| Stele of Piye | |
|---|---|
| Material | Granite |
| Discovered | 1862 Jebel Barkal |
| Present location | Egyptian Museum, Cairo |
| Identification | JE 48862 |
The Stele of Piye, also known as the Victory Stele of Piye, is an Ancient Egyptian stele detailing the victory of Kushite King Piye against Prince Tefnakht of Sais and his allies. [1] It was discovered in Jebel Barkal and is currently part of the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
Following its discovery, the Stele of Piye was published by Auguste Mariette in 1872. It consists of a front, a reverse, and two thick sides, all covered with text. [2] Emmanuel de Rougé published a complete word-by-word translation in French in 1876. [3]
The stele inscription describes Piye as very religious, compassionate, and a lover of horses. [4]
The Victory Stela of Piye dates to Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty (circa 747–656 BCE). It was commissioned during the twenty-first year of Piye’s reign (circa 747–716 BCE) to justify his rulership over all of Egypt. The stela portrays Piye, a Nubian, as a legitimate Egyptian ruler and superior to his Libyan opponent in the Nile Delta. Nubia, located along the Nile River south of Egypt, spanned from modern-day Aswan to Meroë, Sudan, with its capital at Napata during Piye's reign. The stela, made of dark-gray granite, was discovered in the temple of the god Amun at Jebel Barkal in 1862. It measures approximately six feet in height, four feet seven inches in width, and one foot five inches in thickness, weighing around two and a quarter tons.
During Egypt's Third Intermediate Period, the country experienced frequent invasions and internal turmoil following the Twentieth Dynasty's end (circa 1190–1069 BCE). The Twenty-fifth Dynasty began in the eighth century BCE under Nubian control, as the Nubians, led by Piye's predecessors, Alara or Kashta, expanded into Egypt. Piye succeeded Kashta around 747 BCE, embarking on campaigns to assert dominance over Egypt, which included establishing his sister, Amenirdis I, as “God’s Wife of Amun” in Thebes. Piye invaded Egypt again in his twentieth regnal year, resulting in the defeat of Tefnakhte, ruler of Sais, and erected his Victory Stela in his twenty-first year.
The stela text is written in classical Middle Egyptian and intended to showcase Piye’s supremacy and divine favor.
The stela opens with the date of “Regnal year 21, first month of Inundation.” and Piye declares his superiority over his ancestors and states his divine right to rule as the son of Ra, representation of Atum, and beloved of Amun.
The political scene of the land at the time was governed in provinces, referred to as nomes in the stela, and so it was very decentralized. Understanding this, when Tefnakhte takes power, he expands southward, to spread further his influence. Soon after, Piye receives news of Tefnakhte’s advances as well as the pleas for help from local rulers under Tefnakhte’s control. This prompts Piye to send his commanders to Egypt with strict instructions on noble conduct in battle, emphasizing the importance of purity and the support of Amun.
Piye’s troops fight various battles, including a notable victory at Heracleopolis. The stela lists the rulers of Lower Egypt and their fates after encountering Piye’s forces. After hearing the fleeing of King Namlot, to assumedly spread false tales of conquest, Pinakhi becomes enraged and decides to personally lead his forces into Egypt. This allows him to reaffirm previous oaths and participate in significant religious festivals, named “Night Feast of Opet” and “Abiding in Thebes”.
Pivotal to the campaign are the battles at Hermopolis and Memphis. Piye joins his forces, leads successful sieges, and accepts the surrender of rulers like King Namlot, who enlists his wife’s help to the royal women seeking mercy from Piye. Piye receives a great many treasures and tribute that fills his storehouses. He proceeds to the temple of Thoth, the deity of Hermopolis, and the temple of Ogdoad, where he sacrifices cattle in honor of capturing the cities.
Piye’s forces capture Memphis after facing strong resistance. Subsequent victories prompt additional rulers to surrender and offer tributes. Piye's dominance consolidates as he receives submissions from significant figures in Lower Egypt.
During his campaign, Piye makes religious offerings and purification rituals at key locations, including Heliopolis, to ensure divine favor and prosperity. His relationship with the deity Amun is a recurring reason for justification of his rulership.
Tefnakhte submits to Piye, suggesting a peaceful resolution and his allegiance to Piye. His oath is taken in the presence of Theban religious and military representatives to ensure compliance.
Having achieved victory, Piye returns to Nubia. His loot and captives are transported, and a chant of jubilation praises his eternal victory and beloved status.
The Victory Stela of Piye was a strategic artifact to legitimize Piye's rulership and showcase his accomplishments. By combining religious legitimacy with strategic conquests, Piye was able to assert his authority over Egypt and Nubia. It reflects his firm devotion to the divine in the assertion of power, military prowess, and ability to bridge cultures and regions. His unification emphasized his position as a divinely favored and rightful ruler of Egypt and Nubia.
Taharqa, also spelled Taharka or Taharqo, was a pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt and qore (king) of the Kingdom of Kush from 690 to 664 BC. He was one of the "Black Pharaohs" who ruled over Egypt for nearly a century, or one of the Nubian Pharaohs of Egypt, since the traditional representation of the 25th dynasty as "Black Pharaohs" has drawn criticism from scholars, specifically because the term suggests that other dynasties did not share similar southern origins.. They also argue that the term ignores the genetic continuum that linked ancient Nubians and Egyptians.
Piye was an ancient Kushite king and founder of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled Egypt from 744–714 BC. He ruled from the city of Napata, located deep in Nubia, modern-day Sudan.
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty at the end of the Second Intermediate Period. Kamose is usually ascribed a reign of three years, although some scholars now favor giving him a longer reign of approximately five years.
Neferkare Shabaka, or Shabako was the third Kushite pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, who reigned from 705 to 690 BC. The Greek sources called him Sabakōn (Σαβακῶν) or, more likely, given current understanding of the order of kings and the stated reign-lengths, Sebikhōs (Σεβιχὼς), and is mentioned by both Herodotus and Manetho.
The Third Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt began with the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC, which ended the New Kingdom, and was eventually followed by the Late Period. Various points are offered as the beginning for the latter era, though it is most often regarded as dating from the foundation of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty by Psamtik I in 664 BC, following the departure of the Nubian Kushite rulers of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty after they were driven out by the Assyrians under King Ashurbanipal. The use of the term "Third Intermediate Period", based on the analogy of the well-known First and Second Intermediate Periods, was popular by 1978, when British Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen used the term for the title of his book on the period. While Kitchen argued that the period was 'far from being chaotic' and hoped that his work would lead to the abolishment of the term, with his own preference being the 'Post-Imperial epoch', his use of the term as a title seems only to have entrenched the use of the term.
Napata was a city of ancient Kush at the fourth cataract of the Nile founded by the Egyptian Amun cult for Egyptian pilgrims given by its, as suggested, Egyptian name. It is located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the east side of the river at the site of modern Karima, Sudan.
God's Wife of Amun was the highest-ranking priestess of the Amun cult, an important religious institution in ancient Egypt. The cult was centered in Thebes in Upper Egypt during the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth dynasties. The office had political importance as well as religious, since the two were closely related in ancient Egypt.
Kashta was an 8th century BCE king of the Kushite Dynasty in ancient Nubia and the successor of Alara. His nomen k3š-t3 "of the land of Kush" is often translated directly as "The Kushite". He was succeeded by Piye, who would go on to conquer ancient Egypt and establish the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty there.
Amenirdis I was a God's Wife of Amun during the 25th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Originating from the Kingdom of Kush, she was the daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma, and was later adopted by Shepenupet I. She went on to rule as high priestess, and has been shown in several artifacts from the period.
Shepsesre Tefnakht was a prince of Sais and founder of the relatively short Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt; he rose to become a Chief of the Ma in his home city. He is thought to have reigned roughly 732 BCE to 725 BCE, or seven years. Tefnakht I first began his career as the "Great Chief of the West" and Prince of Sais and was a late contemporary of the last ruler of the 22nd Dynasty: Shoshenq V. Tefnakht I was actually the second ruler of Sais; he was preceded by Osorkon C, who is attested by several documents mentioning him as this city's Chief of the Ma and Army Leader, according to Kenneth Kitchen, while his predecessor as Great Chief of the West was a man named Ankhhor. A recently discovered statue, dedicated by Tefnakht I to Amun-Re, reveals important details about his personal origins. The statue's text states that Tefnakht was the son of a certain Gemnefsutkapu and the grandson of Basa, a priest of Amun near Sais. Consequently, Tefnakht was not actually descended from either lines of Chiefs of the Ma and of the Libu as traditionally believed but rather came from a family of priests, and his ancestors being more likely Egyptians rather than Libyans.
Alara was a King of Kush, who is generally regarded as the founder of the Napatan royal dynasty by his 25th Dynasty Kushite successors and was the first recorded prince of Kush. He unified all of Upper Nubia from Meroë to the Third Cataract and is possibly attested at the Temple of Amun at Kawa. Alara also established Napata as the religious capital of Kush. Alara himself was not a 25th dynasty Kushite king since he never controlled any region of Egypt during his reign compared to his two immediate successors: Kashta and Piye respectively. Nubian literature credits him with a substantial reign since future Nubian kings requested that they might enjoy a reign as long as Alara's. His memory was also central to the origin myth of the Kushite kingdom, which was embellished with new elements over time. Alara was a deeply revered figure in Nubian culture and the first Kushite king whose name came down to scholars.
Amun was a major ancient Egyptian deity who appears as a member of the Hermopolitan Ogdoad. Amun was attested from the Old Kingdom together with his wife Amunet. His oracle in Siwa Oasis, located in Western Egypt near the Libyan Desert, remained the only oracle of Amun throughout. With the 11th Dynasty, Amun rose to the position of patron deity of Thebes by replacing Montu.
Nubian architecture is diverse and ancient. Permanent villages have been found in Nubia, which date from 6000 BC. These villages were roughly contemporary with the walled town of Jericho in Palestine.
Nubia is a region along the Nile river encompassing the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, and the area between the first cataract of the Nile or more strictly, Al Dabbah. It was the seat of one of the earliest civilizations of ancient Africa, the Kerma culture, which lasted from around 2500 BC until its conquest by the New Kingdom of Egypt under Pharaoh Thutmose I around 1500 BC, whose heirs ruled most of Nubia for the next 400 years. Nubia was home to several empires, most prominently the Kingdom of Kush, which conquered Egypt in the eighth century BC during the reign of Piye and ruled the country as its 25th Dynasty.
The Kingdom of Kush, also known as the Kushite Empire, or simply Kush, was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
The Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt is usually classified as the fourth Dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian Third Intermediate Period.
The Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Nubian Dynasty, the Kushite Empire, the Black Pharaohs, or the Napatans, after their capital Napata, was the last dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt that occurred after the Kushite invasion.
Pebatjma was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the wife of King Kashta. She is mentioned on a statue of her daughter Amenirdis I, now in Cairo (42198). She is also mentioned on a doorjamb from Abydos.
The Temple of Amun is an archaeological site at Jebel Barkal in Northern State, Sudan. It is situated about 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of Khartoum near Karima. The temple stands near a large bend of the Nile River, in the region that was called Nubia in ancient times. The Temple of Amun, one of the largest temples at Jebel Barkal, is considered sacred to the local population. Not only was the Amun temple a main centre of what at one time was considered to be an almost universal religion, but, along with the other archaeological sites at Jebel Barkal, it was representative of the revival of Egyptian religious values. Up to the middle of the 19th century, the temple was subjected to vandalism, destruction, and indiscriminate plundering, before it came under state protection.
Peftjauawybast or Peftjaubast was an ancient Egyptian ruler ("king") of Herakleopolis Magna during the 25th Dynasty.
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