Taharqa, meaning “Young Warrior”, was a ruler of the Kushite Empire (Sudan) and fourth King of the 25th Dynasty of Kemet (Egypt) and reigned from 690–664 BC. His crown as Nwst Bity (Pharaoh) bore two snakes to show that he was the king of both lands, Kemet and Kush. The military campaigns of Piye and Shabaka before him led to both lands flourishing and under his rule the two lands enjoyed a brief time of peace and prosperity. During this time of wealth, he restored existing temples, built new ones, and constructed the largest pyramid in the Napatan region. His additions to the Temple of Waset (Karnak), the new temple at Kawa, and the temple at Jebel Barkal were particularly impressive.
The Third Intermediate Period in Kemet, provides a wealth of information about Taharqa and confirms that his reign lasted a minimum of 26 years. This is based on the evidence from Serapeum stela Cat. 192 "which records that an Apis bull who was born and installed (4th month of Peret, day 9) in Year 26 of Taharqa died in Year 20 of Psammetichus I (4th month of Shomu, day \ having lived 21 years. This would give Taharqa a reign of 26 years and a fraction, in 690-664 B.C." Taharqa was either the brother or cousin of Shebitku, the previous pharaoh of Kemet. Taharqa explicitly states in Kawa Stela V, line 15 that he succeeded Shebitku with this statement: "I received the Crown in Memphis after the Falcon (ie: Shebitku) flew to heaven."
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) and drove him from his intention of destroying Jerusalem and deporting its inhabitants—a critical action that, according to Henry T. Aubin, has shaped the Western world. The events in the Biblical account are believed to have taken place in 701 BC, whereas Taharqa came to the throne some ten years later. A number of explanations have been proposed: one being that the title of king in the Biblical text refers to his future royal title, when at the time of this account he was likely only a military commander. Taharqa was described by the ancient Greek historian Strabo as being counted among the greatest military tacticians of the ancient world.
Taharqa succeeded Shebitku on the throne and lived during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, at a time when the Assyrians, under King Sennacherib, laid siege to Jerusalem. Early in his reign, Taharqa supported Judea's resistance against King Sennacherib of Assyria and through the military might of his Kemite-Kushite coalition, rescued Jerusalem from sure destruction. He was said to be about twenty years old when he marched out to the Holy Land to engage the Assyrian army. It would seem that he was not yet king when he saved Jerusalem from Assyrian annihilation. This difference in dates may be explained by the suggestion that the “title of king in the Biblical text refers to his future royal title, when at the time of this account he was likely only a military commander.”
In 701 BC, King Hezekiah of Judah (modern-day Israel) paid tribute to King Sennacherib of Assyria after threats of invasion. Needing a buffer between Assyria and Kemet, the Kushite King Shabaka encouraged Judah to resist becoming a vassal state to the Assyrians and promised to defend the small Jewish state. Assyria responded by sending an army to reassert its dominance over Judah. Shabaka then sent 20-year-old Taharqa to intercept the Assyrian army that besieged Jerusalem after Sennacherib threatened to annihilate the rebellious Judah. Taharqa’s combined Kushite-Kemite army defeated the Assyrians at the Battle of Eltekeh, freeing Judah and the Levant from Assyrian hegemony. The Assyrians retreated from Judah after receiving one final tribute payment from King Hezekiah.
Assyrians would regroup and in 671, Taharqa’s army was defeated by Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon, who moved into Lower Kemet and captured its capital of Memphis. Taharqa fled south to Upper Kemet to regroup and take refuge with his Wasetian allies (City of Thebes). Esarhaddon, installed Psamtik I as puppet ruler and set up a new Assyrian administration, entrusting the government and collection of tribute to the native chiefs in the Delta. Taharqa would return to crush the remainder of the Assyrian garrisons.
But following Esarhaddon’s retreat, Psamtik formed alliances with King Gyges of Lydia, who sent him mercenaries from Caria and ancient Greece which he used to weaken the last of the Kushite-Kemite coalition and assume rule over the nation. Taharqa resisted up until around 664 BC when he was overcome by Esarhaddon’s son Ashurbanipal, after which he fled with his armies further south to the Kushite citystate of Napata (Sudan), where he later died and was buried at the pyramid complex at Nuri. He was then succeeded by Tantamani.
Kushites (Cushites) in the Bible:
The Bible says in 2 Kings 19:9 that King Sennacherib received news that “Tirhaka”, the King of Cush, was marching out against him. Both the Bible and non biblical records show that the Assyrian army withdrew because of this and Jerusalem was saved from destruction. It was an important triumph in both Hebrew and world history because Judaism, a fledgling religion during this time, was protected and allowed to evolve as a result of this Kushite victory.
Tirhaka, Tarkakah, also Tarakos, Tearkos, Tharsikes and Tarku are some of the variations of this Nubian ruler’s name, whose existence has been confirmed by accounts from other ancient historians such as Herodotus, Manetho, Strabo, and Josephus. The age of the classical Hebrew prophets coincided with the rise of the 25th Dynasty of Kemet, and thus the “Egypt” of much prophetic literature was a polity under the dominion of Kushite Pharaohs. Taharqa, the most notable Kushite Pharaoh, is mentioned in 2 Kings 19:9 as marching his army into Judah in 701 BCE in defense of King Hezekiah who seemed powerless before the invading Assyrians. According to 2 Kings 19:35, the Assyrians were routed by the angel of Yahweh. However, most scholars agree that the real hero in the story is the Kushite army whose military success against the Assyrians ensured the preservation of both Jerusalem and Hezekiah’s throne.
However, this is followed from the middle of the 9th century by fragmentations of the state, accompanied on occasion by civil war. This situation only ended in the middle of the 8th century by a progressive takeover of Egypt by the kings of Nubia, who created a united Egyptian-Nubian kingdom (the 25th Dynasty), which oversaw economic and political recovery. This, however, was ended in 663 BC by Assyrian invasions, resulting in the installation of a new northern Egyptian dynasty (26th), marking the end of the Third Intermediate Period.
Indeed, iconographic, archaeological, and textual evidence indicate that the Kushite-Kemite coalition of soldiers were defending important Judean towns like Lachish (also mentioned in 2 Kings 19:8) at this critical period. In fact, Hezekiah becomes a vassal of the Kushite Dynasty, potentially subject to all the terms of vassalage. Following this vein, Kushites are characterized largely as a militaristic people in the Hebrew Bible. Most references to Kush occur in the context of military engagement (i.e., 2 Chron 14:9-15; Isaiah 20:3–4; Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 30:4–5; 38:5; Nahum 3:9). Isaiah 18:2, for instance, characterizes the Kushites as a people “feared near and far,” and a “nation mighty and conquering.” This is consistent with Kushite military reputation in ancient Kemet and the ancient Near East in general.
Biblical Sources:
Artwork by: Ramomar NY
Follow our YouTube Channel:
Visit our Virtual Museum:
"I have not spoken angrily or arrogantly. I have not cursed anyone in thought, word or deeds." ~35th & 36th Principals of Ma'at
コメント