Herihor

Episode 36 Dynasty XXI: Egypt Divided

The History of Ancient Egypt

Professor Robert Brier

Film Review

The division of Egypt into Upper (southern) and Lower (northern Egypt) began under the last XXth dynasty pharaoh Ramses XI. There seems to have been strong cooperation (including intermarriage) between the two Egypts during a period of substantial wealth.

Rulers of Upper Egypt

• Amun Herihor or (1080-1074 BC) – a high priest in Thebes who declared himself king of Upper Egypt, ruling from Thebes.
• Piankh (1074-1070 BC) – of unknown parentage, he died around the same time as Ramses XI, who was ruling Lower Egypt.
• Pinedjem I (1070-1032) – high priest in Thebes who married the daughter of Ramses XI, discovered massive plundering of royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and ordered the damaged mummies restored, rewrapped and labeled with the correct names.
• Masaherta (1054-1045 BC) – high priest in Thebes.
• Menkeheperre (1045-992 BC) – high priest in Thebes.
• Smendes II (992-990 BC) – high priest in Thebes
• Pinedem II (990-969) – high priest who discovered the tombs in the Valley of the Kings had been raided yet again and had all the pharaohs’ mummies reburied in a secret tomb excavated out of a cliff at Diero-betteri (where they remained untouched for 3,000 years).
• Psusennes III (969-945 BC) – the last high priest to rule Upper Egypt from Thebes.

Rulers of Lower Egypt

• Sinendes I (1069-1043 BC) – military leader who seizes the throne following Ramses XI’s death and moves the capital from Pi-Ramesses to Tanis, as well as moving all of Ramses II’s statues and obelisks to the new capitol.
• Amenennissa (1043-1039 BC) – son of the Upper Egypt high priest/king Amun Herihor who rules Upper Egypt.
• Psusennes I (1039-991 BC) – buried at Tanis, the grandeur of his tomb rivals that of Tutankamen (suggesting great Egyptian wealth during his reign. His mummy was encased in a pure silver (which was three time as valuable as gold) sarcophagus, which was encased in an alabaster sarcophagus, which was encased in a black granite sarcophagus, which was encased in a pink granite sarcophagus. His face was was covered with a gold mask.
• Amenemope (993-984 BC) – also buried with a gold face mask.
• Osorkon the Elder (984-978 BC)
• Siamun (978-959 BC) – ruled while David was fighting the Philistines and trying to unite the tribes of Israel. According to the Bible, he sent one of his daughters* to Palestine* to marry the Edomite Hadad, who “became a great favorite of the pharaoh.”
• Psusennes II (959-945 BC)

*Previously it was unprecedented for members of the royal family to move to foreign land, because it meant they wouldn’t be reincarnated.

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https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492873