Harsiese B

For another Egyptian known as Harsiese, see Harsiese A.

Harsiese B was a High Priest of Amun in 874 BC. Earlier Egyptologists assumed he was both the High Priest of Amun (HPA) and son of the High Priest Shoshenq C, who became a king at Thebes. However, the research of Egyptologist Karl Jansen-Winkeln which he published in 1995 have shown that all the monuments of the first (King) Harsiese demonstrate that he was never HPA in his own right, merely a regular Priest of Amun. While the earlier Harsiese was certainly a king at Thebes, he is clearly a different person from the later Harsiese, Harsiese B, who is attested as a HPA. Jansen-Winkeln further shows that Harsiese A's son, [...du], was only an ordinary Priest of Amun.

Harsiese B is first explicitly attested as HPA late under Osorkon II's reign on Statue CGC 42225, which bears this king's cartouche. He likely assumed the office of HPA at Thebes when the current High Priest, Takelot F, proclaimed himself as king Takelot II in the final 3 years of Osorkon II's reign. Statue CGC 42225 was dedicated by the Letter Writer to Pharaoh, Hor IX, who is mentioned on the walls of Temple J at Karnak. Temple J was built in the final years of Osorkon II's reign by the then serving HPA, Takelot F. Hor IX later served under Pedubast I and Usermaatre Meryamun Shoshenq VI, who were direct contemporaries of Shoshenq III of the Twenty-second Dynasty. Shoshenq III once even dispatched his second son, Pashedbast B, to Thebes where the latter "added a vestibule door to Pylon X at Karnak, dating it to the reign of Pedubast."(see D. Aston, JEA 75 [1989], p.150) Hor IX served beyond the 25-year reign of Pedubast I and lived into Shoshenq VI's reign under whom his funerary cones were inscribed (see Aston, above, p.152). Consequently, the HPA Harsiese can only be Harsiese B since he was a close contemporary of Hor IX and served late in office under Osorkon II. In contrast, Harsiese A died before the twelfth regnal year of Osorkon II.

Harsiese B is also attested in office in the sixth regnal year of Shoshenq III in Nile Quay Text No.6 and lived into the 18th and 19th regnal years of Pedubast I as Nile Quay Text No.27 shows. During the prolonged civil war which erupted between the forces of Osorkon B and Pedubast I for control of Thebes, Harsiese B sided with Pedubast's faction since the Karnak Quay Texts show he became the latter's High Priest. He died before Year 23 of Pedubast I when this King's new High Priest is revealed to be a Takelot (see Nile Quay Text No.29)

Harsiese B consequently served in office for almost 3 decades under Osorkon II (final 3 Years), Shoshenq III (first 7-8 Years) and Pedubast I (at least 18-19 Years), and must have been Crown Prince Osorkon B's chief rival for this office at Thebes since he was affiliated with Osorkon's rival. Harsiese B must have been a fairly young man perhaps in his early 30s when he first assumed the Office of High Priest judging by his long career.

Christian Settipani merges both Shoshenq II and Shoshenq C into one Shoshenq II both High Priest of Amun at Thebes and Pharaoh, married to Queen Nestanebtashru, the parents of one merged Harsiese between Harsiese A and Harsiese B, both High Priest of Amun at Thebes and Pharaoh, and the father of Istweret - married to another Harsiese, (3rd or) 4th Prophet of Amun, parents of Djed-Khons-Ed-Ankh, 4th (or 5th) Prophet of Amun -, Taditanebten, and perhaps also of Karomat Merymut I or Karoma Merymut I, Royal Daughter and God's Wife of Amun, and Karomat or Karoma, Royal Daughter and wife of Osorkon II.

References

• David Aston, "Takeloth II: A King of the Twenty Third Dynasty?," Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 75 (1989) pp. 139-153
• Karl Jansen-Winkeln, "Historische Probleme Der 3. Zwischenzeit," Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 81 (1995) pp. 129-149
• Nos ancêtres de l'Antiquité, 1991, Christian Settipani, p. 153 and 166