Osorkon III

Osorkon III reigned from about 798 to 769 BC, with dates uncertain by about five years. Before his accession to the throne, he was the celebrated Crown Prince and High Priest of Amun who spent decades fighting internal rebellions on behalf of his father, Takelot II. Once he claimed the pharaonic titles, he established an enduring and stable administration at Thebes.

During his rule, Osorkon worked to consolidate his authority through religious appointments. He appointed his daughter Shepenupet I to the vital office of God's Wife of Amun, initiating a practice that gave royal women immense political and economic influence over the Theban region. His long reign brought an end to the destructive civil conflicts that had plagued Upper Egypt for generations, allowing for new temple construction.

Scholars know Osorkon III through royal building inscriptions and administrative texts. His major architectural contribution was the Chapel of Osiris Heqa-djet within the Karnak precinct, alongside several flood level texts carved on the Karnak quay. His burial place remains unknown, and no confirmed royal mummy has survived.

Monuments

• Chapel of Osiris Heqa-djet at Karnak
• Karnak quay inscriptions

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Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.