Napata was also a place of much wealth. The kingdom whereof it was capital reached southward as far as the modern Khartoum, and south-eastwards stretched up to the Abyssinian highlands, including the valleys of the Atbara and its tributaries, together with most of the tract between the Atbara and the Blue Nile. This was a region of reputed great natural wealth, containing many mines of gold, iron, copper, and salt, abundant woods of date palm, almond trees, and ilex, some excellent pasture ground, and much rich meadow land suitable for the growth of dura and other sorts of grain. Fish of many kinds and excellent turtle abounded in the Atbara and the other streams, while the geographical position was favourable for commerce with the tribes of the interior, who were able to furnish an almost inexhaustible supply of ivory, skins, and ostrich feathers.
B.C 966-800.In course of time the Napata kingdom extended its sway to Aswan, and even to Thebes. The kings of the Twenty-second (Libyan) Dynasty did not attempt to make Egyptian authority felt south of Aswan, and at last the Nubian opportunity came. B.C. 760-733.In about 734 B.C., Piankhi, King of Napata, seeing the weakened and divided sway of the Twenty-third Dynasty, chose a favourable moment in the revolt of Taf Nekht, Prince of Sais and Memphis, swooped down on Egypt, assaulted and occupied Memphis, and became master of the country. Bak-en-Renf, sole representative of the Twenty-fourth Dynasty, was killed; the whole of Egypt, with the exception of a portion of the Delta, became a province of Ethiopia, B.C. 730-667.and the Twenty-fifth Dynasty was composed of Ethiopian princes.
These Kings were named Shabaka (Sabaco), Shabataka, and Taharka (Tirhakah), the latter of which trio delivered B.C. 700.Hezekiah from Sennacherib. He was, however, heavily defeated by Esarheddon, son of the latter, somewhere near Tel-el-Kebir, B.C. 672.and Egypt was overrun by the Assyrians.
Fierce fighting continued for the next 20 years between Ethiopia and Assyria over the prostrate body of Egypt, and the latter was reduced to utter ruin. B.C. 652.Finally Mi-Ammon-Nut, Prince of Napata, and son (?) of Taharka, partly relieved the country from the Assyrians, but he had no successors, and died soon afterwards.
B.C. 650 (?).Psammetichus I (Twenty-sixth Dynasty), of Libyan descent, finally shook off the Assyrian yoke a few years later. His connection with Ethiopia is chiefly confined to the fact that a large number of his troops (200,000 to 240,000, according to ancient authorities—but this number must be grossly over-stated) quitted him as a protest against the favouritism shewn to his foreign (Greek and Lydian) mercenaries, and took service with Ethiopia. B.C. 648 (?).Several versions of this story exist, but no serious disturbance of the balance of power would seem to have resulted. Herodotus states that they[148] were given land to the south of Meroe, in the land of the Macrobii (Sennar?). B.C. 590 (?).His descendant Psammetichus II appears to have attacked Ethiopia, and it is stated that Nebuchadnezzar II, after beating Necho, the previous king, made a fruitless expedition into Nubia.
ETHIOPIAN KING FROM MEROË (BAGARAWIYA)—Berlin Museum.
B.C. 566.As far as can be gathered the following kings of Ethiopia succeeded Piankhi between about 730 and 525 B.C.; little is known about them except what is given below:—
Ra Usr Maat.
Mer-Ka-Ra.