* Osorkon III, Pharaoh of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt ( 787 BC – 759 BC )

Crown Prince Osorkon III and Shoshenq III, sons of Takelot, battle for the throne.

* Osorkon III, Pharaoh of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt ( 787 – 759 BC )

Crown Prince Osorkon III and Shoshenq III, sons of Takelot, battle for the throne.

* Osorkon III ( Usermaatre-setepenamun ) 787-759

After the reign of Osorkon II the country had again splintered into two states with Shoshenq III of the Twenty-Second Dynasty controlling Lower Egypt by 818 BC while Takelot II and his son ( the future Osorkon III ) ruled Middle and Upper Egypt.

The sum of the highest attested regnal dates for Osorkon II, Takelot I, Osorkon I, and Shoshenq I, added to 841 BC as year 1 of Shoshenq III, yields 938 BC at the latest for year 1 of Shoshenq I ...

In contrast, he ignores the existence of Theban kings such as Osorkon III, Takelot III, Harsiese A and Pinedjem I and rulers from Middle Egypt like Peftjaubast of Herakleopolis.

It noted a hitherto unknown period of coregency between Psusennes I with Amenemope and Osorkon III with Takelot III, and established that Shebitku of the 25th Dynasty was already king of Egypt by 702 BC, among other revelations.

It stated that Takelot II succeeded Osorkon II at Tanis, whereas most Egyptologists today accept it was Shoshenq III.

Finally, contra Kitchen, most Egyptologists today such as Rolf Krauss, Aidan Dodson and Jürgen von Beckerath accept David Aston's argument that the Crown Prince Osorkon B, Takelot II's son, assumed power as Osorkon III, a king of the ' Theban Twenty-Third Dynasty ' in Upper Egypt.

This brought stability to the country for well over a century, but after the reign of Osorkon II, particularly, the country had effectively shattered in two states with Shoshenq III of the Twenty-Second Dynasty controlling Lower Egypt by 818 BC while Takelot II and his son Osorkon ( the future Osorkon III ) ruled Middle and Upper Egypt.

File: Osorkon IIa. jpg | Pharaoh Osorkon II's tomb at Tanis

In Thebes, a civil war engulfed the city between the forces of Pedubast I, who had proclaimed himself Pharaoh versus the existing line of Takelot II / Osorkon B.

* Osorkon the Elder: a Dynasty 21 Pharaoh

* Osorkon I: a Dynasty 22 Pharaoh

* Osorkon II: a Dynasty 22 Pharaoh

This situation was ultimately later resolved by Osorkon II who is clearly attested as Pharaoh at Thebes by his 12th Regnal Year, according to Nile Quay Text No. 8 and Text No. 9.

Shoshenq VI is known to be Pedubast I's immediate successor at Thebes based upon the career of the Letter Writer to Pharaoh Hor IX, who served under Osorkon II and Pedubast I ( see Hor IX's statue -- CGC 42226 -- which is explicitly dated to Pedubast's reign ).

* 730 BC: Osorkon IV succeeds Sheshonq IV as king of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt.

* 715 BC — Osorkon IV dies, ending the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt.

* 889 BC: Takelot I succeeds his father Osorkon I as king of Egypt.

* 874 BC: Osorkon II succeeds Takelot I as king of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt.

* 850 BC: Takelot II succeeds Osorkon II as King of Egypt.

* 984 BC: Osorkon the Elder succeeds Amenemope as king of Egypt.

* 978 BC: Siamun succeeds Osorkon the Elder as king of Egypt.

* 924 BC: Osorkon I succeeds his father Shoshenq I as king of Egypt.

* 715 BC — Osorkon IV dies, ending the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt.

* 730 BC — Osorkon IV succeeds Pedubast II as king of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt.

* 872 BC — Osorkon II succeeds Shoshenq II as king of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt.

* 889 BC — Takelot I succeeds his father Osorkon I as king of Egypt.

* 922 BC — Osorkon I succeeds his father Shoshenq I as king of Egypt.

* 978 BC — Siamun succeeds Osorkon the Elder as king of Egypt.

* 984 BC — Osorkon the Elder succeeds Amenemope as king of Egypt.

The invasion, and its implied time-frame, means that the traditional view was to consider this Zerah to have actually been Osorkon II or Osorkon I, both being rulers of Egypt.

There is some mystery as to the identity of this king of Egypt: some scholars have argued that So refers to the Egyptian city Sais ( as the New English Bible suggests ), and thereby refers to king Tefnakht of the 24th Dynasty ; however the principal city of Egypt at this time was Tanis, which suggests that there was an unnecessary correction of the text and Kenneth Kitchen is correct in identifying " So " with Osorkon IV of the 22nd Dynasty.

Rohl finds confirmation of this scenario of parallel dynasties in the royal burial ground at Tanis where it appears that the tomb of Osorkon II of the 22nd Dynasty was built before that of Psusennes I of the 21st Dynasty.

Significantly, his Libyan uncle Osorkon the Elder had already served on the throne for at least six years in the preceding 21st Dynasty ; hence, Shoshenq I's rise to power was not wholly unexpected.

He proceeded to found the Upper Egyptian Libyan Dynasty of Osorkon III – Takelot III – Rudamun, but this kingdom quickly fragmented after Rudamun's death with the rise of local city states under kings such as Peftjaubast of Herakleopolis, Nimlot of Hermopolis, and Ini at Thebes.

The Crown Prince Osorkon B was not outmaneuvered to the throne of Tanis by Shoshenq III because both men ruled over separate kingdoms with the 22nd Dynasty controlling Lower Egypt, and Takelot II / Osorkon B ruling over most of Upper Egypt from Herakleopolis Magna to Thebes, where they are monumentally attested.

Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon II was a pharaoh of the Twenty-second Dynasty separate regime of Meshwesh Berber people Libyan kings of Ancient Egypt and the son of Takelot I and Queen Kapes.

Osorkon II was the last great Twenty-second Dynasty king of Tanis who ruled Egypt from the Delta to Upper Egypt because his successor, Shoshenq III lost effectively control of Middle and Upper Egypt in his 8th Year with the emergence of king Pedubast I at Thebes.

Consequently, the case for establishing Takelot II as a Twenty-second Dynasty king and successor to Osorkon II disappears, as Dodson writes.

Despite the antiquity of the Sed Festival and the hundreds of references to it throughout the history of Ancient Egypt, the most detailed records of the ceremonies — apart from the reign of Amenhotep III — come mostly from " relief cycles of the Fifth Dynasty king Neuserra ... in his sun temple at Abu Ghurab, of Akhenaten at East Karnak, and the relief cycles of the Twenty-second Dynasty king Osorkon II ... at Bubastis.

The son of Shoshenq I and his chief consort, Karomat A, Osorkon I was the second king of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty and ruled around 922 BC – 887 BC.

This date can only belong to Osorkon I since no other early Dynasty 22 king ruled for close to 30 years until the time of Osorkon II.