Piankh

Piankh was the second High Priest of Amun in the 21st Dynasty, who ruled as commander of the Egyptian army under Assyria from 665 to 662 B.C. He was appointed as ruler of Thebes and commander of the army by Herihor, and was succeeded by his son Pinudjem I. More is known about this ruler in the revised history than the traditional history.

Piankh was the son of an unnamed king of Nubia, and the son-in-law of Osorkon III. He had two sons of note in the revised history, namely his successor Pinudjem I and the 23rd Dynasty ruler Rudamon.

In 671 B.C., the Assyrian occupation of Egypt began, with Assyrian troops driving out the Theban pharaoh Ramesses XI, and established the High Priest of Amun Herihor as commander of the Egyptian army. As one of his first acts as commander, Herihor appointed Piankh ruler of Thebes. He would stay in this position until 665 B.C., when Herihor styled himself pharaoh of Egypt.

After he named himself ruler of Egypt, Herihor appointed Piankh as the new commander of the army. Throughout the rest of his reign, Piankh led a series of campaigns to find and kill the exiled pharaoh Ramesses. He completed this task in 662 B.C., and his life’s work finished, he died and appointed his son Pinudjem I the new High Priest of Amun and commander of the army.

The evidence for the revised history can be found at Displaced Dynasties. Evidence for this pharaoh can be found here and here.