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| Statuette
of Taharqa and the Falcon God Third Intermediate
Period, 25th Dynasty, reign of Taharqa (690-664
BC) - Lourve Paris. |
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| Statuette
of Taharqa and the Falcon God Louvre Paris. |
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| Granite
shabti of King Tirhakah From the pyramid of Tirhakah
at Nuri, Nubia 25th Dynasty, 664 BC. British
Museum |
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Sphinx
of Tirhakah 25th Dynasty, about 680 BC From Temple
T at Kawa, Sudan. British Museum
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History
Taharqa (also spelled Tirhakah, Taharka, Manetho's Tarakos) was king of Egypt,
and a member of the Nubian or Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, whose reign is
usually dated 690 BC to 664 BC. He was also the son of Piye, the Nubian king
of Napata who had first conquered Egypt.
Scholars have identified him with Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, who waged war against Sennacherib during
the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9).
It was during his reign that Egypt's enemy Assyria at last invaded Egypt. Esarhaddon
led several campaigns against Taharqa, which he recorded on several monuments.
His first attack in 677 BC, aimed to pacify Arab tribes around the Dead Sea,
led him as far as the Brook of Egypt. Esarhaddon invaded
Egypt proper in Taharqa's 17th regnal year, after Esarhaddon had settled a revolt
at Ashkelon. Taharqa defeated the Assyrians on that occasion, but three years
later (671 BC) the Assyrian king captured and sacked Memphis, where he captured
numerous members of the royal family. Taharqa fled to the south, and Esarhaddon reorganized
the political scene in the north, establishing Necho
I of the 26th dynasty as king at Sais.
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Statuette
of Taharqa and the Falcon God
The statue represents King Taharqa, the third sovereign of the 25th Dynasty
(ruled by Nubian kings). He reigned over Egypt for nearly half a century until
the country was invaded and conquered by the Assyrians. The kneeling pharaoh
offers two round vases to a falcon god holding a rearing cobra. This sculpture
in the round depicts a traditional scene: an offering of wine to a deity.
The small bronze statuette in this group is
a magnificent portrait of King Taharqa, born
in the Sudan but crowned in Memphis. His power
and dual reign over Egypt and Nubia is affirmed
by the two uraeus cobras on his forehead. His
birth name is engraved on his belt: "The
perfect god, Taharqa alive for eternity." Taharqa
was the most famous pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty,
also known as the reign of the Kushites. He
renovated old temples, constructed new shrines,
and had official inscriptions written throughout
his large empire. A monumental column in the
first court of Karnak marks his architectural
participation in the great temple of Amun.
He is kneeling and clad in the traditional
Egyptian kilt. He is much smaller than the
majestic falcon, which is covered in gold leaf;
the king is offering vases of wines to the
animal. |
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Tirhakah’s
Name Appears on Ancient Documents
The ANET is a collection of ancient inscriptions from various civilizations
written by James Pritchard an American archaeologist with a PHD from the University
of Pennsylvania. The volume provides reliable translations of documents from
Ancient Near Eastern history in relation to the Hebrew Bible. The following
inscriptions come from Esarhaddon an
Assyrian King that is also named in the Bible:
“Balu, king of Tyre who had put his
trust upon his friend Tirhakah, king of Nubia,
and therefore had thrown off the yoke of Ashur,
my lord” - ANET 292
“I fought daily, without interruption,
very bloody battles against Tirhakah, king
of Egypt and Ethiopia.”-
ANET 293
“From the town of Ishhupri as far as
Memphis, his royal residence, a distance of
15 days march, I fought daily, without interruption,
very bloody battles against Tirhakah, king
of Egypt and Ethiopia”
– ANET 293 |
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Scriptures
2 Kings 19:9 And
when he heard say of Tirhakah
king of Ethiopia, Behold, he
is come out to fight against thee:
he sent
messengers
again unto Hezekiah
Isaiah 37:9 And
he heard say concerning Tirhakah
king of Ethiopia, He is come
forth to make war with thee. And when
he heard
it, he sent
messengers to Hezekiah
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