484 APPENDIX III. 



XXIV. Dynasty: Saxte. 



M. 721, B. 733. 



These two dynasties were formed by five kings reigning first at Tanis 

 (San), and afterwards at Sa (Sais). But they enjoyed little more than a 

 nominal authority in the midst of a land torn by internal dissensions and 

 the rivalries of obscure claimants to the sovereign power. The last of them 

 was 



BoKEURANEF (BoccHORis), the legislator who, according to Manetho, reigned six years 

 and had his residence at Sa. It was probably during his reign that 

 Piankhi overran the country, as recorded on a monument discovered at 

 Jebel-Barkal, near Meroe, in Upper Nubia. 



Bokeuranef was finally overthrown and put to death in the year 725 b.c., 

 during another Ethiopian invasion under Shabak, of the following, or 



XXV. Lijnasty : Ethiopian. 

 M. 715, B. 700. 

 Shabaic (Sabaco), who rules over the whole of Ethiopia and Egypt. B. 700. 

 Shabatak, supposed to be the So mentioned in 2 Kings xvii. 4. 



Takaraka, or Tirhakah, also mentioned in 2 Kings xix. 9, as " King of Ethiopia." 

 He was expelled from Lower Egypt by the Assyrians under Esarhaddon, 

 grandson of Sennacherib, as appears from some Cuneiform writings dis- 

 covered at Nineveh. After Esarhaddon' s death the kings set up by him 

 in the north revolted and made common cause with Tirhakah against the 

 Assyrians. This brought on a second invasion under Esarhaddon's son, 

 Assurbanipal, by whom both Tirhakah and his successor 



Uedamaneh were conquered and Thebes captured and half ruined. 



During these disastrous wars Egypt is wasted by invading hosts from 

 east and south, and after the overthrow of Urdamaneh the northern 

 provinces remain subject to Assyrian rule, the southern to the Ethiopians. 

 The Assyrian monarch, however, did not govern the country directly 

 through provincial satraps, but divided the whole of Lower Egypt amongst 

 twelve native princes, his vassals, who paid him tribute and wore over- 

 awed by Assyrian garrisons maintained in the chief strongholds. It is 

 this period of government by twelve tributary kinglets to which the Greek 

 historians apply the term Bodecarchy. 



An oracle had foretold that the whole of Egypt would ultimately fall to 

 the lot of whatever prince should offer Kbations to the god Phtah, tutelar 

 deity of Memphis, in a brazen vessel. One day while the twelve vassals 

 were sacrificing in the temple the high priest presented to them the golden 

 vases which they were accustomed to employ on these occasions. But by 

 an oversight he brought eleven only for the twelve princes. Thereupon 

 Psammeticus, Prince of Sais, who had probably arranged the matter 

 beforehand, took his brazen helmet and used it to pour out his libations. 

 But for a time the jealousy of his rivals compelled him to withdraw to the 

 swamps of the Delta. Then courting the assistance of Greek and Carian 



