Fesseha 17

Ethiopia's 5000 Year History, from Noah until the EPRDF, Fesseha Yaze Kassa, AD 2011

translated and annotated by Ras Feqade, AD 2021

### Chapter 17 - Reign of King Shabaka 742-730 BC

[The dates given would denote 734-722 BC in the Western Calendar, but the traditional Ethiopian sequence in these two chapters is still somewhat out of synch with the known Egyptian record. When Piankhi II passed in 714 BC, he was evidently succeeded by his son Shebitku in Egypt, who is not on the Ethiopian kinglist, and is not even mentioned here (although Tekletsadek describes him as "Shabatoka"). It was Shebitku, not his uncle Shabaka II, who completed the conquest of Lower Egypt by defeating Bakhenranef or Bocchoris (whom Fesseha calls 'Konraf', and Tekletsadek 'Bokenraf' and more accurately, 'Bakenranew'). Shebitku was succeeded in all of Egypt by Shabaka II, the brother (not grandson) of Piankhi, in 705 BC, and presumably came to power in Ethiopia then as well, following his sister Queen Nikanta, who was also High Priestess Amenerdis of Thebes with the throne name Hatneferumut. Her rule in Ethiopia should thus be placed in the intervening years 714-705 BC, before Shabaka II who ruled 705-690 BC over both Egypt and Ethiopia.]

We have seen that Shabaka is a grandson of Piyanki II. And usually while the name whereby he called is this, Shabaka, in the pronunciation of Ancient Egypt, Shabaka, without adding the "ka", means Shaba or Saba. But in the pronunciation of Egyptians when "ka" is added, it is said that Shabaka was named to say the Shaba /the Saba/. And there are those who say this is to reveal his being of the party of Saba.

[Tekletsadek refers to him as 'Shabaka II', as he has already identified the previous king Tewasya II (who ruled 806-785 BC) as also having the cognomen 'Shabaka'.]

And additionally on his name, like his fathers they call him Mey Amun, friend of Amun. Greek writers including Manetho, Herodotus, Diodorus, call this king "Sabakos" or "Sabakon".

Bishop John of Nicea moreover in the book called 'Yohannes Medeber' named after his name, has called him Sewaken. In the Holy Bible moreover, he is called in the Amharic "Sowaken", in the Ge'ez "Segol". /II Kings 17:14/ Overall, Tekletsadek Mekuria, quoting Dr. Reisner, Wallace Budge, Herodotus Book II, Katawi Pasha and other books including Yohannes Medeber, has said much for him in his first book on Napata Meroe.

[The 'So' of II Kings is usually identified with the Meshwesh Pharaoh Osorkhon IV of Tanis (730-716 BC).]

Preceding Shabaka's proceding to the throne, at the time when his father Kastah ruled including Upper Egypt, the son of Tefnekta who had sworn for his grandfather Pianki II saying 'I will be ruled for thee', after Pianki died, had tried to proclaim freedom for Lower Egypt telling his father-in-law Kastah 'I won't be ruled'.

While the son of Tefnekta, Konraf, who was handed the authority by his father, without the Pharaohship being confirmed by agreement, was saying in himself 'I am Pharaoh' and while he was administering in Lower Egypt, Shabaka was obliged to campaign against him.

And when Shabaka campaigned from Napata to Lower Egypt, as the princes and officials of Egypt had held a grudge on Konraf, they enlightened for Shabaka /that he was disparaging the gods/. And in his campaign, he was able to be the owner of full victory, and he obliterated Konraf's army, and capturing Konraf himself, saying "For thou hast dismissed the word thy father Tefnekta confirmed in an oath to be ruled for my grandfather King Piyanki II; and thou hast said 'I won't be subject'...", he burnt him in a fire until including his life.

And then after the Ethiopian king Shabaka, annexed Lower and Upper Egypt, and likewise Libya to his own domain, just like his grandfather, instead of returning to Napata, he began to administer being there in Egypt. He held the main Pharaohship and authority of Egypt. And giving his sister full authority, he coronated her in Lower Egypt in Thebes beneath him.

And because she was clever and powerful, in the era of the 3 kings who reigned after Shabaka, she has been able to administer the whole of Egypt being like a regent.

Until the reign of Shabaka, when various kings on the throne of Egypt had endured until the 24th dynasty while they sat in Pharaohship, now in the time of Shabaka's reign though, Ethiopians by means of King Shabaka have been able to administer Egypt founding the 25th dynasty.

And the era of dominion when King Shabaka administed Ethiopia, enduring in 12 years, it is that he passed making Ethiopia illustrious likee his grandfather, fulfilling stout actions that resembled this. And when he died, his sister whom we said he coronated her in full authority, has been handed the kingdom. And she is who is called Nikanta Qendake or Hendake, who was set on the list continuing from Shabaka.

### Chapter 18 - Reign of Queen Nikanta Hendake 730-720 BC

We have seen that Queen Nikanta Qendake was Shabaka's sister. At the time her brother Shabaka was main Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, she would rule in Upper Egypt and Napata beneath him, making her capital in Thebes. And when she was there, she is who endured pairing authority of the palace and of the priesthood while she was called 'Queen of Upper Egypt, the great priestess of Amon who bows for Amon'.

[The above is essentially correct, except that it was apparently when her nephew Shebitku was main Pharaoh, 714-705 BC, while her brother Shabaka II would succeed them both in 705 BC.]

And when they call her, it is by what the Egyptians call Amenirites, the Greeks Kendake; our Ge'ez book, Hendake. And it has been known alongside everyone that this queen was awesome and respected. And what made her respected above all is the spiritual authority she had in the temple of Amon. In the earlier era of her brother's dominion, it was only the crown of Napata and Upper Egypt that Nikanta Hendake had.

[This name is sometimes rendered Candace, and seems to have been a title borne by most regnant queens in Ethiopia. Incidentally, the spelling Hendeke is sometimes also used to mean the country of India.]

But later she was able to wear the crowns of both Upper and Lower Egypt. And in all her era, while she was a wife, sister and regent for Ethiopian kings, she has endured being a queen who passed along in large authority and respect.

She has also borne children by marrying with Egyptians who have descent of princes and kings, and likewise with Ethiopian kings. And within these, to give the king of Egypt called Psammeticus I a successor for the 26th dynasty substituted after the Ethiopians, and lest Ethiopian descent be lost from the realm of Egypt, she has married off her daughter /Shap An Ap/ with Psammeticus I.

And it is said that Hendake bore Shap An Ap from an Ethiopian King. And her fame has been able to be confirmed by her marble statue in Karnak, in the city of Thebes, including the writings found, and in the writings that the French expert called Mariette translated. And in the time of her rule, while the Assyrians were illustrious, as it was a period when hints were seen showing that they wanted to level an attack coming to Egypt, after she ruled in Queendom around ten years, she made him called Tiharqa to be substituted beneath her.

[It is said that Shepenupet II was Piankhi II's daughter, who was adopted by Amenirdis, who was thus her aunt. Shepenupet II is said to have adopted Psamtik I's daughter, but not to have married him. Nikanta's reign must have been 714-705 BC, followed by her brother Shabaka II, not directly by Tirhakah.]

* Next: Fesseha 19.