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 in c.925 BC of Shoshenq I, of the Twenty-second Dynasty. Shoshenq has been identified with the biblical Shishaq, such that the relief is also known as the Shishak Inscription or Shishaq Relief.
History
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:
Description
One facade shows King Sheshonq I, Teklot and Osorkon of the 22nd dynasty, making offerings to the gods and goddesses. Another scene shows Sheshonq grasping a group of captives by the hair and smiting them by his mace. Behind and below him, there are the names of Canaanite towns in several rows. Many of these are lost, but originally there were 156 names and one of the most interesting names which were mentioned is 'The Field of Abram' . The inscriptions give no details for this expedition and mentioned only the victory over the Asiatics.
Transliterations and translations
Below is a translation of the one hundred fifty-five names on the inscription.
Section One
Row I - Listing of the Nine bows
1. tꜣ rsy - Southern Land (i.e. Upper Egypt) 2. tꜣ mḥw = Northern Land (i.e. Lower Egypt) 3. jwn.tjw = Tribesmen 4. ṯhnw = Tjehenu 5. sḫt[-jꜣmw] - Field [of tents] 6. mn[.tjw] = Bedouin 7. pḏ[.tjw swt] = Bow[men of the feather] 8. šꜣt = Swamp (Upper Nubia) 9. ḥꜣ[.w-n]b.w = Northerners
Section Two - Coastal plain, Shephelah, Meggido plain and Jezreel plain
10. mj.tj ꜥ[r.t] = Copy of the [scroll]
11. g[...] = unknown
12. m[]ꜣ[] = Makkedah
13. rwbꜣ = Rubate
Row II
14. tꜣꜥnkj = Taanach
15. šꜣnmꜥ = Shunem
16. bꜣtšꜣn swr = Beth-Shean
17. rwꜣḫbꜣ = Rehob
18. ꜣḫpwrwm = Hapharaim
19. jdrw[m] = Adoraim (unknown locality in Israelite Kingdom, different from Adoraim in Judah) 20. (destroyed) 21. šꜣꜣwꜣd = unknown 22. mjꜣḥꜣnjmꜥ - Mahanaim 23. qbꜣꜥꜣnꜣ = Gibeon 24. bꜣtꜣḥwꜣrwn = Beth-Horon 25. qꜣdṯm = Kiriath-jearim or Gath-Gittaim 26. jywrwn = Aijalon
Row III
27. mjkdjw = Megiddo
28. jdrw = (Ataroth-)Addar
29. ywd-hꜥmrwk = Yad Hammelek ("hand of the king") 30. []rwt = unknown 31. ḥꜣjꜣnm = Henam 32. ꜥꜣrn = Aruna 33. bꜣrwmꜣꜥ = Borim 34. ḏꜣdpṯrw = Giti-Padalla 35. y[]hꜣ[]mꜣ = Yehem 36. bꜣtꜥꜣrwmmꜣ = Beth 'Olam 37. kꜣꜥqꜣrw = unknown 38. šꜣjwkꜣ = Socoh 39. bꜣttꜣpw = Beth-Tappuah
Row IV
40. jbꜣrjꜣ = unknown
41. [...]ḥtp = unknown
42. (destroyed) 43. (destroyed) 44. (destroyed) 45. bꜣtḏb[...] = unknown 46. nbk[...] = unknown 47. [...]i[...] = unknown 48. (destroyed) 49. (destroyed) 50. (destroyed) 51. [...]ssḏ[...] = unknown 52. (destroyed)
Row V
53. [p]nwjrw = Penuel
54. ꜣḥꜣdšꜣt = Hadashah? 55. pktṯ / pꜣ-wr-ktṯ = unknown / "The great ktṯ" 56. jdmjꜣ = Adam 57. ḏꜣ[m]rwmmꜣ = Zemaraim 58. [...]drw = Migdol 59. [...]rwḏꜣjꜣ = Tirzah 60. [...]nꜣrw = unknown 61. [...]j = unknown 62. (destroyed) 63. (destroyed) 64. [...]gꜣpn = unknown 65. pꜣ-ꜥmq = "The valley"
Section Three - Negev area
Row VI
66. ꜥꜣjꜣḏꜣj = Ezem
67. jnꜣrw = unknown
68. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrwj = "the fort" 69. ftjywšꜣj = Photis 70. jrhrwrw = Jehallel / El-Hallal 71. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrwj = "the fort" 72. mrbꜣrmj = unknown 73. šꜣbꜣrwṯ = "stream" 74. ngbꜣrwy = of (Ezion-)Geber 75. šꜣbꜣrwṯ = "stream" 76. wꜣꜣrkytj = unknown 77. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrwj = "the fort" 78. nꜥḏꜣytj = unknown 79. dd[ ]j = unknown 80. ḏꜣpꜣqj = Sapek 81. mj[]j[] = unknown 82. tꜣp[...] = unknown
Row VII
83. gꜣnꜣt = unknown
84. pꜣ nꜣgbw = "The Negev" 85. ꜥꜣḏꜣḥꜥṯ = unknown 86. tꜣšdnꜣw = unknown 87. pꜣ ꜣḥqꜣrw[t] = "the fort" 88. šꜣnꜣyj = unknown 89. hꜣqꜣ = unknown 90. pꜣ ng[bw] = "The Neg[ev]" 91. wꜣhṯrwwꜣk[...] = unknown 92. pꜣ nꜣgbw = "The Negev" 93. jšꜣḥtjw[t] = Shuhah? 94. pꜣ ꜣḥgrwj = "the fort" 95. ꜣḥꜣnnj = (Ben-)Hanan 96. pꜣ ꜣḥgrwj = "the fort" 97. jrwqꜣd = El-Gad 98. jdꜣmꜣmt = unknown 99. ꜣḥꜣnꜣny = (Ben-)Hanan