Shoshenq IV

Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq IV ruled Egypt's 22nd Dynasty between the reigns of Shoshenq III and Pami. This Pharaoh's existence was first argued by David Rohl but the British Egyptologist Aidan Dodson settled the issue in a seminal GM 137(1993) article. [Aidan Dodson, "A new King Shoshenq confirmed?", Göttinger Miszellen 137 (1993), pp.53-58] Dodson's arguments here for the existence of a new Tanite king called Shoshenq IV is accepted by all Egyptologists today including J. Von Beckerath and Kenneth Kitchen– the latter in the preface to the third edition of his book on the Third Intermediate Period in Egypt." [K.A. Kitchen, "The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt, (1100-650 BC)" 3rd edition (1996), § Y p.xxvi] While Shoshenq IV shared the same prenomen as his illustrious ancestor Shoshenq I, he is distinguished from Shoshenq I by his use of an especially long nomen–Shoshenq Meryamun Si-Bast Netjerheqawaset/Netjerheqaon which featured both the Si-Bast and Netjerheqawaset/Netjerheqaon epithets. [Dodson, GM 137, pp.53-54] These two epithets were gradually employed by the 22nd Dynasty Pharaohs starting from the reign of Osorkon II. In contrast, Shoshenq I's nomen reads simply as "Shoshenq Meryamun" while neither Shoshenq I, Osorkon I nor Takelot I ever used any epithets beyond the standard 'Meryamun' (Beloved of Amun) form during their reigns. [Dodson, The Canopic Equipment of the Kings of Egypt, (Kegan Paul Intl: 1994), p.93] Aidan Dodson--in his 1994 book on the Canopic Equipment of the kings of Egypt--perceptively observes that when the "Si-Bast" epithet "appears during the dynasty of Osorkon II," it is rather infrequent while the Netjerheqawaset/Netjerheqaon epithet is only exclusively attested "in the reigns of that monarch's successors"--ie: Shoshenq III, Shoshenq IV, Pami and Shoshenq V. [Dodson, Canopic Equipment, p.93] This means that Shoshenq IV was a late Tanite era king who ruled Egypt after Shoshenq III. His prenomen is explicitly attested on a published Year 10 stela (St. Petersburg Hermitage 5630) which bears his unique long form titulary. This stela mentions the "Chief of the Libu, Niumateped," who is also attested in office in Year 8 of Shoshenq V. Since the title 'Chief of the Libu' is only first documented in use from Year 31 of Shoshenq III onwards, this new king again can only have ruled after Shoshenq III. [Dodson, GM 137, p.53]

Burial

Like Shoshenq III, Shoshenq IV was not a son of his predecessor and the exact grounds for his claim to the throne are unknown. He ruled Egypt between Shoshenq III and Pami for either 12 or 13 Years based on different Egyptologists' interpretation of his reign. According to Dodson, excavation work in the looted NRT V Tanite tomb of Shoshenq III revealed the presence of 2 sarcophagi: one inscribed for Usermaatre Setepenre Shoshenq III and the other being an anonymous sarcophagus. The unmarked sarcophagus, however, "was clearly a secondary introduction" according to its position in the tomb. [Dodson, GM 137, p.54] In the tomb's debris, several fragments were found from one or two canopic jars bearing the name "Hedjkheperre-Setpenre-meryamun-sibast-Netjerheqaon." [Dodson, GM 137, p.54] Since the epithet Netjerheqaon was never employed by the 22nd Dynasty kings until the reign of Shoshenq III, this is clear evidence that Shoshenq IV was buried in Shoshenq III's Tanite tomb and must have succeeded this king; it also establishes that the king buried here was certainly not Shoshenq I.

NOTE: The original king Shoshenq IV in pre-1993 books and journal articles has been renamed Shoshenq VI by Egyptologists because he was a Theban king who is only attested by Upper Egyptian documents. He was never a king of the Tanite 22nd Dynasty of Egypt.

References

* Aidan Dodson, "A new King Shoshenq confirmed?" GM 137(1993), pp.53-58.
* Aidan Dodson, "The Canopic Equipment of the Kings of Egypt," (Kegan Paul Intl: 1994)
* J. Yoyotte, Melanges Maspero I:4 (Cairo:1961), pp.142-43 [Comment on the Year 10 Shoshenq Si-Bast stela] .
* [http://members.aol.com/Ian%20Wade/Waste/Libu.html Great Chiefs of the Libu: Niumateped]