Shoshenq III

Shoshenq III
Shoshenq III, standing on the boat"msktt",the boat of the night, with the god Atum. From his tomb in Tanis.
Pharaoh
Reign	837–798 BC
Predecessor	Osorkon II
Successor	Shoshenq IV
Royal titulary Horus name Kanakht Mestiure Prenomen (Praenomen) Usermaatre Setepenre Wsr-Mȝˁt-Rˁ-stp-n-Rˁ Powerful is theMaatofRa,the chosen one of Ra Nomen Shoshenq [Meri]amun Šš.nq [mri]-Jmn Shoshenq, [beloved] ofAmun
Consort	Tjesbastperu
Children	Ankheseshoshenq, Bakennefi A, Pashedbast B,Pimay,Takelot D, Padehenebast
Died	798 BC
Burial	NRT V,Tanis
Dynasty	22nd Dynasty

KingUsermaatre SetepenreShoshenq IIIof the22nd Dynastyruled for 39 years according to contemporary historical records. TwoApisBulls were buried in the fourth and 28th years of his reign and he celebrated hisHeb SedJubilee in hisregnal year30. He was not a son ofOsorkon IIbut instead a grandson through his dead father prince Takelot.As he was only a grandson, his cousinTakelot IIcontested his succession and Egypt was divided.He married his aunt Tjesbastperu to strengthen his claim.He outlived his first five sons and was thus succeeded by his 6th sonShoshenq IV,who later died childless as well and was succeeded by Shoshenq III's 7th sonPami.

From Shoshenq III's eighth regnal year, his reign was marked by the loss of Egypt's political unity, with the appearance ofPedubast IatThebes.Henceforth, the kings of the 22nd Dynasty only controlledLower Egypt.The Theban High Priest Osorkon B (the futureOsorkon III) did date his activities at Thebes and (Upper Egypt) to Shoshenq III's reign, but this was solely for administrative reasons since Osorkon did not declare himself king after the death of his father,Takelot II.On the basis of Osorkon B's well knownChronicle,most Egyptologists today accept that Takelot II's 25th regnal year is equivalent to Shoshenq III's 22nd year.

Family

Shoshenq III married Djed-Bast-Es-Ankh, the daughter ofTakelot,aHigh Priest of PtahatMemphis,and Tjesbastperu,Osorkon II's daughter.He had at least four sons and one daughter: Ankhesen-Shoshenq, Bakennefi A, Pashedbast B,Pimaythe 'Great Chief of theMa', and Takelot C, a Generalissimo. A certain Padehebenbast may also have been another son of Shoshenq III, but this is not certain. They all appear to have predeceased their father through his nearly four-decade-long rule. Shoshenq III's third son,Pimay('The Lion' in Egyptian), was once thought to be identical with kingPami('The Cat' in Egyptian), but it is now believed that they are two different individuals, due to the separate orthography and meaning of their names. Instead, it was an unrelated individual namedShoshenq IVwho ultimately succeeded Shoshenq III.

Shoshenq III was buried in the looted Royal Tomb NRT V atTanis.

• 
  Tomb of Shoshenq III at Tanis.
• 
  Reliefs on the south wall of Shoshenq III's tomb.
• 
  Reliefs on the walls of the tomb.