The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXVI, alternatively 26th Dynasty or Dynasty 26) dynasty was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC (although others followed).
The dynasty's reign (664–525 BC) is also called the Saite Period after the city of Sais, where its pharaohs had their capital, and marks the beginning of the Late Period of ancient Egypt.Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton.
The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt.
The American University in Cairo Press, London 2004 History
This dynasty traced its origins to the Twenty-fourth Dynasty.
Psamtik I was probably a descendant of Bakenranef, and following the Neo-Assyrian Empire's invasions during the reigns of Taharqa and Tantamani, he was recognized as sole king over all of Egypt.
Psamtik formed alliances with King Gyges of Lydia, who sent him mercenaries from Caria and ancient Greece which Psamtik used to unify all of Egypt under his rule.
With the sack of Nineveh in 612 BC and the fall of the Assyrian Empire, both Psamtik and his successors attempted to reassert Egyptian power in the Near East, but were driven back by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II.
With the help of Greek mercenaries, Apries was able to hold back Babylonian attempts to conquer Egypt.
The Persians would eventually invade Egypt in 525 BCE, when their king, Cambyses II, captured and later executed Psamtik III.
Archaeology
In May 2020, an Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission headed by Esther Ponce revealed a unique cemetery, which consists of one room built with glazed limestone dating back to the 26th Dynasty (also known as the El-Sawi era) at the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus.
Archaeologists also uncovered bronze coins, clay seals, Roman tombstones and small crosses.
On October 3, 2020, Egypt unveiled 59 coffins of priests and clerks from the 26th dynasty, dating to nearly 2,500 years ago.
Art
File:Pottery vessel.
Applique face of god Bes on surface.
Pink-brown ware.
From Egypt.
26th Dynasty.
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London.jpg|Pottery vessel showing the face of god Bes, from the 26th Dynasty.
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London File:Female amulet E17114 mp3h8679.jpg|Female figure, Louvre Museum.
The name of Psamtik I is inscribed under the feet.
File:Sphinx of Apries-N 515-IMG 0583-gradient.jpg|Sphinx of Apries, from the collection of Count Caylus Pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty
The 26th Dynasty may be related to the 24th Dynasty.
Manetho begins the dynasty with:
Ammeris the Nubian, 12 (or 18) years
Stephinates, 7 years
Nechepsos, 6 years
Necho, 8 years.
When the Nubian King Shabaka defeated Bakenranef, son of Tefnakht, he likely installed a Nubian commander as governor at Sais.
This may be the man named Ammeris.
Stephinates may be a descendant of Bakenrenef.
He is sometimes referred to as Tefnakht II in the literature.
Nechepsos has been identified with a local king named Nekauba (678–672 BC).
Manetho's Necho is King Necho I (672–664 BC); Manetho gives his reign as 8 years.Kitchen, Kenneth A.
The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt, 1100-650 B.C. (Book & Supplement) Aris & Phillips.
1986  Necho was killed during a conflict with the Nubian king Tantamani.
Psamtik I fled to Nineveh – capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire – and returned to Egypt when Ashurbanipal defeated Tantamani and drove him back south.
Scholars now start the 26th Dynasty with the reign of Psamtik I.
Sextus Julius Africanus states in his often accurate version of Manetho's Epitome that the dynasty numbered 9 pharaohs, beginning with a "Stephinates" (Tefnakht II) and ending with Psamtik III.
Africanus also notes that Psamtik I and Necho I ruled for 54 and 8 years respectively.
Timeline of the 26th Dynasty
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea  = top:100 bottom:100 right:100 left:100 AlignBars = early
DateFormat = yyyy Period     = from:-664 till:-500 TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:-664
Colors     =   id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)   id:PA   value:green   id:GP   value:red
Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas
BarData =   barset:Rulers
PlotData=   width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till   barset:Rulers
from: -664 till: -610 color:PA text:"[[Psamtik I]] (664–610 BC)"   from: -610 till: -595 color:PA text:"[[Necho II]] (610–595 BC)"   from: -595 till: -589 color:PA text:"[[Psamtik II]] (595–589 BC)"   from: -589 till: -570 color:PA text:"[[Wahibre Haaibre]] (589–570 BC)"   from: -570 till: -526 color:PA text:"[[Amasis II]] (570–526 BC)"   from: -526 till: -525 color:PA text:"[[Psamtik III]] (526–525 BC)"   barset:skip See also
History of ancient Egypt
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt family tree
Late Period of ancient Egypt
Saite Oracle Papyrus
References
Bibliography
Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton.
The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt.
The American University in Cairo Press, London, 2004.
Kenneth Kitchen, The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt, 1100–650 B.C. (Book & Supplement) Aris & Phillips.
1986 .
Karl Jansen-Winkeln, Bild und Charakter der ägyptischen 26.
Dynastie, Altorientalische Forschungen, 28 (2001), 165–182.
