The Kingdom of Kush or Kush is an ancient Nubian state centered on the confluences of the Blue Nile, White Nile and River Atbara in what is now the Republic of Sudan.Established after the Bronze Age collapse and the disintegration of the New Kingdom of Egypt, it is centered at Napata in its early phase.

After king Kashta ("the Kushite") invades Egypt in the 8th century BCE, the Kushite kings rule as Pharaohs of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt for a century, until they are expelled by Psamtik I in 656 BCE.During Classical Antiquity, the Nubian capital is at Meroe.

In early Greek geography, the Meroitic kingdom is known as Ethiopia.

The Nubian kingdom at Meroe persists until the 4th century CE, when it is militarily defeated by the Ethiopian kingdom of Axum.