Sheshonq I Mery-Amun Hedj-kheper-re Setep-en-re (950-929). Horus name: Meryre Sekhafemnisuterzematawy. Nebty name: Khaemsekhemtimihorsaaest Sehetepnetjeruemmaat. Golden Falcon name: Sekhempehti Huipedjet-9 Wernekhtutaunebu. Prenomen: Hedj-kheper-re.

Often referred to as the Libyan or Bubastite dynasty, the 22nd Dynasty immediately betrays its origins. Manetho lists the kings as all being from Bubastis in the eastern Delta and the Libyan element is evident in the founder, Sheshonq I, who inaugurated the sequence of Libyan chiefs who were to rule Egypt for the next 200 years. Sheshonq himself, allied by marriage as the son-in-law of his predecessor, Psusennes II, had the strength of the military behind him as commander-in-chief of all the armies. In the Theban records he is noted as 'Great Chief of the Meshwesh', who were originally recruited from Libyan tribes as an internal police force. Like many previous pharaohs, Sheshonq endeavored to show his right to rule by adopting hallowed titles, in this instance those of Smendes I of almost a hundred years before.

Sheshonq was a strong ruler who brought the divided factions of Thebes and Tanis together into a once more united Egypt. Calculated appointments of his sons to various high offices meant that he exercised specific control over important areas of the country. Uniting the religious and secular spheres, his son Iuput was Governor of Upper Egypt and at the same time both High Priest of Amun and commander-in-chief of the armies. Another son, Djed-ptah-auf-ankh, supported his brother in the religious field as Third Prophet of Amun. Yet another son, Nimlot, acted as military commander at Herakleopolis, an important garrison that could keep Thebes in check, if need be, to the south. With such a stable power base at home, Sheshonq could then turn his gaze outwards to the old Egyptian Near Eastern possessions.

Sheshonq triumphs in Palestine. Following the death of Solomon in 930 BC, the kingdoms of Judah and Israel under Rehoboam (the 5th year of Rehoboam’s reign, Soloman's son) and Jeroboam I, respectively, were at loggerheads and ripe for strong Egyptian military intervention. Sheshonq- Shishak of the Bible- defeated them both in 925 BC in a highly successful campaign, the like of which had not been seen since the days of Ramesses III in the 20th Dynasty. He moved first against Judah, arriving before the walls of Jerusalem, held by Rehoboam. The city was surrounded but Sheshonq was bought off from entering it by being given 'the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made' (1 Kings 14:26). All Solomon's treasures, except apparently the most sacred and emotive Art of the Covenant, fell to Sheshonq (remember Raiders of the Lost Ark?). Pharaoh then turned his attention to Israel, pursuing his earlier protégé Jeroboam, who fled over the Jordan. Finally, Sheshonq halted at Megiddo, the scene of Tuthmosis III's victory 500 years before, and erected a suitable victory stele in the manner of his predecessors. Sheshonq did not consider Jerusalem worth mentioning in the great entrance portal he built at Karnak, but he gave a long list of other conquered towns in Palestine. The cities on that list were: Ra-bi-tha (Rabbith), Ta-an-kau (Taanach), She-n-mau (Shunem), Beith-Shanlau (Beth-shean ?), Re-ha-bau (Rehob), Ha-pu-re mau (Hapharaim), A-dul-ma (Adullam), She-ua-di . . ., Ma-ha-ne-ma (Mahanaim), Qe-be-a-na (Gibeon), Beith-Huaron (Beth-horon), Qa-de-moth (Kedemoth), A-ju-lon (Ajalon), Ma-ke-thu (Megiddo), A-dir, Judah-malek, Ha-an-ma, Aa-le-na (Eglon ?), Bi-le-ma (Bileam), Zad-poth-el, A . . ha . . ma, Beith-a-l-moth (Allemeth), Ke-qa-li, Shau-ke (Socho), Beith-tapuh (Beth-tappuah), A-bi-lau (Abel), Beith-zab . ., Nu-p-a-1, P . . d-shath, Pa-(shel)-keteth, A-do-msa (EDOM), Za-le-ma (Zalmonah ?), .... lela, A-do-msa (EDOM), Za-le-ma (Zalmonah ?), .... lela, . lzau, .... apen, Pa-Amaq, 'the valley-plain', (Emek), A-au-za-maa ( Azmon), A-na-la, Pa-Ha-qa-laa, 'the stone of', Fe-thiu-shaa, A-ro-ha-lel (Aroer ?), Pa-Ea-qa~laa, 'the stone of ', A-bi-ro-ma, She-bi-leth, Na-ga-bi-li, She-bi-leth, Ua-ro-kith, Pa-Ha-qa-laa, ' the stone of ', Ne-a-baith, A-de-de-maa, Za-pe-qe-qa, Ma .... a, Ta ...., Ga-naa-t, ' tbe garden', Pa-Na-ga-bu, ' the Negeb (i.e. south) of ', A-za-m. . . th, Ta-shed-na, Pa-Ha-ga-le-(t), 'the stone of ', She-nai-aa, Ha-qa, Pa-Na-ga-bu, 'the Negeb of', Ua-hath-lu-ka, A-sha-ha-tha-t, Pa-Ha-ga-li, ' the stone of ', Ha-ni-ni-au, Pa-Ha-ga-lau, 'the stone of', A-le-qad, A-do-mam-t, Ha-ni-ni, A-do-rau, Pa-Ha-ga-1, Thel-uan, Ha -i - do-baa, Sha-li-n-laa, Ha-i-do-baa, Di-ua-thi, Ha-qe-le-ma, A-l-daa-(t), Ri-bith, A-l-daai, Neb-tath, Jur-he-ma, Ari. . . m, A-d-raa, Pa-Ba-aa, Ma-he-gaa, . . ariuk, Freth-maa, A-bi-r, Bal-ro-za, Beith-A-n-th (Beth-anoth), Sha-r (?)-ha-tau, A-ro-ma-then (Ramah ?), Ga-le-naa, A-ro-ma . . ., .... r-bath, .... raa, Ma . . ., A-li ...., Jula ....

Such success was duly signaled in the appropriate place- on the walls of the temple of Amun at Thebes- and the sandstone quarries at Gebel el-Silsila had to be reopened to provide the building material, Iuput, as High Priest of Amun, was also head of works. A great new court was constructed before the Second Pylon at Karnak, its south outer wall decorated with a huge relief of Sheshonq victorious through the grace of Amun and with captives falling to his might.

Soon after the triumphant Palestinian campaigns, Sheshonq went to join his ancestors in the group of royal tombs at Tanis, his mummy encased in a cartonnage and a silver coffin, both having Horus falcon heads to identify the king with Osiris-Sokar.

The Canopic Chest of Sheshonq I

The only item of Sheshonq's funerary equipment that has been found. The only example of a style of canopic chest that dates from the 22nd Dynasty (other kings of the period have wooden chests), it seems to have been modeled on an earlier 18th or 19th Dynasty type. Unfortunately this chest appeared on the antiquities market and there are no clues as to its origin.

** - In the tomb of Sheshonq III at Tanis fragments of two canopic jars have been found bearing the name of Sheshonq I. As these jars would be too big to fit in the Canopic chest of Sheshonq I, it has been suggested by David Rohl that this may suggest that there may be another as yet undentified Sheshonq waiting to be discovered.