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© DR. VICTOR WONG, DREAMSTIME.COM

HELPING HEZEKIAH. Although the Bible tells of Taharqa coming to the aid of Hezekiah in 701 BC, Taharaqa did not become king until 690. Two royal stelae excavated in the forecourt of Temple T at the site of Kawa in northern Sudan clarify this seeming confusion. Stela IV, now in Khartoum, recounts that Taharqa came to northern Egypt to command his brother’s army. Stela V (shown here), now in Copenhagen, adds that this event took place when Taharqa was “a young man of 20 years.” From these inscriptions, one can conclude that in 701, Taharqa led an army to Judah on behalf of his brother, King Shebitku, while still only the crown prince of Egypt.