DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12609#0079
CHASM BETWEEN SIIISHAK AND SO.
G3
the monumental history becomes almost a blank.
During a long interval no grand works appear
to have been undertaken; no brilliant achieve-
ments were recorded by the sculptor. Every
thing indicates either that the seat of government
had been removed to Lower Egypt, or that the
Theban monarchy was rapidly on the wane. If the
latter, we may suppose that the provinces of the
Delta would not long submit to a distant enfeebled
administration. Some powerful noble would pro-
bably assume the chief command and found a new
dynasty. Whether then the Theban family had
removed their court to Memphis or not, it seems very
likely that during this hiatus in the monumental
history of Thebes a succession of kings were reigning
in Lower Egypt. On turning to the Old Chronicle,
accordingly, after the two long lines of Diospolite
princes we find two dynasties of Tanite kings, reign-
ing together 169 years. The cities of Lower Egypt
having been totally destroyed, none of their buildings
remain.
At length the ancient capital appears again to have
become the residence of the sovereigns of Egypt.
Shishak marched out against his Asiatic neighbours,
and upon his victorious return, Egyptian sculptors
were once more called upon to commemorate the
exploits of Egyptian conquerors on the walls of
Theban temples. Here too the Old Chronicle har-
monizes with hieroglyphic evidence: at this point it
G3
the monumental history becomes almost a blank.
During a long interval no grand works appear
to have been undertaken; no brilliant achieve-
ments were recorded by the sculptor. Every
thing indicates either that the seat of government
had been removed to Lower Egypt, or that the
Theban monarchy was rapidly on the wane. If the
latter, we may suppose that the provinces of the
Delta would not long submit to a distant enfeebled
administration. Some powerful noble would pro-
bably assume the chief command and found a new
dynasty. Whether then the Theban family had
removed their court to Memphis or not, it seems very
likely that during this hiatus in the monumental
history of Thebes a succession of kings were reigning
in Lower Egypt. On turning to the Old Chronicle,
accordingly, after the two long lines of Diospolite
princes we find two dynasties of Tanite kings, reign-
ing together 169 years. The cities of Lower Egypt
having been totally destroyed, none of their buildings
remain.
At length the ancient capital appears again to have
become the residence of the sovereigns of Egypt.
Shishak marched out against his Asiatic neighbours,
and upon his victorious return, Egyptian sculptors
were once more called upon to commemorate the
exploits of Egyptian conquerors on the walls of
Theban temples. Here too the Old Chronicle har-
monizes with hieroglyphic evidence: at this point it