Relief of Shishak
The relief of Shishak I ( Hebrew: שישק, Greek: Σουσακιμ) is an image etched into stone on a wall in the Karnak Temple Complex. It depicts a pharaoh, Shishak I, surrounded by a list of all the city states that Shishak has conquered, in hieroglyphs of course. Shishak I was an Egyptian pharaoh mentioned in the Bible in 2 Chronicles 12: 1-12 and 1 Kings 11:40, 14: 25. He is best known for waging war against the Kingdom of Judah. He was reinforced by his allies the Lubim, modern day Libyans, as well as the Kushites, modern day Ethiopians. Shishak was the son of Nimlot A and Tentsepeh A and his grandparents were the Chief of the MA Shoshenk. Shishak had been the Commander-In-Chief of the total Egyptian Army before his reign as Pharaoh. He had a very aggressive view on his policy towards other nations. His name has been found etched to the bottom of a statue in the Lebanese city of Byblos and the Relief of Shishak not only in the Karnak Temple Complex but also on the walls of temple of Amun at al-Hibah. The list of city-states on the relief includes entries that range from regions located in Syria, Phoenicia, and Philistia to Narev as well as the Kingdom of Israel. In the bible, it is said that Jeroboam fled to the Kingdom of Shishak to escape from Solomon. Shishak also attacked Jerusalem as quoted in the bible," After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 12: 1-4)" The Karnak Temple Complex is a mix of eroding temples that have managed to stay standing for thousands of years. Currently, it is an open air museum and is the largest ancient religious site in the world. The difference between the Karnak temple Complex and other temples is the period of time it took for the complex to be built. It took roughly 30 pharaohs to complete the temple with its size and complexity. The Karnak is the home to one of two reliefs of Shishak, a great, unique monument with a direct connection the bible.
Sources:
- "Shishak Relief: The Invasion of the Holy Land by Egypt 925 B.C | Bible Discovered." Bible DiscoveredRSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013. <http://www.biblediscovered.com/jerusalem-antiquities/shishak-relief-the-invasion-of-the-holy-land-by-egypt-925-bc/>.
- "Shishak." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 May 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shishak>.