| Necho I | |
|---|---|
![Horus statuette bearing the cartouches of Necho I. London, Petrie Museum.[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNecho_I_Horus.png) Horus statuette bearing the cartouches of Necho I. London,Petrie Museum.[1] | |
King of Sais | |
| Reign | 672–664 BCE |
| Predecessor | Nekauba orTefnakht II[2] |
| Successor | Psamtik I |
| Consort | Istemabet[4] |
| Children | Psamtik I, possibly Ta-khered-en-ta-ihet-[weret] and Meresamun |
| Father | Tefnakht II[5] |
| Died | 664 BCE |
| Dynasty | 26th Dynasty |
MenkheperreNecho I (Egyptian:Nekau,[1]Greek:Νεχώς Α' orΝεχώ Α',Akkadian:Nikuu[6] orNikû[7]) (? – 664 BCE nearMemphis) was a ruler of theancient Egyptian city ofSais. He was the first securely attested local Saite king of the26th Dynasty of Egypt who reigned for 8 years (672–664 BCE) according toManetho'sAegyptiaca. Egypt was reunified by his sonPsamtik I.
In 672 BCE Necho became ruler of Sais, assuming thepharaonic titulary, and a year later theAssyrians led byEsarhaddon invaded Egypt. Necho became one of Esarhaddon's vassals, and the latter confirmed Necho's office and his possessions, as well as giving him new territories, possibly including the city ofMemphis.[8]
In 669 BCE, KingTaharqa of the25th Dynasty was advancing from the south toward theNile Delta principalities which were formally under Assyrian control; Esarhaddon prepared himself to return to Egypt to repel the invader, but died suddenly. Esarhaddon's death led to a political crisis in theNeo-Assyrian Empire but at the end his sonAshurbanipal managed to become the new undisputed monarch. Thecounter-offensive planned by his father took place in 667–666 BCE.[9][10]
Taharqa was defeated and driven back toThebes, but Ashurbanipal found that the fleeing king and some of the rulers ofLower Egypt – namedPekrur ofPishaptu (Per-Sopdu),Sharruludari ofṢinu (maybePelusium) andNikuu (Necho I) – were plotting against him. The Assyrian king captured the conspirators, killed part of the population of the cities they governed, and deported the prisoners toNineveh.[11]
Unexpectedly, Necho was pardoned by the Assyrian king, and was reinstated at Sais with his previous possessions as well as many new territories as a gift, while his son Psamtik (calledNabusezibanni in Akkadian) was made mayor ofAthribis.[12][6] It has been suggested that with his magnanimity Ashurbanipal hoped to rely on the loyalty of an Egyptian ally in the event of another offensive led by the 25th Dynasty pharaohs, and perhaps to inspire and strengthen a rivalry between the two families (i.e.,Kushites and Saites) because of shared interests.[12] According to historical records, Necho I was slain in 664 BCE near Memphis while defending his realms from a new Kushite offensive led by Taharqa's successorTantamani[12][6][13] while Psamtik fled to Nineveh under Ashurbanipal's aegis. This Nubian invasion into the Egyptian Delta was subsequently (664–663 BCE) repelled by the Assyrians who proceeded to advance south intoUpper Egypt and performed the infamoussack of Thebes.[14]
With the Nile Delta secured once again, Psamtik I was appointed with his dead father's offices and territories. Later, he ultimately was successful in reuniting Egypt under his sole control.[15]
DanishEgyptologistKim Ryholt made claims regarding Necho I: studying a papyrus fromTebtunis, he stated that Necho I was the son of a king named Tefnakht, presumablyTefnakht II.[5] Ryholt also put in discussion the existence ofNekauba who was the purported predecessor of Necho I and possibly his brother; Ryholt suggested that the few, dubious documents regarding Nekauba should be attributed to the laterNecho II instead, and that Necho I was the direct successor of Tefnakht II.[2]
French historianChristian Settipani believes that Necho married Istemabet, and they were the parents of Psamtik I.[4]
According to British EgyptologistKenneth Kitchen, it is possible that princess Ta-khered-en-ta-ihet-[weret] was Necho's daughter, given in apolitically arranged marriage to the local ruler ofHerakleopolis, Pediese.[16]
A now-lost limestone lintel fromLuxor depicted a chantress ofAmun named Meresamun along with a Saite form ofOsiris and theDivine Adoratrice of AmunShepenupet II; Meresamun is called "royal daughter of the lord of the Two lands, Nec[...]", the latter name written within a royalcartouche. It appears likely that Meresamun's royal father was no other than Necho I who sent his daughter to thePrecinct of Amun-Re inKarnak, thus marking the beginning of the Saite influence in the city of Thebes.[17]
Necho I is primarily known from Assyrian documents but a few Egyptian objects are known too. Aglazed pottery statuette ofHorus which contains his cartouches and a dedication to the goddessNeith of Sais[8][19] is now exhibited at thePetrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology (UC 14869).[1] The aforementioned, long–lost lintel of Meresamun was once photographed in anantiquities market at Luxor.[17] Abronze kneeling statuette of a king Necho is housed at theBrooklyn Museum (acc.no. 71.11), but it is impossible to determine if it actually depicts Necho I or rather Necho II instead.[18] He is also mentioned in several demotic stories.[7]
Necho I's Year 2 is attested on a privately held donation stela that was first published by Olivier Perdu. The stela records a large land donation to the Osiriantriad (Osiris,Isis, and Horus) of Per-Hebyt (modernBehbeit el-Hagar nearSebennytos) by the "priest of Isis Mistress of Hebyt, Great Chief... son of Iuput, Akanosh."[20]
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Media related toNecho I at Wikimedia Commons