A powerful kingdom arose in northern Sudan (Kush) during the 9th century BC. Conquering Egypt, its kings ruled the Nile Valley from the Mediterranean as far as Khartoum for half a century. Allied with the Assyrians, the Libyan princes of Sais succeeded in ousting the Nubians and reuniting Egypt under their own rule. Despite these constant wars, this was also a period of artistic renaissance, attested by many building works, a striking series of portrait sculptures, and the splendid burial treasures of the royal family. Withdrawal from Egypt did not mark the end of the Kushite state, which continued for nearly a thousand years. This is an intriguing portrait of a little-known period of Egyptian history by a controversial author who, in Centuries of Darkness (written with Peter James) substantially redrew our understanding of the Late Bronze Age Near East.
