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The Kings of the 25th Dynasty according to the following documents: - (For info on the 24th Dynasty click Here!)
Monuments

Piankhi (Piyi), Menkheperre .............31yrs

Shabaka Neferkare ...........................14
Shebitku Djedkare ...........................12
Taharqa Nefertemkhure ...................26
Tanutamun Bakare ............................8 (1)
Senkaminisken (prince?) ....................?
Aspelta ..............................................?
Total:..ca. 747-656 BC....................91 yrs 		Scarab engraving

A scarab found at Tanis and attributed to the 25th Dynasty, bears the name ...

Nebkhu.... (Louvre, N.632)
See J. Leclant and J. Yoyotte, `Scarabée Commémoratif de la crue du Nil', Kémi 10, (1949), p. 39. 		Dakhamun's (Petrie's reading `Dukhatamun' or Maspero's reading `Dikahitamanou') letter:
"My husband, Bib-Khururia or Nib-Khururia, has recently died, and I have no son. But thy sons, they say, are many. If thou wilt send me a son of thine, he shall become my husband."
[Güterbock, `Deeds of Suppiluliumas', p. 94, note e; Gardiner, Egypt of the Pharaohs, p. 241.]
 The royal name of Tirhaqa ends with `Khu-ra'. [Henri Gauthier (1877-1950), `Le Livre des rois (Mémoires, l'Institute français d'archéologie orientale du Caire', t. 20, 1916), pp. 31-42] 		From this information we learn that Tirhaqa's widow qualifies as the letter writer to Suppiluliumas (II) asking for a princely son to marry. It also means that there were 2 Suppiluliumas I and II.

Supp. I reigned in the EA Period,
Supp. II during 25th Dynasty times.

The Louvre scarab + Gauthier's `khu-ra' = Dakhamun's `Nib-khururia
1) Who wrote the letter to Supiluliumas/Supililiumas? The author's name is not part of the letter's content, it is derived or theorized who the author is. All we can do is estimate from the best conclusions who the author was. The fact that some sources quote this letter but leave out the husband's name `Nib-Khururia', which is important information, is disappointing. These sources have not really studied the issues in depth. Their conclusions are not better than their research. However, we have not seen the original letter and are not sure how readable that name is. In our presentation we trust the author Hans Gustav Güterbock (1908-2000), a Hittite specialist, that he was able to read the cuneiform name and therefore we conclude that the author was Dakhamen, the widow of Pharaoh Thirhaqa. [Hans G. Güterbock, `Deeds of Suppiluliumas'; From JCS 10, 1956, 41-68, 75-98, 107-130. German Website] One of Tirhaqa's names, engraved on a scarab found at Tanis (Louvre N. 632) begins with Neb-khu which supports the reading by Güterbock. See J. Leclant & J. Yoyitte, `Scarabée Commémoratif de la crue du Nil", Kémi 1o (1949), p. 39.
2) For an image of the `Dream Stela' see KMT, Summer 1999, Vol. 10, p. 27 or Summer 2003, p. 63.; For an article and images on Tanutamun see KMT, Summer 2003, p. 52ff. Tanutamun also was the originator of the so-called `Dream Stela'.
Also in late 2003 statues of all (7) 25th dynasty kings were found discarded in a pit probably during a campaign of a later king whoTaharqa wanted to mute the evidence of the 25th dynasty. Among these artifacts was a stunningly exquisite statue of Tanutamun.
3) For an image of a very well preserved hand held mirror with its intact case see KMT, Vol. 15, Summer 2004, p. 39. Archaeology Museum, Florence, Italy.
4) For a readable, drawn image of the damaged Stele of Taharqa and an enemy whose name is now missing but who is thought to have been the Assyrians can be seen in Mordechai Cogan's, `Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem' in BAR, Vol. 27, Jan/Feb 2001, p. 40-(44)-45f.
5) A bust of Amenirdis, daughter of the Kushite ruler Kashta, can be seen in B. Lesko, Women's Monumental Mark on Egypt in BA, Mar 1991, p. 4-(14)-15. Ameniridis ruled reportedly jointly with Shepenupet I, daughter of the last native ruler for at least 13 years.
6) See Edna R. Russmann, Mentuemhat's Kushite Wife in JARCE, Vol. XXXIV, 1997, p. 21-39. Presents the art and reliefs of the tomb of Mentuemhat.
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