The document provides an overview of Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty, which consisted of Kushite kings from Nubia who conquered and ruled Egypt. It discusses the kings Piye, Shabaqo, Shebitqo, Taharqo, and Tantamani based on historical sources and archaeological evidence. It also describes the Kushite kings' conflicts with neighboring Assyria over influence in the Levant during this period when the Kushite dynasty controlled all of Egypt.

1. THE COMING OF
THE KUSHITES:
EGYPT’S TWENTY-FIFTH DYNASTY
Dr Chris Naunton / @chrisnaunton
chrisnaunton.com/online-lectures/

2. Date Leontopolis 22nd Dynasty Takeloth II / Osorkon III line U Eg Opponents of Takeloth II Hermopolis
865 Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon II
860
855
850
845
840
835 Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takeloth II
830 Usermaatre Shoshenq III Sibast
825 Usermaatre Setepenamun Pedubast
Sibast / Siese
820
815
810 Usermaatre Setepenamun Iuput I
805
800 Usermaatre Meriamun Shoshenq
VI
795 Hedjkheperre Shoshenq IV Sibast Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon III
790
785
780 Usermaatre Setepenre/amun Pimay
775 Akheperre Sheshonq V
770 Usermaatre Setepenamun Takeloth III
765
760 Hedjkheperre Shoshenq VIa Siese
755
750 Rudamun
745
740 23rd Dynasty
735 Sehetepibre Pedubast
730 Usermaatre
Setepenamun Iuput
II Si-Bast
Osorkon IV Peftjauawybast Nimlot

3. ‘Victory’ or ‘Triumphal’ Stela of Piye. Cairo, JE 48862

4. “Hear what I did, exceeding the
ancestors,
I the King, image of god,
Living likeness of Atum!
Who left the womb marked as
ruler,
Feared by those greater than he!
His father knew, his mother
perceived:
He would be ruler from the egg,
The Good God, beloved of gods,
The Son of Re, who acts with his
arms,
Piye beloved-of-Amun.”
Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol. III:
(p. 68). University of California Press. Kindle
Edition.

5. “One came to say to his majesty: “The
Chief of the West, the count and
grandee in Netjer, Tefnakht, is in the
nome of – – –, in the nome of Xois, in
Hapy in – – –, in Ayn, in Pernub, and in
the nome of Memphis. He has
conquered the entire West from the
coastal marshes to Itj-tawy, sailing south
with a numerous army, with the Two
Lands united behind him”

6. After Morkot, Black Pharaohs, 190.
Sais

7. • Piye orders his troops in Egypt to attack and sends
reinforcements
• Battle at Heracleopolis
• Piye goes to Egypt and besieges Hermopolis
“His majesty burst out to revile his troops, raging at them
like a panther: “Are you continuing to fight while delaying
my orders? It is the year for making an end, for putting fear
of me in Lower Egypt, and inflicting on them a great and
severe beating!”

8. Heracleopolis reaffirms
its loyalty, other towns
surrender
Capture of Memphis
Tefnakht announces his
submission
Piye returns home

9. Gebel Barkal, Temple of Amun

10. Gebel Barkal, Amun Temple. Plan after Morkot, Black Pharaohs, 171.

13. 1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

14. ‘Kush’
Also used by the Egyptians,
Assyrians and Persians, and in
the Bible to refer to the whole of
the known world south of the
First Cataract
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

15. Outline Chronology

16. Outline Chronology
25th Dyn

17. %3-nsw n KS - TT 40, Tomb

18. Amara West,
Sedeinga, Soleb
and Sesebi
New Kingdom
Temple Towns,
2nd to 3rd
Cataract region

19. Gebel Barkal

20. Outline Chronology
25th Dyn
Events uncertain

21. Dynasty XXV
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty consisted of
three Ethiopian kings.
1. Sabacôn, who, taking Bochchôris
captive, burned him alive, and reigned
for 8 years.
2. Sebichôs, his son, for 14 years.
3. Tarcus, for 18 years.
Total, 40 years.
Manetho
Fr. 66 (from
Syncellus).
According to
Africanus.

22. Monumental evidence
Manetho Kings Approximate dates
Piye
Sabacon (12 years) Shabaqo
Sebichos (12 years) Shebitqo
Taracus (20 years) Taharqo 690-664
Tanutamun 664-656
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty

23. Piye Stela. Year 21.

24. When you arrive within Thebes before Karnak, you
should enter into the water. Purify yourselves in
the river! Clothe yourselves in the best linen! Lay down
the bow, withdraw the arrow!
…
They then went sailing northward and they arrived at
Thebes; they did exactly as His Majesty had said. They
then went sailing northward on the river, finding that
numerous ships had come southward with soldiers,
sailors, and troops of every valiant warrior of Lower
Egypt equipped with weapons of warfare to fight
against the army of His Majesty.
Piye Stela. Year 21.

25. “The one to whom I say: ‘You
are chief,’ he becomes chief.
The one to whom I say: ‘You
are not chief,’ he does not
become chief. Amon in Thebes
appointed me to be ruler in
Egypt. The one [to whom] I
say: ‘Appear (as king),’ he
appears. The] one to whom I
say: ‘Do not appear,’ he does
not appear.”
The ‘Sandstone Stela’, Year 3(?) of Piye
Sudan National Museum, Khartoum

26. El-Kurru, Burial place of the
kings of the 25th Dyn
…and earlier.

27. Monumental evidence
Manetho Kings Approximate dates
Kashta ? - 744
Piye 744 – 714 BCE
Sabacon (12 years) Shebitqo 714 - 705
Sebichos (12 years) Shabaqo 705 - 690
Taracus (20 years) Taharqo 690-664
Tanutamun 664-656
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty

28. A second Kushite Invasion…

29. Manetho
According to Africanus.
The Twenty-fourth Dynasty.
Bochchôris of Saïs, for 6 years
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty consisted of
three Ethiopian kings.
1. Sabacôn,20 who, taking Bochchôris
captive, burned him alive, and reigned
for 8 years.
2. Sebichôs, his son, for 14 years.
3. Tarcus,21º for 18 years.

30. ‘Bocchoris Vase’. After Morkot, Black Pharaohs, 180.

31. Shabaqo and Shebitqo

32. Shabaqo and Shebitqo
Or rather…

33. Shabaqo and Shebitqo
Or rather…
Shebitqo and Shabaqo

34. Monumental evidence
Manetho Kings Approximate dates
Piye
Sabacon (12 years) Shabaqo
Sebichos (12 years) Shebitqo
Taracus (20 years) Taharqo 690-664
Tanutamun 664-656
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty

35. Monumental evidence
Manetho Kings Approximate dates
Piye
Sabacon (12 years) Shebitqo
Sebichos (12 years) Shabaqo
Taracus (20 years) Taharqo 690-664
Tanutamun 664-656
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty

36. Shebitqo – Shabaqo…
Nile Level Texts
Depictions of Amnirdis I at Karnak
Tombs and Shabtis
Statue of Shabaqo’s son Haremakhet

37. Monumental evidence
Manetho Kings Approximate dates
Piye 744 – 714 BCE
Sabacon (12 years) Shebitqo 714 - 705
Sebichos (12 years) Shabaqo 705 - 690
Taracus (20 years) Taharqo 690-664
Tanutamun 664-656
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty

38. Shebitqo
714 – 705 BCE
Son of Piye
Chapel of Osiris Heqa-
Djet, Karnak

39. Shabaqo 705 –
690 BCE
Son of Kashta

40. Shabaqo 705 - 690
Thickness of First Pylon, Luxor Temple

41. Sed Festival Gateway,
Small Temple of Ptah
Amun Enclosure, Karnak
Reign of Shabaqo

42. ‘Shabaqo Stone’
British Museum EA 498. Copy of the ‘Memphite Theology’

43. Taharqo
690 – 664 BCE
Son of Piye
Shrine from Kawa
Ashmolean Museum

44. Entranceway to the Temple of Amun-Ra-Horakhty ‘who hears prayer’), Karnak
Reign of Taharqo

45. Temple of Khonsupakhered (‘Khonsu the Child’), Mut Enclosure, Karnak

46. ‘Kiosk of Taharqo’, Karnak

48. Rivals in Assyria
Capital at Nineveh
(modern Iraq)
Sargon II 722-705 BCE
Sennacherib 705-681
Esarhaddon 681-669
Ashurbanipal 669-630

49. Death of Sargon II (722-705 BCE) led to
revolt throughout the empire
Kushites attempt to exploit death of Sargon
II in 705 to exert influence in Levant
L: ‘Victory stela’ of Esarhaddon, Pergamon
Museum, Berlin

50. Battle of Eltekeh (Levant) in 701
According to the Bible, Hezekiah, King of Judah,
invited the Egyptian/Kushite army to stall the Assyrian
advance on Jerusalem in which they succeeded.
“And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia,
Behold, he is come out to fight against thee:”
The Bible (King James Version)
2 Kings, 19.9.

51. 679: Campaign under Esarhaddon to take control of
Levant and rid it of Kushite influence - succeeds
673: Expedition to Egypt - Assyrians defeated

52. 671: Second invasion
Memphis conquered and sacked
Taharqo wounded, his son and
brothers captured alive
Assyria imposed a yearly tribute
from the cities of Lower Egypt, re-
named towns and appointed new
administrators inc. Necho (I) of
Sais
‘Rassam Cylinder’ text
Pritchard, ANET

53. ‘Victory stela’ of Esarhaddon,
Pergamon Museum, Berlin

54. 669: Rebellion prompts Esarhaddon to return to
Egypt Oct/Nov – he dies en route
Taharqo reconquers the Delta –before / after
Esarhaddon’s death
667 Ashurbanipal invades Egypt
• Engaged Taharqo’s armies at Kar Banite
(location uncertain) and won
• Taharqo escapes from Memphis and flees to
Thebes, then retreats to the west bank

55. Relief from
the North
Palace,
Nineveh,
Iraq.
British
Museum

56. 667: Revolt against Assyrians by local
governors and Taharqo
Necho is captured and taken to Nineveh
but then released to become ruler of
Sais and Memphis
Apis stela suggests Taharqo was still
recognised in Memphis as late as 665 –
may have recaptured territory again

57. Taharqo d. yr 27,664 BCE
Nubia Museum, Aswan

58. Tantamani
664–656 BCE
Son of Shabaqo
Sudan National
Museum, Khartoum

59. Dream Stela of Tantamani
Disc at Gebel Barkal, now in the Nubia
Museum, Aswan
T had a dream in which he understood
that he ruled the southern land, and
should seize the northern land.
Travelled to Egypt, worshipping at
Napata, Elephantine and Thebes,
repairing temples, restoring images of
gods and reappointing priests – the
implication being that things had been
allowed to slide under the Assyrians.

60. Tantamani victorious at Memphis
Necho who was killed, and his son Psamtek,
who fled to (As)Syria.
T then laid siege to the Lower Egyptian
towns but without engaging them in battle.
Ashurbanipal’s armies respond, defeated
Tantamani’s armies.
Tantamani flees to Thebes which was
sacked.
Assyrian helmet, Manchester Museum

61. Kushite Legacy in Egypt

62. (The institution of) The God’s Wife of Amun

63. Tomb Chapels of the God’s Wives, Medinet Habu

64. God’s Wives Chapels, Karnak

65. Harwa
BM EA 32555
Akhamunru
Cairo CG 48603
Chief
Stewards of
the God’s
Wife of
Amun

66. Theban Necropolis. Asasif (foreground)

67. Mayor of the City (Thebes), Karabasken
TT 391

68. Karakhamun
rx nsw m3a (mr.f)
‘the true (beloved) acquaintance of
the king’
irty nsw anxwy bity, ‘the
eyes and ears of the king of Upper
and Lower Egypt’
TT 223

69. Iryketakana
Nubia Museum, Aswan

70. From Budka, J ‘Kushite tomb groups in Late Period Thebes’

71. Haremakhet, Chief Priest of Amun
Son of Shabaqo
CG 42204, Nubia Museum, Aswan

72. ‘Nitocris Adoption Stela’
Year 9 Psamtek I, 656 BCE
Commemorates the adoption of
Psamtek’s daughter Neitiqret /
Nitocris as heiress to the god’s
Wife …and transfer of power in
Thebes to Psamtek / Dyn 26
Shepenwepet II, Amunirdis II,
Harkhebi all still present
Cairo, JE 36327

73. Brooklyn / Saite
Oracle Papyrus
Year 14 Psamtek I
= 651 BCE
Harkhebi (centre)

75. Statues of
Tanutamun,
Senkamanisken
Anlamani, and
Aspelta

76. 6. Anlamani
5. Malenaqen
3. Senkamanisken
7. Karkamani
Nuri

77. Gebel
Barkal
Meroe
(Begrawiya)

78. THANK YOU!
@chrisnaunton / chrisnaunton.com/online-lectures/