The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXVI, alternatively 26th Dynasty or Dynasty 26) was the last native dynasty of ancient Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC (although other brief periods of rule by Egyptians followed). The dynasty's reign (664–525 BC) is also called the Saite Period after the city of Sais, where its pharaohs had their capital, and marks the beginning of the Late Period of ancient Egypt.[1]
In 605 BCE, an Egyptian force under Necho II of Dynasty XXVI fought the Neo-Babylonian Empire at the Battle of Carchemish, helped by the remnants of the military of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, but this was met with defeat.
With the sack of Nineveh in 612 BC and the fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, both Psamtik and his successors attempted to reassert Egyptian power in the Near East but were driven back by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II. With the help of Greek mercenaries, Pharaoh Apries was able to hold back Babylonian attempts to conquer Egypt.
In May 2020, an Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission headed by Esther Ponce revealed a unique cemetery, which consists of one room built with glazed limestone dating back to the 26th Dynasty (also known as the El-Sawi era) at the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus. Archaeologists also uncovered bronze coins, clay seals, Roman tombstones and small crosses.[4][5][6] On October 3, 2020, Egypt unveiled 59 coffins of priests and clerks from the 26th dynasty, dating to nearly 2,500 years ago.[7]
Sarcophagus of Harkhebit "Royal Seal Bearer, Sole Companion, Chief Priest of the Shrines of Upper and Lower Egypt, and Overseer of the Cabinet", 595–526 BCE, Saqqara, 26th dynasty of Egypt.[8]
The 26th Dynasty may be related to the 24th Dynasty. Manetho begins the dynasty with:
Ammeris the Nubian, 12 (or 18) years
Stephinates, 7 years
Nechepsos, 6 years
Necho, 8 years.
When the Nubian King Shabaka defeated Bakenranef, son of Tefnakht, he likely installed a Nubian commander as governor at Sais. This may be the man named Ammeris. Stephinates may be a descendant of Bakenrenef. He is sometimes referred to as Tefnakht II in the literature. Nechepsos has been identified with a local king named Nekauba (678–672 BC). Manetho's Necho is King Necho I (672–664 BC); Manetho gives his reign as 8 years.[9] Necho was killed during a conflict with the Nubian king Tantamani. Psamtik I fled to Nineveh – capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire – and returned to Egypt when Ashurbanipal defeated Tantamani and drove him back south.[1] Scholars now start the 26th Dynasty with the reign of Psamtik I.[1][9]
Sextus Julius Africanus states in his often accurate version of Manetho's Epitome that the dynasty numbered 9 pharaohs, beginning with a "Stephinates" (Tefnakht II) and ending with Psamtik III. Africanus also notes that Psamtik I and Necho I ruled for 54 and 8 years respectively.
Overthrown and forced into exile by Amasis II. Returned to Egypt at the head of a Babylonian army, but was defeated and likely killed. Manetho gives his reign as 19 years.
Herodotus claims that when Cambyses II invaded Egypt, realizing he was not able to exact revenge for Amasis's previous misdeeds and trickery, he exhumed his body, desecrated it and burned what remained of the mummy.
Ruled for only 6 months, according to Herodotus, before a Persian invasion led by Cambyses II conquered Egypt and captured Psamtik III. Committed suicide in Persian captivity.
Karl Jansen-Winkeln, Bild und Charakter der ägyptischen 26. Dynastie, Altorientalische Forschungen, 28 (2001), 165–182.
January 01, 1970
twenty, sixth, dynasty, egypt, notated, dynasty, xxvi, alternatively, 26th, dynasty, dynasty, last, native, dynasty, ancient, egypt, before, persian, conquest, although, other, brief, periods, rule, egyptians, followed, dynasty, reign, also, called, saite, per. The Twenty sixth Dynasty of Egypt notated Dynasty XXVI alternatively 26th Dynasty or Dynasty 26 was the last native dynasty of ancient Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC although other brief periods of rule by Egyptians followed The dynasty s reign 664 525 BC is also called the Saite Period after the city of Sais where its pharaohs had their capital and marks the beginning of the Late Period of ancient Egypt 1 Twenty sixth Dynasty of Egypt664 BC 525 BCPortrait of a Pharaoh of the Saite DynastyCapitalSaisCommon languagesEgyptian languageReligionAncient Egyptian religionGovernmentMonarchyPharaoh 664 610 BCPsamtik I first 526 525 BCPsamtik III last History Established664 BC Disestablished525 BCPreceded by Succeeded by Assyrian conquest of Egypt Third Intermediate Period of Egypt Twenty fifth Dynasty of Egypt Twenty seventh Dynasty of Egypt Contents 1 History 1 1 Archaeology 2 Art 3 Pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty 4 Timeline of the 26th Dynasty 5 See also 6 References 7 BibliographyHistory editThis dynasty traced its origins to the Twenty fourth Dynasty Psamtik I was probably a descendant of Bakenranef However other sources describe him as of Libyan descent 2 3 Following the Neo Assyrian conquest of Egypt during the reigns of Taharqa and Tantamani and the subsequent collapse of the Napata based Twenty fifth Dynasty of Egypt Psamtik I was recognized as sole king over all of Egypt Psamtik formed alliances with King Gyges of Lydia who sent him mercenaries from Caria and ancient Greece that Psamtik used to unify all of Egypt under his rule nbsp In 605 BCE an Egyptian force under Necho II of Dynasty XXVI fought the Neo Babylonian Empire at the Battle of Carchemish helped by the remnants of the military of the Neo Assyrian Empire but this was met with defeat With the sack of Nineveh in 612 BC and the fall of the Neo Assyrian Empire both Psamtik and his successors attempted to reassert Egyptian power in the Near East but were driven back by the Neo Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II With the help of Greek mercenaries Pharaoh Apries was able to hold back Babylonian attempts to conquer Egypt The Persians would eventually invade Egypt in 525 BCE when Emperor Cambyses II captured and later executed Psamtik III in the First Achaemenid conquest of Egypt He founded the First Egyptian Satrapy a territory of the Achaemenid Empire was crowned the first pharaoh of the Dynasty XXVII Archaeology edit In May 2020 an Egyptian Spanish archaeological mission headed by Esther Ponce revealed a unique cemetery which consists of one room built with glazed limestone dating back to the 26th Dynasty also known as the El Sawi era at the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus Archaeologists also uncovered bronze coins clay seals Roman tombstones and small crosses 4 5 6 On October 3 2020 Egypt unveiled 59 coffins of priests and clerks from the 26th dynasty dating to nearly 2 500 years ago 7 Art edit nbsp Pottery vessel showing the face of god Bes from the 26th Dynasty Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology London nbsp Female figure Louvre Museum The name of Psamtik I is inscribed under the feet nbsp Sphinx of Apries from the collection of Anne Claude de Caylus nbsp Sarcophagus of Harkhebit Royal Seal Bearer Sole Companion Chief Priest of the Shrines of Upper and Lower Egypt and Overseer of the Cabinet 595 526 BCE Saqqara 26th dynasty of Egypt 8 Pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty editFor a more comprehensive list see List of pharaohs nbsp Psamtik I enters Ashdod in the Fall of Ashdod in 635 BCE The 26th Dynasty may be related to the 24th Dynasty Manetho begins the dynasty with Ammeris the Nubian 12 or 18 years Stephinates 7 years Nechepsos 6 years Necho 8 years When the Nubian King Shabaka defeated Bakenranef son of Tefnakht he likely installed a Nubian commander as governor at Sais This may be the man named Ammeris Stephinates may be a descendant of Bakenrenef He is sometimes referred to as Tefnakht II in the literature Nechepsos has been identified with a local king named Nekauba 678 672 BC Manetho s Necho is King Necho I 672 664 BC Manetho gives his reign as 8 years 9 Necho was killed during a conflict with the Nubian king Tantamani Psamtik I fled to Nineveh capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire and returned to Egypt when Ashurbanipal defeated Tantamani and drove him back south 1 Scholars now start the 26th Dynasty with the reign of Psamtik I 1 9 Sextus Julius Africanus states in his often accurate version of Manetho s Epitome that the dynasty numbered 9 pharaohs beginning with a Stephinates Tefnakht II and ending with Psamtik III Africanus also notes that Psamtik I and Necho I ruled for 54 and 8 years respectively Dynasty XXVI Kings of Egypt Pharaoh Image Prenomen Throne name Horus name Reign Burial Consort s Comments Psamtik IPsammetichus I nbsp Wahibre Aaib 664 610 BC Sais Mehytenweskhet Reunified Egypt and ended the Nubian control of Upper Egypt Manetho gives his reign as 54 years Necho II nbsp Wehemibre Siaib 610 595 BC Khedebneithirbinet I Necho II is the Pharaoh most likely mentioned in several books of the Bible Psamtik IIPsammetichus II nbsp Statue of Psamtitk II Louvre Museum Neferibre Menekhib 595 589 BC Takhuit Wahibre Haaibre Apries nbsp Haaibre 589 570 BC Wahib Overthrown and forced into exile by Amasis II Returned to Egypt at the head of a Babylonian army but was defeated and likely killed Manetho gives his reign as 19 years Amasis IIAhmose II nbsp Khnem ib re Semenmaat 570 526 BC Sais Tentkheta Nakhtubasterau Herodotus claims that when Cambyses II invaded Egypt realizing he was not able to exact revenge for Amasis s previous misdeeds and trickery he exhumed his body desecrated it and burned what remained of the mummy Psamtik IIIPsammetichus III nbsp Ankhkaenre unknown 526 525 BC Ruled for only 6 months according to Herodotus before a Persian invasion led by Cambyses II conquered Egypt and captured Psamtik III Committed suicide in Persian captivity Timeline of the 26th Dynasty editSee also editHistory of ancient Egypt Twenty sixth Dynasty of Egypt family tree Late Period of ancient Egypt Saite Oracle PapyrusReferences edit a b c Aidan Dodson Dyan Hilton The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt The American University in Cairo Press London 2004 Henry Bernard Ancient Greece p 143 Robert G Morkot The A to Z of Ancient Egyptian Warfare p 126 Mahmoud Rasha 2020 05 26 Egypt makes major archaeological discovery amid coronavirus crisis Al Monitor Retrieved 2020 09 09 Unique cemetery dating back to el Sawi era discovered in Egypt amid coronavirus crisis Zee News 2020 05 28 Retrieved 2020 09 09 StackPath dailynewsegypt com 18 May 2020 Retrieved 2020 09 09 Egypt unveils 59 ancient coffins in major archaeological discovery Reuters October 3 2020 Retrieved 3 October 2020 Metropolitan Museum of Art www metmuseum org a b Kitchen Kenneth A The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt 1100 650 B C Book amp Supplement Aris amp Phillips 1986 ISBN 978 0 85668 298 8Bibliography editAidan Dodson Dyan Hilton The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt The American University in Cairo Press London 2004 Kenneth Kitchen The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt 1100 650 B C Book amp Supplement Aris amp Phillips 1986 ISBN 978 0 85668 298 8 Karl Jansen Winkeln Bild und Charakter der agyptischen 26 Dynastie Altorientalische Forschungen 28 2001 165 182 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Twenty sixth Dynasty of Egypt amp oldid 1219616040, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
