Timeline of Historical Events

730 - Piye takes nearly all of Egypt, becoming first Pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty. Lower Egypt, under a vassal king, tends to run itself.

720 - Piye foements rebellion in Philistia and Gaza against the Assyrians, but these are put down. This begins the Sargonite’s hatred of the Egyptians.

714 - Piye dies, and Shebitku becomes Pharaoh.

712 - 710 - Shebitku conquers Lower Egypt. Burns Bakenranef (last heir of the 24th dynasty) alive.

706 - Shebitku extradites a rebel to Sargon in a bid to appease him. This is an unpopular maneuver.

705 - Shabaka becomes Pharaoh after Shebitku dies under mysterious circumstances.

705 - Sargon II dies in battle. Sennacherib consolidates power of the next 3 years.

703 - Sennacharib puts down a Babylonian revolt.

701 - Shabaka allies with Babylon and the kings of the Levant. Sennacharib destroys many of the city-states of the Levant, and then lays seige to Jerusalem. Shabaka comes to their aid, sending Taharqa as general of his armies, and a huge Assyrian army is destroyed.

694 - Sennacharib's eldest son is eliminated as king of Babylon. Sennacharib names Esarhaddon his crown prince, to his older brother's dismay.

690 - Taharqa becomes Pharaoh after the death of his uncle Shabaka

689 - Sennacharib destroys Babylon, very unpopular, seen as sacriligious

681 - Sennacharib dies, assasinated by his elder son. Esarhaddon returns to Nineveh, defeats his brothers and becomes king.

675 - Preliminary Advance by Esarhaddon turned back

673 - First real invasion by Esarhaddon

672 - Ashurbanipal's eldest brother dies, and his other older brother is King of Babylon, so he becomes crown prince. He is not liked (especially by the priesthood), so Esarhaddon has to make deals with families to ensure loyalty to him.

671 - Esarhaddon brings full on war to Taharqa, takes Memphis, and captures his heir. Taharqa flees south to Thebes.

Visuals

Map of Thebes:

South end of the Necropolis (West Bank, Thebes). Includes the Temple of Millions of Years of Ramses III, which has been the palace for royals and visiting Pharaoh's for a couple of centuries: