XXIst DYNASTY, 1075-945 B.C.
1075 Her-Hor.—High priest of Amen of Thebes, attains to royal power. The Ramessides are banished.
A new house arises at Tanis. Its chief, Se-Amen, soon overthrows the dominion of the high priests, and Her-Hor’s son (Piankhi) and grandson (Painet´em I) have uncontrolled power as high priests only in the neighbourhood of Thebes. The land is governed simultaneously by the Tanites and the high priests. The Ramessides attempt to regain the throne in the Thebaid. The Tanites crush this rebellion, and Men-kheper-Ra, one of the family, is made high priest at Thebes. Solomon marries the daughter of the Tanite king, probably Pasebkhanu II. The army has since the time of Seti I been composed chiefly of Libyan mercenaries, out of which a separate class has now been developed. The chief authority gradually passes from the Tanites and high priests to the commanders of these mercenaries, and one of them, Shashanq of Bubastis, by some means gains the crown of Egypt. The high priests and their adherents retire to Ethiopia and found a new kingdom whose capital is at Napata.
XXIInd DYNASTY, 945-750 B.C.
945 Shashanq I.—Rules at Bubastis. The high-priesthood of Amen is given to princes of the reigning family.
Monuments.—The hall of the Bubastites at Karnak; inscriptions, etc.
925 Shashanq invades Judah, captures and sacks Jerusalem.
920-750 Under Shashanq’s successors, the high places in the government and army are filled with members of the royal family, who found princedoms for themselves, and the Pharaoh becomes a nominal ruler. Egypt is a land of petty kings, into which condition of affairs the kings of Ethiopia (Napata) now intrude.
XXIIIrd AND XXIVth DYNASTIES, 750-728 B.C.
800 In the reign of Shashanq III, Thebes falls into the hands of the Ethiopians. Their conquests gradually extend to Hermopolis under their king, Piankhi. At the same time Tefnekht, Prince of Saïs, subjects the western Delta and Memphis, comes in contact with Piankhi, but ends by giving the Ethiopian his allegiance. Piankhi’s power over Egypt not complete, for the XXIIIrd Dynasty of three kings (Uasarken III among them) seems to have ruled in the Delta, probably at Bubastis, and is succeeded by the XXIVth Dynasty, composed of Tefnekht’s son, Bakenranf, who is conquered by Piankhi’s grandson, Shabak.