Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

talatat 393

colossal uraeiat Luxor as well and a small shrine of
Amun at the third cataract of the Nile.
In 680 B.C.E., Essarhaddon once again attacked Egypt
and took the capital of Memphis and the royal court.
Taharqa fled south, leaving Queen Amun-dyek’het and
Prince Ushanahuru to face the enemy. They were taken
prisoner by Essarhaddon and sent to Nineveh, Assyria, as
slaves. Two years later, Taharqa marched with an army to
retake Egypt, and Essarhaddon died before they met.
Taharqa massacred the Assyrian garrison in Egypt when
he returned. ASSURBANIPAL, Essarhaddon’s successor,
defeated Taharqa. TANUTAMUN, Taharqa’s cousin, was
installed as coregent and successor and Taharqa returned
to Nubia. He was buried at Nuri in Nubia. His pyramidal
tomb was small but designed with three chambers.

Tait An Egyptian goddess who served as the patroness
of the city of AKHMINand was associated with the cults of
ISISand OSIRIS, Tait was the guardian of linen, was used in
the mortuary rituals, and was depicted as a beautiful
woman carrying a chest of linen. When associated with
the cults of Osiris and Isis, she was called Isis-Tait. Tait
aided Isis in wrapping the body of the god Osiris after he
was slain by SET.

Takelot I(Userma’atre’setepenamun)(d. c. 883 B.C.E.)
Ruler of the Twenty-second Dynasty
He reigned from 909 B.C.E. until his death. The son of
OSORKON Iand Queen KAROMANA(2)or Queen TASED-
KONSU, Takelot I was not the original heir. A brother,
SHOSHENQ II, died before he could inherit the throne, and
Takelot I became regent. He married Queen KAPES, the
mother of OSORKON II. Thebes revolted during Takelot I’s
reign, and he sent his brother, IUWELOT, there to become
the high priest of Amun, followed by SMENDES III. He left
no monuments and was succeeded by Osorkon II.
Takelot I was interred in TANISin a gold coffin and in a
sarcophagus usurped from the Twelfth Dynasty and
placed in the tomb of Smendes.

Takelot II (Hedjkheperre’setepenré)(d. 835 B.C.E.)
Ruler of the Twenty-second Dynasty
He reigned from 860 B.C.E. until his death. Takelot II was
the son of OSORKON IIand Queen KAROMANA(4) but not
the original heir. A brother, Shoshenq, did not live long
enough to inherit the throne. NIMLOT, the high priest of
Thebes, was his half brother. Takelot II married Nimlot’s
daughter, KAROMANA(5) Merymut, who was the mother
of OSORKON III.
During his reign, Takelot faced a Theban revolt led
by HARSIESE. He sent his son, Prince OSORKON, to THEBES
to put down the rebellion that raged for a decade. A truce
was finally drawn up but a second revolt began soon
after. The rebellion was recorded on the walls of KARNAK

at Thebes. Takelot was buried in the TANIStomb of his

father.

Takelot III(fl. c. 749 B.C.E.) Ruler of the obscure

Twenty-third Dynasty at Leontopolis

The dates of his reign are unknown. He was the son of

OSORKON IIIand Queen KARAOTJETso probably inherited

the throne c. 749 B.C.E. In that time of turmoil, Takelot

III was named to the throne of SHOSHENQ Vat TANISand

also held sway over HERAKLEOPOLIS. He ruled only two

years, however, and during that time appointed his sister

SHEPENWEPET(1) the GOD’S WIFE OF AMUNat Thebes.

RUDAMON, his brother, succeeded him. Takelot III’s fam-

ily was buried at DEIR EL-BAHRIin Thebes, interred on a

terrace of HATSHEPSUT’s shrine. His tomb has not been

discovered.

Takhat (1)(fl. 13th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the

Nineteenth Dynasty and the mother of a usurper

She was probably a lesser-ranked consort of MERENPTAH

(r. 1224–1214 B.C.E.). Takhat was also the mother of

AMENMESSES, who usurped the throne from SETI II(r.

1214–1204 B.C.E.). She was probably a daughter of

RAMESSES II. Takhat was buried in the tomb of Amen-

messes. Some records list her as a consort of SETI IIand as

the mother of Amenmesses and Seti-Merenptah. She was

reportedly depicted on a statue of Seti II at KARNAK.

Takhat (2)(fl. 12th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the

Twentieth Dynasty

She was the wife of Prince Montuhirkhopshef, a son of

RAMESSES III(1194–1163 B.C.E.). Takhat was the mother

of RAMESSES IX.

Takhat (3)(fl. sixth century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the

Twenty-sixth Dynasty

She was a consort of PSAMMETICHUS II(r. 595–589 B.C.E.).

Takhat may have been the mother of APRIES.

Takheredeneset(fl. sixth century B.C.E.) Royal woman

of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty

She was the mother of AMASIS(r. 570–526 B.C.E.). A com-

moner by birth, Takheredeneset watched her son’s mili-

tary career. Amasis usurped the throne from Apries after

the Egyptian army revolted over foreign battles, but his

mother may have died before this occurred.

talatat They were small stone blocks used in the

’AMARNAPeriod, in the reign of AKHENATEN(1353–1335

B.C.E.) in his capital. The name of the stone is taken from

the Arabic for “hand breaths” or may be a variation of the

Italian tagliata,or “cut stonework.” The talatatblocks

were fashioned out of sandstone and normally had beau-

tiful decorative reliefs. When Akhenaten died and