“The Sky Did Not Swallow the Moon…”: The Eclipse of Takelot II as a Fixed Point for Third Intermediate Period Chronology

Summary There are few records of solar or lunar eclipses in the ancient world that can be used to date historical events. One possible example is found in the Chronicle of Prince Osorkon, connected to an uprising in year 15 of Takelot II. The meaning of this text has been contested throughout the history of its interpretation, but it most likely refers to a lunar eclipse that was barely seen, or one that was predicted but not seen. There are only a handful of eclipses between 900 and 700 BC which fit the date recorded in the Chronicle, which narrows down the accession of Takelot II to two astronomically best options, 857/6 BC and 771/0 BC. This could serve as a fixed point for the wider chronology of the 22 nd Dynasty and Third Intermediate Period in Egypt.