The Bubastite Portal gate is located in
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Constr ...
, within the
Precinct of Amun-Re
The Precinct of Amun-Re, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the four main temple enclosures that make up the immense Karnak Temple Complex. The precinct is by far the largest of these and the only one that is open to the general public. The te ...
temple complex, between the temple of
Ramesses III
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. He is thought to have reigned from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC and is considered to be the last great monar ...
and the second pylon. It records the conquests and military campaigns in c.925 BC of
Shoshenq I, of the
Twenty-second Dynasty. Shoshenq has been identified with the biblical
Shishaq
Shishak, Shishaq or Susac (, Tiberian: , ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, an Egyptian pharaoh who sacked Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE. He is usually identified with the pharaoh Shoshenq I.Troy Leiland Sagrillo. 2015.Shoshenq I and bib ...
, such that the relief is also known as the Shishak Inscription or Shishaq Relief.
History
This gate was erected by the kings of the
Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt
The Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt is also known as the Bubastite Dynasty, since the pharaohs originally ruled from the city of Bubastis. It was founded by Shoshenq I.
The Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, and Twenty-f ...
, also known as the "Bubastite Dynasty". It is located to the south-east side of the Temple of Ramesses III.
Although Karnak had been known to Europeans since the end of the Middle Ages, the possible significance of the Bubastite Portal was not apparent prior to the decipherment of hieroglyphs.
Jean-François Champollion visited Karnak in 1828, six years after his publication of the
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is a stele composed of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Ancien ...
translation. In his letters he wrote:
Description
One facade shows King Sheshonq I, Teklot and Osorkon of the 22nd dynasty, making offerings to the gods and goddesses. Another scene shows Sheshonq grasping a group of captives by the hair and smiting them by his mace. Behind and below him, there are the names of Canaanite towns in several rows. Many of these are lost, but originally there were 156 names and one of the most interesting names which were mentioned is 'The Field of Abram' . The inscriptions give no details for this expedition and mentioned only the victory over the Asiatics.
Transliterations and translations
Below is a translation of the one hundred fifty-five names on the inscription.
Section One
Row I - Listing of the Nine bows
The Nine Bows is a visual representation in Ancient Egyptian art of foreigners or others. Besides the nine bows, there were no other generic representations of foreigners. Due to its ability to stand in for any nine enemies to Ancient Egypt, the ...
1. tꜣ rsy - Southern Land (i.e. Upper Egypt)
2. tꜣ mḥw = Northern Land (i.e. Lower Egypt)
3. jwn.tjw = Tribesmen
4. ṯhnw = Tjehenu
5. sḫt jꜣmw- Field f tents6. mn tjw= Bedouin
7. pḏ tjw swt= Bow en of the feather
8. šꜣt = Swamp (Upper Nubia
Nubia () (Nobiin: Nobīn, ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), or ...
)
9. ḥꜣ w-n.w = Northerners
Section Two - Coastal plain, Shephelah, Meggido plain and Jezreel plain
10. mj.tj ꜥ .t= Copy of the croll Croll is the surname of:
* Alexander Angus Croll, (1811-1887) British civil engineer
* Dan Croll (born 1990), British singer-songwriter
* David Croll (1900–1991), Canadian politician
* Doña Croll (born 1953), Jamaican-born British actress
* ...
11. g ..= unknown
12. m[]ꜣ[] = Makkedah
13. rwbꜣ = Rubutu, Rubate
Row II
14. tꜣꜥnkj = Taanach
15. šꜣnmꜥ = Shunem
16. bꜣtšꜣn swr = Beit She'an, Beth-Shean
17. rwꜣḫbꜣ = Rehob
18. ꜣḫpwrwm = Hapharaim
This is a list of places mentioned in the Bible, which do not have their own Wikipedia articles. See also the list of biblical places for locations which do have their own article.
A Abana
Abana, according to 2 Kings 5:12, was one of the " rive ...
19. jdrw = Adoraim (unknown locality in Israelite Kingdom, different from Adoraim in Judah) [Junkkaala, Eero. "Three conquests of Canaan: a comparative study of two Egyptian military campaigns and Joshua 10-12 in the light of recent archaeological evidence." (2006).]
20. (destroyed)
21. šꜣꜣwꜣd = unknown
22. mjꜣḥꜣnjmꜥ - Mahanaim
Mahanaim ( he, מַחֲנַיִם ''Maḥănayīm'', "camps") is a place mentioned a number of times by the Bible said to be near Jabbok, in the same general area as Jabesh-gilead, beyond the Jordan River. Although two possible sites have been ...
23. qbꜣꜥꜣnꜣ = Gibeon
24. bꜣtꜣḥwꜣrwn = Beth-Horon
Bethoron ( he, בֵית־חוֹרֹ֔ן, lit=house of Horon; grc, Ὡρωνείν), also Beth-Horon, was the name of two adjacent ancient towns strategically located on the Gibeon-Aijalon road, guarding the "ascent of Beth-Horon". The towns are ...
25. qꜣdṯm = Kiriath-jearim
Kiriath-Jearim (also Kiryat Ye'arim; he, קִרְיַת-יְעָרִים ', "city of woods"; grc, Καριαθιαριμ ; Latin: ') was a city in the Land of Israel. It is mentioned 18 times in the Hebrew Bible. The biblical place was identif ...
or Gath-Gittaim
26. jywrwn = Aijalon
The Ayalon Valley ( he, or , ''ʾAyyālōn'') is a valley in the lowland of the Shephelah in the States of Palestine and Israel, identified in the 19th century as Yalo at the foot of the Bethoron pass, a Palestinian Arab village located sout ...
Row III
27. mjkdjw = Megiddo Megiddo may refer to:
Places and sites in Israel
* Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley
* Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel
* Megiddo church (Israel)
* Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel
* Megiddo Junctio ...
28. jdrw = (Ataroth-)Addar
29. ywd-hꜥmrwk = Yad Hammelek ("hand of the king")
30. []rwt = unknown
31. ḥꜣjꜣnm = Henam
32. ꜥꜣrn = Wadi Ara, Aruna
33. bꜣrwmꜣꜥ = Burin, Nablus, Borim
34. ḏꜣdpṯrw = Giti-Padalla
35. y[]hꜣ[]mꜣ = Yehem
36. bꜣtꜥꜣrwmmꜣ = Beth 'Olam
37. kꜣꜥqꜣrw = unknown
38. šꜣjwkꜣ = Socoh
Sokho (alternate spellings: Sokhoh, Sochoh, Soco, Sokoh; he, שׂוֹכֹה ,שׂוֹכ֖וֹ ,שֹׂכֹ֖ה) is the name given to two ancient towns in the territorial domain of Judah as mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, west of the Judean hill ...
39. bꜣttꜣpw = Beth-Tappuah
Row IV
40. jbꜣrjꜣ = unknown
41. ..tp = unknown
42. (destroyed)
43. (destroyed)
44. (destroyed)
45. bꜣtḏb ..= unknown
46. nbk ..= unknown
47. .. ..= unknown
48. (destroyed)
49. (destroyed)
50. (destroyed)
51. ..sḏ ..= unknown
52. (destroyed)
Row V
53. wjrw = Penuel
54. ꜣḥꜣdšꜣt = Hadashah?
55. pktṯ / pꜣ-wr-ktṯ = unknown / "The great ''ktṯ''"
56. jdmjꜣ = Adam
57. ḏꜣ wmmꜣ = Zemaraim
58. ..rw = Migdol
59. ..wḏꜣjꜣ = Tirzah
60. ..ꜣrw = unknown
61. .. = unknown
62. (destroyed)
63. (destroyed)
64. ..ꜣpn = unknown
65. pꜣ-ꜥmq = "The valley"
Section Three - Negev area
Row VI
66. ꜥꜣjꜣḏꜣj = Ezem
67. jnꜣrw = unknown
68. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrwj = "the fort"
69. ftjywšꜣj = Photis
70. jrhrwrw = Jehallel / El-Hallal
71. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrwj = "the fort"
72. mrbꜣrmj = unknown
73. šꜣbꜣrwṯ = "stream"
74. ngbꜣrwy = of (Ezion-)Geber
75. šꜣbꜣrwṯ = "stream"
76. wꜣꜣrkytj = unknown
77. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrwj = "the fort"
78. nꜥḏꜣytj = unknown
79. dd = unknown
80. ḏꜣpꜣqj = Sapek
81. mj[]j[] = unknown
82. tꜣp ..= unknown
Row VII
83. gꜣnꜣt = unknown
84. pꜣ nꜣgbw = "The Negev"
85. ꜥꜣḏꜣḥꜥṯ = unknown
86. tꜣšdnꜣw = unknown
87. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrw = "the fort"
88. šꜣnꜣyj = unknown
89. hꜣqꜣ = unknown
90. pꜣ ng w= "The Neg v
91. wꜣhṯrwwꜣk ..= unknown
92. pꜣ nꜣgbw = "The Negev"
93. jšꜣḥtjw = Shuhah?
94. pꜣ ꜣḥgrwj = "the fort"
95. ꜣḥꜣnnj = (Ben-)Hanan
96. pꜣ ꜣḥgrwj = "the fort"
97. jrwqꜣd = El-Gad
98. jdꜣmꜣmt = unknown
99. ꜣḥꜣnꜣny = (Ben-)Hanan
Row VIII
100. jdrj = Adar
101. pꜣ ꜣḥgrw = "the fort"
102. rwꜣn = Tilon?
103. ꜣḥydbsꜣ = "Highlands"?
104. šꜣrwnrwjm = Shaaraim
105. []y ..= "Highlands"?
106. dwꜣꜣṯ = unknown
107. ꜣḥqrwjm = "forts"
108. ꜥꜣrwdjꜣt = Tel Arad, Arad
109. [rwbꜣṯ] = "Great"
110. ꜥꜣrwdjt = Arad (Tel Malhata?)
111. nbꜣpꜣttṯ = unknown
112. yꜣrẖjm = Yeroham
Yeruham ( he, יְרוֹחַם, ''Yeroham'') is a town ( local council) in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams (~38.6 km²), and had a population of in . It is named after the Biblical Jeroham.
Unt ...
113. .. = unknown
114. (destroyed)
115. (destroyed)
116. jd ..= unknown
Row IX
117. dr...= Adar
118. ..bꜣyj= unknown
119. ..ḥgj = unknown
120. []ꜣrywk = unknown
121. frwtjmjj = Cherethites and Pelethites, Peleth?
122. [ꜥ]tbꜣr = unknown
123. bpꜣjrwrḏꜣ = unknown
124. bꜣṯꜥnṯ = Beth-Anath
125. šꜣrꜣḥꜣn = Sharuhen
126. jrmꜥṯn = El-mattan
127. grwn = "threshing floor"?
128. jdꜣmꜣm = unknown
129. ..ꜣḥṯ = unknown
130. .. = unknown
131. mꜥrw ..= unknown
132. jrwr ..= unknown
133. ywrwꜣ ..= Yursa, Yurza
Row X
134. (destroyed)
135. (destroyed)
136. (destroyed)
137. (destroyed)
138. (destroyed)
139. ywrḥm = Yehoram
140. jwnn = Onam
141. (destroyed)
142. ꜣg ..= Unknown
143. (destroyed)
144. (destroyed)
145. mꜥ ..= unknown
146. j[]d ..= unknown
147. (destroyed)
148. (destroyed)
149. [...]ꜣ = unknown
150. ywrwdn = uncertain
Row X extension
1a. šꜣrwdd = unknown
2a. rpꜣḥ = Raphiah
3a. rwbn = Laban
4a. ꜥngrwn = unknown
5a. hꜣm = unknown
Biblical narrative
The Biblical narrative recounts:
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishaq
Shishak, Shishaq or Susac (, Tiberian: , ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, an Egyptian pharaoh who sacked Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE. He is usually identified with the pharaoh Shoshenq I.Troy Leiland Sagrillo. 2015.Shoshenq I and bib ...
king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt— Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, 'You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishaq.'" Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous." When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishaq. Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."
So Shishaq king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. And when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.[modified after http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2010-12;&version=47;]
The account of Shishak carrying off treasures from Jerusalem is thought by some scholars to be of dubious historicity;
see .
See also
*
List of artifacts significant to the Bible
The following is a list of inscribed artifacts, items made or given shape by humans, that are significant to biblical archaeology.
Selected artifacts significant to biblical chronology
These table lists inscriptions which are of particular sign ...
References
External links
Kevin A. Wilson....... The Campaign Of Pharaoh Shoshenq I Into Palestine
{{Karnak Temple Navigation
10th century BC in Egypt
Buildings and structures completed in the 10th century BC
10th-century BC inscriptions
Gates in Egypt
Karnak temple complex
Shoshenq I