King of Kings

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Historical

• In pharaonic Ancient Egypt
  Ancient Egypt
  
  Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt....
  , an inscription on the base of one of Ramesses II
  Ramesses II
  
  Ramesses II was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt. He is often regarded as Ancient Egypt's greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh....
  's commemorative statues, according to Greek Historian Diodorus Siculus
  Diodorus Siculus
  
  Diodorus Siculus , was a Roman Greece historian who flourished in the 1st century BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agira in Sicily ....
  , referred to him as "King of Kings". This was paraphrased in Percy Bysshe Shelley
  Percy Bysshe Shelley
  
  Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major England Romantic poets and is widely considered to be among the finest Lyric poetry in the English language....
  's famous sonnet, Ozymandias
  Ozymandias
  
  I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them on the sand,Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown...
  : "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: / Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
• Titles of this relative type have been in use from the most ancient times in Iran
  Iran
  
  Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
  .
• The rulers of Persia
  Persian Empire
  
  The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
  , at various times (under Zoroastrian as well as Muslim dynasties), have been titled Shâhanshâh, the commonly used informal shortening Shah
  Shah
  
  Shah is a Persian language term for a monarch that has been adopted in many other languages.Shah used as a last name by Jains and Hindus is unrelated....
   being the standard Persian
  Persian language
  
  name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
   term for King.
• The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius
  Heraclius
  
  Flavius Heraclius was a Byzantine Emperor, who ruled the Byzantine Empire for over thirty years, from October 5, 610 to February 11, 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his Heraclius the Elder, the viceregal Exarchate of Africa, successfully led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas....
   adopted the Persian title after the Battle of Nineveh
  Battle of Nineveh
  
  There were two battles named Battle of Nineveh:*Battle of Nineveh *Battle of Nineveh ...
  .
• Whereas the most literal Sanskrit
  Sanskrit
  
  Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
   equivalent is Rajadhiraja, this is not of equal 'imperial' rank (compare Samraj) because of current use on the subcontinent
  Indian subcontinent
  
  The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
   of other lofty titles ranking above Raja
  Raja
  
  A Raja is a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya Varna in Hinduism.The word 'raja'means 'rajan' in nepali which means the supreme king.It's normally the first given name in Nepal and surname in India which isused by hindus and buddhist....
  , such as Maharaja (literally Great King
  Great King
  
  Great King and the equivalent in many languages is a semantic model for historical titles of Monarchs, suggesting an elevated status among the host of monarchs and minor Princes....
  , also greatly devaluated by title inflation) and Maharajadhiraja (Bahadur) 'Great King of kings'. The titles Maharajadhiraja and Rajadhiraja were also assumed by some great Kushan kings in the 1st and 2nd centuries, as was Devaputra or 'Son of God
  Son of God
  
  Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the Christian Bible. In the Tanakh, according to Judaism religious tradition, Son of God has many possible meanings, referring to angels, or humans or even all mankind....
  '. Nevertheless, the ancient Sanskrit title Rajadhiraja has been maintained in some formerly Hindu monarchies, such as in Buddhist Cambodia (as one of the secondary titles often used by the true reigning Sovereign, distinguishing him from several other Princes of the reigning dynasty who could simultaneously hold a kingly rank or even concurrent authority).
• The Ethiopian Orthodox
  Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
  
  The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an Oriental Orthodoxy church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Christianity until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by List of Coptic Popes, Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria....
   Emperor of Ethiopia
  Emperor of Ethiopia
  
  The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive power, judicial power and legislative power in that country....
  's main title was (transliterations vary), with Negus
  Negus
  
  Negus is a title in Ge'ez language, Tigrinya, Tigre and Amharic language, used for a king and at times also a vassal ruler in pre-1974 Ethiopia and pre-1890 Eritrea....
   being the standard Ge'ez
  Ge'ez language
  
  Ge'ez is an ancient South Semitic language that developed in the current region of Eritrea and northern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. It later became the official language of the Kingdom of Aksum and Ethiopian imperial court....
   (as well as most other Ethiosemitic languages
  Ethiopian Semitic languages
  
  Ethiopian Semitic is a language group, which together with Old South Arabian, forms the Western branch of the South Semitic languages. Today, the name Ethiopian can be considered a misnomer, as the North languages are also found in Eritrea, with two of them being exclusively used there; however, the term came into use before Eritrea had...
  ) term for King, at the head of a complex semi-feudal pyramid. The first known use of this title in Ethiopia was the Aksumite King Sembrouthes
  Sembrouthes
  
  Sembrouthes was a king of Kingdom of Axum. He is known only from a single inscription in Greek language that was found at Deqemhare or Deqqi Mehari in modern Eritrea, which is dated to his 24th regnal year....
  , probably dating to the first half of the 2nd century AD.
• The rulers of the Mali Empire
  Mali Empire
  
  The Mali Empire or Manding Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African civilization of the Mandinka people from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Mansa Musa....
   used the title Mansa
  Mansa
  
  Mansa is a Mandinka language word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century....
  , meaning "king of kings," to denote their rulers, starting with the late 12th c. ruler Sundiata Keita
  Sundiata Keita
  
  Sundiata Keita or Sundjata Keyita or Mari Djata I or just Sundiata. was the founder of the Mali Empire and celebrated as a hero of the Malinke people people of West Africa in the semi-historical Epic of Sundiata....
  .
• The Turkish Ottoman dynasty
  Ottoman Dynasty
  
  File:Barber cape.jpgThe Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan....
  , rivals of the Persians from the opposing Sunni branch of Islam, used, like the Shâhanshâh, the analogous style of Sultan of Sultans
  Sultan of Sultans
  
  "Sultan of Sultans" is the literal English language translation of the original Turkish language Sultan es-Selatin or Sultan us-Selatin....
   amongst other titles, including Persian Padishah
  Padishah
  
  Padishah, Padshah, Padeshah, Badishah or Badshah is a very prestigious title, which is composed from the Persian words pad "master" and the better-known title shah "king", which was adopted by several Islamic monarchy claiming the highest rank, roughly equivalent to Christian Emperors or the ancient notion of...
   and Hakan, the Turkish form of:
• the Mongolian Khagan
  Khagan
  
  Khagan or Great Khan , is a title of empire rank in the Turkic languages and Mongolian language languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a Khaganate ....
   'Khan of Khans'.
• In orthodox Georgia
  Georgia (country)
  
  Georgia is a transcontinental country in the Caucasus region, located at the dividing line between Europe and Asia. It is bordered by the Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Armenia to the south, and Turkey to the southwest....
  , the style Mepe-Mepeta was meant literally, as supreme among various 'true' Caucasian Christian kings, especially rivalling Armenia
  Armenia
  
  Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in South Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea....
  , where the analogous style prince of princes had been used (635 - 885); the title was extended to the monarch ruling Georgia, no matter what the gender.
• The Zulu
  Zulu
  
  The Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa....
   conqueror Shaka
  Shaka
  
  Shaka was the most influential leader of the Zulu Empire.He is widely credited with uniting many of the Northern Nguni people, specifically the Mthethwa Paramountcy and the Ndwandwe into the Zulu kingdom, the beginnings of a nation that held sway over the large portion of southern Africa between the Phongolo River and Mzimkhulu River river...
   adopted such a title after establishing total control over many Bantu neighbour tribes in southern Africa.
• The Armenian
  Kingdom of Armenia
  
  The Kingdom of Armenia was an independent kingdom from 190 BC to AD 387 and a client state of the Roman and Persian empires until 428, stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea seas....
   king Tigranes the Great
  Tigranes the Great
  
  This article is about a king of Armenia in the 1st century Common Era. For other historical figures with the same name see Tigranes.Tigranes the Great was a king of Kingdom of Armenia under whom the country became, for a short time, the strongest state east of the Roman Republic....
  , was known as "King of Kings", due to having several kings under his rule.

Religious

• Jesus
  Jesus
  
  Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the Incarnation ....
   Christ is termed King of Kings in the Bible
  Bible
  
  The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
  , particularly in the Book of Revelation
  Book of Revelation
  
  The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John , and Revelation of Jesus Christ is the last Biblical canon of the New Testament in the Christian Bible....
  , 17:14 and 19:16. Jesus says in the Book of Matthew, verse 28:18, that all authority on earth has been given to him. In John 18:36 he says that his realm is not of this earth (Hebrew: olam hazeh, "this world, or age", in contrast with the olam haba, "the world to come", in which he will rule), a messianistic tradition within the Jewish faith, founded its Zionist ambitions of political independence from Rome (see Sicarii
  Sicarii
  
  Sicarii is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, to an extremist splinter group to the Jewish Zealots, who attempted to expel the Roman Empire and their partisans from Judea....
  , while Christ preached a spiritual 'kingdom' instead) on its version that the Messiah would (re)establish the promised land of Israel as a mighty temporal kingdom; in Christianity, it is rather God the Father who thrones in heaven as ultimate ruler of the universe, high above all mortal monarchs. In this sense, "Lord of Lords" is a synonymous title of the Lord, as used by the Church Fathers, e.g. Against Heresies
  On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis
  
  On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis , commonly called Against Heresies , is a five-volume work written by St. Irenaeus in the second century....
  , V.26 (St. Irenaeus).
• in Islam
  Islam
  
  Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
  , the absolute use (the definite article is thus obligatory) of al-Malik
  Malik
  
  Malik is an Arabic language word meaning "Monarch". It has been adopted in various other, mainly Languages of Asia for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere; furthermore it is sometimes used in derived meanings....
  , as #4 of the 99 known names of Allah
  Allah
  
  Allah is the standard Arabic language word for God. While the term is best known in the Western world for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, in reference to "God"....
  , "The King", taken to imply 'The Sovereign Lord, The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection' singles the only god out as supreme ruler over all earthly powers; another of these attributes, #84, is Malik Al-Mulk "King of the Realm", taken to mean 'The Eternal Owner of Sovereignty, The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed'.
• Buddha
  Gautama Buddha
  
  Siddhartha Gautama was a Spirituality teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddhahood of our age....
   is referred to as "King of Kings" in the Pali
  Páli
  
  P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
   Tripitaka
  Tripitaka
  
  The is the Sanskrit term used by Westerners for a Buddhist canon of scriptures. Asian Buddhists of the Theravada Buddhist school use the term Tipitaka to refer to the Pali Canon....
  .
• High King of Ireland
  High King of Ireland
  
  A High King of Ireland is a historical or legendary figure who claimed lordship over the whole of Ireland. The High-Kingship was never a political reality in Ireland, but has a strong literary and folkore tradition....
   The High King of Ireland ruled over the about 5 main kingdoms and more than 20 smaller kingdoms. They would rule over them as the king of all the kings.
• In Judaism
  Judaism
  
  Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts....
  , "King of Kings" - in Hebrew Melech ha-M'lachim - is an expression that refers to God, whose name may not be said. It is usually rendered as Melech Malchei Ha-M'lachim (King of Kings of Kings), to put it one step above the title by which Babylonian and Persian kings are referred to in the Bible (specifically in the Book of Daniel
  Book of Daniel
  
  The Book of Daniel is a book in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Originally written in Hebrew language and Aramaic language, it is set during the Babylonian Captivity, a period when Jews were deported and exiled to Babylon following the Siege of Jerusalem of 597 BC....
  ).
• Selivanov, the co-founder of the Skoptsi, a Russian Christian sect which practiced sexual mutilation, who proclaimed himself the Son of God incarnate in the person of Emperor Peter III, claimed the titles "King of Kings" and even "God of Gods".
• Haile Selassie I
  Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
  
  Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The heir to a dynasty that traced its origins to the 13th century, and from there by tradition back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Haile Selassie is a defining figure in both History of Ethiopia and Histor...
  , the Ethiopia
  Ethiopia
  
  Ethiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast....
  n Emperor was known as the "King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah" and based on these titles and their biblical reference is seen as God
  God
  
  God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
   amonst the members of the Rastafari movement
  Rastafari movement
  
  The Rastafari movement is a monotheism, Abrahamic religions, new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as the incarnation of God, called Jah or Jah Rastafari....
  .

Popular culture

• Swedish goal scoring machine Henrik Larsson is known to and referred to as the King of Kings by Celtic supporters after his scoring exploits after 7 seven in Paradise.
• Professional wrestler
  Professional wrestling
  
  Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional sport, where matches are prearranged by the Professional wrestling promotion List of professional wrestling terms#B, and is also considered an athletic performing art, containing strong elements of catch wrestling, mock combat and theatre....
   Triple H
  Triple H
  
  Paul Michael Levesque is an American Professional wrestling and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley....
  , an influential figure in the business, refers to himself as the King of Kings, and has incorporated it into his gimmick. The band Motörhead
  Motörhead
  
  Mot?rhead are a British hard rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. Usually a power trio, Mot?rhead had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Singles Chart....
   has introduced a song called "King of Kings" as one of Triple H's entrance themes.
• This isn't the first use of "The King of Kings" in professional wrestling, however, as wrestler Steve Corino
  Steve Corino
  
  Steven "Steve" Eugene Corino is a Canadian Professional wrestling, who worked for Pro Wrestling ZERO1 and numerous Independent circuit Professional wrestling promotion....
   used the nickname for years before WWE copyrighted it for Triple H's use.
• In the video game Gradius III
  Gradius III
  
  is a Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters arcade game, developed and published by Konami in 1989 for video arcades.The player returns as the role of the pilot of the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire....
   released by Konami
  Konami
  
  is a leading video game developer and video game publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, Japanese arcade cabinetss and video games....
  , "King Of Kings" is the title often given to the musical score that plays on the high score screen when the player enters his/her initials. This short piece of music is used in both the arcade versions and home ports of the game.
• In the 2004 film Troy
  Troy (film)
  
  Troy is an epic film released on May 14, 2004, concerning the Trojan War. It is loosely based on Homer's Iliad, but includes material from Virgil's Aeneid and other sources, and frequently diverges from myth....
  , Agamemnon
  Agamemnon
  
  In Greek mythology, Agamemnon / is the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus and the husband of Clytemnestra; different mythological versions make him the king either of Mycenae or of Argos....
   refers to himself (and is referred to by Achilles
  Achilles
  
  In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greeks hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad, which takes for its theme ; the Wrath of Achilles....
   and Nestor
  Nestor
  
  Nestor may refer to:*Nestor , the son of Neleus, the King of Pylos and Chloris in Greek mythology*Nestor *Nestor , a genus of parrots in ornithology...
  ) as "King of Kings".
• In poker
  Poker
  
  Poker is a family of card game that share betting rules and usually List of poker hands. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bets and how many rounds of betting are allowed....
   a four of a kind hand involving four kings is sometimes known as the "King of Kings".
• In the first Dragon Quest
  Dragon Quest
  
  , published as Dragon Warrior in North America until the 2005 release of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, is a series of console role-playing game created by Yuji Horii and published by Square Enix ....
   game the primary villain, the Dragonlord refers to himself as the "King of Kings".
• "King of Kings
  King of Kings (album)
  
  King of Kings is Don Omar's second studio album. It was released on May 23, 2006 three years after his debut studio album The Last Don . Songs in this album are deep and worthy of reflection, especially for sociopolitical-minded Latinos....
  " is the name an album of reggaeton artist Don Omar
  Don Omar
  
  Don Omar is a Puerto Rican people-Latin Grammy Award-nominated Reggaet?n singer/rapper....
   released in 2006.
• In the PlayStation 2 game "We Love Katamari" (a sequel to the PS2's Katamari Damacy
  Katamari Damacy
  
  is a third-person puzzle-action video game that is published and developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was first released in Japan, and then later in South Korea and North America....
  ), the King of All Cosmos sings a song during the ending credits (arguably about himself) including the title and named "The King of Kings".

• "King Of Kings" is the name of a song of Heavy Metal Musicians Manowar, Released as a single on 2005.

See also

• God Emperor
  God Emperor
  
  As manifested historically in various cultures an imperial authority is in this case associated in the same person with a religious one....
  
• Sacred king
  Sacred king
  
  For the office under ancient Rome, see Rex Sacrorum. In many historical societies, the office of monarch carries a sacral meaning, that is, it is identical with that of a high priest and of judge....
  
• Padishah
  Padishah
  
  Padishah, Padshah, Padeshah, Badishah or Badshah is a very prestigious title, which is composed from the Persian words pad "master" and the better-known title shah "king", which was adopted by several Islamic monarchy claiming the highest rank, roughly equivalent to Christian Emperors or the ancient notion of...