Pije

Name of Pije
Horus name	Sema-taui Sm3-t3.wj Union of the two countries Sehetep-tauifi Sḥtp-t3.wj = fj Who satisfies his two countries Ka-tauifi K3-t3.wj = fj bull of his two countries Chai-em-Waset Ḥˁj-m-W3st Who appears in Thebes
Sideline	Mesi-hemut Msj-ḥm.wt Heka-kemet Ḥq3-Km.t ruler of Egypt
Gold name	Sascha-qenu Sˁš3-qnw
Throne name	User-maat-Re Wsr-m3ˁ.t-Rˁ Stark is the Maat of Re / Stark an Maat, a Re Men-cheper-Re Mn-ḫpr.w-Rˁ Remaining is the form of the Re / With remaining form, a Re
Proper name	Pianchi P ˁnḫj The living Pije Py Meriamunpianchi Mrj Jmn P3 ˁnḫj The living, loved by Amun

Pije , also Pi'anchi , Piye , Pianchy , Piankhy , was the second pharaoh (king) of the Cushitic 25th dynasty of Egypt . Pije succeeded the throne as the son of Kashta in the eighth year of Auput II's reign and ruled from around 746 to 716 BC. During his 20th year of reign, Pije conquered Egypt in a campaign coming from the south as far as the Nile Delta .

The details are written on a stele found in 1862 in the Temple of Amun in Napata on the 4th cataract ( Gebel Barkal ) . The victory stele of the Pije is the most important source for the political history and situation of Egypt in the second half of the eighth century BC. Chr.

family

Pijes father is the Nubian Pharaoh Kashta, his mother was called Pabatma. His wives are Pekereslo (Peksater), Tabiri (daughter of Alara ), Abale , Kensa and Neferukakaschta. Siblings of Pije are Schabaka , Amenirdis I. and General Pekartror.

His children include the later pharaohs Schabataka , Taharqa , the god's wife of Amun Schepenupet II and the other daughters Arti (wife of Schabataka), Naparaja, Tekahatamani and Tabakenamun (wives of Taharqa).

About the name Pije or Pianchi

The traditional reading of the royal name Pianchi has been corrected on the basis of various research results in Pije (see Parker 1966, von Beckerath 1969, Vittman 1974 and Kausen 1985). Vittmann 1974 showed that the traditional reading Pianchi is quite possible as an Egyptian variant alongside the Nubian reading Pije . Incidentally, both readings mean the same thing, namely the living .

Title

Since the Middle Kingdom, the full title of a pharaoh has consisted of a sequence of five names, the birth name or proper name , Horus name , Nebti name , gold name and throne name .

• Maiden name or proper name: Pije - the living or the living
• Name of Horus : Who is content with his city; Who pacifies his two countries; Bull of his two countries; Strong bull appearing in Napata (= enthroned); Strong bull appearing (= enthroned) in Thebes ; Union of the two countries,
• Nebti name : ruler of Egypt; With constant kingship like Re in heaven; Bull; The art produces ,
• Gold name : Holy in appearances, with strong power; Everyone lives when they see it as a horizon; Who makes the brave (soldiers) numerous ,
• Throne name : Reich an Maat (User-Maat-Re), a Re; He who shows the Re beautiful (or: a benefactor, a Re); A Re with a lasting shape.

With the first or last throne name, Pije refers back to Thutmose III. or Ramses II. The proper name was probably Pije (the sign anch "Leben" is not to be read, but is interpreting sign for the Meroitic word pi / e "Leben").

Pijes campaign

In the second half of the 8th century BC Two dynasties rivaled for supremacy in all of Egypt: the Libyan dynasty of Sais , known as the 24th dynasty (740–712), and the Nubian rulers of the 25th dynasty (750–655) from their Nubian residence, Napata. After Pijes father Kashta managed to occupy Thebes around 750, his suzerainty was formally recognized throughout Egypt. Kaschta becomes the founder of the XXV. Dynasty, his son Pije about 745 his successor. The weakness of the Nubian presence in Lower Egypt allows the Libyan prince Tefnachte of Sais to subdue large parts of Lower Egypt from the western delta (730–725). Then he tried, in part successfully, to establish himself in Middle Egypt . Even Hermopolis under his prince Namart falls away from Pije and becomes an ally of Tefnacht. This is the starting point of the report on the large victory stele.

Pije (approx. 725) reacts to this situation with his campaign to Upper Egypt . Hermopolis is regained after a heavy siege, several cities and fortresses on the way to the delta surrender to the Pije, after all it takes Tefnachtes most important base Memphis by storm. Tefnachte withdraws to the extreme north-west delta and submits through a messenger. With this, Pije has established Nubian sovereignty over all of Egypt and is withdrawing to Nubia - apparently without further consolidating his rule.

The rule of the Nubians over Lower Egypt did not last long. A few years later, Tefnachtes son Bokchoris recaptured Memphis with Assyrian help. However, he is defeated by Pharaoh Shabako , Pijes' successor, around 712; thereafter the Nubian rule in Egypt can last until 664.

Pijes construction activity

As a builder, Pije is particularly prominent in its capital Napata and the surrounding area. He has statues from the temple of Amenhotep III. bring to his new residence. But he also expands the Amun - Temple and is witnessed by other smaller monuments in Napata. In Egypt itself it is documented relatively rarely. Perhaps the stele with the praise of Mutirdis (Louvre C 100) can be assigned to him.

The victory stele of the Pije

The most important historical source on Pije (Pianchi) is its large victory stele in the Cairo Museum . It was discovered in situ in 1862 in the Amun temple of the Nubian residence Napata at the foot of the Gebel Barkal (4th Nile cataract). It has been in the Cairo Museum since 1864 as object JE 48862 (see Kausen 1985).

The gray granite stele is 180 cm high, 184 cm wide and 43 cm thick. The largely preserved inscription - one of the most extensive historical ancient Egyptian texts - is attached in a total of 159 lines on all four sides, the rounded gable field contains images of the most important people in the report, accompanied by brief inscriptions.

Pije erected the stele on the occasion of his victory over the Libyan prince Tefnachte around 720 BC. Pijes report is one of the most important and best-preserved historical documents of the late Egyptian period and is also of literary importance due to its fresh, realistic style, which contrasts favorably with the formulaic nature of many other Egyptian victory reports. His language is an archaic Middle Egyptian , whose rules are not strictly adhered to everywhere.

Below are a few lines from Pijes report. After defeating his important opponent Namart, he visits his horse stable, which is reported as follows (translation from Kausen 1985):

His Majesty (Pije) then went to the horse stable and the foal stables. When he saw that the horses had been starved (during the war), he said to Namart: “In my life, as much as I love Re and my nose is refreshed with life: how much it hurts in my heart that these horses had to starve, worse than any other crime that you have committed in your carelessness. ”… Then his (Namart's) property was transferred to the royal treasury and his granary of the benefices of Amun (the Amun priests) in Ipet-sut ( Thebes).

The pije blocks

Margaret Benson came across three relatively well-preserved blocks of sandstone on which ships were depicted during her excavations in the Temple of Courage in 1896 . At the moment of discovery, however, she did not attach any importance to them. However, when they found two more blocks the next year and discovered that they came from the Nubian King Pianchi of the 25th Dynasty, these blocks caused a sensation, so they looked for more - but found none - and the scenes depicted could only be partially understood.

The five blocks were only partially preserved. They represent the arrival of the ships from a voyage to Nubia. Above the depicted ships were inscriptions with their cargo. Benson and Percy Newberry describe the legible ship names as follows:

The first ship was called "Ship of Amun" and was loaded with gold. The next one was called “Big Ship of Sais” and had General Tefnacht , a vassal of Piankhy, who is called “The Great of the Fleet”, on board. The third was the "Ship of King Piankhi" with a length of about 23 m and another name was "Harim of Amun".

The cargo of the other ships consisted mainly of "nef" plants, as also mentioned in the grave of Rekhmire TT100 , and palm fruits. The number of bundles is also listed. On the back of some blocks there were badly damaged reliefs with religious content. Due to other missing blocks, a sequence could no longer be derived.

According to Percy Newberry, the voyage would have to date before the 25th year of Pianchi's reign, because Tefnacht, who is mentioned here by name, was later one of the main actors in the uprising against Pianchi and became "Lord of Sais". Tefnacht was defeated and executed by Piankhy's successor, Shabako. The discovery of these blocks was of great importance, since until then there was hardly any evidence of Pianchi - with the exception of his stele from Gebel Barkal in the then Museum of Giza.

In Part V of The Temple of Mut in Asher , Percy Newberry describes the blocks as follows:

The inscriptions - if preserved - above the reliefs indicate the length and width of the ships as well as the cargo carried. The dimensions are given in "cubits". Newberry reckons that Pianchi's ship is 43 cubits long and is a little over 75 feet = approx. 23 m. The cargo of the ships consisted of:

• "Nef" plants (no translation) 6400 - 2200 - 4000 - 4000 bundles (on 4 ships)
• Nuts of the “dum” palm (Hyphaene Thebaica) 60,000 and 30,000 others illegible
• Lovebirds: 340 - 240 - 240 - 300 - 440 (on 5 ships)
• Oxhide shields: 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 (on 4 ships)
• Leather or parchment rolls: 12 - 15 (on 2 ships)
• "Pessa" plants: 20 - 13 - 12 - 12 (on 4 ships)
• "Zef" Reet: 300 - 300 - 300 bundles (on 3 ships)
• “Bennu” stone: 12 - 12 blocks. The stone was used for inlay work
• "Staves" (or wands? = Sticks) for the hour priests: 50 - 50 - 50 - 50 (on 4 ships)
• Woven fabric: 50 - 50 - 50 (on 3 ships)
• Bundles from "shut" (Andropogon Schoemanthus)
• Two types of linen

Newberry, himself a trained biologist, took the Latin names of the plants from Victor Loret's 1892 book “La flore pharaonique d'apres les documents hieroglyphiques et les specimens decouverts dans les tombes”. According to Newberry, the "pessa" plant is also mentioned in the " Papyrus Harris " and was not yet identified according to Newberry. The “Bennu” stone is also listed in this papyrus.

• Block I: The first ship, of which only half has been preserved, is called "Ship of Amun" and appeared to be loaded with gold. The second ship “Big Ship of Sais” has on board the “General of the Soldiers of Herakleopolis” and “the Great of the Fleet” Tefnacht, who stands in front of a kind of hut on deck. The front part of the third ship, "King Pianchi's Ship", has been preserved.
• Block II: parts of two boats are shown and the remains of four inscriptions have been preserved. The names cannot be read. Below are two more ships, the second of which was called "Ship of the Harem of Amun".
• Block III: A ship is shown in its entirety, manned with 10 rowers on each side, a helmsman and a lookout. The name of the ship has been destroyed and the cargo has only been preserved in fragments.
• Block IV: the remains of two ships have been preserved. The cargo lists are destroyed. The whole stone is damaged by salt and is peeling off.
• Block V: On this mutilated block you can see the bow of one of the expedition ships, which appears to be approaching the Karnak wharf. You can see fertile land by the water, an obelisk, pylon and sphinx.
• Back: Three of the blocks are provided with religious scenes on the back, which, however, cannot be related. Block I shows a kneeling priest and a date "fourth month of the flood, day 19".

• 

  Arrival of the ships from Pije (also Pianchi) from Nubia. Relief in the Temple District of Courage.

• 

  above: parts of two boats. below: A ship complete with crew.

• 

  above: remains of two ships. below: Arrival in Thebes / Karnak.

Pyramid tomb

The pyramid tomb of Pije is located in the necropolis of El Kurru . Shabtis and libation stands have been preserved from his robbed burial. There is also a gold bracelet from Pije. Pijes' favorite horses - the text excerpt from the victory stele quoted above identifies him as a horse lover - are buried near him.

swell

Egyptian text of the victory stele

• Auguste Ferdinand François Mariette: Monuments divers en Égypte et en Nubie. Pls. I-VI. Paris 1872-1889. (First publication of the text of the victory stele, today out of date.)
• Heinrich Schäfer: Documents of Ancient Egypt III. Leipzig 1905. (Standard text of the victory stele, pp. 1–56.)

Translations and adaptations of the victory stele of the Pije

• Ernst Kausen: The victory stele of the Pije. In: Otto Kaiser (Ed.) Texts from the environment of the Old Testament . Historical-chronological texts III. Gütersloher Verlagshaus Gerd Mohn, Gütersloh 1985. (Complete translation of the large victory stele of Pije, based on the Egyptian original with detailed explanations.)
• Nicholas-Christophe Grimal: La stèle triomphale de Pi (`ankh) y au Musée du Caire JE 48862 et 47086-47089. In: Mémoires publiés par les Membres de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du Caire. (MIFAO) Volume 105, Cairo 1981. (Complete French arrangement and translation of the victory stele.)
• Miriam Lichtheim: Ancient Egyptian Literature III. Berkeley / Los Angeles / New York 1980. (English translation.)
• James Henry Breasted: Ancient Records of Egypt IV. Chicago 1906. (Older English translation.) ( Digitized version )

literature

Egyptian pharaohs

• Jürgen von Beckerath: Chronology of the pharaonic Egypt. The timing of Egyptian history from prehistoric times to 332 BC BC (= Munich Egyptological Studies. Volume 46). von Zabern, Mainz 1997, ISBN 978-3-8053-2310-9 .
• Jürgen von Beckerath: Handbook of the Egyptian king names. 2nd improved and expanded edition, von Zabern, Mainz 1999, ISBN 978-3-8053-2591-2 .
• Rudolf Fischer: The black pharaohs. A thousand years of history and art from the first high culture within Africa. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1980, ISBN 978-3-7857-0252-9 .
• Susanne Martinssen-von Falck: The great pharaohs. From the New Kingdom to the Late Period. Marix, Wiesbaden 2018, ISBN 978-3-7374-1057-1 , pp. 194–197.
• Thomas Schneider : Lexicon of the Pharaohs. Albatros, Düsseldorf 2002, ISBN 3-491-96053-3 , pp. 197-198.

Historical background

• Roberto B. Gozzoli: The Writing of History in Ancient Egypt during the First Millennium BC (approx. 1070-180 BC), Trends and Perspectives. Golden House, London 2006, ISBN 0-9550256-3-X , pp. 54-67.
• Karl Jansen-Winkeln : The Chronology of the Third Intermediate Period: Dyns 22-24. In: Erik Hornung, Rolf Krauss, David A. Warburton (eds.): Ancient Egyptian Chronology (= Handbook of Oriental studies. Section One. The Near and Middle East. Volume 83). Brill, Leiden / Boston 2006, ISBN 978-90-04-11385-5 , pp. 234-264 ( online ).
• Kenneth A. Kitchen: The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100-650 BC). Aris & Phillips, Warminster 1973, ISBN 978-0-85668-001-4 .
• Hermann De Meulenaere: Fischer World History IV. Fischer, Frankfurt 1967.
• Karol Myśliwiec: Mr. Both countries. Egypt in the 1st millennium BC Chr. (= Cultural history of the ancient world. Volume 69). von Zabern, Mainz 1998, ISBN 978-3-8053-1966-9 .
• Anthony Spalinger: The Military Background of the Campaign of Piye (Piankhy) (= Studies on Ancient Egyptian Culture. Volume 7). Hamburg 1979, ISSN  0340-2215 , pp. 273-301.

Reading of the name Pianchi or Pije

• Jürgen von Beckerath: About the names of the Kushite king Pi'anchy. In: Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department. (MDAIK) No. 24, Wiesbaden 1969.
• Richard A. Parker: King Py, A Historical Problem. In: Journal for Egyptian Language and Antiquity . (ZÄS) Volume 93, Leipzig / Berlin 1966, pp. 111-114.
• Günther Vittman: On the reading of the king's name (P-anx-y) |. In: Orientalia. Commentarii periodici Pontificii instituti biblici, Nova Series (OrNS) Volume 43, Rome 1974, pp. 12-16 (on the reading of the royal name Pije - Pianchi).

Literary processing

• Christian Jacq : The black pharaoh. Rowohlt hardback, 1999, ISBN 3-8052-0647-X , Rowohlt Taschenbuch, 2000, ISBN 3-499-22760-6 , original title: Le Pharao noir (1997).

Web links

Commons : Pije  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Francis Breyer:  Pije / Pianchi. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific biblical lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff., Accessed on May 26, 2012.
• The Piankhi / Piye Stela (JE 48862) ( Memento from August 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive )

• Dan'el Kahn, University of Haifa: I Swear to Pay (only Part of) My Taxes. Padieses Oath to Piankhy. in: JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} after Jürgen von Beckerath: Handbook of Egyptian royal names. Mainz 1999.
2. ↑ Dating from Jürgen von Beckerath: Chronology of Pharaonic Egypt. ... Mainz 1997.
3. ↑ M. Benson: The Temple of Mut in Asher . Murray, London 1899, Part V, p. 370 ff.

predecessor	Office	successor
Kashta	Pharaoh of Egypt 25th Dynasty	Shebitko

predecessor	Office	successor
Kashta	King of Nubia 746–715 / 713 BC Chr.	Shebitko