Osorkon I: Encyclopedia II - Osorkon I - Osorkon I's successor

Osorkon I - Osorkon I's successor

Although Osorkon I is thought to have been directly succeeded by his son Takelot I, it is possible that another ruler, Heqakheperre Shoshenq II, intervened briefly between these two kings because Takelot I was a son of Osorkon I through Queen Tashedkhons-a minor secondary wife of this king. In contrast, Osorkon I's senior wife was Queen Maatkare, who may have been Shoshenq II's mother. However, Shoshenq II could also have been another son of Shoshenq I mummy since Shoshenq I was the only other king to be mentioned in objects from Shoshenq II's intact royal tomb at Tanis aside from Shoshenq II himself. These other objects are inscribed with either Shoshenq I's prenomen — Hedjkheperre Shoshenq — or Shoshenq, Chief of the Ma--which was Shoshenq I's title before he became king. Since Derry's forensic examination of his Mummy reveals him to be a Man in his 50's upon his death, Shoshenq II could have lived beyond Osorkon I's 35 Year reign and assumed the throne for a few short years.

While Kenneth A. Kitchen, in his invaluable Third Intermediate Period of Egypt books, views Shoshenq II as the High Priest of Amun at Thebes Shoshenq C, and a short-lived coregent of Osorkon I who predeceased his father, the equally well respected German Egyptologist J. Von Beckerath, in his 1997 book Chronology of the Egyptian Pharaohs, maintains that Shoshenq II was more far more likely to be an independent king of Tanis who ruled the 22nd Dynasty in his own right for c.2 Years (see page 94-98 for Beckerath's treatment of the 22nd Dynasty). This hypothesis is supported by the fact that Shoshenq II employed a complete royal titulary and his intact tomb at Tanis was filled with numerous treasures including jewelled pectorals and bracellets, an impressive falconheaded silver coffin and a gold face mask–items which indicate a genuine king of the 22nd Dynasty. More significantly, however, no trace of Osorkon I's name was preserved on any ushabtis, jars or jewellry within Shoshenq II's tomb. This situation would be inexplicable if he was indeed Osorkon I's son, and was buried by his father, as Kitchen's Chronology suggests. These facts, and the king's use of a distinct royal prenomen, Heqakheperre, imply that he did rule on his own accord at Tanis and was not a mere coregent.

Manetho's Epitome states that "3 Kings" separate Osorkon I from Takelot I. (Beckerath, op.cit., p.95) This could be an error on Manetho's part or perhaps an allusion to Shoshenq II's intervening reign. It may also be a reference to the recently discovered early Dynasty 22 king Tutkheperre Shoshenq, whose existence is now corroborated by an architectural fragment from the Great Temple of Bubastis(see E. Lange, GM 203), where Osorkon I and Osorkon II are well attested monumentally.

Osorkon I's reign in Egypt was uneventful; however, both his son and grandson, Takelot I and Osorkon II, later encountered difficulties controlling Thebes and Upper Egypt in their own reigns since they had to deal with a rival king: Harsiese A. Osorkon's tomb has never been found.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Osorkon I's successor", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki