Jump to content

Necho I

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Necho I
Horus statuette bearing the cartouches of Necho I. London, Petrie Museum.[1]
Horus statuette bearing the cartouches of Necho I. London,Petrie Museum.[1]
Pharaoh
Reign672–664BCE
PredecessorNekaubaorTefnakht II[2]
SuccessorPsamtik I
Royal titulary
Prenomen (Praenomen)
Menkheperre
Mn-ḫpr-Rˁ[3]
Enduring is the apparition ofRa
M23L2
ra
mn		xpr
Nomen
Nekau[1]
N-kꜣ-w(𓈖𓂓𓅱)[3]
G39N5
n
kA		w
ConsortIstemabet[4]
ChildrenPsamtik I, possibly Ta-khered-en-ta-ihet-[weret] and Meresamun
FatherTefnakht II[5]
Died664BCE
Dynasty26th Dynasty

MenkheperreNecho I(Egyptian:Nekau,[1]Greek:Νεχώς Α'orΝεχώ Α',Akkadian:Nikuu[6]orNikû[7]) (? – 664BCEnearMemphis) was a ruler of theancient Egyptiancity ofSais.He was the first securely attested local Saite king of the26th Dynasty of Egyptwho reigned for 8 years (672–664BCE) according toManetho'sAegyptiaca.Egypt was reunified by his sonPsamtik I.

Biography[edit]

In 672BCENecho became ruler of Sais, assuming thepharaonic titulary,and a year later theAssyriansled byEsarhaddoninvaded Egypt. Necho became one of Esarhaddon's vassals, and the latter confirmed Necho's office and his possessions, as well as giving him new territories, possibly including the city ofMemphis.[8]

In 669BCE,KingTaharqaof the25th Dynastywas advancing from the south toward theNile Deltaprincipalities which were formally under Assyrian control; Esarhaddon prepared himself to return to Egypt to repel the invader, but died suddenly. Esarhaddon's death led to a political crisis in theNeo-Assyrian Empirebut at the end his sonAshurbanipalmanaged to become the new undisputed monarch. Thecounter-offensiveplanned by his father took place in 667–666BCE.[9][10]

Taharqa was defeated and driven back toThebes,but Ashurbanipal found that the fleeing king and some of the rulers ofLower Egypt– namedPekrurofPishaptu(Per-Sopdu),SharruludariofṢinu(maybePelusium) andNikuu(Necho I) – were plotting against him. The Assyrian king captured the conspirators, killed part of the population of the cities they governed, and deported the prisoners toNineveh.[11]

Unexpectedly, Necho was pardoned by the Assyrian king, and was reinstated at Sais with his previous possessions as well as many new territories as a gift, while his son Psamtik (calledNabusezibanniin Akkadian) was made mayor ofAthribis.[12][6]It has been suggested that with his magnanimity Ashurbanipal hoped to rely on the loyalty of an Egyptian ally in the event of another offensive led by the 25th Dynasty pharaohs, and perhaps to inspire and strengthen a rivalry between the two families (i.e.,Kushitesand Saites) because of shared interests.[12]According to historical records, Necho I was slain in 664BCEnear Memphis while defending his realms from a new Kushite offensive led by Taharqa's successorTantamani[12][6][13]while Psamtik fled to Nineveh under Ashurbanipal's aegis. This Nubian invasion into the Egyptian Delta was subsequently (664–663BCE) repelled by the Assyrians who proceeded to advance south intoUpper Egyptand performed the infamoussack of Thebes.[14]

With the Nile Delta secured once again, Psamtik I was appointed with his dead father's offices and territories. Later, he ultimately was successful in reuniting Egypt under his sole control.[15]

Family[edit]

See also:Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt family tree

DanishEgyptologistKim Ryholtmade claims regarding Necho I: studying a papyrus fromTebtunis,he stated that Necho I was the son of a king named Tefnakht, presumablyTefnakht II.[5]Ryholt also put in discussion the existence ofNekaubawho was the purported predecessor of Necho I and possibly his brother; Ryholt suggested that the few, dubious documents regarding Nekauba should be attributed to the laterNecho IIinstead, and that Necho I was the direct successor of Tefnakht II.[2]

French historianChristian Settipanibelieves that Necho married Istemabet, and they were the parents of Psamtik I.[4]

According to British EgyptologistKenneth Kitchen,it is possible that princess Ta-khered-en-ta-ihet-[weret] was Necho's daughter, given in apolitically arranged marriageto the local ruler ofHerakleopolis,Pediese.[16]

A now-lost limestone lintel fromLuxordepicted a chantress ofAmunnamed Meresamun along with a Saite form ofOsirisand theDivine Adoratrice of AmunShepenupet II;Meresamun is called "royal daughter of the lord of the Two lands, Nec[...]", the latter name written within a royalcartouche.It appears likely that Meresamun's royal father was no other than Necho I who sent his daughter to thePrecinct of Amun-ReinKarnak,thus marking the beginning of the Saite influence in the city of Thebes.[17]

Attestations[edit]

Kneeling statuette of a king Necho. It may depict either Necho I or II. Brooklyn Museum (acc.no. 71.11)[18]

Necho I is primarily known from Assyrian documents but a few Egyptian objects are known too. Aglazed potterystatuette ofHoruswhich contains his cartouches and a dedication to the goddessNeithof Sais[8][19]is now exhibited at thePetrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology(UC 14869).[1]The aforementioned, long–lost lintel of Meresamun was once photographed in anantiquities marketat Luxor.[17]Abronzekneeling statuette of a king Necho is housed at theBrooklyn Museum(acc.no. 71.11), but it is impossible to determine if it actually depicts Necho I or rather Necho II instead.[18]He is also mentioned in several demotic stories.[7]
Necho I's Year 2 is attested on a privately held donation stela that was first published by Olivier Perdu. The stela records a large land donation to the Osiriantriad(Osiris,Isis,and Horus) of Per-Hebyt (modernBehbeit el-HagarnearSebennytos) by the "priest of Isis Mistress of Hebyt, Great Chief... son of Iuput, Akanosh."[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Nekau I".Digital Egypt for Universities.University College London.Retrieved8 July2018.
  2. ^abRyholt (2011a)
  3. ^abvon Beckerath (1999),pp. 212–213
  4. ^abSettipani (1991),pp. 153, 160, 161–162
  5. ^abRyholt (2011b),pp. 123–127
  6. ^abcLloyd (2001),pp. 504–505
  7. ^abRyholt (2004),p. 486
  8. ^abKitchen (1996),§ 117
  9. ^Kitchen (1996),§ 353
  10. ^Picchi (1997),p. 49
  11. ^Picchi (1997),pp. 48–52
  12. ^abcPicchi (1997),p. 52
  13. ^Kitchen (1996),§§ 117, 354
  14. ^Kitchen (1996),§ 354
  15. ^Spalinger (2001),p. 74
  16. ^Kitchen (1996),§§ 201, 363
  17. ^abCoulon & Payraudeau (2015),pp. 21–31
  18. ^ab"Kneeling Statuette of King Necho".Brooklyn Museum.Retrieved8 July2018.
  19. ^Petrie (1917),pl. LIV, 25.5
  20. ^Perdu (2002),pp. 1215–1244

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

  • Media related toNecho Iat Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Necho_I&oldid=1227241410"