Correcting Egyptian Chronology's 334 years error - Piye defeated Osorkon II not Osorkon IV in 743 BC

 

This is the transcript to my Youtube video with the same title.

 

In my previous video titled ‘May 15, 2817 BC start of the 523,046 days Sothic cycle & the May 27, 845 BC Sothic rise of the Ilahum Papyrus’ I dated the latter part of Ramesses III’s 7th year to 845 BC while Egyptian chronology dated it to 1179 BC, which means the 20th Dynasty during which Ramesses III reigned is 334 years too early. In this video I will explain what caused this error and how to correct it.

The 20th Dynasty period is dated by Egyptian chronology between 1189 BC - 1077 BC for a total of 112 years. This Dynasty was preceded by the 19th Dynasty whose capitals were Thebes, and later Memphis and Pi-Ramesses. It is my assumption that because the 20th Dynasty was the sole successor of the 19th Dynasty without having any rival dynasties synchronous with it, the 20th Dynasty in its early period inherited and controlled all the capitals previously held by the 19th Dynasty. That is, until rival dynasties sprouted later and started grabbing  these capitals from the 20th Dynasty during and at the end of its period.

The continuity between the 20th Dynasty and the 21st Dynasty is established by the fact that the first Pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty, Smendes, was the one who buried the last Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty Ramesses XI. The 21st Dynasty is dated by Egyptian chronology between 1077 BC - 943 BC for a total of 134 years.

I mentioned earlier that my revision of Egyptian chronology shows that the dating of the 20th Dynasty during which Ramesses III reigned is 334 years too early. This means that according to my chronology, the 20th Dynasty period is from 855 BC - 743 BC, instead of 1189 BC - 1077 BC as current Egyptian chronology would have it. Now something significant happened in 743 BC that caused the sprouting of two rival dynasties that ended the 20th Dynasty under its final Pharaoh Ramesses XI, and his control over its capitals.

Piye was a Kushite Pharaoh and founder of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled Egypt from 744 BC - 714 BC. As the son of the Kushite King Kashta, he was both the ruler of Nubia as well as Upper (or Southern) Egypt with its capital initially in Thebes, and which I believe he grabbed from the last Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty, Ramesses XI whose final year according to my chronology was in 743 BC. This forced Ramesses XI to transfer his capital to Tanis in 744 BC shortly before his death in 743 BC, and after arranging to have himself buried away from Thebes. 

Piye didn’t stop after conquering Thebes, and took advantage of the squabbling of Egypt's other rulers by expanding Nubia's power beyond Thebes into Lower (or Northern) Egypt. Piye marched north of Thebes and achieved complete victory at Herakleopolis, conquering the cities of Hermopolis and Memphis among others. Satisfied with his triumph, Piye proceeded to sail south to Thebes and returned to his homeland in Nubia never to return to Egypt. The local kings of Lower Egypt as well as Thebes (whom Piye appointed) became Piye’s vassals and were essentially free to do what they wanted without Piye's oversight.

The Stele of Piye chronicles his military feats that he achieved in his regnal year 21 in Nubia, which I believe was also the start of his 2nd year reign in Thebes, in 743 BC. 

One of the Pharaohs he mentioned conquering in this military campaign was Osorkon of Bubastis which Egyptologists identified as Osorkon IV who was the last Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty whose capitals were Bubastis and Tanis. 

Egyptian chronology dates Osorkon IV’s reign at 730 BC - 716 BC, while it dates Piye’s reign at 744 BC - 714 BC. It is quite obvious that Egyptologists interpreted the ‘regnal year 21’ mentioned in Piye’s Stele as his 21st regnal year as Pharaoh of Egypt and not as King of Nubia which in my opinion is incorrect. And this is where the root of the problem is in the current Egyptian chronology that resulted in dating the periods of dynasties earlier than the 25th Dynasty of Piye, 334 years too early.

In my revision of the Egyptian chronology, the Osorkon of Bubastis whom Piye subjugated was Osorkon II and not Osorkon IV. Osorkon II was also a Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty just like Osorkon IV, but Osorkon II’s 1st regnal year was 142 years earlier than the 1st regnal year of Osorkon IV. What is my reason for choosing Osorkon II instead of Osorkon IV as the Osorkon of Bubastis defeated by Piye and as mentioned in his stele? 

There is much debate surrounding the 23rd Dynasty, which may have been situated at Herakleopolis, Hermopolis, and Thebes. Monuments from their reign show that they controlled Upper Egypt in parallel with the 22nd dynasty, ‘shortly before the death of Osorkon II’, a Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty. Meanwhile, the 22nd Dynasty, originally from Bubastis and Tanis, took over Memphis. 

If you still recall, Piye’s capital in Egypt during his 1st year as Pharaoh of Egypt was Thebes before he marched north and conquered Herakleopolis, Hermopolis, and Memphis among others. After conquering all these Egyptian capitals, Piye returned to his homeland in Nubia, after installing vassals in these conquered capitals. I believe the Pharaohs of the 23rd Dynasty who took over Herakleopolis, Hermopolis, and Thebes, as well as the Pharaohs of the 22nd Dynasty who took over Memphis, were the vassals of Piye. 

The capital of the 22nd Dynasty was initially at Bubastis only, and this is why this dynasty is also known as the Bubastite Dynasty. This dynasty also made Tanis its capital early in its period, sometime on or shortly before Shoshenq II, its 3rd Pharaoh, who was buried in Tanis. According to my revision of Egyptian chronology, the 22nd Dynasty also took over Memphis after Piye executed Osorkon II and installed Shoshenq III in his stead, as his vassal over Memphis. Meanwhile, Harsiese A, the first Pharaoh of the 23rd Dynasty, was the vassal installed by Piye to take over Herakleopolis, Hermopolis, and Thebes.

 

Egyptian chronology dated Osorkon II’s last regnal year at 837 BC. And since I believe Piye’s conquest of Lower Egypt north of Thebes happened in his 2nd year as Pharaoh in 743 BC, Osorkon II’s last regnal year, when he was executed by Piye, should be dated in 743 BC instead. 

Also, because Egyptologists believe the 23rd Dynasty emerged ‘shortly before the death of Osorkon II’, the start of Harsiese A’s reign, the first Pharaoh of the 23rd Dynasty, should be dated in 743 BC as well.

Since the last regnal year of Osorkon II of the 22nd Dynasty was in 743 BC and not 837 BC as current Egyptian chronology would have it, this means the 22nd Dynasty was dated 94 years too early. Thus, the true start of the 22nd Dynasty currently dated in 943 BC should be dated in 849 BC instead. Also, the 22nd Dynasty lasted  227 years, so its period according to my revision of Egyptian chronology should be between 849 BC to 622 BC. 

Now if you still recall, I stated earlier that I dated the 20th Dynasty period from 855 BC - 743 BC. This was based on my own interpretation of the Sothic cycle which I discussed in detail in my previous video titled ‘May 15, 2817 BC start of the 523,046 days Sothic cycle & the May 27, 845 BC Sothic rise of the Ilahum Papyrus’. I also stated that the 23rd Dynasty started in 743 BC upon Piye’s execution of Osorkon II during Piye’s 2nd regnal year. And since 743 BC was also when the 20th Dynasty ended, this means that the 23rd Dynasty succeeded the 20th Dynasty when Piye made Harsiese A, the 1st Pharaoh of the 23rd Dynasty, his vassal over Thebes, one of the capitals of the 20th Dynasty. Piye made Harsiese A his vassal over Herakleopolis and Hermopolis as well.

The continuity between the 20th Dynasty and the 21st Dynasty is established by the fact that the first Pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty, Smendes, was the one who buried the last Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty Ramesses XI. Because according to my chronology, the 20th Dynasty ended in 743 BC, this means the 21st Dynasty started in 743 BC and ended in 609 BC, since the 21st Dynasty has a period of 134 years. 

The capital of the 21st Dynasty was in Tanis, while Pi-Ramesses was one of the capitals of the 20th Dynasty  together with Thebes and Memphis. And it was Ramesses XI, the last Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty, who shortly before his death, transferred Egypt's political capital to Tanis where he died and was buried circa 743 BC according to my chronology. Qantir was recognized as the site of the Ramesside capital Pi-Ramesses. Qantir/Pi-Ramesses lies only 30 km to the south of Tanis.

Now the 22nd Dynasty made Tanis one of its capitals early in its period, sometime on or shortly before Shoshenq II, its 3rd Pharaoh, who was buried in Tanis. I dated the 22nd Dynasty period between 849 BC to 622 BC, or 94 years later than the dating of Egyptian chronology. So therefore,  the reign of Shoshenq II according to my revision of Egyptian chronology was between 793 BC - 791 BC, which is also 94 years later than how Egyptian chronology dated his reign.  

Because Ramesses XI, the last Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty, transferred his capital to Tanis only shortly before his death in 743 BC, while Shoshenq II of the 22nd Dynasty was already in control of it as early as 793 BC, it means it was the 22nd Dynasty which first built Tanis as its capital and not Ramesses XI. However, shortly before his death in 743 BC, and specifically in 744 BC, Ramesses XI succeeded in grabbing Tanis from Osorkon II, who was the Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty that time. 744 BC was also when Piye grabbed Thebes from Ramesses XI, forcing Ramesses XI to look for another capital which Ramesses XI found in Tanis.

Osorkon II’s eviction from Tanis by Ramesses XI in 744 BC forced Osorkon II to move to Bubastis, an earlier capital of the 22nd Dynasty before Tanis, situated just about 52.55 kilometers southwest of Tanis. Bubastis was also where Osorkon II was defeated by Piye in 743 BC, and which was why Piye referred to him as Osorkon of Bubastis in Piye’s victory stele. 

I also believe that it was Piye who, in 743 BC, transferred the control of Tanis to Smendes of the 21st Dynasty as his vassal, after Piye defeated Ramesses XI in battle. According to Egyptologists, Ramesses XI died under unknown circumstances.

I dated the 20th Dynasty period between 855 BC - 743 BC, while I dated the 22nd Dynasty period between 849 BC to 622 BC, which means the 22nd Dynasty started 6 years after the start of the 20th Dynasty, and ran parallel with the 20th Dynasty during its first 106 years. The 23rd Dynasty succeeded the 20th Dynasty right after its end, and lasted for a period of 109 years. This means the 23rd Dynasty period is between 743 BC - 634 BC. I dated the 21st Dynasty, which also succeeded the 20th Dynasty after its end, between 743 BC -  609 BC, for a total of 134 years. 

Current Egyptian chronology dates the period of the 24th Dynasty between 732 BC–720 BC, the period of the 25th Dynasty between 744 BC–656 BC, and the period of the 26th Dynasty between 664 BC–525 BC. I have no revisions to the dating of the 24th, the 25th, and the 26th  dynasties, however, according to my chronology, the number of years from the start of the 20th Dynasty (which I dated in 855 BC) and the end of the 26th Dynasty (which is dated by Egyptian chronology in 525 BC), are 330 years. 

While according to Egyptian chronology, the number of years from the start of the 20th Dynasty (which it dated in 1189 BC) and the end of the 26th Dynasty (which it dated in 525 BC), are 664 years. 

The difference between my chronology, 330 years, and current Egyptian chronology, 664 years, is 334 years, and this is why I believe current Egyptian chronology, for several dynasties before the 25th Dynasty, was 334 years too early.