Tantamani (
Meroitic: 𐦛𐦴𐦛𐦲𐦡𐦲, ,
Neo-Assyrian:

, ), also known as Tanutamun or Tanwetamani (d. 653 BC) was ruler of the
Kingdom of Kush located in Northern
Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
, and the last
pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
of the
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. His
prenomen or royal name was Bakare, which means "Glorious is the Soul of
Re."
Filiation
He was the son of King
Shabaka and the nephew of his predecessor
Taharqa. In some Egyptological literature he is identified as the son of
Shebitku. Assyrian records call Tantamani a son of Shabaka and refer to his mother,
Qalhata, as a sister of Taharqa. Some Egyptologists interpreted the Assyrian text as stating that Tantamani was a son of Shebitku, but it is now more common to consider Tantamani a son of Shabaka.
Conflict with Ashurbanipal of Assyria
Soon after the
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
ns had appointed
Necho I as king and left, Tantamani invaded Egypt in hopes of restoring his family to the throne. Tantamani marched down the
Nile
The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
from Nubia and reoccupied all of Egypt, including
Memphis. Necho I, and the Assyrians' representative were killed in Tantamani's campaign.
This led to a renewed conflict with
Ashurbanipal in 663 BCE. The Assyrians led by Ashurbanipal returned to Egypt in force. Together with
Psamtik I's army, which included
Carian mercenaries, they fought a pitched battle in north Memphis, close to the temple of
Isis
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
, between the
Serapeum and
Abusir
Abusir ( ; Egyptian ''pr wsjr'' ' "the resting place of Osiris"; ) is the name given to an ancient Egyptian archaeological pyramid complex comprising the ruins of 4 kings' pyramids dating to the Old Kingdom period, and is part of the ...
. Tantamani was defeated and fled to
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ', shortened to , , locally: ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel North. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake N ...
. Forty days after the battle, Ashurbanipal's army arrived in
Thebes. Tantamani had already left the city for Kipkipi, a location that remains uncertain but might be
Kom Ombo, some south of Thebes. The city of Thebes was conquered, "smashed (as if by) a floodstorm" and heavily plundered in the
Sack of Thebes. The event is not mentioned in Egyptian sources, but is known from the Assyrian annals, which report that the inhabitants were deported. The Assyrians took a large booty of gold, silver, precious stones, clothes, horses, fantastic animals, as well as two obelisks covered in
electrum
Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals. Its color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the proportions of gold and silver. It has been produced artificially and is ...
weighing 2.500
talents (c. 75.5 tons, or 166,500 lb):

The sack of Thebes was a momentous event that reverberated throughout the
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was home to many cradles of civilization, spanning Mesopotamia, Egypt, Iran (or Persia), Anatolia and the Armenian highlands, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula. As such, the fields of ancient Near East studies and Nea ...
. It is mentioned in the
Book of Nahum
The Book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. The book has three chapters. It is attributed to the prophet Nahum. The most general historical setting of Nahum as a prophet was 663 BC to 612 BC, while the hist ...
chapter 3:8-10:
A prophecy in the
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah ( ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC prophet Isaiah ben Amo ...
refers to the sack as well:
The Assyrian reconquest effectively ended Nubian control over Egypt, although Tantamani's authority was still recognised in Upper Egypt until his 8th Year in 656 BCE, when
Psamtik I's navy peacefully took control of Thebes and effectively unified all of Egypt. These events marked the start of the
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt.
Later rule
Thereafter, Tantamani ruled only Nubia (
Kush
KUSH 1600 AM is a radio station licensed to Cushing, Oklahoma. The station broadcasts a Full service format, consisting of local and national talk, sports
Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, tha ...
). He died in 653 BC and was succeeded by
Atlanersa, a son of Taharqa. He was buried in the family cemetery at
El-Kurru. The archaeologist
Charles Bonnet discovered the statue of Tantamani at
Kerma (now called Doukki Gel) in 2003.
Tomb in El-Kurru
The tomb of Tantamani was located below a pyramid, now disappeared, at the site of
El-Kurru. Only the entrance and the chambers remain, which are beautifully decorated with mural paintings.
Exterior of one of the ancient Nubian tombs at El-Kurru near Karima.jpg, Exterior of the Nubian tomb of Tantamani.
File:Portrait of Tantamani in his tomb in El-Kurru.jpg, Portrait of Tantamani in his tomb in El-Kurru
File:Grabkammer des Tanotamun.jpg, Tomb of the pyramide of Tantamani, at the site of El-Kurru
Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani (5) (33554932640).jpg, Burial Chamber of Tantamani
Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani (4) (33096700524).jpg, Tomb of Tantamani
Painting in the ancient Nubian tombs at El-Kurru near Karima, Sudan.jpg, Burial Chamber of Tantamani
Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani (2) (33809906071).jpg, Tomb of Tantamani
Artifacts
Kerma King Tantamani (r.664-653 BCE) XXV Dynasty Kushite.jpg, King Tantamani, National Museum of Sudan
Tanotamun statue in Kerma Museum.jpg, Statue of Tantamani, Kerma Museum
Tanotanum statue, Kerma Museum.jpg, Yet another statue of Tantamani, Kerma Museum
File:Tanotamun portrait in Kerma Museum.jpg, Tanotamun portrait in Kerma Museum
File:Tantamani profile.jpg, Tantamani, in profile. Kerma Museum
Tantamani statue Toledo Museum.jpg, Tantamani statue, Toledo Museum of Art
Tanuatamanu in Thebes.jpg, Painting of Tantamani, in Thebes
File:25th Dynasty head of Amun.JPG, Statuette of god Amon
Amon may refer to:
Mythology
* Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra
* Aamon, a Goetic demon
People Mononym
* Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah
* Amon of Toul ( 375– 423 AD), second recorded Bishop of ...
dedicated by Tantamani
File:F2241 Louvre Amon belier 25 dynastie E33072 rwk.jpg, Head of Amon-Ram dedicated by Tantamani, Musée du Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Stele of the Dream by Tantamani, Jebel Barkal, Sudan.jpg, Stele of the Dream by Tantamani, Jebel Barkal, Sudan
File:Stele of Dream, Tantamani making offerings to Egyptian Gods.jpg, Stele of the Dream, Tantamani making offerings to Egyptian Gods
File:Prenomen and Nomen of Tantamani.jpg, Prenomen and Nomen of Tantamani
See also
*
List of monarchs of Kush
References
Further reading
*
{{Authority control
650s BC deaths
7th-century BC pharaohs
7th-century BC monarchs of Kush
Pharaohs of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt
Egyptian people of Nubian descent
Kingdom of Kush
Year of birth unknown