שִׁישַׁק or שׁוּשַׁק – Or שׁוּשַׁק and שִׁישַׁק

The question of the original form of the name of the Egyptian pharaoh, who is rendered as שִַׁישַַׁ ק in 1 Kgs 11:40; 2 Chr 12:2.5bis.7.9 and as שַׁוּשַַׁ ק in 1 Kgs 14:25, has been a debate in theology and egyptology for about two centuries. In this article, the vo-calized forms of the name available today are analyzed in chronological order, also considering the two spellings from 1 Kgs. Taking into account a sound change in the Egyptian language as well as the other forms of the name known from the ancient Near East, it becomes obvious that the two verses in 1 Kgs are both correct, and they can be explained by their time of origin, separated by several centuries.