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Ancient Egypt > Egyptian Dynasties > Twenty-Third Dynasty of Egypt Twenty-Third Dynasty of Egypt
The 23rd Dynasty of ancient Egypt was a separate regime of Meshwesh Libyan kings, who ruled ancient Egypt. This dynasty is often considered part of the Third Intermediate Period. The 23rd Dynasty was part of a confusing period of overlapping dynasties including the 21st Dynasty through to the 25th Dynasty respectively. It was a dynasty marked by Libyan control. It was started by Shoshenq I, an energetic soldier of Libyan descent. Shoshenq's forbearers were the captives / mercenaries under Ramesses III used to stem the tide of barbarian incursions plaguing Egypt at the time. Not only were the Sea Peoples encroaching on Egypt's borders, but also Shashank's fellow Libyans. Shashank's rise to power was aided by the fact that Middle Egypt was a no-man's land. It was this that opened the door for Libyan ascension. They seized this area and made their capital in Bubastis. At this time Shoshenq took care to legitimize his claim to the throne for his successor by marrying his son to the daughter of Psusennes II. Shoshenq knew that to keep power he had to gain wealth. He did this by exploiting the break up of the Palestinian government after the death of Solomon. Shoshenq attacked Judah, the weaker of the two and sacked Jerusalem. It was with this brief yet rich conquest that further secured Libyan dominance. This dominance, which spanned from 950- 730 B.C.E. was brought down when the Nubian king, Piankhi, invaded Egypt fearing further consolidation of power would challenge his growing countries strength. This invasion brought about the 25th Dynasty and a close to Libyan dominance in Egypt. There is much debate surrounding this dynasty, which may have been situated at Herakleopolis Magna, Hermopolis Magna, and Thebes but monuments from their reign show that they controlled Upper Egypt in parallel with the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt shortly before the death of Osorkon II. Libyan rule: the 22nd and 23rd dynastiesThe fifth king of the 21st Dynasty, Osorkon I (ruled c. 979-c. 973 bc), was of Libyan descent and probably was an ancestor of the 22nd Dynasty, which followed a generation later. From Osorkon's time to the 26th Dynasty, leading Libyans in Egypt kept their Libyan names and ethnic identity, but in a spirit of ethnicity rather than cultural separatism. Although political institutions were different from those of the New Kingdom, the Libyans were culturally Egyptian, retaining only their group identity, names, and perhaps a military ethos. Toward the end of the 21st Dynasty the Libyan leader of Bubastis, the great Meshwesh chief Shoshenq I (the biblical Shishak), secured special privileges from King Psusennes II (ruled c. 964-c. 950 bc) and the oracle of Amon for the mortuary cult of his father at Abydos. The oracle proffered good wishes not only for Shoshenq and his family but, significantly, also for his army. With a strong military backing, Shoshenq eventually took the throne. His reign (c. 950-929 bc) marks the founding of the 22nd Dynasty (c. 950-c. 730 bc). Military controls were established, with garrisons under Libyan commandants serving to quell local insurrections, so that the structure of the state became more feudalistic. The dynasty tried to cement relations with Thebes through political marriages with priestly families. King Shoshenq's son Osorkon married Psusennes II's daughter, and their son eventually became high priest at Karnak. By installing their sons as high priests and promoting such marriages, kings strove to overcome the administrative division of the country. But frequent conflicts arose over the direct appointment of the Theban high priest from among the sons of Libyan kings and over the inheritance of the post by men of mixed Theban and Libyan descent. This tension took place against a background of Theban resentment of the northern dynasty. During the reign of Takelot II, strife concerning the high priestship led to civil war at Thebes. The king's son Osorkon was appointed high priest, and he achieved some semblance of order during his visits to Thebes, but he was driven from the post several times. The initially successful 22nd Dynasty revived Egyptian influence in Palestine. After Solomon's death (c. 936), Shoshenq I entered Palestine and plundered Jerusalem. Prestige from this exploit may have lasted through the reign of Osorkon II (ruled c. 929-c. 914 bc). In the reign of Osorkon III (ruled c. 888-c. 860 bc), Peywed Libyans posed a threat to the western delta, perhaps necessitating a withdrawal from Palestine. The latter part of the dynasty was marked by fragmentation of the land: Libyan great chiefs ruled numerous local areas, and there were as many as six local rulers in the land at a time. Increased urbanization accompanied this fragmentation, which was most intense in the delta. Meanwhile, in Thebes, a separate 23rd Dynasty was recognized. From the 9th century bc a local Cushite state, which looked to Egyptian traditions from the colonial period of the New Kingdom, arose in the Sudan and developed around the old regional capital of Napata. The earliest ruler of the state known by name was Alara, whose piety toward Amon is mentioned in several inscriptions. His successor, Kashta, proceeded into Upper Egypt, forcing Osorkon IV (ruled c. 777-c. 750 bc) to retire to the delta. Kashta assumed the title of king and compelled Osorkon IV's daughter Shepenwepe I, the God's Wife of Amon at Thebes, to adopt his own daughter Amonirdis I as her successor. The Cushites stressed the role of the God's Wife of Amon, who was virtually the consecrated partner of Amon, and sought to bypass the high priests. The known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the 23rd Dynasty are as follows:
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