730–715 BCE
23rd Dynasty of Egypt
c. 818–715 BCE
The 23rd Dynasty is a group of Libyan-descended kings, associated with Leontopolis and Thebes, who ruled at the same time as the 22nd Dynasty. It was not a unified state in the modern sense, and its sequence and start date are debated.
It was a period of competition among royal lines and local power centres, and ended as the Kushite kings extended their control northward.
- Dates
- c. 818–715 BCE
- Rulers profiled
- 6
Rulers of the 23rd Dynasty
Every ruler profile in the archive for this dynasty, in the order used by the chronology. Each name links to a full profile with dates, background, sources and illustrations.
23rd Dynasty (classification disputed)
23rd Dynasty (Libyan)
818–793 BCE
c.780 BCE
777–749 BCE
754–734 BCE
734–731 BCE
Major monuments
- Theban and Delta inscriptions
- local monuments
- Leontopolis region
- Theban inscriptions
- Nile Valley monuments
Key events
- Competition among Libyan royal houses and local power centres.
- Contests for Thebes and regional authority
- interaction with Kushite expansion.
Reading the evidence
The very definition, membership and starting date of Dynasty 23 are debated; the label is retained to make the uncertainty visible.
It was not a unified successor state in the modern sense; its sequence and territorial reach remain debated.
Sources: Kitchen (1996); Leahy; Shaw (2000); Metropolitan Museum. See the full bibliography.