THE TAHARKA TRIAD

Kevan A Cameron

A new dream begins at the end of the Ancient Nubian Empire ruling over blue and white Nile lands of Kush. Can Taharka, the great builder and conqueror maintain his ancestral traditions, or will he be swept away in the tides of change? In an act of oneiric espionage, Moloch, the all-seeing Owl of the Babylonian Parliament has stolen the secret mysteries of the Royal Priesthood in an effort to control the future. The Empress strikes back in her mission to reassemble the parts of the Royal Family across space and over time. She gives birth to a champion as she searches for her cosmic counterpart. Now, the Prince is of age and ready to ascend to the throne that had been usurped by the Parliament of Owls. The Hawkeye returns in a story of vision, vengeance and vigilance. Can the Nubian legacy remember its rightful place as the ruling family of royalty, or will the penultimate pharaoh of the last Kushitic dynasty to unite the crowns be forgotten as the lush vegetation that has become desert? Scruffmouth the Scribe shares a story of courage, conflict and cliax as the civilizations of the world and even the universe hangs in the balance. THE TAHARKA TRIAD King Pharaoh and the Owl Queen Mother Knows Best The Hawkeye Prince Taharqa’s twenty six year reign (690-664) stands out from any other in the Third Intermediate Period by the extent of the building program he implemented in the first sixteen years of his reign, and the extent of the fighting with the Assyrians in the later years. In 701 BC King Shebitku, Taharqa’s uncle and predecessor, sent Taharqa to head a military force to support the rebellion of King Ezekiah of Judea against his Assyrian overlords. But Ezehkiah surrendered, and the Egyptians had to retreat to Egypt. Beset by matters closer to home, then by internal succession problems, the Assyrians did not pursue any pretension to Egypt for another twenty six years. This lull in the Assyrian threat allowed the newly crowned King Taharqa to devote himself to cultural issues. Buoyed by the riches of Nubia and providential bumper crops brought by extraordinarily favorable climatological conditions, Taharqa invested considerable resources into celebrating the glory of Amun, first in his own Kingdom of Napata, but also in his Egyptian territories. Immensely respectful of Egypt’s cultural heritage, Taharqa set out to draw on the traditions of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, using new materials (previous Intermediate Period cash-strapped kings had taken to pilfering stone from older buildings) to restore and build anew. In his kingdom of Napata, he built in every important site: Sanam, Napata, Abu Dom, and Kawa. In Kawa particularly, he rebuilt and expanded on a temple complex that became the second most important in his kingdom of Napata. In Egypt, it is at Karnak that he made the greatest impact, thanks to the energy of the man he installed as Prince (mayor) of the City: the great Mentuemhet. At Karnak, the Sacred Lake structures, the kiosk in the first court, and the colonnades at the temple entrance are all owed to Taharqa and Mentuemhet. Memphis, the capital of the Old Kingdom and royal residence of Kushite kings also received much attention, paying much respect to the importance of the god Ptah, despite the Kushite’s devotion to Amun. This devotion of Egypt’s resources towards peaceful undertakings would not last. In 674 BC, the Assyrian army first attempts to invade Egypt. Taharqa swiftly rebukes their advance, and the invaders retreat. But three years later, in 671 BC, the Assyrians try again and succeed. They take Memphis, capture the royal queen and the crown prince. Taharqa retreats south. The Assyrians install their representatives in all key positions. In Sais, Nekau swears allegiance to the Assyrians and his son is sent to Assyria for political training. As soon as the Assyrians leave, Taharqa drives his forces north and regains control of Egypt. In 667 BC, the Assyrians come back, pushing much further south this time. Taharqa flees to Napata, and the Assyrians once again get Egyptian governors to pledge allegiance to Assyria. When they leave again, several local kings and governors plot to bring Taharqa back. But this time, the Assyrians squelch the insurrection by having all plotters assassinated. The only surviving Egyptian is Nekau, who had prudently abstained from participating in the plot while his son (the future Psamtik I) was still in the hands of the Assyrians. With northern rulers no longer supportive, Taharqa abandons his hopes of ever regaining Egypt. Special Thanks to OBCDN & BZZLE for providing cover art and interior illustrations. Concept, design, digital imagery and story created by Kevan Anthony Cameron for Black Dot Roots and Culture Collective.