Tutkheperre Shoshenq or Shoshenq IIb is an obscure

Third Intermediate Period The Third Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt began with the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC, which ended the New Kingdom, and was eventually followed by the Late Period. Various points are offered as the beginning for the latt ...

Libyan king whose existence was until recently doubted. In 2004, a '' GM'' 203 German article by Eva R. Lange on a newly discovered stone block decoration from the Temple of

Bubastis Bubastis ( Bohairic Coptic: ''Poubasti''; Greek: ''Boubastis'' or ''Boubastos''), also known in Arabic as Tell-Basta or in Egyptian as Per-Bast, was an ancient Egyptian city. Bubastis is often identified with the biblical ''Pi-Beseth'' ( h ...

that bore his rare royal

prenomen The ''praenomen'' (; plural: ''praenomina'') was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birt ...

, Tutkheperre, confirmed his existence because his name is found in Lower and Upper Egypt. Tutkheperre's prenomen translates approximately as "Appearance (or Coming Forth) of the Image of Re."

Evidence for existence

This king was first attested in

Ostracon An ostracon (Greek: ''ostrakon'', plural ''ostraka'') is a piece of pottery, usually broken off from a vase or other earthenware vessel. In an archaeological or epigraphical context, ''ostraca'' refer to sherds or even small pieces of ston ...

Louvre E.31886 discovered at Abydos in Upper Egypt by

Émile Amélineau Émile Amélineau (1850 – 12 January 1915 at Châteaudun) was a French Coptologist, archaeologist and Egyptologist. His scholarly reputation was established as an editor of previously unpublished Coptic texts. But his reputation was dest ...

(1850–1915) in his 19th century excavations. This ostracon is now in the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

and was examined by M. A. Bonheme in a 1995 paper titled "''Les Chechanquides: Qui, Combien?''" According to Bonheme, the Ostracon contains the name 'Tutkheperre ..mun, (Shoshenq MeryAmun), ' written in black ink and was discovered among

votive deposit A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...

s, starting from the New Kingdom onwards near the First Dynasty 'Tomb of Osiris' at Abydos in Upper Egypt. The ostracon evidence was not considered conclusive evidence for this king's existence since the writer of this object was assumed to have mistakenly written the small bird or chick symbol for 'Tut' instead of the Red Crown symbol for ''Hedj'', as in king Hedjkheperre Shoshenq I. However, in her 2004 GM paper, Lange notes that the name Tutkheperre cannot be a mistake for either Shoshenq I or for "Tjetkheperre", Psusennes II's prenomen, because their hieroglyphic symbols are completely different. Secondly, the prenomen Tutkheperre is inscribed in an architectural building in Bubastis (Lower Egypt). Lange's ''GM'' 203 article established that this king was genuine and distinct from Shoshenq I or

Psusennes II Titkheperure or Tyetkheperre Psusennes II Greek_language.html" "title="/nowiki>Greek language">Greek Ψουσέννης] or Hor-Pasebakhaenniut II gyptian language, Egyptian ''ḥr-p3-sb3-ḫˁỉ--nỉwt'' was the last Pharaoh, king of the ...

. It examines an architectural fragment from the Great Temple of Bubastis which mentions his unique prenomen and nomen: 'Tutkheperre Shoshenq'. The likelihood of an error here is remote because these stone architectural blocks were created by professionally trained royal artisans who would not mistakenly transcribe a king's throne name onto a royal monument or temple. Tutkheperre Shoshenq's reign was probably brief because he is unattested beyond these two documents.

Twenty-second Dynasty timeline

Karl Jansen-Winkeln surmises in a footnote at the conclusion of Lange's paper that this new king should be dated to the first half of the

22nd Dynasty The Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt is also known as the Bubastite Dynasty, since the pharaohs originally ruled from the city of Bubastis. It was founded by Shoshenq I. The Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, and Twenty-f ...

because his rule is attested in

Upper and Lower Egypt In Egyptian history, the Upper and Lower Egypt period (also known as The Two Lands) was the final stage of prehistoric Egypt and directly preceded the unification of the realm. The conception of Egypt as the Two Lands was an example of the dual ...

. This is a logical deduction since

Shoshenq III King Usermaatre Setepenre Shoshenq III of the 22nd Dynasty ruled for 39 years according to contemporary historical records. Two Apis Bulls were buried in the fourth and 28th years of his reign and he celebrated his Heb Sed Jubilee in his regnal ...

of the 22nd Dynasty lost effective control over Upper Egypt in his 8th year with the accession of

Pedubast I Pedubastis I or Pedubast I was an Upper Egyptian Pharaoh of ancient Egypt during the 9th century BC. Biography Based on lunar dates which are known to belong to the reign of his rival Takelot II in Upper Egypt and the fact that Pedubast I first ...

at Thebes. Secondly, Lange notes that Tutkheperre Shoshenq is documented at the Temple of Bubastis where other early 22nd Dynasty monarchs such as

Osorkon I Sekhemkheperre Osorkon I was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty. Osorkon's territory included much of the Levant. The Osorkon Bust found at Byblos is one of the five Byblian royal inscriptions. Biography The son of Shoshenq I and ...

and

Osorkon II Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon II was the fifth king of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and the son of King Takelot I and Queen Kapes. He ruled Egypt from approximately 872 BC to 837 BC from Tanis, the capital of that dynasty. After ...

are well known for their building projects there. Thus, he should be placed somewhere between these two kings. While his precise location in the framework of the 22nd Dynasty is a mystery, Tutkheperre is more likely to have been one of the unknown "3 Kings" — apart from

Shoshenq II Heqakheperre Shoshenq II or Shoshenq IIa was a pharaoh of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt. He was the only ruler of this dynasty whose tomb was not plundered by tomb robbers. His final resting place was discovered within an antechamber of Psu ...

who ruled

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

between

and

Takelot I Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takelot I was an ancient Libyan ruler who was pharaoh during the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt. Reign Takelot I was the son of Osorkon I and Queen Tashedkhons, who ruled Egypt for thirteen years according to Manetho. Tak ...

, as

Africanus Africanus is Latin for "African". It may refer to: People Ancient Roman cognomen * Africanus Fabius Maximus, the younger son of Quintus Fabius Maximus (consul 45 BC) and an unknown wife * Cresconius Africanus, a Latin canon lawyer of uncertain da ...

' generally more accurate copy of Manetho's Epitome states.Thomas Schneider, Contributions to the Chronology of the New Kingdom and the Third Intermediate Period, Egypt and the Levant 20, 2010. pp.375-376 The only fact which is certain is that he could not intervene in the transition between Shoshenq I to Osorkon I because Osorkon I certainly succeeded his father. This leaves a short interregnum of a few years in the transition between Osorkon I to Takelot I during the 880s BC before Takelot I becoming king. Tutkheperre certainly ruled Egypt before the reign of Osorkon II who adopts the generic

Ramesses II Ramesses II ( egy, rꜥ-ms-sw ''Rīʿa-məsī-sū'', , meaning "Ra is the one who bore him"; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Along with Thutmose III he is often regarded as ...

-based prenomen of 'Usimare Setepenre/Setepenamun' for his royal name. Several short-lived kings could plausibly fit into this transition period such as Shoshenq II at 2–3 years and Tutkheperre Shoshenq because Takelot I was a relatively minor son of Osorkon I by Queen Tashedkhons, who was a lesser wife of this king. Takelot I may, thus, have been obliged to wait a while before assuming power in favour of other higher ranking royal family members with stronger claims to the throne.

Evidence for existence

Twenty-second Dynasty timeline

References

Further reading