Tirhakah

Tirhakah, also spelled Tirhaka or Taharqa, was a Kushite ruler who served as a pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, the Nubian dynasty that controlled parts of Egypt during the Late New Kingdom and the Third Intermediate Period. He reigned approximately from 690 to 664 BCE and ruled a realm centered in Nubia (Napata) with extending influence into Thebes and other parts of Egypt. Tirhakah is one of the best-known kings of this dynasty, noted for both his military activity and his temple-building programs.

Tirarqa’s reign is characterized by renewed attempts to consolidate Kushite rule over Egypt and to project power into the Near East. He oversaw a flourishing of building and cultic projects at major sites such as Karnak and Napata, reflecting the continued fusion of Egyptian and Kushite traditions under Nubian leadership. In foreign affairs, Tirhakah’s era was defined by the confrontation with the expanding Assyrian Empire. In 671 BCE, the Assyrian king Esarhaddon invaded Egypt, sacking Thebes and compelling Kushite forces to withdraw from some territories. The conflict continued for years, and by 663 BCE Ashurbanipal’s forces defeated Taharqa, contributing to the collapse of Kushite control over most of Egypt, though Kushite rule persisted in parts of Nubia for a time.

Tirhakah is also identified in some biblical sources as the “king of Cush” who was involved in the events surrounding Hezekiah of Judah, highlighting the broader geopolitical links between Nubia, Egypt, and the Levant during this period. His reign marked a high point of Kushite power in Egypt, followed by a gradual decline as Assyrian and regional forces reshaped the region.