Third Intermediate Period
Smendes I (Nesbanebdjed)
21st Dynasty (Tanite) · 1069-945 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Background
Smendes I founded the 21st Dynasty but never actually ruled a united Egypt, presiding instead over an informal north-south power-sharing arrangement with the High Priests of Amun that defined the entire Third Intermediate Period. Research: UCL Digital Egypt; Metropolitan Museum.
Reign dates: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
A divided kingdom
Smendes I officially founded the 21st Dynasty following the death of Ramesses XI. He was likely a military man who legitimized his claim to the throne by marrying Tentamun, a daughter of Ramesses IX. He moved the official capital to the northern city of Tanis because the Nile branch near the former capital of Pi-Ramesses had silted up.
The agreement with Thebes
In reality, Smendes only controlled Lower Egypt (from the Mediterranean to just south of the Fayum). Upper Egypt was entirely under the control of Herihor and the High Priests of Amun in Thebes. Because Smendes lacked the manpower to conquer the south, and the priests did not wish to march north, the two factions reached an unofficial agreement to peacefully coexist while acknowledging the god Amun as the ultimate ruler of a divided Egypt.
The report of Wenamun
Smendes is prominently featured in the ancient literary text known as the Report of Wenamun. The text describes an Egyptian priest traveling to Byblos to purchase cedar wood, only to be robbed and treated with intense disrespect by the local Canaanite ruler. Historians agree this story perfectly reflects the severe collapse of Egyptian prestige and imperial authority abroad during Smendes's reign.
Sources for this profile
- Shaw, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.
- Dodson, A., & Hilton, D. (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.
- Leprohon, R. J. (2013). The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary. Society of Biblical Literature.
- UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Chronology. UCLA.
- University College London. Digital Egypt for Universities.
The complete, APA-formatted reference list is on the Academic Sources & Bibliography page.