Harsiese B

The first Harsiese, King Hedjkheperre Setepenamun Harsiese A, is generally assumed to be a High Priest of Amun(HPA) and the son of the High Priest Shoshenq C before he became a king at Thebes. He is thought to have held Upper Egypt in the first decade of Osorkon II's reign and probably even earlier under Takelot I. While he was most likely Shoshenq C's son and, therefore, the grandson of Osorkon I,(a Year 13 stela from his reign was recently discovered in 2005), more recent studies by the Egyptologist Karl Jansen-Winkeln have shown that all the monuments of the first (King) Harsiese demonstrate that he was never a High Priest of Amun in his own right. While he was certain a king at Thebes, he is a different person from the Harsiese who is attested as a High Priest of Amun. Secondly, Jansen-Winkeln also shows that Harsiese A's son, [...du], was only an ordinary Priest of Amun based on the inscriptions of his funerary lid at Koptos.

It is Harsiese B, who is attested as a High Priest of Amun late under Osorkon II on Statue CGC 42225. This statue was dedicated by the Letter Writer to Pharaoh Hor IX, who is mentioned on the walls of Temple J at Karnak, which was built in the final years of Osorkon II's reign by the then serving High Priest of Amun, Takelot F. Hor IX later served under Pedubast I and Usermaatre Meryamun Shoshenq VI, who were direct contemporaries of Shoshenq III of the 22nd 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 High Priest Harsiese can only be Harsiese B rather than Harsiese A since he was a close contemporary of Hor IX. Harsiese B likely assumed the office of High Priest of Amun at Thebes when the serving High Priest, Takelot F, proclaimed himself as king Takelot II in the final 3 Years of Osorkon II's reign. The High Priest Harsiese B is also attested in office in Year 6 of Shoshenq III in Nile Quay Text No.6 and is last documented in office during Year 18 and 19 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 opted to side with Pedubast's faction since he became the latter's High Priest as the Karnak Quay Texts show. 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 therefore served as the High Priest 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 the Crown Prince Osorkon B's chief rival for this office at Thebes since he affiliated himself 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.

REFERENCES:

• Karl Jansen-Winkeln, JEA 81(1995), pp.129-49
• David Aston, JEA 75(1989), pp.139-153