Osorkon the Elder
Pl. 141 · also Osorkon I (elder), Osochor, Aakheperre Setepenre
992 BC to 986 BC, about 6 years · Third Intermediate Period
Osorkon the Elder ruled as the fifth monarch of the Twenty-first Dynasty. He reigned about 992 to 986 BC, with dates uncertain by about five years. He was the son of Shoshenq A, the Great Chief of the Meshwesh, and Mehtenweskhet A, representing an early integration of influential Libyan tribal leaders into the pharaonic hierarchy. His ascension demonstrated the rising political weight of these western groups in the Nile Delta.
His reign was brief, spanning six years between Amenemope and Siamun, and left minimal monumental traces. His burial place remains unknown, though he was almost certainly interred in the Delta. Scholars know of him through Manetho's history under the name Osochor and a crucial genealogical entry in the Karnak Priestly Annals that confirmed his throne name Aakheperre Setepenre.
Monuments
- Karnak Priestly Annals
Explore further
Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.
Dates are conventional and approximate. See method and sources.