
Ethiopians I deported from Egypt, leaving not one left to do homage to me". However the native
Egyptian puppet rulers installed by the Assyrians were unable to retain total control for long, and two
years later Taharqa returned from Nubia and seized contol of part of Egypt as far north as Memphis.
Esarhaddon set about returning to Egypt to once more eject Taharqa, however he fell ill and died
before he left Assyria. His successor Ashurbanipal sent a general with a small army corps which
ejected Taharqa from Egypt once more. He died in Nubia two years later.
His successor, Tantamani, attempted to regain Egypt. He defeated a native Egyptian prince named
Necho, who was a vassal ruler of Ashurbanipal, taking Thebes in the process. The Assyrians based
Temple of Amun at the sacred mountain,
J ebel Barkal
Sudan Meroe Pyramids - UNESCO World Heritage
[12]
.
[edit] Taharqa
[edit] Tantamani
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Dynasty_of_Egypt[21/08/2012 19:13:52]
in the north, then sent a large army southwards. Tantamani was routed and driven back to Nubia,
and the Assyrian army sacked Thebes to such an extent it never truly recovered. A native ruler,
Psamtik I was placed on the throne, as a vassal of Ashurbanipal and the Assyrians, he was the first
ruler of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty. In 656 BC, Psamtik I peacefully took control of Thebes and
effectively unified all of Egypt, though it initially remained subject to Assyria. Tantamani died later and
was buried with full honors in the royal cemetery of el-kurru upstream from the Kushite capital
Napata.
[18]
The successors of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty settled back in their Nubian homeland, where they
established a kingdom at Napata (656 - 590 BC) then later, at Mero (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.
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 and
Assyrian name for Kush) may have been the most ancient people on Earth and that Egypt was
founded from Ethiopia
[19]
. Herodotus also posited that the Greek gods originated in Ethiopia (e.g.
Homer's references to the gods going to Ethiopia to convene). It's likely that Herodotus' claims were
inspired by 25th dynasty inscriptions rather than factual information. 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.
History of Ancient Egypt
List of monarchs of Kush
Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt family tree
1. ^ Trk, page 132
2. ^ Bonnet, Charles (2006). The Nubian Pharaohs. New York: The American University in Cairo Press.
pp. 142154. ISBN 978-977-416-010-3.
3. ^ Mokhtar, G. (1990). General History of Africa. California, USA: University of California Press. pp. 161
163. ISBN 0-520-06697-9.
4. ^ Emberling, Geoff (2011). Nubia: Ancient Kingdoms of Africa. New York: Institute for the Study of the
Ancient World. pp. 911. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/978-0-613-48102-9|978-0-613-48102-9]].
5. ^ Silverman, David (1997). Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 3637. ISBN 0-19-
521270-3.
6. ^ Dows Dunham, Notes on the History of Kush 850 B. C.-A. D. 350, American J ournal of Archaeology,
Vol. 50, No. 3 (J ul. - Sep., 1946), pp. 378-388
7. ^ The Histories. Penguin Books. 2003. pp. 106107,133134,. ISBN 978-0-14-044908-2.
8. ^ Emberling, Geoff (2011). Nubia: Ancient Kingdoms of Africa. New York: Institute for the Study of the
Ancient World. pp. 911. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/978-0-613-48102-9|978-0-613-48102-9]].
9. ^ Mokhtar, G. (1990). General History of Africa. California, USA: University of California Press.
pp. 67,161163. ISBN 0-520-06697-9.
10. ^ Emberling, Geoff (2011). Nubia: Ancient Kingdoms of Africa. New York: Institute for the Study of the
Ancient World. pp. 911. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/978-0-613-48102-9|978-0-613-48102-9]].
11. ^ Silverman, David (1997). Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 3637. ISBN 0-19-
521270-3.
12. ^ World Convention Heritage UNESCO
[edit]
Influence
[edit]
See also
[edit]
References
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Dynasty_of_Egypt[21/08/2012 19:13:52]
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13. ^ "The Inscription of king Sargon II of Assyria at Tang-i Var and the Chronology of Dynasty 25,"
Orientalia 70 (2001), pp.1-18
14. ^ Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 82(2002), p.182 n.24
15. ^ Diop, Cheikh Anta (1974). The African Origin of Civilization. Chicago, Illinois: Lawrence Hill Books.
pp. 219221. ISBN 1-55652-072-7.
16. ^ Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq
17. ^ Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq
18. ^ Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq
19. ^ The Histories. pp. 2:104.
Trk, Lszl (1998). The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization.
Leiden: BRILL. pp. 589 Pages. ISBN 90-04-10448-8.
G.A. Reisner, "Discovery of the Tombs of the Egyptian XXVth Dynasty", Sudan Notes and
Records , 2 (1919), pp. 237254
(French) Voyage au pays des pharaons noirs Travel in Sudan : pictures and notes on the
Nubian history
Categories: Former monarchies of Africa Former countries in Africa
States and territories established in 760 BC Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt History of Nubia
Kingdom of Kush Kings of Kush Dynasties of ancient Egypt
Egyptian people of Nubian descent
[edit]
Sources
[edit]
Further reading
[edit]
External links