According to the new hypothesis regarding the succession of the Amun priesthood, Pinedjem I was too young to succeed to the High Priesthood of Amun after the death of Piankh. Herihor instead intervened to assume this office. After Herihor's death, Pinedjem I finally claimed this office which had once been held by his father Piankh. This interpretation is supported by the decorations from the
Temple of Khonsu at
Karnak where Herihor's wall reliefs here are immediately followed by those of Pinedjem I with no intervening phase for Piankh and also by the long career of Pinedjem I who served as High Priest of Amun and later as king at Thebes. of the High Priest Pinedjem I He inherited a political and religious base of power at Thebes. Pinedjem strengthened his control over both Middle and Upper Egypt and asserted his kingdom's virtual independence from the
Twenty-first Dynasty based at
Tanis. He married
Duathathor-Henuttawy, a daughter of
Ramesses XI, to cement his relations with the other powerful families of the period. Their son,
Psusennes I, went on to become
Pharaoh at Tanis, thereby removing at a stroke the gap between the two families. In practice, however, the 21st dynasty kings and the Theban high priests were probably never very far apart politically since they respected each other's political autonomy. Around Year 15 or 16 of
Smendes, Pinedjem I proclaimed himself pharaoh over Upper Egypt, though years in Egypt were still counted according reign of Smendes, and his priestly role was inherited by his two sons
Masaharta and
Menkheperre. His daughter,
Maatkare, held the position of
Divine Adoratrice of Amun. Pinedjem's
mummy was found in the
cache at
Deir el-Bahri. ==Family==