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SHISHAK
Egyptian pharaoh, descendant of a powerful family of Libyan chieftains, and founder of Egypt’s 22d dynasty. His Egyptian name was Sheshonk. He was a contemporary of Solomon, Jeroboam, and Rehoboam. His years as ruler are variously given as 940–915 BC or 935–914 BC.
During Solomon’s reign, he afforded asylum to Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant and subsequent adversary, who escaped to Egypt to avoid being killed by his lord, against whom he had rebelled (1 Kgs 11:40). Since Jeroboam was to set up the northern kingdom after Solomon’s death—an event used by God to punish his people for Solomon’s sin—Shishak’s readiness to harbor the fugitive rebel played a part in God’s design to bring about his purposes.
God used Shishak a second time to further his plans. When Judah under Rehoboam became sinful and engaged in idolatrous practices, allowing male shrine prostitutes to operate in the land (a practice not to be equated with the phenomenon of homosexuality as presently known), God used Shishak’s invasion of Palestine to punish his people. This invasion took place in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign (1 Kgs 14:25; cf. 2 Chr 12:2-9). A great number of Judean towns were taken, but God spared Jerusalem from being captured, when the princes and the king showed repentance and humbled themselves (2 Chr 12:7). However, Shishak showed his mastery by plundering both the temple and royal palace in Jerusalem and by carrying off the gold shields that Solomon had made. Although the biblical account focuses on Shishak’s invasion of the Judean area only, extrabiblical data indicate that he also invaded the territory of Jeroboam, to whom he had previously given refuge.
See also Egypt, Egyptian; Israel, History of; Jeroboam; Rehoboam; Solomon (Person).
Shishak and Archaeology
The discovery of a triumphal inscription prepared by Shishak for the temple at Karnak (ancient Thebes) is of great significance for biblical history. This inscription contains the names of many towns Shishak claims to have captured on his raids into the Asian region. Some of these names, in Egyptian orthography, correspond to names in the Hebrew language. Two dozen can be identified with certainty, affording valuable outside confirmation of biblical geography and history. Additional evidence of Shishak’s raid into Palestine was found at Megiddo (north-central area of Palestine), where a fragment of a triumphal stele erected by the pharaoh has been located.