Tutkheperre Shoshenq
Encyclopedia
Tutkheperre Shoshenq or Shoshenq IIb is an obscure Third Intermediate Period
Libyan king whose existence was doubted until recently. However, in 2004, a GM
203 German article by Eva R. Lange on a newly discovered stone block decoration from the Temple of Bubastis
which bore his rare royal prenomen, Tutkheperre, confirmed his existence beyond doubt because his name is now found in both Lower and Upper Egypt respectively. His prenomen translates approximately as "Appearance (or Coming Forth) of the Image of Re."
This king was first attested in ostraca
Louvre E.31886 discovered at Abydos
in Upper Egypt by Émile Amélineau
(1850-1915) in his 19th Century excavations there. This particular ostraca is now located in the Louvre Museum and was examined by M. A. Bonheme in a 1995 paper titled "Les Chechanquides: Qui, Combien?" According to Bonheme, the ostraca
contains the name 'Tutkheperre [...]Amun| (Shoshenq MeryAmun)|' written in black ink and was discovered among votive deposits of various dates, starting from the New Kingdom onwards near the First Dynasty 'Tomb of Osiris' at Abydos in Upper Egypt.
The ostraca evidence was not considered conclusive evidence for this king's existence since the writer of this object was assumed to have mistakenly written the small bird or chick symbol for Tut instead of the Red Crown symbol for Hedj, as in king Hedjkheperre Shoshenq I
. However, in her recent GM paper, Lange notes that the name Tutkheperre cannot be a mistake for either Shoshenq I or for "Tjetkheperre", Psusennes II's prenomen, because their hieroglyphic symbols are completely different. Secondly, the prenomen Tutkheperre is also inscribed in an architectural building in Bubastis (Lower Egypt). Lange's GM 203 article established that this king was indeed genuine and distinct from either Shoshenq I
or Psusennes II
. It examines an architectural fragment from the Great Temple of Bubastis which mentions his unique prenomen and nomen: 'Tutkheperre Shoshenq'. The likelihood of an error here is remote because these stone architectural blocks were created by professionally trained royal artisans who would not mistakenly transcribe something as important as a king's throne name onto a royal monument or temple. Tutkheperre Shoshenq's reign was probably brief because he is completely unattested beyond these 2 documents.
. This is a logical deduction since Shoshenq III
of the 22nd Dynasty lost effective control over Upper Egypt in his 8th Year with the accession of Pedubast I
at Thebes. Secondly, Lange notes that Tutkheperre Shoshenq is documented at the Temple of Bubastis where other early Dynasty 22 monarchs such as Osorkon I
and Osorkon II
are well known for their building projects there. Thus, he should be placed somewhere between these 2 kings.
While his precise location in the framework of the 22nd Dynasty is a mystery, he may have been one of the unknown "3 Kings"--apart from Shoshenq II
--who ruled Egypt
between Osorkon I
and Takelot I
, as Manetho
's Epitome states. The only fact which is certain is that he could not intervene in the transition between Shoshenq I to Osorkon I because Osorkon I certainly succeeded his father. This leaves a short interregnum of a few years in the transition between Osorkon I to Takelot I during the 880's BC prior to Takelot I became king. Tutkheperre certainly ruled Egypt prior to the reign of Osorkon II who adopts the generic Ramesses II based prenomen of 'Usimare Setepenre/Setepenamun' for his own royal name. Several short-lived kings could plausibly fit into this transition period such as Shoshenq II at 2–3 years and Tutkheperre Shoshenq because Takelot I was a relatively minor son of Osorkon I by Queen Tashedkhons, who was a lesser wife of this king. Takelot I may, thus, have been obliged to wait a while before assuming power in favour of other higher ranking royal family members with stronger claims to the throne.
Third Intermediate Period of Egypt
The Third Intermediate Period refers to the time in Ancient Egypt from the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1070 BC to the foundation of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty by Psamtik I in 664 BC, following the expulsion of the Nubian rulers of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty....
Libyan king whose existence was doubted until recently. However, in 2004, a GM
Göttinger Miszellen
Göttinger Miszellen is a scientific journal published by the Seminar für Ägyptologie und Koptologie which contains short scholarly articles on Egyptological, Coptological, and other related subjects....
203 German article by Eva R. Lange on a newly discovered stone block decoration from the Temple of Bubastis
Bubastis
Bubastis , also known as Tell Basta or Egyptian Per-Bast was an Ancient Egyptian city, the capital of its own nome, located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt...
which bore his rare royal prenomen, Tutkheperre, confirmed his existence beyond doubt because his name is now found in both Lower and Upper Egypt respectively. His prenomen translates approximately as "Appearance (or Coming Forth) of the Image of Re."
This king was first attested in ostraca
Ostracon
An ostracon is a piece of pottery , usually broken off from a vase or other earthenware vessel. In archaeology, ostraca may contain scratched-in words or other forms of writing which may give clues as to the time when the piece was in use...
Louvre E.31886 discovered at Abydos
Abydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
in Upper Egypt by Émile Amélineau
Émile Amélineau
Émile Amélineau was a French Coptologist, archaeologist and Egyptologist. His scholarly reputation was established as an editor of previously unpublished Coptic texts...
(1850-1915) in his 19th Century excavations there. This particular ostraca is now located in the Louvre Museum and was examined by M. A. Bonheme in a 1995 paper titled "Les Chechanquides: Qui, Combien?" According to Bonheme, the ostraca
Ostracon
An ostracon is a piece of pottery , usually broken off from a vase or other earthenware vessel. In archaeology, ostraca may contain scratched-in words or other forms of writing which may give clues as to the time when the piece was in use...
contains the name 'Tutkheperre [...]Amun| (Shoshenq MeryAmun)|' written in black ink and was discovered among votive deposits of various dates, starting from the New Kingdom onwards near the First Dynasty 'Tomb of Osiris' at Abydos in Upper Egypt.
The ostraca evidence was not considered conclusive evidence for this king's existence since the writer of this object was assumed to have mistakenly written the small bird or chick symbol for Tut instead of the Red Crown symbol for Hedj, as in king Hedjkheperre Shoshenq I
Shoshenq I
Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I , , also known as Sheshonk or Sheshonq I , was a Meshwesh Berber king of Egypt—of Libyan ancestry—and the founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty...
. However, in her recent GM paper, Lange notes that the name Tutkheperre cannot be a mistake for either Shoshenq I or for "Tjetkheperre", Psusennes II's prenomen, because their hieroglyphic symbols are completely different. Secondly, the prenomen Tutkheperre is also inscribed in an architectural building in Bubastis (Lower Egypt). Lange's GM 203 article established that this king was indeed genuine and distinct from either Shoshenq I
Shoshenq I
Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I , , also known as Sheshonk or Sheshonq I , was a Meshwesh Berber king of Egypt—of Libyan ancestry—and the founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty...
or Psusennes II
Psusennes II
Titkheperure or Tyetkheperre Psusennes II Greek Ψουσέννης] or Hor-Pasebakhaenniut II Egyptian ḥr-p3-sb3-ḫˁỉ--nỉwt], was the last king of the Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt. His royal name means "Image of the transformation of Re" in Egyptian. Psusennes II is often considered the same person as...
. It examines an architectural fragment from the Great Temple of Bubastis which mentions his unique prenomen and nomen: 'Tutkheperre Shoshenq'. The likelihood of an error here is remote because these stone architectural blocks were created by professionally trained royal artisans who would not mistakenly transcribe something as important as a king's throne name onto a royal monument or temple. Tutkheperre Shoshenq's reign was probably brief because he is completely unattested beyond these 2 documents.
22nd dynasty timeline
Karl Jansen-Winkeln surmises in a footnote at the conclusion of Lange's paper that this new king should be dated to the first half of the 22nd Dynasty because his rule is attested in both Lower and Upper EgyptUpper and Lower Egypt
Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions, namely Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. To the north was Lower Egypt where the Nile stretched out with its several branches to form the Nile Delta. To the south was Upper Egypt, stretching to Syene. The two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were united c....
. This is a logical deduction since Shoshenq III
Shoshenq III
King Usermaatre Setepenre or Usimare Setepenamun Shoshenq III ruled Egypt's 22nd Dynasty for 39 years according to contemporary historical records. Two Apis Bulls were buried in the fourth and 28th years of his reign and he celebrated his Heb Sed Jubilee in his regnal year 30...
of the 22nd Dynasty lost effective control over Upper Egypt in his 8th Year with the accession of Pedubast I
Pedubast I
Pedubastis I or Pedubast I was an Upper Egyptian Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt during the 9th century BC. Based on lunar dates which are known to belong to the reign of his rival in Upper Egypt Takelot II and the fact that Pedubast I first appeared as a local king at Thebes around Year 11 of Takelot...
at Thebes. Secondly, Lange notes that Tutkheperre Shoshenq is documented at the Temple of Bubastis where other early Dynasty 22 monarchs such as Osorkon I
Osorkon I
The son of Shoshenq I and his chief consort, Karomat A, Osorkon I was the second king of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty and ruled around 922 BC – 887 BC. He succeeded his father Shoshenq I who probably died within a year of his successful 923 BC campaign against the kingdoms of Israel and Judah...
and Osorkon II
Osorkon II
Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon II was a pharaoh of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and the son of Takelot I and Queen Kapes. He ruled Egypt around 872 BC to 837 BC from Tanis, the capital of this Dynasty. After succeeding his father, he was faced with the competing rule of his cousin,...
are well known for their building projects there. Thus, he should be placed somewhere between these 2 kings.
While his precise location in the framework of the 22nd Dynasty is a mystery, he may have been one of the unknown "3 Kings"--apart from Shoshenq II
Shoshenq II
Heqakheperre Shoshenq II was an Egyptian king of the 22nd dynasty of Egypt. He was the only ruler of this Dynasty whose tomb was not plundered by tomb robbers. His final resting place was discovered within Psusennes I's tomb at Tanis by Pierre Montet in 1939. Montet removed the coffin lid of...
--who ruled 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...
between Osorkon I
Osorkon I
The son of Shoshenq I and his chief consort, Karomat A, Osorkon I was the second king of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty and ruled around 922 BC – 887 BC. He succeeded his father Shoshenq I who probably died within a year of his successful 923 BC campaign against the kingdoms of Israel and Judah...
and Takelot I
Takelot I
Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takelot I was a son of Osorkon I and Queen Tashedkhons who ruled Egypt for 13 Years according to Manetho. Takelot would marry Queen Kapes who bore him Osorkon II...
, as 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...
's Epitome states. The only fact which is certain is that he could not intervene in the transition between Shoshenq I to Osorkon I because Osorkon I certainly succeeded his father. This leaves a short interregnum of a few years in the transition between Osorkon I to Takelot I during the 880's BC prior to Takelot I became king. Tutkheperre certainly ruled Egypt prior to the reign of Osorkon II who adopts the generic Ramesses II based prenomen of 'Usimare Setepenre/Setepenamun' for his own royal name. Several short-lived kings could plausibly fit into this transition period such as Shoshenq II at 2–3 years and Tutkheperre Shoshenq because Takelot I was a relatively minor son of Osorkon I by Queen Tashedkhons, who was a lesser wife of this king. Takelot I may, thus, have been obliged to wait a while before assuming power in favour of other higher ranking royal family members with stronger claims to the throne.
Further reading
- Émile AmélineauÉmile AmélineauÉmile Amélineau was a French Coptologist, archaeologist and Egyptologist. His scholarly reputation was established as an editor of previously unpublished Coptic texts...
, 'Les nouvelles fouilles d'Abydos 1897-1898' (fl), 147. - Eva R. Lange, Ein Neuer König Schoschenk in Bubastis, Göttinger MiszellenGöttinger MiszellenGöttinger Miszellen is a scientific journal published by the Seminar für Ägyptologie und Koptologie which contains short scholarly articles on Egyptological, Coptological, and other related subjects....
203(2004), pp. 65-71.