September 3, 2025 • 49 mins
Dive into the captivating history of Egypt, exploring its journey from ancient times to the moment of Alexander the Greats conquest. This engaging overview delves into the remarkable development of Egyptian civilization, touching on science, religion, art, language, and literature. Written for curious minds without any prior knowledge of Egypt, this book uses clear and relatable language to make the rich tapestry of Egypts past accessible to everyone. (Summary by Beth Thomas)
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter seven of History of Egypt. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. History
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of Egypt by F. C. H. Wendel. Chapter seven The
Close of the New Empire and the Period of Decline
Dynasties twenty twenty one and twenty two about eleven eighty
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to eight hundred b C. Section one the Twentieth Dynasty
and Close of the New Empire eleven eighty to ten
fifty BC. With this dynasty closes the period called the
New Empire and begins the period of Decline. The epoch
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known as the New Empire had begun auspiciously, and for
several centuries the pharans of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties
had succeeded in making and keeping Egypt the first power
of the then known world. At the close of each dynasty,
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there had occurred periods of anarchy, which were, however, of
short duration and entailed no serious consequences. The kings had
nevertheless made a number of serious blunders, and the effects
of these blunders began to show themselves in this period.
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The first of these was the great power which had
been given to the priests of amon Ra after the
suppression of the reform movement. We have seen how the
bootsy won in the Asiatic Wars poured chiefly into the
coffers of amun Rah. The money is paid into his treasury,
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where managed by the priesthood, a fact that is very significant.
This priesthood was responsible apparently only to itself, and consequently
vastly enriched itself. Add to the power of great wealth,
the control of vass estates and consequently an immense patronage,
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and the enormous influence the priesthood generally has over the masses,
and you can readily see that sooner or later this
priesthood must become very dangerous to the state. In this dynasty.
There must be added yet another factor, the vast influence
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the clergy gained over the weak and incompetent kings that
ruled after Ramses the third. It is no wonder then
that they should finally succeed in snatching the scepter from
the weak hands of the lost Rmses. The second Sirgus
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plunder was their Libyan policy, which we have outlined in
Chapter six section three. Sat Nagt ruled only a very
short while, but he appointed his son Ramses Co regent
shortly before he died. Ramses the third eleven eighty to
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eleven forty eight b C. The Rhumsges of the classical
authors ascended the throne about eleven eighty b C. This
pharaoh anxiously imitated roma Um their second, even giving his
sons the same names as those borne by the sons
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of his great predecessor, and appointing them to the same
offices the latter had held. He was, not, however, the
equal of Roums's the Second in war, though he almost
excelled him in Paradostiu. The lists of conquered lands are
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just as untrustworthy as those of Rumses the Second, and
must be entirely disregarded in writing the history of this period.
The only authentic sources are the accounts of specific campaigns,
and on these alone is based the following account of
his wars. The early part of this reign seems to
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have been taken up by cares of state the land had,
it is true, been pacified by a sad nact, but
still the reorganization of the state was by no means
compelled when Romses came to the throne. In one of
his edicts, this pharaoh gives orders to cleanse the temples
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of Upper Egypt of all that the God's hate, to
restore the truth that is Orthodox faith, and to destroy
the lie that is Orthodoxy. It was owing to this
unsettled state of the country that he could not undertake
his first campaign, which was an extremely important and absolutely
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necessary one, before his fifth year. Meanwhile, matters looked bad
in the Delta. Libyan hordes under their princess Dedi, Mashakin
Tamar and Jadmar had and the Delta, possibly during the
period of Anarchi which followed on the death of Setti
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the second, and had penetrated to the main stream of
the Nile. Here they occupied the banks of the river
from Carbana to Memphis. In the fifth year of his reign,
Roms's at laws had sufficiently settled the eternal affairs of
his kingdom to allow of his turning his attention to
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foreign affairs, and he accordingly marched against the Libyans. After
some hard fighting, he succeeded in driving them out of
the country. Some three years later, the pharaoh was involved
in a more serious war the peoples of the sea,
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the Shardana, to RuSHA and Shakarusha, who in all probability
dwelt on the north coast of Africa and seem to
have been great pirates. United with there Zakari, Prousta, Danauna
and Washiwash four other seafaring peoples in a grand raid
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on the Asiatic coast. They advanced down the coast by
land and water, bringing with them their women and children
and all their possessions on courts drawn by Oxen. All
the Syrian people, the Sheeta, the Kidi, Karamish, Arradus, and Aresa,
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were subdued, and then the mighty stream poured into Palestine,
which was mercilessly devastated. Up to this time, Rams's had
been looking on an unconcerned spectator, rather rejoiced than otherwise
at the downfall of Egypt's old enemies. But as soon
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as Palestine was invaded, matters assumed a different aspect. Palestine
was an Egyptian province and could not be sacrificed accordingly.
In the eighth year of his reign, Ramses proceeded against
the pirates with a large army and a great fleet.
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The decisive battle was fought on the coast of Syria,
both on land and on sea, and the enemy was
utterly routed and almost annihilated. Vast numbers of prisoners were taken.
The people concerned in this attack were all seafaring The
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Shardana to Russia and Shaikarusha we have met before as
allies of the Libyan tribes that attacked Egypt in the
times of Marine Petah. They dwelt most probably on the
north coast of Africa. That these tribes here appeared together
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with tribes coming most probably from Greece and Asia Minor
is no argument against this, for these tribes were bold pirates,
ready to join in any enterprise that promised booty. Though
we can state with a considerable degree of certainty that
the other four tribes came from Greece and Asia Minor,
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we cannot assign to each one its proper home. That
Greek tribes took part in this expedition is made extremely
probable when we remember that the Odyssey mentions raids of
this character made by Greek pirates on the Egyptian coast.
The threatened invasion was thus happily averted, and the Egyptian
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domination over Palestine, Phoenician and Southern Syria considerably strengthened. In
these countries, the kings of the preceding dynasty had a
req and garrisoned forts in order to keep the inhabitants
under control. Ramses the third went one step further. He
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tried to force the Egyptian religion, or rather the religion
of Almunrah on the Asiatics. A great temple was erected
in this region to Almunrah, to which, in the language
of the official record, all the peoples of shel Syria
bring their tribute. Incidentally, an expedition against the shehzou pduins
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of sir Adom is mentioned. Three years after the great
victory over the Pirates, the king was again compelled to
march against the Libyans. The Mashawasha, under their chief Mahshah Shar,
united with the Tamhu and Libu and invaded the western Delta.
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The Pharaoh easily defeated them in a great battle fought
on the frontier. Large numbers of the enemy were killed,
numerous prisoners were taken, and which booty was one. These
four wars seemed to have been all that Romss was
engaged in. We see that they were all defensive wars,
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and this is quite a change from the aggressive policy
pursued by the kings of dynasties twenty eight and nineteen.
After the close of the Second Libyan War, the kingdom
was at peace with the world, and Thebia and Nubia
remained tranquil. The trade with Peawnd was reopened, and a
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fleet scent there returned, laden with the products of its
tropical coasts, and brought back with it ambassadors from the
various rulers of the region. The copper and malachite mines
of the Sinai were operated. The land seemed to have
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arrived at the highest point of tranquility and prosperity. Thus,
at least the official inscriptions and Papyrus Harris the First
the official record of this reign, would have us believe.
In reality, matters were not so pleasant. In the immediate
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vicinity of the Faires capital, in the necropolis of Thebes,
there was almost constant trouble with the laborers. These men
were in the government service and where to receive regular
monthly rations, but the payment was far from regular, and
very often they had to strike for them. Thus we
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know of one gang of laborers that struck for their
pay three times inside of half a year in the
twenty ninth year of this reign. On these occasions, they
would lead the necropolis in a body with their wives
and children, and would not return until their demands had
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been ascended to. The first strike lasted five days, and
at one stage of the proceedings matters assumed so serious
an aspect that the military had to be called out.
The men finally received their dues and returned to work.
On the second strike, which occurred a month later, the
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men marched to the gates of the city, where the
governor of thebes met them and, after some discussion, paid
them half of their dues, whereupon they returned to the necropolis.
Two months later they struck again, but were soon pacified.
This record, which no doubt represents the experience of these
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unfortunates not only during this half a year but during
the entire reign, stands in strange contrast to the accounts
given by the official documents. From another source, too, we
learned something more of the real condition of affairs. This
is a papyrus giving the minutes of a criminal procedure
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against several members of the royal family, and several high
civil and military officers for high treason. Several ladies belonging
to the Royal Harim, headed by Queen Tay, who had
a son called Pentower, as the minutes hint he wore
another name, probably he was a son of the king,
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formed a conspiracy against the Pharaoh. In all probability, the
conspiracy had for ultimate object the placing of disprince on
the throne after his father had been murdered. Most of
the Harem officials were implicated. The head overseer of the Harem,
even conducting the the correspondence for Tay, the commander of
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the troops stationed in Ethiopia, whose sister was in the
Royal Harem, was won over an order to revolt against
the Pharaoh and invade Egypt. Many other officials and army
officers were implicated. The conspiracy was, however, betrayed, and the
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conspirators were arrested. A special commission of eleven, vested with
extraordinary powers and even permitted to pause sentence of death,
was appointed to try this conspiracy case. The commission began
its labors, but soon it was found that three of
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its members had been corrupted, having attended a banquet given
them by some of the accused ladies. They were tried,
found guilty, and sentenced to have their ears and noses
cut off. After this unas pleasant interlude, the commission succeeded
in accomplishing its labors without further interruption. The conspirators were
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found guilty and sentenced to death, the nobles being permitted
to commit suicide and the others being executed. In this reign,
the power of the priesthood greatly increased. We have already
touched on the causes of this, But there was no
pharaoh who did more for the priests and their temples
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than did Romsus the Third. The larger part of the
great Papyrus Harris the first is taken up with lists
of presents given the various temples. The temples of Amundrah,
of course, received the line's share of these rich gifts,
and attained to an unheard of wealth proportionately with the
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wealth of their temple. The wealth and influence of the
priests increased. This was the great mistake of this reign.
But we must say in palliation that Ramses was but
carrying out the policy of his forefathers. Ramses was a
great builder. In all parts of Egypt we find his
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name connected with the temples and other monuments. His chief
attention was directed to Thieves and the Delta. At Thieves,
he made additions to the great temple of Almundra and
restored some of the temples of the Necropolis. Following the
example of his great namesake, Ramses the Second, he built
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in the Necropolis a temple dedicated to Almundra and commemorative
of his victories. Behind this temple where the Vosse treasury vaults,
in which were stored up the great masses of gold, silver,
precious stones, copper, et cetera, dedicated to Amundra, and on
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the walls are inscribed records of the immense wealth here deposited.
It is probable that these treasures represent the state treasury
placed under the protection of the God, rather than the
presence made him. Before the gates of the temple stood
a two story house, probably destined to be the residence
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of the Pharaoh and his attendants on his visits to
this city of the dead. At Talulihuda in the Delta,
he built a temple of limestone, albast and granite. Many
of the other temples were repaired by him, and it
seems to have required no small amount of labor to
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keep the temples of Kemet in constant repair. The king
died in the thirty second year of his reign, shortly
after having proclaimed his son Ramses the four regent. The
successors of Ramses the Third eleven forty eight ten fifty pc.
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The late king had managed to keep Egypt on much
the same level as it had occupied under Ramses the Second,
but under his successors the prestige of the once all
but a mighty ruler of the world rapidly declined. The
following pharaohs were all weaklings who could scarcely hold their
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own at home and dared not to interfere in the
foreign affairs. Under them, the priesthood that had been greatly
favored by Ramses the Third rose to a commanding position,
and the lost kings of this line were mere puppets
in the hands of the Theepan high priests. These rulers cover
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about a century, but all this time we have but
few monuments of historic value, and to two of the
most important documents we possess of this time show it
in no pleasant light. Ramses the Fourth the sixth the
seventh and the eighth, where brothers Ramses the fifth was
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a usurper. The very fact that a usurper could ascend
the throne after the son of Ramses the third shows
that there was something wrong somewhere. It is true that
we possess a steely on which Ramses the fourth eleven
forty eight to eleven thirty seven BC mentions the fact
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that the Syrian rn to broad tribute, but this is
not significant, for Southern Syria had been for some time
an intergo part of the kingdom. Ramses the fourth sent
a great expedition to the Wadi Hammamed quarries in the
third year of his reign, to quarries to one for temple.
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He also worked the Sinai copper mines of his buildings,
but little remains. He seems to have been a man
of promise, but like most men of his character, he
did not keep his promises, and appears as one of
the weakest monarchs of his line. He died or was
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disthroned after a reign of only eleven years. Ramses the
fifth eleven thirty six two eleven thirty two BC, though
strong enough to wrest the crown from its legitimate holder
was not able long to retain the position he owned
to himself alone, for he reigned but four years in
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about eleven thirty one b. C. Ramses the sixth, one
of the legitiment heirs of Ramses the third, succeeded in
outset the usurper, but he was otherwise of little account.
We do not even know how long he reigned. Ramses
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the seventh and the eighth, where alike unimportant. Of the latter,
We know only that he reigned about seven years. Of
the former we know nothing. Romses the ninth holds a
rather unenviable prominence among these rulers. To Papyrae have come
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down to us that show how utterly weak and corrupt
the government of Egypt was in those days. The first
of these contains the minutes of a criminal procedure against
a desperate band of robberers that invested the Necropolis of thieves,
dated from the nineteenth year of this reign. Some knowledge
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of the robberies in the Necropolis having come to the
ears of the governor of things, he immediately with a
view to injuring his enemy. The governor of the Necropolis
reported the case to the vizier. This official appointed a
commission to investigate the charges. This commission made an investigation
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and reported that of ten royal pyramids examined, only one
had been entered and robbed, while all the private tombs
had been broken into and stripped of everything that had
any value. During the investigation, one of the witnesses, a
fellow that poor a desperate character, confessed that he had
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robbed the tomb of one of the wives of Ramses
the second, and the investigation proved the truth of his story.
Eight robbers were tried and found guilty. Great was the
joy of the commissioners, who immediately made public the results
of their investigation. The governor of the city, however, whose
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vague charges had in no way been substantiated, was not satisfied,
but openly declared the entire investigation of fraud and threatened
to bring the matter before the Pharaoh. After as judicial hearing,
the matter was hushed, both sides evidently fearing an official
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investigation into the conduct of their offices. There was evidently
a good deal of crookedness. The governor of the necropolis
was undoubtedly guilty at least of criminal negligence, and the
commission did their work pretty carelessly, evidently not caring to
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expose their friend too much. The second of the above
mentioned papyri is the journal of a gang of laborers
employed in the Theepan necropolis. We learn from this document
that these men were paid in wais of fish, pulse, grain, beer, fat,
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and fuel, but these provisions were rarely issued on time
and sometimes were not paid at all. In the latter case,
the men struck, or as the Egyptian phrase goes, lay
at home. The journal of this party contains the record
of two strikes. The first was peaceable. On the second
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they marched two theebs in a body and laid their
complaints before the authorities. Their request for pay was granted,
and they returned to work. These strikes give proof of
the corruption that was rife in the government. The men's
rations were withheld not because the state could not pay,
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but because the officials charged with the distribution chose to
let the rations disappear. The pharaoh died after a reign
of a little more than its seen in years, shortly
after proclaiming his son Ramses, the tenth co regent. The
last three kings of this line are very unimportant in
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the early part of the reign of Ramses the Tenth
sixty thieves, among them a number of minor government officials
and priests of lower grades were arrested and punished for
disigrations and depredations committed in the Necropolis. But even the
most stringent measures proved of no avail. The great symmetry
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had grown so enormously that the proper policing of this
district was out of the question. And besides, it would
seem that the governor of the Necropolis and the chief
of this police had a finger in the pie and
were not over vigilant. Ramses the Tenth ruled eight years
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and was succeeded by Ramses the Eleventh, of whom we
know nothing. Ramses their twelves was the last king of
this house. Of him we know little more than that
he ruled about twenty seven years. In his reign there
lived a high Priest of Ammon and general of the army,
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hera Ho, who became the successor of Ramses. The king
was a mere puppet in the hands of the al
mighty High Priest, and it is not to be wondered
at that herah Ho finally seized the crown. One of
these kings, which one we do not know, was the
contemporary of the mighty Assyrian king Tiglath Pieser the first
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and sent him tribute about eleven ten BC. A fact
that it is characteristic of the weakness of these kings.
The twenty first Dynash the priest Kings ten fifty two
nine hundred and fifty BC. We have here again a
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period that is very obscure. There is some disagreement among
the historians about the order of succession of the priest kings,
and the fact that Manethou states that the dynasty originated
from Tennis has induced some scholars to assume that a
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Tenetic king had opposed Harraho, the founder of the dynasty.
Such an assumption we consider utterly unwarranted, as it is
not constant with the facts of the case. As represented
on the monuments, Harraho and all his descendants were high
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priests of al Mundrah in Thebes, and a long line
of Haraho's ancestors occupied the same position. We can trace
on the monuments the gradual rise of the high priests
of Amundra. We find the high priests Rua, Amnana and
Rams's net mentioned, together with the kings on the walls
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of the Temple of Karnak, a distinction enjoyed in the
older times only by the co regent. Under Ramses the ninth,
the power of these priests seems to have been still greater. Evidently,
the king was a mere puppet in the hands of
Rams's nexts son and successor, the high priest Amenhautop. This
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dignitary no longer inscribed his name was the name of
the Pharaoh, but declares in the inscriptions that he erected
this or that building in the name of the Pharaoh.
He rose to the high position of manager of the
temple states, thus holding in his hand all the wealth
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and influence of the great temples of Amunrah sah ahman
Herahom ten fifty two ten thirty four b C. Took
the deciding step about ten fifty b C. He had
held high offices of trust and honor under Rams's the
twelfth being to mention only his most exalted offices high
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priests of Amundra, chief architect to the Pharaoh, general of
the army, and head of Upper and Lower Egypt. We
see this man thus combined the highest religious, military, and
civil offices of the land, and was virtually the ruler.
No wonder then, that, on Rams's death he pushed aside
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that king's legitimate heir and placed the double crown on
his own head. It would seem, however, that Egypt gained
but little by the change rulers. The new king could
do no more than preserve the then boundaries of his kingdom.
And when we read in his inscriptions that he repulsed
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the enemies, we must take this to refer to minor
compacts with Perouins, who were connstly prowling about the borders.
This pharaoh built chiefly in Karnak, restoring the temple of Chensu,
the son of Ahmunrah, and decorating its walls with long
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religious inscriptions. In one of these inscriptions, he had depicted
his entire family, consisting of his wife, Queen Nejimate, his
nineteen sons and grandsons, and five daughters. The government seems
to have remained quite as weak and corrupt as it
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had been under the lost Rameses sides, and no wonder,
for Haraho was a descendant of the high priest who
so long had governed the land. In fact, and he
himself had actually ruled the country long before he seized
the scepter, so that it was but natural that the
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old state of affairs continued. Thus the old debridations in
the necropolis, and instead of seizing or becoming less, became
worse and more desperate than ever. The police of the necropolis,
where it is true not quite efficient, but might have
kept the desparatus in some check, have bade themselves not
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been implicated. Accordingly, Heraho bethought himself of some means of
protecting the mummies of his predecessors. The mummis of King
razakyunin Ahmus, the first a Manhatov, the first to Hotmust,
the first to Hotmust, the second to Houtmost, the third
Ramses the first Seti the first, and Rams's the second,
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where for a while moved about from place to place,
and finally were hid in a shaft at Der el Bahari,
where they could be better guarded. This shaft was opened
in eighteen eighty one by Mespiro and brush Bay, and
in it where discovered. Besides the mummis already mentioned those
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of the early kings and queens of this dynasty, the
mummy of this pharaoh was not found here either, because
it never was deposited here, or because, like many other
objects found in the shaft, it is still in the
hands of the Arabs who discovered and to some extent
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blundered this improvised tomb before the discovery was brought to
the attention of the government. The mummy of Queen Negimate,
cased in a beautiful saragophagus of guilt wood, was however,
found here. Whether or not this king is identical with
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a king raanatur Chopper set up a Ahmen mari Aman
sa Aman, whose name has hitherto been found only in
the Delta, is one of the vexed questions regarding this dynasty.
It may be that Heraho used the title of High
Priests of Amen as coronation name in Theeves only, while
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he adopted another coronation name for use in Lower Egypt.
But such a course would seem void of sense. Still,
we have no cause to assume that two kings, one
of Upper and one of Lower Egypt, ruled at the
same time. The whole matter must be laid over until
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further monuments are discovered in proof of one or the
other hypothesis. Harahou ruled about sixteen years. Herahu's successors ten
thirty three two nine hundred and forty five b C.
Benetajim the first, the grandson of Heraho, ascended the throne
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about ten thirty three b C. Pianchi, the father of
this pharaoh, had been high priest of Amunrah, but he
seems to have died before Heraho, so that his ride
to the throne passed to his son. This king had
two wives, Queen hat hour hend Taui and Queen Makara,
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of which latter lady an inscription distinctly says that Amundra
had given her the kingdom. It would seem from this
that Makara was a Ramsa's side princess whom Heraho hadet
compelled to add his grandson in order to legalize his usurpation,
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a very common measure of Egyptian usurpers at all events.
It is a very curious fact that, while the names
of both queens are always enclosed in kartouches, that of
pinat Jem is without the kartoush in several inscriptions. Again,
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there appears in a number of inscriptions the name of
a king, cheaper cha Ra pinat Jem, whose wife was
Queen hat hoor Hand Taui that Pinetjem, the High Priest
of Amen, and this king are one and the same person.
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There can be no doubt the mummy of Queen Makara
was like his mummy and that of hat hoor hand Taui.
Found at Der el Bahri. At the feet of Makara
was found the mummy of a very young infant, designated
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as the Princess, the wife of the Pharaoh, the lady
of both lands, Madame heat. It would seem from this
that the infant had been declared the legitimate wife of
its father immediately after its birth. This precaution was taken
to preclude the chance that any usurper could pays claims
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to the throne on a marriage with this infant. The
child and its mother died, however, long before any such
eventuality could arise. Pinejim reigned twenty five years ten thirty
three two one thousand and eight BC. Ra Chapper set
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up a Amen passip Chano, the first the successor of Pinadjim,
has left us but few monuments, but from these we
see that, like his predecessors, he was both High Priest
of Amundra and King of Egypt. One of his sons
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named Pinatjim, was high priest of Amundra under King Ahmun
am Abit men Chaparrah is another priest, king of whom
we know nothing. The same is true of King Ahmen
am Abit. Passib Chanu the second has but little significance
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beyond the fact that his daughter Makara became the wife
of Usarkin the First, the son of Shashenki the first,
thus legalizing the usurpation of that monarch. Passib Chanu has
also some interest for the Biblical student. It was in
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all probability this king who came into connection with King Solomon.
He gave Solomon his daughter in marriage and as a
dowry captured for the Jewish king the city of Ghaza.
There was instituted at this time also a commercial intercourse
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between Egypt and Israel, the latter state facilitating the trade
in horses and wagons between the Egyptians and the Hathiths
and Aramians. The twenty second dynasty the Libyan kings nine
hundred and forty five to eight hundred BC. The reader
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will no doubt remember what was said on a former
page concerning the Libyan wars of Seti the First and
Ramses the second and concerning the ingress of Libyan mercenaries.
In these reigns, these mercenaries were called Ma, an abbreviation
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of the name of Mashahwasha tribe, and their leaders bore
the titles of Or and Ma. There is Duke of
the Ma and our a m Ma Grand Duke of
the Ma. They seemed to have settled in great numbers
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in the western part of the Delta. The family of
one of these leaders that lived in Buddhapest rose to
great power, and finally one of its members, Shashinki the first,
succeeded in resting the scepter from the weak hands of
Passip Shanu the second, the lost of the priest kings.
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The first member of this family who migrated from Libya
to Egypt was the Dehn Libyan Biwawa. He came in
about the time of hera Ho. His son Mausen already
had the title of Grand Duke of the Ma in
this position. His son Nebnesha and his grandson Petut succeeded him.
(41:16):
Patut's son Shakshinki, was married to Princess mahatim Oret and
their son Nambrod married ten Tispah. This latter couple lived
about the time of King pine Jim. Their son was Shashinki,
the First, who, on the death of Nemart, succeeded him
(41:41):
in the offices of Grand Duke of the Ma and
commander in chief of the army. Shashinki the first nine
hundred forty five to nine hundred twenty four BC. The
Shi Shakh of the Bible, an inscription in Abby shows
(42:01):
how highly King Basib Shanu esteemed Shashinki and his family,
for it tells us this monarch kept in repair the
tomb of the late Grand Duke Nomart and prayed to
Amunra for the success of Shishanki's arms. Holding the entire
(42:21):
power of the land the army in his grasp, Shashenki
was the real ruler of Egypt, and it was not
at all unnatural that he, at length about nine hundred
and forty five PC, either deposed King Basib Shanno or
took advantage of that king's death to become king in
(42:44):
name as well as in fact. Makara, the daughter of
the late king, was compelled to marry the crown Prince Usarkin,
so that he might have a legitiment claim to the throne.
That Egypt gained by this change of rulers is an
undeniable fact. Immediately after ascending the throne, the new pharaoh
(43:07):
issued a stringent edict against all debrigations on the property
of the dead. The tombs and states set aside for
payment of sacrificial offers were considered the property of the
dead by priests or other persons. This edict proved that
he was determined not to tolerate the state of affairs
(43:31):
that had existed in the necropolis under his predecessors. The
edict in question prescribes the funeral sacrifices for his father.
The king expressly states that he had punished those priests
that had stolen from the funeral state. This was, no
doubt a warning to all inclined to go and do likewise,
(43:54):
and seems to have no doubt, backed by an effective police,
had the desired effect, for we hear of no further
robberies in the Theban Necropolis in this and the following reigns.
Early in this reign, Jeroboim had fled to his court.
He returned to Israel only after the death of Solomon
(44:19):
to become king of the Ten Tribes. It may be
that Shashinki assisted him to return and gain the throne,
as he had married the pharaoh's sister in la Anu.
The most important event of Shashinki's reign was his Asiatic campaign.
He invaded Palestine, and after overrunning and plundering the country
(44:44):
and taking its chief towns, he finally invested and captured
the city of Jerusalem. In the fifth year of King
Rihoboam's reign, the Egyptians sacked the town and and carried off,
among other things, that treasure Solomon had deposited in the temple.
(45:06):
The city is designated as yet Haamlik, the Royal Jewish
City in the Egyptian inscription treating of this raid, the
king appointed his son Abbut, high Priest of a Munrah,
the fattest office in his gift, thus uniting in his
(45:26):
family the highest civil, military, and religious powers of the realm.
This pharaoh built chiefly in Thebes. At Karnak, he began
the so called whole of the Buba sides, which was
completed by his successors. He died after a reign of
(45:49):
about twenty one years, and Usarkin, his son by Queen Kurama,
succeeded him. Shashinki's successors. Usarkin the first Osarkin ascended the
throne about nine hundred twenty three b c. He was
an unimportant ruler. All we know of him is that
(46:11):
he continued the work begun by his father at Karnak,
and that his wife Makara, conveyed all her rights and
domains to her family, that is, her husband and his sons.
In consideration of this, her son Shashinki was proclaimed co
(46:32):
regent and appointed governor of the South, But he never
ascended the throne, having, in all probability died before Usarkin.
How long this pharaoh ruled we do not know. On
his death, take Lot, the first, son of Queen Tamah Shansu,
(46:53):
ascended the throne. Of him. We know only that he
was married to Queen Capps, and that his son by
this lady, Usarkin, succeeded him. Usarkin the second ruled twenty
three years and built at Karnak, Buddhabest, and other places.
The following king, take Lot the second, was a little
(47:17):
more important. In his reign occurred two rebellions, which are
unfortunately not described in detail. In the eleventh year of
his reign, a rebellion broke out where he does not
tell Us in his inscription, which was subdued four years afterward.
(47:39):
Another text states that children of the rebels attacked Egypt
from the north and from the south, but were repulsed
after a long struggle, whereupon they fell into internal dissensions. Unfortunately,
these texts do not inform us who these rebels and
(48:01):
children of the rebels were. Possibly, we find in these
rebellions the beginning of the disintegration of Egypt, which was
completed at the time the Ethiobian king Pianchi invaded the country.
Techlot seems to have been strong enough, however, to keep
(48:21):
the land together. In the course of the latter text,
there is a notice that on a certain date the
sky had become unrecognizable and the moon had assumed a
terrible aspect. After a reign of over fifteen years, the
king died, and his son Sheshinki the third succeeded him.
(48:43):
This pharaoh was the last of this line, whose name
appears in the inscriptions of Karnak. It would seem that
either he or his next successor had been driven out
of the capital. He reigned fifty two years. The last
kings of this dynasty, Pimai Shashinki, the fourth and Usarkin
(49:07):
the Third were in all probability confined to the Delta
at the time of Pianchi's invasion. Usarkin the third was
King of Buddhapest merely or perhaps divided the Delta with
abbut king of Klisma end of chapter seven.
Chapter seven of History of Egypt. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. History
(00:21):
of Egypt by F. C. H. Wendel. Chapter seven The
Close of the New Empire and the Period of Decline
Dynasties twenty twenty one and twenty two about eleven eighty
(00:41):
to eight hundred b C. Section one the Twentieth Dynasty
and Close of the New Empire eleven eighty to ten
fifty BC. With this dynasty closes the period called the
New Empire and begins the period of Decline. The epoch
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known as the New Empire had begun auspiciously, and for
several centuries the pharans of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties
had succeeded in making and keeping Egypt the first power
of the then known world. At the close of each dynasty,
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there had occurred periods of anarchy, which were, however, of
short duration and entailed no serious consequences. The kings had
nevertheless made a number of serious blunders, and the effects
of these blunders began to show themselves in this period.
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The first of these was the great power which had
been given to the priests of amon Ra after the
suppression of the reform movement. We have seen how the
bootsy won in the Asiatic Wars poured chiefly into the
coffers of amun Rah. The money is paid into his treasury,
(02:15):
where managed by the priesthood, a fact that is very significant.
This priesthood was responsible apparently only to itself, and consequently
vastly enriched itself. Add to the power of great wealth,
the control of vass estates and consequently an immense patronage,
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and the enormous influence the priesthood generally has over the masses,
and you can readily see that sooner or later this
priesthood must become very dangerous to the state. In this dynasty.
There must be added yet another factor, the vast influence
(03:02):
the clergy gained over the weak and incompetent kings that
ruled after Ramses the third. It is no wonder then
that they should finally succeed in snatching the scepter from
the weak hands of the lost Rmses. The second Sirgus
(03:22):
plunder was their Libyan policy, which we have outlined in
Chapter six section three. Sat Nagt ruled only a very
short while, but he appointed his son Ramses Co regent
shortly before he died. Ramses the third eleven eighty to
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eleven forty eight b C. The Rhumsges of the classical
authors ascended the throne about eleven eighty b C. This
pharaoh anxiously imitated roma Um their second, even giving his
sons the same names as those borne by the sons
(04:07):
of his great predecessor, and appointing them to the same
offices the latter had held. He was, not, however, the
equal of Roums's the Second in war, though he almost
excelled him in Paradostiu. The lists of conquered lands are
(04:28):
just as untrustworthy as those of Rumses the Second, and
must be entirely disregarded in writing the history of this period.
The only authentic sources are the accounts of specific campaigns,
and on these alone is based the following account of
his wars. The early part of this reign seems to
(04:52):
have been taken up by cares of state the land had,
it is true, been pacified by a sad nact, but
still the reorganization of the state was by no means
compelled when Romses came to the throne. In one of
his edicts, this pharaoh gives orders to cleanse the temples
(05:17):
of Upper Egypt of all that the God's hate, to
restore the truth that is Orthodox faith, and to destroy
the lie that is Orthodoxy. It was owing to this
unsettled state of the country that he could not undertake
his first campaign, which was an extremely important and absolutely
(05:43):
necessary one, before his fifth year. Meanwhile, matters looked bad
in the Delta. Libyan hordes under their princess Dedi, Mashakin
Tamar and Jadmar had and the Delta, possibly during the
period of Anarchi which followed on the death of Setti
(06:07):
the second, and had penetrated to the main stream of
the Nile. Here they occupied the banks of the river
from Carbana to Memphis. In the fifth year of his reign,
Roms's at laws had sufficiently settled the eternal affairs of
his kingdom to allow of his turning his attention to
(06:31):
foreign affairs, and he accordingly marched against the Libyans. After
some hard fighting, he succeeded in driving them out of
the country. Some three years later, the pharaoh was involved
in a more serious war the peoples of the sea,
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the Shardana, to RuSHA and Shakarusha, who in all probability
dwelt on the north coast of Africa and seem to
have been great pirates. United with there Zakari, Prousta, Danauna
and Washiwash four other seafaring peoples in a grand raid
(07:14):
on the Asiatic coast. They advanced down the coast by
land and water, bringing with them their women and children
and all their possessions on courts drawn by Oxen. All
the Syrian people, the Sheeta, the Kidi, Karamish, Arradus, and Aresa,
(07:35):
were subdued, and then the mighty stream poured into Palestine,
which was mercilessly devastated. Up to this time, Rams's had
been looking on an unconcerned spectator, rather rejoiced than otherwise
at the downfall of Egypt's old enemies. But as soon
(07:58):
as Palestine was invaded, matters assumed a different aspect. Palestine
was an Egyptian province and could not be sacrificed accordingly.
In the eighth year of his reign, Ramses proceeded against
the pirates with a large army and a great fleet.
(08:19):
The decisive battle was fought on the coast of Syria,
both on land and on sea, and the enemy was
utterly routed and almost annihilated. Vast numbers of prisoners were taken.
The people concerned in this attack were all seafaring The
(08:39):
Shardana to Russia and Shaikarusha we have met before as
allies of the Libyan tribes that attacked Egypt in the
times of Marine Petah. They dwelt most probably on the
north coast of Africa. That these tribes here appeared together
(09:00):
with tribes coming most probably from Greece and Asia Minor
is no argument against this, for these tribes were bold pirates,
ready to join in any enterprise that promised booty. Though
we can state with a considerable degree of certainty that
the other four tribes came from Greece and Asia Minor,
(09:24):
we cannot assign to each one its proper home. That
Greek tribes took part in this expedition is made extremely
probable when we remember that the Odyssey mentions raids of
this character made by Greek pirates on the Egyptian coast.
The threatened invasion was thus happily averted, and the Egyptian
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domination over Palestine, Phoenician and Southern Syria considerably strengthened. In
these countries, the kings of the preceding dynasty had a
req and garrisoned forts in order to keep the inhabitants
under control. Ramses the third went one step further. He
(10:09):
tried to force the Egyptian religion, or rather the religion
of Almunrah on the Asiatics. A great temple was erected
in this region to Almunrah, to which, in the language
of the official record, all the peoples of shel Syria
bring their tribute. Incidentally, an expedition against the shehzou pduins
(10:34):
of sir Adom is mentioned. Three years after the great
victory over the Pirates, the king was again compelled to
march against the Libyans. The Mashawasha, under their chief Mahshah Shar,
united with the Tamhu and Libu and invaded the western Delta.
(10:56):
The Pharaoh easily defeated them in a great battle fought
on the frontier. Large numbers of the enemy were killed,
numerous prisoners were taken, and which booty was one. These
four wars seemed to have been all that Romss was
engaged in. We see that they were all defensive wars,
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and this is quite a change from the aggressive policy
pursued by the kings of dynasties twenty eight and nineteen.
After the close of the Second Libyan War, the kingdom
was at peace with the world, and Thebia and Nubia
remained tranquil. The trade with Peawnd was reopened, and a
(11:41):
fleet scent there returned, laden with the products of its
tropical coasts, and brought back with it ambassadors from the
various rulers of the region. The copper and malachite mines
of the Sinai were operated. The land seemed to have
(12:01):
arrived at the highest point of tranquility and prosperity. Thus,
at least the official inscriptions and Papyrus Harris the First
the official record of this reign, would have us believe.
In reality, matters were not so pleasant. In the immediate
(12:22):
vicinity of the Faires capital, in the necropolis of Thebes,
there was almost constant trouble with the laborers. These men
were in the government service and where to receive regular
monthly rations, but the payment was far from regular, and
very often they had to strike for them. Thus we
(12:46):
know of one gang of laborers that struck for their
pay three times inside of half a year in the
twenty ninth year of this reign. On these occasions, they
would lead the necropolis in a body with their wives
and children, and would not return until their demands had
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been ascended to. The first strike lasted five days, and
at one stage of the proceedings matters assumed so serious
an aspect that the military had to be called out.
The men finally received their dues and returned to work.
On the second strike, which occurred a month later, the
(13:30):
men marched to the gates of the city, where the
governor of thebes met them and, after some discussion, paid
them half of their dues, whereupon they returned to the necropolis.
Two months later they struck again, but were soon pacified.
This record, which no doubt represents the experience of these
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unfortunates not only during this half a year but during
the entire reign, stands in strange contrast to the accounts
given by the official documents. From another source, too, we
learned something more of the real condition of affairs. This
is a papyrus giving the minutes of a criminal procedure
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against several members of the royal family, and several high
civil and military officers for high treason. Several ladies belonging
to the Royal Harim, headed by Queen Tay, who had
a son called Pentower, as the minutes hint he wore
another name, probably he was a son of the king,
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formed a conspiracy against the Pharaoh. In all probability, the
conspiracy had for ultimate object the placing of disprince on
the throne after his father had been murdered. Most of
the Harem officials were implicated. The head overseer of the Harem,
even conducting the the correspondence for Tay, the commander of
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the troops stationed in Ethiopia, whose sister was in the
Royal Harem, was won over an order to revolt against
the Pharaoh and invade Egypt. Many other officials and army
officers were implicated. The conspiracy was, however, betrayed, and the
(15:23):
conspirators were arrested. A special commission of eleven, vested with
extraordinary powers and even permitted to pause sentence of death,
was appointed to try this conspiracy case. The commission began
its labors, but soon it was found that three of
(15:44):
its members had been corrupted, having attended a banquet given
them by some of the accused ladies. They were tried,
found guilty, and sentenced to have their ears and noses
cut off. After this unas pleasant interlude, the commission succeeded
in accomplishing its labors without further interruption. The conspirators were
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found guilty and sentenced to death, the nobles being permitted
to commit suicide and the others being executed. In this reign,
the power of the priesthood greatly increased. We have already
touched on the causes of this, But there was no
pharaoh who did more for the priests and their temples
(16:31):
than did Romsus the Third. The larger part of the
great Papyrus Harris the first is taken up with lists
of presents given the various temples. The temples of Amundrah,
of course, received the line's share of these rich gifts,
and attained to an unheard of wealth proportionately with the
(16:54):
wealth of their temple. The wealth and influence of the
priests increased. This was the great mistake of this reign.
But we must say in palliation that Ramses was but
carrying out the policy of his forefathers. Ramses was a
great builder. In all parts of Egypt we find his
(17:16):
name connected with the temples and other monuments. His chief
attention was directed to Thieves and the Delta. At Thieves,
he made additions to the great temple of Almundra and
restored some of the temples of the Necropolis. Following the
example of his great namesake, Ramses the Second, he built
(17:40):
in the Necropolis a temple dedicated to Almundra and commemorative
of his victories. Behind this temple where the Vosse treasury vaults,
in which were stored up the great masses of gold, silver,
precious stones, copper, et cetera, dedicated to Amundra, and on
(18:01):
the walls are inscribed records of the immense wealth here deposited.
It is probable that these treasures represent the state treasury
placed under the protection of the God, rather than the
presence made him. Before the gates of the temple stood
a two story house, probably destined to be the residence
(18:25):
of the Pharaoh and his attendants on his visits to
this city of the dead. At Talulihuda in the Delta,
he built a temple of limestone, albast and granite. Many
of the other temples were repaired by him, and it
seems to have required no small amount of labor to
(18:47):
keep the temples of Kemet in constant repair. The king
died in the thirty second year of his reign, shortly
after having proclaimed his son Ramses the four regent. The
successors of Ramses the Third eleven forty eight ten fifty pc.
(19:09):
The late king had managed to keep Egypt on much
the same level as it had occupied under Ramses the Second,
but under his successors the prestige of the once all
but a mighty ruler of the world rapidly declined. The
following pharaohs were all weaklings who could scarcely hold their
(19:30):
own at home and dared not to interfere in the
foreign affairs. Under them, the priesthood that had been greatly
favored by Ramses the Third rose to a commanding position,
and the lost kings of this line were mere puppets
in the hands of the Theepan high priests. These rulers cover
(19:53):
about a century, but all this time we have but
few monuments of historic value, and to two of the
most important documents we possess of this time show it
in no pleasant light. Ramses the Fourth the sixth the
seventh and the eighth, where brothers Ramses the fifth was
(20:15):
a usurper. The very fact that a usurper could ascend
the throne after the son of Ramses the third shows
that there was something wrong somewhere. It is true that
we possess a steely on which Ramses the fourth eleven
forty eight to eleven thirty seven BC mentions the fact
(20:38):
that the Syrian rn to broad tribute, but this is
not significant, for Southern Syria had been for some time
an intergo part of the kingdom. Ramses the fourth sent
a great expedition to the Wadi Hammamed quarries in the
third year of his reign, to quarries to one for temple.
(21:00):
He also worked the Sinai copper mines of his buildings,
but little remains. He seems to have been a man
of promise, but like most men of his character, he
did not keep his promises, and appears as one of
the weakest monarchs of his line. He died or was
(21:23):
disthroned after a reign of only eleven years. Ramses the
fifth eleven thirty six two eleven thirty two BC, though
strong enough to wrest the crown from its legitimate holder
was not able long to retain the position he owned
to himself alone, for he reigned but four years in
(21:48):
about eleven thirty one b. C. Ramses the sixth, one
of the legitiment heirs of Ramses the third, succeeded in
outset the usurper, but he was otherwise of little account.
We do not even know how long he reigned. Ramses
(22:09):
the seventh and the eighth, where alike unimportant. Of the latter,
We know only that he reigned about seven years. Of
the former we know nothing. Romses the ninth holds a
rather unenviable prominence among these rulers. To Papyrae have come
(22:30):
down to us that show how utterly weak and corrupt
the government of Egypt was in those days. The first
of these contains the minutes of a criminal procedure against
a desperate band of robberers that invested the Necropolis of thieves,
dated from the nineteenth year of this reign. Some knowledge
(22:54):
of the robberies in the Necropolis having come to the
ears of the governor of things, he immediately with a
view to injuring his enemy. The governor of the Necropolis
reported the case to the vizier. This official appointed a
commission to investigate the charges. This commission made an investigation
(23:18):
and reported that of ten royal pyramids examined, only one
had been entered and robbed, while all the private tombs
had been broken into and stripped of everything that had
any value. During the investigation, one of the witnesses, a
fellow that poor a desperate character, confessed that he had
(23:39):
robbed the tomb of one of the wives of Ramses
the second, and the investigation proved the truth of his story.
Eight robbers were tried and found guilty. Great was the
joy of the commissioners, who immediately made public the results
of their investigation. The governor of the city, however, whose
(24:02):
vague charges had in no way been substantiated, was not satisfied,
but openly declared the entire investigation of fraud and threatened
to bring the matter before the Pharaoh. After as judicial hearing,
the matter was hushed, both sides evidently fearing an official
(24:23):
investigation into the conduct of their offices. There was evidently
a good deal of crookedness. The governor of the necropolis
was undoubtedly guilty at least of criminal negligence, and the
commission did their work pretty carelessly, evidently not caring to
(24:43):
expose their friend too much. The second of the above
mentioned papyri is the journal of a gang of laborers
employed in the Theepan necropolis. We learn from this document
that these men were paid in wais of fish, pulse, grain, beer, fat,
(25:04):
and fuel, but these provisions were rarely issued on time
and sometimes were not paid at all. In the latter case,
the men struck, or as the Egyptian phrase goes, lay
at home. The journal of this party contains the record
of two strikes. The first was peaceable. On the second
(25:28):
they marched two theebs in a body and laid their
complaints before the authorities. Their request for pay was granted,
and they returned to work. These strikes give proof of
the corruption that was rife in the government. The men's
rations were withheld not because the state could not pay,
(25:49):
but because the officials charged with the distribution chose to
let the rations disappear. The pharaoh died after a reign
of a little more than its seen in years, shortly
after proclaiming his son Ramses, the tenth co regent. The
last three kings of this line are very unimportant in
(26:11):
the early part of the reign of Ramses the Tenth
sixty thieves, among them a number of minor government officials
and priests of lower grades were arrested and punished for
disigrations and depredations committed in the Necropolis. But even the
most stringent measures proved of no avail. The great symmetry
(26:37):
had grown so enormously that the proper policing of this
district was out of the question. And besides, it would
seem that the governor of the Necropolis and the chief
of this police had a finger in the pie and
were not over vigilant. Ramses the Tenth ruled eight years
(26:57):
and was succeeded by Ramses the Eleventh, of whom we
know nothing. Ramses their twelves was the last king of
this house. Of him we know little more than that
he ruled about twenty seven years. In his reign there
lived a high Priest of Ammon and general of the army,
(27:20):
hera Ho, who became the successor of Ramses. The king
was a mere puppet in the hands of the al
mighty High Priest, and it is not to be wondered
at that herah Ho finally seized the crown. One of
these kings, which one we do not know, was the
contemporary of the mighty Assyrian king Tiglath Pieser the first
(27:46):
and sent him tribute about eleven ten BC. A fact
that it is characteristic of the weakness of these kings.
The twenty first Dynash the priest Kings ten fifty two
nine hundred and fifty BC. We have here again a
(28:10):
period that is very obscure. There is some disagreement among
the historians about the order of succession of the priest kings,
and the fact that Manethou states that the dynasty originated
from Tennis has induced some scholars to assume that a
(28:31):
Tenetic king had opposed Harraho, the founder of the dynasty.
Such an assumption we consider utterly unwarranted, as it is
not constant with the facts of the case. As represented
on the monuments, Harraho and all his descendants were high
(28:52):
priests of al Mundrah in Thebes, and a long line
of Haraho's ancestors occupied the same position. We can trace
on the monuments the gradual rise of the high priests
of Amundra. We find the high priests Rua, Amnana and
Rams's net mentioned, together with the kings on the walls
(29:16):
of the Temple of Karnak, a distinction enjoyed in the
older times only by the co regent. Under Ramses the ninth,
the power of these priests seems to have been still greater. Evidently,
the king was a mere puppet in the hands of
Rams's nexts son and successor, the high priest Amenhautop. This
(29:41):
dignitary no longer inscribed his name was the name of
the Pharaoh, but declares in the inscriptions that he erected
this or that building in the name of the Pharaoh.
He rose to the high position of manager of the
temple states, thus holding in his hand all the wealth
(30:01):
and influence of the great temples of Amunrah sah ahman
Herahom ten fifty two ten thirty four b C. Took
the deciding step about ten fifty b C. He had
held high offices of trust and honor under Rams's the
twelfth being to mention only his most exalted offices high
(30:25):
priests of Amundra, chief architect to the Pharaoh, general of
the army, and head of Upper and Lower Egypt. We
see this man thus combined the highest religious, military, and
civil offices of the land, and was virtually the ruler.
No wonder then, that, on Rams's death he pushed aside
(30:48):
that king's legitimate heir and placed the double crown on
his own head. It would seem, however, that Egypt gained
but little by the change rulers. The new king could
do no more than preserve the then boundaries of his kingdom.
And when we read in his inscriptions that he repulsed
(31:12):
the enemies, we must take this to refer to minor
compacts with Perouins, who were connstly prowling about the borders.
This pharaoh built chiefly in Karnak, restoring the temple of Chensu,
the son of Ahmunrah, and decorating its walls with long
(31:33):
religious inscriptions. In one of these inscriptions, he had depicted
his entire family, consisting of his wife, Queen Nejimate, his
nineteen sons and grandsons, and five daughters. The government seems
to have remained quite as weak and corrupt as it
(31:55):
had been under the lost Rameses sides, and no wonder,
for Haraho was a descendant of the high priest who
so long had governed the land. In fact, and he
himself had actually ruled the country long before he seized
the scepter, so that it was but natural that the
(32:17):
old state of affairs continued. Thus the old debridations in
the necropolis, and instead of seizing or becoming less, became
worse and more desperate than ever. The police of the necropolis,
where it is true not quite efficient, but might have
kept the desparatus in some check, have bade themselves not
(32:41):
been implicated. Accordingly, Heraho bethought himself of some means of
protecting the mummies of his predecessors. The mummis of King
razakyunin Ahmus, the first a Manhatov, the first to Hotmust,
the first to Hotmust, the second to Houtmost, the third
Ramses the first Seti the first, and Rams's the second,
(33:05):
where for a while moved about from place to place,
and finally were hid in a shaft at Der el Bahari,
where they could be better guarded. This shaft was opened
in eighteen eighty one by Mespiro and brush Bay, and
in it where discovered. Besides the mummis already mentioned those
(33:30):
of the early kings and queens of this dynasty, the
mummy of this pharaoh was not found here either, because
it never was deposited here, or because, like many other
objects found in the shaft, it is still in the
hands of the Arabs who discovered and to some extent
(33:50):
blundered this improvised tomb before the discovery was brought to
the attention of the government. The mummy of Queen Negimate,
cased in a beautiful saragophagus of guilt wood, was however,
found here. Whether or not this king is identical with
(34:11):
a king raanatur Chopper set up a Ahmen mari Aman
sa Aman, whose name has hitherto been found only in
the Delta, is one of the vexed questions regarding this dynasty.
It may be that Heraho used the title of High
Priests of Amen as coronation name in Theeves only, while
(34:35):
he adopted another coronation name for use in Lower Egypt.
But such a course would seem void of sense. Still,
we have no cause to assume that two kings, one
of Upper and one of Lower Egypt, ruled at the
same time. The whole matter must be laid over until
(34:56):
further monuments are discovered in proof of one or the
other hypothesis. Harahou ruled about sixteen years. Herahu's successors ten
thirty three two nine hundred and forty five b C.
Benetajim the first, the grandson of Heraho, ascended the throne
(35:18):
about ten thirty three b C. Pianchi, the father of
this pharaoh, had been high priest of Amunrah, but he
seems to have died before Heraho, so that his ride
to the throne passed to his son. This king had
two wives, Queen hat hour hend Taui and Queen Makara,
(35:43):
of which latter lady an inscription distinctly says that Amundra
had given her the kingdom. It would seem from this
that Makara was a Ramsa's side princess whom Heraho hadet
compelled to add his grandson in order to legalize his usurpation,
(36:07):
a very common measure of Egyptian usurpers at all events.
It is a very curious fact that, while the names
of both queens are always enclosed in kartouches, that of
pinat Jem is without the kartoush in several inscriptions. Again,
(36:28):
there appears in a number of inscriptions the name of
a king, cheaper cha Ra pinat Jem, whose wife was
Queen hat hoor Hand Taui that Pinetjem, the High Priest
of Amen, and this king are one and the same person.
(36:49):
There can be no doubt the mummy of Queen Makara
was like his mummy and that of hat hoor hand Taui.
Found at Der el Bahri. At the feet of Makara
was found the mummy of a very young infant, designated
(37:09):
as the Princess, the wife of the Pharaoh, the lady
of both lands, Madame heat. It would seem from this
that the infant had been declared the legitimate wife of
its father immediately after its birth. This precaution was taken
to preclude the chance that any usurper could pays claims
(37:31):
to the throne on a marriage with this infant. The
child and its mother died, however, long before any such
eventuality could arise. Pinejim reigned twenty five years ten thirty
three two one thousand and eight BC. Ra Chapper set
(37:54):
up a Amen passip Chano, the first the successor of Pinadjim,
has left us but few monuments, but from these we
see that, like his predecessors, he was both High Priest
of Amundra and King of Egypt. One of his sons
(38:15):
named Pinatjim, was high priest of Amundra under King Ahmun
am Abit men Chaparrah is another priest, king of whom
we know nothing. The same is true of King Ahmen
am Abit. Passib Chanu the second has but little significance
(38:37):
beyond the fact that his daughter Makara became the wife
of Usarkin the First, the son of Shashenki the first,
thus legalizing the usurpation of that monarch. Passib Chanu has
also some interest for the Biblical student. It was in
(38:59):
all probability this king who came into connection with King Solomon.
He gave Solomon his daughter in marriage and as a
dowry captured for the Jewish king the city of Ghaza.
There was instituted at this time also a commercial intercourse
(39:20):
between Egypt and Israel, the latter state facilitating the trade
in horses and wagons between the Egyptians and the Hathiths
and Aramians. The twenty second dynasty the Libyan kings nine
hundred and forty five to eight hundred BC. The reader
(39:45):
will no doubt remember what was said on a former
page concerning the Libyan wars of Seti the First and
Ramses the second and concerning the ingress of Libyan mercenaries.
In these reigns, these mercenaries were called Ma, an abbreviation
(40:06):
of the name of Mashahwasha tribe, and their leaders bore
the titles of Or and Ma. There is Duke of
the Ma and our a m Ma Grand Duke of
the Ma. They seemed to have settled in great numbers
(40:26):
in the western part of the Delta. The family of
one of these leaders that lived in Buddhapest rose to
great power, and finally one of its members, Shashinki the first,
succeeded in resting the scepter from the weak hands of
Passip Shanu the second, the lost of the priest kings.
(40:49):
The first member of this family who migrated from Libya
to Egypt was the Dehn Libyan Biwawa. He came in
about the time of hera Ho. His son Mausen already
had the title of Grand Duke of the Ma in
this position. His son Nebnesha and his grandson Petut succeeded him.
(41:16):
Patut's son Shakshinki, was married to Princess mahatim Oret and
their son Nambrod married ten Tispah. This latter couple lived
about the time of King pine Jim. Their son was Shashinki,
the First, who, on the death of Nemart, succeeded him
(41:41):
in the offices of Grand Duke of the Ma and
commander in chief of the army. Shashinki the first nine
hundred forty five to nine hundred twenty four BC. The
Shi Shakh of the Bible, an inscription in Abby shows
(42:01):
how highly King Basib Shanu esteemed Shashinki and his family,
for it tells us this monarch kept in repair the
tomb of the late Grand Duke Nomart and prayed to
Amunra for the success of Shishanki's arms. Holding the entire
(42:21):
power of the land the army in his grasp, Shashenki
was the real ruler of Egypt, and it was not
at all unnatural that he, at length about nine hundred
and forty five PC, either deposed King Basib Shanno or
took advantage of that king's death to become king in
(42:44):
name as well as in fact. Makara, the daughter of
the late king, was compelled to marry the crown Prince Usarkin,
so that he might have a legitiment claim to the throne.
That Egypt gained by this change of rulers is an
undeniable fact. Immediately after ascending the throne, the new pharaoh
(43:07):
issued a stringent edict against all debrigations on the property
of the dead. The tombs and states set aside for
payment of sacrificial offers were considered the property of the
dead by priests or other persons. This edict proved that
he was determined not to tolerate the state of affairs
(43:31):
that had existed in the necropolis under his predecessors. The
edict in question prescribes the funeral sacrifices for his father.
The king expressly states that he had punished those priests
that had stolen from the funeral state. This was, no
doubt a warning to all inclined to go and do likewise,
(43:54):
and seems to have no doubt, backed by an effective police,
had the desired effect, for we hear of no further
robberies in the Theban Necropolis in this and the following reigns.
Early in this reign, Jeroboim had fled to his court.
He returned to Israel only after the death of Solomon
(44:19):
to become king of the Ten Tribes. It may be
that Shashinki assisted him to return and gain the throne,
as he had married the pharaoh's sister in la Anu.
The most important event of Shashinki's reign was his Asiatic campaign.
He invaded Palestine, and after overrunning and plundering the country
(44:44):
and taking its chief towns, he finally invested and captured
the city of Jerusalem. In the fifth year of King
Rihoboam's reign, the Egyptians sacked the town and and carried off,
among other things, that treasure Solomon had deposited in the temple.
(45:06):
The city is designated as yet Haamlik, the Royal Jewish
City in the Egyptian inscription treating of this raid, the
king appointed his son Abbut, high Priest of a Munrah,
the fattest office in his gift, thus uniting in his
(45:26):
family the highest civil, military, and religious powers of the realm.
This pharaoh built chiefly in Thebes. At Karnak, he began
the so called whole of the Buba sides, which was
completed by his successors. He died after a reign of
(45:49):
about twenty one years, and Usarkin, his son by Queen Kurama,
succeeded him. Shashinki's successors. Usarkin the first Osarkin ascended the
throne about nine hundred twenty three b c. He was
an unimportant ruler. All we know of him is that
(46:11):
he continued the work begun by his father at Karnak,
and that his wife Makara, conveyed all her rights and
domains to her family, that is, her husband and his sons.
In consideration of this, her son Shashinki was proclaimed co
(46:32):
regent and appointed governor of the South, But he never
ascended the throne, having, in all probability died before Usarkin.
How long this pharaoh ruled we do not know. On
his death, take Lot, the first, son of Queen Tamah Shansu,
(46:53):
ascended the throne. Of him. We know only that he
was married to Queen Capps, and that his son by
this lady, Usarkin, succeeded him. Usarkin the second ruled twenty
three years and built at Karnak, Buddhabest, and other places.
The following king, take Lot the second, was a little
(47:17):
more important. In his reign occurred two rebellions, which are
unfortunately not described in detail. In the eleventh year of
his reign, a rebellion broke out where he does not
tell Us in his inscription, which was subdued four years afterward.
(47:39):
Another text states that children of the rebels attacked Egypt
from the north and from the south, but were repulsed
after a long struggle, whereupon they fell into internal dissensions. Unfortunately,
these texts do not inform us who these rebels and
(48:01):
children of the rebels were. Possibly, we find in these
rebellions the beginning of the disintegration of Egypt, which was
completed at the time the Ethiobian king Pianchi invaded the country.
Techlot seems to have been strong enough, however, to keep
(48:21):
the land together. In the course of the latter text,
there is a notice that on a certain date the
sky had become unrecognizable and the moon had assumed a
terrible aspect. After a reign of over fifteen years, the
king died, and his son Sheshinki the third succeeded him.
(48:43):
This pharaoh was the last of this line, whose name
appears in the inscriptions of Karnak. It would seem that
either he or his next successor had been driven out
of the capital. He reigned fifty two years. The last
kings of this dynasty, Pimai Shashinki, the fourth and Usarkin
(49:07):
the Third were in all probability confined to the Delta
at the time of Pianchi's invasion. Usarkin the third was
King of Buddhapest merely or perhaps divided the Delta with
abbut king of Klisma end of chapter seven.
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