Shabaka - Definition and Overview

Shabaka was a pharaoh (716 - 702 BC) of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, suceeding his brother Piankhi I (Piye).

Shabaka's reign saw an enormous amount of building work undertaken throughout Egypt, especially at the city of Thebes. He also struggled to keep Egypt free from the domination of the Assyrian empire under Sargon II, a task in which he was successful largely because Sargon was distracted by conflicts in other regions. The most famous relic from Shabaka's reign is the 'Shabaka stone' on which is recorded ancient documents the king ordered preserved. Despite being relative newcomers to Egypt, Shabaka and his family were immensely interested in Egypt's past and the art of the period reflects their tastes which harked back to earlier periods.

Shabaka died in 702 BC and was buried in a pyramid at el-Kurru. He was succeeded by his nephew Shebitku, presumably too young at the death of his father Piankhi to succeed in his own right.

Shabaka is mentioned in the book of Genesis 10:7.