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The son of Shoshenq I and Queen Karomama, Sekhemkheperre 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 died within 2-3 years of his successful 925 BC Biblical campaign against Ancient Israel and Judah. Osorkon I's reign was known for many temple building projects and was a long and prosperous period of Egypt's History. His Highest known date is a "Year 33 Second Heb Sed" inscription found on the bandage of Nakhtefmut's Mummy which held a bracellet inscribed with Osorkon I's prenomen: Sekhemkheperre. This date can only belong to Osorkon I since no other early Dynasty 22 king ruled for close to 30 Years until the time of Osorkon II. Other Mummy linens which belong to his reign include 3 separate bandages dating to his Year 11, 12 and 23 on the Mummy of Khonsmaakheru in Berlin. The bandages are dated anonymous but definitely belong to his reign because Khonsmaakheru wore leather braces that contained a menat-tab naming Osorkon I. (see Altenmüller below) Secondly, no other king who ruled around Osorkon I's reign had a 23rd Regnal Year including Shoshenq I who died in his Year 22. While Manetho gives Osorkon I a reign of 15 Years in his Epitome, this is most likely an error for 35 Years based on the evidence of the Second Heb Sed bandage, as Kenneth Kitchen notes.
Osorkon I's successor
Although Osorkon I is thought to have been directly succeeded by his son Takelot I, it is possible that another ruler, Heqakheperre Shoshenq II, intervened briefly between these two kings because Takelot I was a son of Osorkon I through Queen Tashedkhons-a minor secondary wife of this king. In contrast, Osorkon I's senior wife was Queen Maatkare, who may have been Shoshenq II's mother. However, Shoshenq II could also have been another son of Shoshenq I since the latter was the only other king to be mentioned in objects from Shoshenq II's intact royal tomb at Tanis aside from Shoshenq II himself. These objects are inscribed with either Shoshenq I's prenomen--Hedjkheperre Shoshenq--or Shoshenq, Chief of the Ma--which was Shoshenq I's title before he became king. Since Derry's forensic examination of his Mummy reveals him to be a Man in his 50's upon his death, Shoshenq II could have lived beyond Osorkon I's 35 Year reign and assumed the throne for a few short years.
While Kenneth A. Kitchen, in his invaluable Third Intermediate Period of Egypt book, views Shoshenq II as the High Priest of Amun at Thebes Shoshenq C, and a short-lived coregent of Osorkon I who predeceased his father, the equally well respected German Egyptologist J. Von Beckerath, in his 1997 book Chronologie des Pharaonischen Ägypten, maintains that Shoshenq II was more far more likely to be an independent king of Tanis who ruled the 22nd Dynasty in his own right for c.2 Years (see page 94-98 for Beckerath's treatment of the 22nd Dynasty). This hypothesis is supported by the fact that Shoshenq II employed a complete royal titulary along with a distinct prenomen Heqakheperre and his intact tomb at Tanis was filled with numerous treasures including jewelled pectorals and bracellets, an impressive falconheaded silver coffin and a gold face mask–items which indicate a genuine king of the 22nd Dynasty. More significantly, however, no mention of Osorkon I's name was preserved on any ushabtis, jars, jewelry or other objects within Shoshenq II's tomb. This situation would be improbable if he was indeed Osorkon I's son, and was buried by his father, as Kitchen's Chronology suggests. These facts, taken together, imply that Sheshonq II ruled on his own accord at Tanis and was not a mere coregent.
Manetho's Epitome states that "3 Kings" separate Osorkon I from Takelot I. (Beckerath, Chronologie, p.95) This could be an error on Manetho's part or an allusion to Shoshenq II's intervening reign. It may also be a reference to the recently discovered early Dynasty 22 king Tutkheperre Shoshenq, whose existence is now corroborated by an architectural block from the Great Temple of Bubastis, where Osorkon I and Osorkon II are well attested monumentally. (Eva Lange, GM 203)
Aftermath
Osorkon I's reign in Egypt was peaceful and uneventful; however, both his son and grandson, Takelot I and Osorkon II respectively, later encountered difficulties controlling Thebes and Upper Egypt in their own reigns since they had to deal with a rival king: Harsiese A. Osorkon I's tomb has never been found.
Bibliography
- Hartwig Altenmüller, "Lederbänder und Lederanhänger von der Mumie des Chonsu-maacheru" and "Die Mumienbinden des Chonsu-maacheru " in Alt-Ägypten 30(2000), pp.73-76, 88-89, 102-114. *
- J. Von Beckerath, Chronologie des Pharaonischen Ägypten or 'Chronology of the Egyptian Pharaohs,'(Mainz: 1997), Philip Zon Zabern
- Kenneth Kitchen, The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC) 3rd ed, (Warminster: 1996), Aris & Phillips Limited
- Eva Lange, "Ein Neuer König Schoschenk in Bubastis," GM 203(2004), pp.65-71
External links
- List of Pharaohs
- Osorkon Dynasty at ancientworlds.net
889 BC deaths | Pharaohs of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt
"Osorkon I"