Lably
Skip to content

Bubastite Portal

  • 7 min read
  • 4 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)

Lab · Class 6–9The Chola Empire

The Bubastite Portal gate is located in Karnak, within the Precinct of Amun-Re temple complex, between the temple of Ramesses III and the second pylon. It records the conquests and military campaigns c. 925 BC of Shoshenq I, of the Twenty-second Dynasty. Shoshenq has been identified with the biblical Shishaq, 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, 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 translation. In his letters he wrote:

"In this wonderful palace, I have contemplated the portraits of most of the old Pharaohs known for their great deeds, and these are true portraits.... one sees Mandoueï fighting the enemies of Egypt, and returning as triumphator to his homeland; farther along [in the series of images, one sees] the campaigns of Ramses-Sesostris; elsewhere, [one sees] Sésonchis hanging about at the feet of the Theban trinity (Amun, Mut and Khonsu), [and] the chiefs of more than thirty conquered nations, among which I found, as it should have been, fully spelled out, Ioudahamalek, "the kingdom of the Jews," or "[the kingdom] of Judah". There is in that [inscription] a commentary to connect to chapter 14 of the third book of Kings, which recounts in effect the arrival of Sésonchis (Sheshonq) at Jerusalem and his success [there]: thus, the identity that we have established between the Egyptian Sheschonck, the Sésonchis of Manetho and the Shishak or Scheschôk of the Bible is confirmed in the most satisfactory manner."

— Jean-François Champollion, Lettres ecrites d'Egypte et de Nubie en 1828 et 1829

Sign in to keep reading

3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Ancient history

Ancient RomeRoman civilisation from the 8th century BC to the 5th century ADAncient GreeceGreek civilization from 1200 BC to 600 ADAncient EgyptCradle of civilization in North AfricaBronze AgeHistorical period (c. 3300–1200 BCE)MesopotamiaHistorical region of West AsiaAchaemenid EmpireAncient Iranian empire, 550–330 BC