Prof. Peter Brand joins us for one final conversation about Ramesses II: Egypt's "Ultimate Pharaoh."

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend Peter's book Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023). It covers everything I discussed, and much more, in exceptional detail.

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How does Ramesses II stack up to his predecessors? Why did ancient writers connect him with the Trojan War? In this episode we explore tales of Ramesses, told in antiquity, and consider his legacy in the modern world.

Music: Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos.

Bibliography

Brand, P. (2010a). Reuse and Restoration. In W. Wendrich (Ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2vp6065d

Brand, P. (2010b). Usurpation of Monuments. In W. Wendrich (Ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5gj996k5

Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh.

Breasted, J. H. (1912). A History of Egypt.

Bunsen, C. C. J. von. (1848). Egypt’s place in universal history: An historical investigation in five books (C. H. Cottrell, Trans.; Vols. 1–5). https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015050932519

Cooney, K. M. (2022). The New Kingdom of Egypt Under the Ramesside Dynasty. In D. T. Potts, N. Moeller, & K. Radner (Eds.), The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume III: From the Hyksos to the Late Second Millennium BC (pp. 251--366). https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190687601.003.0027

Davies, B. G. (1997). Egyptian Historical Inscriptions of the Nineteenth Dynasty.

Edwards, A. B. (1899). A Thousand Miles up the Nile (2nd edn). https://archive.org/details/thousandmilesupn0000edwa_e0y7/page/n9/mode/2up

Kelly, B. (2010). Tacitus, Germanicus and the Kings of Egypt (tac. Ann. 2.59–61). The Classical Quarterly, 60(1), 221–237. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40984750

Kitchen, K. A. (1982). Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, King of Egypt.

Lietzelman, H. (2014). Pharaonism: Decolonizing Historical Identity. Prized Writing 2014-2015, 46–51.

Neville, J. W. (1977). Herodotus on the Trojan War. Greece & Rome, 24(1), 3–12. https://www.jstor.org/stable/642683

Said, S. (2012). 2 Herodotus and the ‘Myth’ of the Trojan War. In E. Baragwanath & M. de Bakker (Eds.), Myth, Truth, and Narrative in Herodotus (pp. 87--106). https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693979.003.0003

Sourouzian, H. (1988). Standing Royal Colossi of the Middle Kingdom Reused by Ramesses II. Mitteilungen Des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo, 44, 229--254.

Sourouzian, H. (2019a). Catalogue de la statuaire royale de la XIXe dynastie [Database]. https://www.ifao.egnet.net/bases/publications/bietud177/

Sourouzian, H. (2019b). Catalogue de la statuaire royale de la XIXe dynastie. https://www.ifao.egnet.net/publications/catalogue/9782724707571/

Tyldesley, J. (2001). Ramesses: Egypt’s Greatest Pharaoh.

Wilkinson, T. (2023). Ramesses the Great: Egypt’s King of Kings.

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In 1226 BCE, his sixty-seventh year of rule, the long life of Ramesses II finally ended. We explore his final decades, the difficult life revealed by his mummy, his ascent to status of "living god," and the aftermath of his reign.

Music: Luke Chaos.

Support the History of Egypt at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast

Select References:

Balout, L., Roubet, C., & Desroches-Noblecourt, C. (1985). La momie de Ramsès: Contribution scientifique à l’Egyptologie.

Brand, P. (2010). Reuse and Restoration. In W. Wendrich (Ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology online.

Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh.

Demarée, R. J. (2016). Announcement of the passing of Ramesses II. JEOL, 46, 121--125. Academia.edu.

Gallet, L. (2013). Karnak: The Temple of Amun-Ra-Who-Hears-Prayers. In W. Wendrich (Ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology online.

Hawass, Z. A., & Saleem, S. N. (2016). Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies.

Hornung, E., Krauss, R., & Warburton, D. (Eds.). (2006). Ancient Egyptian Chronology.

Shehab El-Din, T. (1997). The title, “mdw jAwj”: “the staff of old age” “ 'ukkāza aš-šayḫuḫa.” Discussions in Egyptology, 37, 59--64. Academia.edu.

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Sometime in Ramesses II's reign, royal artisans dismantled the city of Akhet-Aten (Amarna). Carefully, methodically, they removed the talatat blocks and carted them away to the nearby town Hemenu (Hermopolis) for reuse in a temple. This demolition of the Horizon of Aten remains a matter of debate among scholars: why now, and what motivated it?

Meanwhile, Ramesses II has a problem. His sons keep dying. Between regnal years 25--55, at least twelve princes "passed to the west." We meet the designated heirs (and the spares), and see who finally got the top job...

The funerary mask (of Khaemwaset?) in the Louvre and Wikimedia.

Extended version available at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast

Music: Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos.

Select References

Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh.

Fisher, M. M. (2001). The Sons of Ramesses II (Vols. 1–2).

Hanke, R. (1978). Amarna-Reliefs aus Hermopolis: Neue Veröffentlichungen und Studien.

Iskander, S. (2002). The Reign of Merneptah [Unpublished PhD. Thesis].

Kemp, B. J. (2013). The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People.

Kitchen, K. A. (1975). Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1993a). Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1993b). Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations (Vol. 2).

Reeves, N. (2019). Akhenaten: Egypt’s False Prophet (2nd edn).

Roeder, G. (1959). Hermopolis 1929-1939.

Servajean, F. (2014). Mérenptah et la fin de la XIXe dynastie. .

Sourouzian, H. (1989). Les Monuments du roi Merenptah.

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Ramesses and Hattusili (Part 2). After the marriage to a Hittite princess in Year 34, Ramesses II had much to offer his northern family. A visit from the King of Hatti's son, seeking food supplies, may relate to repeated hunger crises in Syria and Hatti. Pharaoh's support brought the two kingdoms closer together, although we must wonder if the Bronze Age Collapse has now begun... Finally a text known as the Bentresh Stela offers a fairytale memory of Ramesses' relations with Hatti.

Music: Keith Zizza.

Music: Luke Chaos.

==

Select References - Hattusili and Ramesses

Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh.

Bryce, T. (2003). Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age.

Bryce, T. (2005). The Kingdom of the Hittites (2nd ed.).

Divon, S. A. (2008). A Survey of the Textual Evidence for “Food Shortage” from the Late Hittite Empire. In The City of Emar Among the Late Bronze Age Empires (pp. 101--109). Online.

Drews, R. (1993). The End of the Bronze Age.

Edel, E. (1994). Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz aus Boghazköi in babylonischer und hethitischer Sprache I.

Hoffner Jr., H. A. (2009). Letters from the Hittite Kingdom.

Kaniewski, D., et al. (2020). Climate Change and Social Unrest: A 6,000‐Year Chronicle From the Eastern Mediterranean. Geophysical Research Letters, 47. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087496

Klengel, H. (1974). “Hungerjahre” in Hatti. Altorientalische Forschungen, 1, 165—174.

Kuslu, Y., & Sahin, U. (2009). Water Structures in Anatolia from Past to Present. Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 5, 2109--2116.

Nougayrol, E., et al. (1968). Ugaritica V.

Owen, D. I. (1981). An Akkadian Letter from Ugarit at Tel Aphek. Tel Aviv, 8, 1--17. Online.

Singer, I. (2011). The Calm Before the Storm: Selected Writings of Itamar Singer on the Late Bronze Age in Anatolia and the Levant.

Select References - The Bentresh Stela

Erman, A. (1883). Die Bentreschstele. Zeitschrift Für Ägyptische Sprache Und Altertumskunde, 21, 54–60.

Kitchen, K. A. (1975). Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1993a). Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1993b). Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations (Vol. 2).

Posener, G. (1934). À propos de la stèle de Bentresh. Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, 34, 75--81. https://www.ifao.egnet.net/bifao/34/

Spalinger, A. (1977). On the Bentresh stela and related problems. Journal of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities, 8, 11--18. Online.

Witthuhn, O., et al. (2015). Die Bentresch-Stele: Ein Quellen- und Lesebuch. Online.

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Ramesses is famous for fathering 100+ children. But what did all these princes and princesses do? Prof. Peter Brand joins us once more to explain the lives and roles of these children, how we know about them (or don't), what's up with those "Daughter Wives," and where all the 100+ children might be buried.

Also, I read the entire list of children (all 100+) in their known order, from the monuments.

Prof. Peter Brand's book Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh is available now at all good retailers.

Music by Luke Chaos.

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It’s time, once again, to think about visiting Egypt. I just returned from a tour in March, taking a group through the Nile Valley, and we had a great time. Egypt is quite safe, and the sites are ready to receive you. If you’re in the mood for some antiquities, exploration, and time in the pharaonic past, consider joining me on my next tour.

Dates: 24 January - 01 February 2027.

Special out-of-hours access to the GREAT PYRAMID of Khufu, with all three chambers to ourselves! Additional special permits for ABU RAWASH and the BLACK PYRAMID at Dahshur.

Booking page with itinerary & costs: Ancient World Tours https://www.ancient.co.uk/holiday/history-of-egypt-podcast-2027/. The password is SECRETS (all in capitals). The last few tours have all sold out, so get in quick!

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Hybrid episode (narrative & interivew). The Hittite Queen, Maat-Hor-Neferura, may have been surprised to find she wasn't the only King's Great Wife. In fact, Ramesses had already turned to other women to be his Queens. Notably, his eldest daughter Bint-Anat ("Daughter of Anat") became King's Great Wife, along with several of her younger siblings. Why did Ramesses "marry" his own offspring, and what does that mean for the royal family?

Also, we meet Ramesses' oft-forgotten sister, Tia.

In Part 2, we are joined by Prof. Peter Brand to discuss life in the pharaonic palaces. How did they organise their royal households, what terms survive to illuminate this world? And how can Egyptologists understand life in Ramesses' great family?

Music by Luke Chaos & Keith Zizza, used with permission.

Logo image: Bint-Anat as King's Great Wife, from Ramesses' colossal statue now in the Grand Egyptian Museum.

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Married before first sight. In regnal year 34 (1259 BCE) Ramesses welcomed a princess of Hatti. Sent by her father Hattusili and mother Puduhepa, the (anonymous) princess came to Egypt and took up the rank of King's Great Wife. Today, she is known by her Egyptian name, MAAT-HOR-NEFERURA "She Who Sees Horus, the Perfection of Ra." This enigmatic woman sits at the centre of a fascinating letter archive and commemorative text. Ramesses celebrated his new bride in grand style...

Music by Luke Chaos

Extended version of this episode available at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast

Sources Beckman, G. (1999). Hittite Diplomatic Texts (2nd ed.).

Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh.

Bryce, T. (2003). Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age. Archive.org.

Edel, E. (1994). Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz aus Boghazköi in babylonischer und hethitischer Sprache I:  Umschriften und Übersetzungen.

Fisher, M. M. (2013). A Diplomatic Marriage in the Ramesside Period: Maathorneferure, Daughter of the Great Ruler of Hatti. In B. J. Collins & P. Michalowski (Eds.), Beyond Hatti: A Tribute to Gary Beckman (pp. 75—119).

Jung, C. (2007). Rain in ancient Egypt: A linguistic approach. In H.-P. Wotzka, O. Bubenzer, M. Bollig, & R. Vogelsang (Eds.), Aridity, change and conflict in Africa (pp. 331–344). Available in Open Access pdf at Koeln.

Kitchen, K. A. (1975). Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1996). Ramesside Inscriptions : Translations (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1999). Ramesside Inscriptions: Notes and Comments (Vol. 2).

Mieroop, M. van de. (2016). A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC.

Polo, S. S. (2016, January 11). Inside One of Egypt’s Biggest Royal Weddings. National Geographic History.

Wong, J. (2020). Have you ever seen the rain? Comments on an underrepresented phenomenon. Nile Magazine, 28, 24—35. Available at Academia.edu.

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New Egyptology podcast! Voices of Ancient Egypt is "the podcast for people who don’t just want to learn about ancient Egypt, but want to understand it at a deeper, more meaningful level. With a blend of solo deep-dives and conversations with experts and everyday Egyptophiles, this podcast brings ancient Egyptian history, beliefs, and language to life — and shows you how learning hieroglyphs is possible, no matter your age, background, or schedule. Whether you want to read hieroglyphs in museums, on social media, or on your next trip to Egypt, you’ll find the tools, stories, and encouragement to make it real."

Voices of Ancient Egypt:

https://podcast.voicesofancientegypt.com/

https://open.spotify.com/show/1k1kqGenm15EJttupCKE4S

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-of-ancient-egypt/id1834639742

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Campbell Price is Curator of Egypt & Sudan at Manchester Museum. Enthusiasts will know him from the books Ancient Egypt in 50 Discoveries and Golden Mummies of Egypt. Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period. You may have seen or heard him on History Hit’s The Ancients, a variety of documentaries, and this podcast!

Today, Campbell joins the show once more to talk about KHA-EM-WASET. The fourth son of Ramesses II, renowned priest and conservator of ancient monuments... and fairytale hero in later ages.

Campbell Price:

Academia.edu.

Liverpool University.

Ancient Egypt in 50 Discoveries (2025) via Egypt Exploration Society.

Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period (2023) via Google Books.

Dr. Price’s non-Egyptology reading recommendation: Lucy Fulford, The Exiled (2024) https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/lucy-fulford/the-exiled/9781399711210

Music by Keith Zizza, used with artist's permission.

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