Dynasties of Ancient Egypt Predynastic Egypt Predynastic Egypt Protodynastic Period Early Dynastic 1st Dynasty 2nd Dynasty 3rd Dynasty Old Kingdom 4th Dynasty 5th Dynasty 6th Dynasty First Intermediate 7th Dynasty 8th Dynasty 9th Dynasty 10th Dynasty 11th Dynasty (Thebes only) Middle Kingdom 11th Dynasty (All Egypt) 12th Dynasty 13th Dynasty 14th Dynasty Second Intermediate 15th Dynasty 16th Dynasty 17th Dynasty New Kingdom 18th 19th 20th Third Intermediate 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th Late Period 26th 27th (First Persian Period) 28th 29th 30th 31st (Second Persian Period) Greek-Roman Alexander the Great Ptolemaic dynasty Roman Egypt Arab Conquest

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The Twenty-third Dynasty of ancient Egypt was a separate regime of Meshwesh Libyan kings, who ruled ancient Egypt. This dynasty is often considered part of the Third Intermediate Period.

[edit] Rulers

There is much debate surrounding this dynasty, which may have been situated at Herakleopolis Magna, Hermopolis Magna, and Thebes but monuments from their reign show that they controlled Upper Egypt in parallel with the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt shortly before the death of Osorkon II. The known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Twenty-third Dynasty are as follows:

Twenty-Third Dynasty

Name	Dates	Notes
Harsiese A	880 – 860 BC	an independent king at Thebes who ruled during Takelot I's and Osorkon II's reigns
Takelot II	840 – 815 BC	Takelot II Si-Ese Meryamun ruled Middle and Upper Egypt concurrently with the Twenty-Second Dynasty king Shoshenq III, who controlled Lower Egypt.
Pedubast I	829 – 804 BC	His accession as king at Thebes in Year 11 of Takelot II sparked a prolonged civil war between his faction and the forces of king Takelot II/Crown Prince Osorkon B.
Shoshenq VI	804 – 798 BC	Succeeded Pedubast I at Thebes and ruled Upper Egypt for 6 years.
Osorkon III	798 – 769 BC	Involved in a civil war which lasted for 27 long years against Pedubast I and Shoshenq VI. He was the well known High Priest Osorkon B, son of Takelot II
Takelot III	774 – 759 BC	Osorkon III's eldest son, junior coregent and successor.
Rudamun	759 – 739 BC	The younger brother and successor of Takelot III. A poorly attested king.
Ini	739 – 734 BC	Only controlled Thebes during his reign.

[edit] Further reading

• H. Jacquet Gordon, "Deux graffiti d'époque libyenne sur le toit du Temple de Khonsu à Karnak" in Hommages à la memoire de Serge Sauneron, 1927-1976 (Cairo: 1979), pp.169-74.
• K.A. Kitchen, The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (c.1100--650 BC), 3rd ed., Warminster: 1996