Taharqa (died 664 BC) was Pharaoh of Egypt and King of Kush from 690 to 664 BC, succeeding Shabaka and preceding Tantamani.
Biography[]
Taharqo was the son of the Nubian king Piye, the conqueror of Egypt. He inherited the thrones of Egypt and Kush in 690 BC, and he oversaw an abundance of crops brought about by the flooding of the Nile, as well as the cultural integration of Egypt and Kush. He also built new temples and pyramids whilst simultaneously fighting against the Assyrians, allying with Phoenicia and Philistia. Assyria's preoccupation with Babylon and Elam enabled Taharqa to conquer the Libyans, Phoenicians, and Khor in Palestine, while defeating an Assyrian invasion of Egypt in 674 BC. In 668 BC, Ashurbanipal defeated Taharqa and advanced as far south as Thebes, but direct Assyrian control was not established; the Assyrians installed Necho I as their puppet ruler. Taharqa died in 664 BC.
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