Pharaoh.se

The Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

It was a shortlived dynasty that attempted to challenge the Twenty-fifth dynasty.

Tefnakht of Sais formed an alliance woth other local rulers in the Delta with the intention of conquering Upper Egypt from the Nubians. His campaign ended in failure as Piye, who recorded his conquest of Tefnakhte and his peers in a well-known inscription. The dynasty came to a sudden end under his son Bakenrenef's reign, who was captured and burned alive.

Dynasty 24

The chronological order

Table 1: The kings of the Twenty-fourth Dynasty
№ Pharaoh Also known as
1Tafnakht
2BakenrenefBocchoris

The Twenty-fourth Dynasty according to Manetho

ACCORDING TO AFRICANUS

Twenty-fourth dynasty

  1. Bochchoris of Sais 6 years
    During his reign a lamb spoke
    990 years
ACCORDING TO EUSEBIOS

Twenty-fourth dynasty

  1. Bochchoris of Sais44 years
    During his reign a lamb spoke.
  2. Total44 years
ARMENIAN TRANSLATION

Twenty-fourth dynasty

  1. Bokkʻovris of Sais, 44 years
    In his reign, a lamb spoke.

Aelian, On the Nature of Animals

12.3 The Egyptians assert (though they are far from convincing me), they assert, I say, that in the days of the far-famed Bocchoris a lamb was born with eight feet and two tails, and that it spoke. They say also that this lamb had two heads and four horns. It is right to forgive Homer who bestows speech upon Xanthus the horse, for Homer is a poet. And Alcman could not be censured for imitating Homer in such matters, for the first venture of Homer is a plea sufficient to justify forgiveness. But how can one pay any regard to Egyptians who exaggerate like this? However, fabulous though they be, I have related the peculiarities of this lamb.

1

That is the Victory Stele of Piye, Cairo JE 48862.

2

Mosshammer suggests a possible emendation to 'altogether 95 years' (Mosshammer 1984: 82). For the lamb who spoke during the reign of Bochchoris, see Aelian, below.