The Bubastite Portal gate is located in Karnak, within the Precinct of Amun-Re temple complex, between the temple of Ramesses III and the second pylon. It records the conquests and military campaigns 925 BC of Shoshenq I, of the Twenty-second Dynasty.[1] Shoshenq has been identified with the biblical Shishaq, such that the relief is also known as the Shishak Inscription or Shishaq Relief.[2]
This gate was erected by the kings of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the "Bubastite Dynasty". It is located to the south-east side of the Temple of Ramesses III.
Although Karnak had been known to Europeans since the end of the Middle Ages, the possible significance of the Bubastite Portal was not apparent prior to the decipherment of hieroglyphs. Jean-François Champollion visited Karnak in 1828, six years after his publication of the Rosetta Stone translation. In his letters he wrote:
One facade shows King Shoshenq I, Takelot I, and Osorkon I of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt making offerings to the gods and goddesses. Another scene shows Shoshenq grasping a group of captives by the hair and smiting them by his mace. Behind and below him are the names of Canaanite towns in several rows. Many of these are lost, but initially, there were 156 names, and one of the most exciting names mentioned is 'The Field of Abram.' The inscriptions give no details about this expedition and mention only the victory over the Asiatics (ꜥꜣm.w).
Below is a translation of the one hundred fifty-five names on the inscription.[3]
Row II14. tꜣꜥnkj = Taanach15. šꜣnmꜥ = Shunem16. bꜣtšꜣn swr = Beth-Shean17. rwꜣḫbꜣ = Rehob18. ꜣḫpwrwm = Hapharaim19. jdrw[m] = Adoraim (unknown locality in Israelite Kingdom, different from Adoraim in Judah) [4] [5] 20. (destroyed)21. šꜣꜣwꜣd = unknown22. mjꜣḥꜣnjmꜥ = Mahanaim23. qbꜣꜥꜣnꜣ = Gibeon24. bꜣtꜣḥwꜣrwn = Beth-Horon25. qꜣdṯm = Kiriath-jearim or Gath-Gittaim26. jywrwn = Aijalon
Row III27. mjkdjw = Megiddo28. jdrw = (Ataroth-)Addar29. ywd-hmꜥrwk = Yad Hammelek ("hand of the king")30. []rwt = unknown31. ḥꜣjꜣnm = Henam32. ꜥꜣrn = Aruna33. bꜣrwmꜣꜥ = Borim34. ḏꜣdpṯrw = Giti-Padalla35. y[]hꜣ[]mꜣ = Yehem36. bꜣtꜥꜣrwmmꜣ = Beth 'Olam37. kꜣꜥqꜣrw = unknown38. šꜣjwkꜣ = Socoh39. bꜣttꜣpw = Beth-Tappuah
Row IV40. jbꜣrjꜣ = unknown41. [...]ḥtp = unknown42. (destroyed)43. (destroyed)44. (destroyed)45. bꜣtḏb[...] = unknown46. nbk[...] = unknown47. [...]i[...] = unknown48. (destroyed)49. (destroyed)50. (destroyed)51. [...]ssḏ[...] = unknown52. (destroyed)
Row V53. [p]nwjrw = Penuel54. ꜣḥꜣdšꜣt = Hadashah?55. pktṯ / pꜣ-wr-ktṯ = unknown / "The great ktṯ"56. jdmjꜣ = Adam57. ḏꜣ[m]rwmmꜣ = Zemaraim58. [...]drw = Migdol59. [...]rwḏꜣjꜣ = Tirzah60. [...]nꜣrw = unknown61. [...]j = unknown62. (destroyed) 63. (destroyed) 64. [...]gꜣpn = unknown 65. pꜣ-ꜥmq = "The valley"
Row VII83. gꜣnꜣt = unknown 84. pꜣ nꜣgbw = "The Negev"85. ꜥꜣḏꜣḥꜥṯ = unknown86. tꜣšdnꜣw = unknown87. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrw[t] = "the fort"88. šꜣnꜣyj = unknown89. hꜣqꜣ = unknown90. pꜣ ng[bw] = "The Neg[ev]"91. wꜣhṯrwwꜣk[...] = unknown92. pꜣ nꜣgbw = "The Negev"93. jšꜣḥtjw[t] = Shuhah?94. pꜣ ꜣḥgrwj = "the fort"95. ꜣḥꜣnnj = (Ben-)Hanan96. pꜣ ꜣḥgrwj = "the fort"97. jrwqꜣd = El-Gad 98. jdꜣmꜣmt = unknown99. ꜣḥꜣnꜣny = (Ben-)Hanan
Row VIII100. jdrj = Adar101. pꜣ ꜣḥgrw = "the fort"102. [ṯrwꜣ]ꜣn = Tilon?103. ꜣḥydbsꜣ = "Highlands"?104. šꜣrwnrwjm = Shaaraim105. []y[...] = "Highlands"?106. dwꜣꜣṯ = unknown107. ꜣḥqrwjm = "forts"108. ꜥꜣrwdjꜣt = Arad109. [rwbꜣṯ] = "Great"110. ꜥꜣrwdjt = Arad (Tel Malhata?)111. nbꜣpꜣttṯ = unknown112. yꜣrẖjm = Yeroham113. [...]j = unknown114. (destroyed) 115. (destroyed) 116. jd[...] = unknown
Row IX117. [jdr...] = Adar118. [...bꜣyj] = unknown119. [...ḥgj] = unknown120. []ꜣrywk = unknown121. frwtjmjj = Peleth?122. [ꜥ]tbꜣr = unknown123. bpꜣjrwrḏꜣ = unknown124. bꜣṯꜥnṯ = Beth-Anath 125. šꜣrꜣḥꜣn = Sharuhen 126. jrmꜥṯn = El-mattan 127. grwn = "threshing floor"?128. jdꜣmꜣm = unknown129. [...]rꜣḥṯ = unknown130. [...]r = unknown 131. mꜥrw[...] = unknown132. jrwr[...] = unknown133. ywrwꜣ[...] = Yurza
Row X134. (destroyed) 135. (destroyed) 136. (destroyed) 137. (destroyed) 138. (destroyed) 139. ywrḥm = Yehoram 140. jwnn = Onam141. (destroyed) 142. ꜣg[...] = Unknown 143. (destroyed) 144. (destroyed) 145. mꜥ[...] = unknown146. j[]d[...] = unknown 147. (destroyed) 148. (destroyed) 149. [...]ꜣ = unknown150. ywrwdn = uncertain
Row X extension1a. šꜣrwdd = unknown2a. rpꜣḥ = Raphiah 3a. rwbn = Laban4a. ꜥngrwn = unknown5a. hꜣm = unknown
The Biblical narrative recounts:
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishaq king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt— Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, 'You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishaq.'" Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous." When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishaq. Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."So Shishaq king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. And when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.[6]
The account of Shishak carrying off treasures from Jerusalem is thought by some scholars to be of dubious historicity;[7] see .