Sety in the Desert. Around 1300 BCE, King Sety led an expedition into the Red Sea hills. His purpose? Gold. The King brought soldiers and charioteers out to mine precious metals for his treasuries. The journey was difficult, traversing a dry and rocky landscape far from the comforts of home. Fortunately, Sety left detailed descriptions of the event; and art and artefacts from this era allow us to reconstruct the journey...

Episode details:

• Logo image: Soldiers make camp, setting up tents for commanders. Tomb of Horemheb at Saqqara (Martin 2016).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• The Wadi Barramiya, in which Sety’s expedition travelled, by Hakatani Tenfu at Flickr.com.
• The Kanais Temple of Sety I, in the Wadi Barramiya, by Mutnedjmet at Flickr.com.

Select bibliography:

• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (Cairo, 2019).
• H. Gauthier, ‘Le temple de l’Ouâdi Mîyah (el Knaïs)’, Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale 17 (1920), 1--38. Available online.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical, I (Oxford, 1975).
• R. Klemm and D. Klemm, Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts (Berlin, 2013).
• G. T. Martin, Tutankhamun’s Regent: Scenes and Texts from the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb (EES Excavation Memoir 111; London, 2016).
• C. D. Reader, A Gift of Geology: Ancient Egyptian Landscapes and Monuments (Cairo, 2022).
• R. D. Rothe et al., Pharaonic Inscriptions from the Southern Eastern Desert of Egypt (Winona Lake, 2008).
• B. M. Sampsell, The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler’s Handbook (Cairo, 2014).
• See website for complete listing.

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Ramesses Rising. Traditionally, Egyptian princes are almost invisible. The pharaohs downplayed the presence of their sons, to reduce political competition and maintain religious order. Sety I (c.1300 BCE) changed this habit. In art and monuments, he promoted young Ramesses II to a position of prominence and power. The exact nature of this promotion is slightly controversial among Egyptologists. In this episode, we explore Ramesses’ rise and some of the thorny issues. Additionally, Prof. Peter Brand joins us to discuss some of the harder questions on these period.

• Peter Brand, The Monuments of Sety I (2000), available free at Academia.edu.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023) available from Lockwood Press.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• Outro music: “River Lullaby” from The Prince of Egypt (1998) – Harp cover by The Knitting Harpist (YouTube).

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

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In the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, an out-of-the-way corridor preserves a unique image. The King of Egypt, and his eldest son, wrangle and subdue a bull. This scene appears simple, at first glance. But it has a wealth of deeper symbolism and meanings. In this episode, we explore the idea of Bulls as images of power and violence, and their relationship with gods like Osiris and Seth…

• Episode logo: Ramesses and the Bull, by artist Brenna Baines (commissioned by The History of Egypt Podcast). Full version available on my Patreon (link below).
• The Bull Hall photos by Heidi Kontkanen at Flickr.com.
• The Bull Hall in Peter Brand, Monuments of Sety I (2000) available free online.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Sound effects purchased from Pond5.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Abuel-Yazid, ‘Architecture of the Slaughterhouse of the Seti Temple at Abydos’, in I. Regulski (ed.), Abydos: The Sacred Land at the Western Horizon (2019), 7—24.
• L. Baqué, ‘“On that Day When the Long-Horned Bull was Lassoed...” (PT [254] 286). A Scene in the “Corridor of the Bull” of the Cenotaph of Sethos I in Abydos: An Iconologic Approach’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 30 (2002), 43—51.
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000). Available free online.
• R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003).
• J. M. Galán, ‘Bullfight Scenes in Ancient Egyptian Tombs’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 80 (1994), 81—96.
• See website for complete reference list.

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Warrior, protector, murderer. By 1300 BCE, the Egyptian god Seth had become a complex and multi-faceted deity. Chaotic and destructive, but not "evil," Seth played an important role in the gods' realm and our own. This legend developed and evolved over centuries, from the earliest religious literature to the imperial age. In this episode, we explore Seth's role, appearances, and descriptions in the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, Book of the Dead, Amduat, and Book of Gates. And we try to get to grips with a god who was (quite literally) two-faced...

Episode details:

• Date: c. 2400 - 1300 BCE (Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms up to the reign of Sety I).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music intro and outro by Michael Levy.
• Music interludes by Luke Chaos and Keith Zizza.
• Logo image: The hybrid deity Herfy ("Two-Face"), combining the powers of Horus and Seth. Hour 10 of the Book of Gates, from the tomb of Tausret in the Valley of the Kings (Line drawing by Dominic Perry, based on photo by Erik Hornung).
• General studies: Erik Hornung, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife (1999) at Internet Archive. John Darnell and Colleen Manassa Darnell, The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books at JSTOR.org and the Society of Biblical Literature.
• Pyramid Texts in English translation and Egyptian hieroglyphs (Pyramid Texts Online by Vincent Brown).
• Coffin Texts in English translation by Raymond Faulkner (1973—1978): Volume I, Volume III. I have been unable to find a copy of Volume II online; if you are aware of one, please let me know. Egyptian Hieroglyphs available in Open Access via the University of Chicago.
• Book of the Dead in English translation by Raymond Faulkner (1982 edition) at Internet Archive. Edited volume of scholarly articles available at The University of Chicago (2017, edited by Foy Scalf). Additional English translation, transliteration, and commentary by Stephen Quirke (2013).
• The Amduat (Book of the Hidden Chamber) in English translation, transliteration, and Egyptian hieroglyphs by Erik Hornung (2007).
• The Book of Gates in English translation, transliteration, and Egyptian hieroglyphs by Erik Hornung (2013).

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Identity crisis. Seth (aka Sutekh / Setekh / Suty) is a complicated deity. A master of storms, winds, deserts and seas, Seth dominates foreigners and the world outside Egypt. However, he is also treacherous, violent, and aggressive; a god who slew his own brother and tried to seize the throne for himself. As a result, Seth has a complicated relationship with the Egyptian kingship. Part defender and source of legitimacy, but also a threat to the stable order of the world (ma’at). Most kings navigated this relationship fairly easily. But then, most kings weren’t named after the god himself. As a pharaoh of Egypt, a living Horus, and the son of Osiris, King Sety I had to work hard to reconcile his personal identity with his divine. The results are visible on his monuments…

• Date: Reign of Sety I (c.1300 BCE).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro, outro, and interludes: Michael Levy.
• Music interludes: Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos.
• Logo image: A Seth-headed-Sphinx, on an obelisk of Sety I, originally from Heliopolis but now in Alexandria (Line drawing by Dominic Perry, based on a photo by Heidi Kontkanen).

Select Bibliography:

• J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• E. Cruz-Uribe, ‘The Father of Ramses I: OI 11456’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 37 (1978), 237—244.
• E. Cruz-Uribe, ‘Stḫ ꜥꜣ pḥty “Seth, God of Power and Might”’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 45 (2009), 201—26.
• A. el-Sawi, ‘Some Variations of Writing of the Names of Sety I at Abydos’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 70 Supplement (1987), 53—63.
• J. G. Griffith, The Conflict of Horus and Seth from Egyptian and Classical Sources (1960).
• C. A. Hope, ‘Reconstructing the Image of Seth, Lord of the Oasis, in his Temple at Mut el-Kharab in Dakhleh Oasis’, Rich and Great: Studies in Honour of Anthony J. Spalinger on the Occasion of his 70th Feast of Thoth (2016), 123—145.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume I: Ramesses I, Sethos I and Contemporaries (Second Publication edn, 2017).
• W. M. F. Petrie and J. E. Quibell, Naqada and Ballas 1895 (1896).
• D. Schorsch and M. T. Wypyski, ‘Seth, “Figure of Mystery”’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 45 (2009), 177—200.
• D. Stewart, ‘The Myth of Osiris in the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Monash University (2014).
• I. R. Taylor, ‘Deconstructing the Iconography of Seth’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Birmingham (2016).
• H. te Velde, ‘The Egyptian God Seth as a Trickster’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 7 (1968), 37—40.
• H. te Velde, Seth, God of Confusion (1967).
• H. te Velde, ‘Seth’, in D. B. Redford (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, 3 (2001), 269—271.
• P. J. Turner, ‘Seth – A Misrepresented God in the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon?’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Manchester (2012).
• R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003).
• H. E. Winlock, The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos (1937).
• ‘Stèle Cintrée E26017’, Musée du Louvre, <https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010004210> accessed 2.2.2024.

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Sety I reigned (approx.) 1303--1292 BCE. In the first half of his reign, the King's followers achieved significant and splendid deeds. We explore these achievements in aggregate, and what they all mean for the Egyptian people. Plus, what 19th Dynasty "expansion" means for our story of pharaohs, ordinary people, and the gods...

Logo image: Sety I, a painted panel from his tomb (Louvre Museum).

Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.

Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Music by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com.

Interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.

Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

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Blade of Frontiers (not Wyll). In September 2024, the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities announced new discoveries including a sword inscribed with the names of Ramesses II, King of Egypt. In this episode, we discuss the weapon and its origins, as well as the larger significance of the fortress in which this discovery occurred. Who did the sword belong to? What was this fortress guarding against?

Egyptian swords in museum collections:

• https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/545558
• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA5425
• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA52850
• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA36769

The Egyptian army and fortifications:

• Video lecture series, "Perspectives on the Ramesside Military System" on YouTube.
• The Old Kingdom (c.2500—2200 BCE): Spotify and Website.
• Grave of the Unknown Warriors (c.2000 BCE): Spotify.
• The Army of Sety I (c.1300 BCE), Part 1: Spotify.
• The Army of Sety I (c.1300 BCE), Part 2: Spotify.
• The New Kingdom (c.1500—1150 BCE): Spotify and YouTube.
• Ian Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019).
• C. Vogel, The Fortifications of Ancient Egypt 3000-1780 BC (Botley, 2010).
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (Leiden, 2005).
• B. McDermott, Warfare in Ancient Egypt (Stroud, 2004).

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These violent delights have violent ends. Between 1992 BCE and 1941 BCE, King Montu-Hotep (“Montu is Content”) ruled the southern kingdom. And he led efforts to expand Theban power, and ultimately reunify the Two Lands…

• Logo image: Montu, in a chapel of Ramesses III at Karnak (Kairoinfo4u).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

Montuhotep’s Expansion into Wawat / Nubia and the records of the wars:

• Darnell, ‘The Route of the Eleventh Dynasty Expansion into Nubia: An Interpretation Based on the Rock Inscriptions of Tjehemau at Abisko’, Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 131 (2004), 23—37. Available on Academia.edu.
• Darnell, ‘The Eleventh Dynasty Royal Inscription from Deir el-Ballas’, Revue d’Égyptologie 59 (2008), 81—110. Available on Academia.edu.

Montuhotep’s Mahat Chapel at Abydos, discovered in 2014: Josef Wegner at Academia.edu and Damarany in Abydos: The Sacred Land (2019), JSTOR.

Scholarly debates on the timeline and events of the Reunification:

• Brovarski, ‘The Hare and Oryx Nomes in the First Intermediate Period and Early Middle Kingdom’, in Egyptian Culture and Society: Studies in Honour of Naguib Kanawati, 1 (2010), 31—85. Available on Academia.edu. This was the study I followed in my reconstruction.
• Willems, ‘The Nomarchs of the Hare Nome and Early Middle Kingdom History’, Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 28 (1985), 80—102. Available at Researchgate.

Nubia – The Archaeology of Wawat and Kerma:

• Kerma – Mission archéologique suisse à Kerma (Soudan)
• C. Bonnet, ‘The Cities of Kerma and Pnubs-Dokki Gel’, in G. Emberling and B. B. Williams (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2021), 201—212.
• H. Hafsaas, ‘The C-Group People in Lower Nubia: Cattle Pastoralists on the Frontier Between Egypt and Kush’, in B. B. Williams and G. Emberling (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2020), 157—177.
• G. K. Meurer, ‘Nubians in Egypt from the Early Dynastic Period to the New Kingdom’, in B. B. Williams and G. Emberling (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2020), 289—308.
• B. B. Williams, ‘Kush in the Wider World During the Kerma Period’, in G. Emberling and B. B. Williams (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2021), 179--200.

The Tomb of General Antef, with images of siege towers and naval forces:

• B. Jaroš-Deckert, Grabung im Asasif. 1963-1970. Band 5: das Grab des Jnj-jtj.f. Die Wandmalereien der 11. Dynastie, 12 (1984).

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Ta-Wer howled. Around 2000 BCE, the southern kingdom was rising quickly. But the north was not out of the fight. Not by a long shot…

Episode chapters

1. Prologue – A Royal Inspection (00:30).
2. The Fall of Tjeni / Thinis (07:25).
3. The Long Reign of Intef II (11:58).
4. Intef’s Dogs (20:58).
5. Khety Merykara (34:03).
6. Making Ta-Wer Howl (47:25).
7. Conclusion (01:06:37).
8. Epilogue – Intef’s Hymns for Ra and Hathor (01:08:30).

Dendera excavations: Moeller and Marouard, The Development of Two Early Urban Centres - Edfu and Dendara (2018).

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• Logo image: The "Dog Stela" of Intef II, from his tomb at El-Tarif (Mariette 1858).

Select Bibliography:

• A. E. Demidchik, ‘The Reign of Merikare Khety’, Göttinger Miszellen 192 (2003), 25--36.
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (London, 2004).
• C. Langer, ‘The Political Realism of the Egyptian Elite: A Comparison Between The Teaching for Merikare and Niccolò Machiavelli’s Il Principe’, Journal of Egyptian History 8 (2015), 49--79.
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Wilson, 2013).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Los Angeles, 1973).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom: A Study and an Anthology (Freiburg, 1988).
• J. Malek, ‘King Merykare and his Pyramid’, in C. Berger et al. (eds), Hommages à Jean Leclant, 4, 4 vols (Cairo, 1994), 203--214.
• G. Maspero, ‘On the Name of An Egyptian Dog’, Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology V (1877), 127--128.
• R. B. Parkinson, The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems (1940—1640 BC) (Oxford, 1997).
• R. B. Parkinson, Poetry and Culture in Middle Kingdom Egypt: A Dark Side to Perfection (London, 2002).
• D. Polz, Die Sogenannte Hundestele des Königs Wah-Anch Intef aus el-Târif: Eine Forschungsgeschichte (Wiesbaden, 2019).
• D. Polz, ‘Dra’ Abu el-Naga, Ägypten: ein angeblicher Fund aus Dra’ Abu el-Naga. Die sog. Hundestele des Königs Wah-Anch Intef. Eine Forschungsgeschichte’, e-Forschungsberichte des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 2020 (2020), 12--16.
• S. Quirke, Egyptian Literature 1800 BC: Questions and Readings (London, 2004).
• D. B. Spanel, ‘The Herakleopolitan Tombs of Kheti I, Jt(.j)jb(.j), and Kheti II at Asyut’, Orientalia 58 (1989), 301--314.

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The war for Ta-Wer. The Thebans had seized the sacred city of Abdju (Abydos) in the district of Ta-Wer. The northern rulers, from the House of Khety, contested this violently. Inscriptions and art reveal the movements of armies, the clashes on field and river, and the sieging of major towns. Soon, things going downright apocalyptic. Also… dogs!

• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com.
• Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• Logo image: Intef II, from a stela in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Intro: Saruman's Speech from The Two Towers (2002), adapted by Dominic Perry.
• Fawlty Towers excerpts via Britbox Don't Mention the War | Fawlty Towers (youtube.com).

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Partial Bibliography:

• M. D. Adams, ‘Community and Society in Egypt in the First Intermediate Period: An Archaeological Investigation of the Abydos Settlement Site’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Michigan (2005).
• D. Arnold, Gräber des Alten und Mittleren Reiches in El-Tarif (Mainz, 1976).
• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (Cairo, 2008).
• H. Brunner, Die Texte aus den Gräbern der Herakleopolitenzeit von Siut mit Übersetzung und Erläuterungen (Glückstadt, 1937).
• J. J. Clère and J. Vandier, Textes de la Première Période Intermédiare et de la XIeme Dynastie (Brussels, 1948).
• J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241--258.
• W. Ejsmond, ‘The Nubian Mercenaries of Gebelein in Light of Recent Field Research’, Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 14 (2017), 11--13.
• N. Fields, Soldier of the Pharaoh: Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055--1650 BC (2007).
• H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (Analecta orientalia 40; Rome, 1964).
• H. G. Fischer, ‘Provincial Inscriptions of the Heracleopolitan Period’, Varia Nova, Egyptian Studies 3 (New York, 1996), 79--90.
• G. P. Gilbert, Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in Early Egypt (Oxford, 2004).
• H. Goedicke, ‘The Inscription of Dmi’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 19 (1960), 288--291.
• W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (London, 2006 & 2024).
• R. Landgráfová, It Is My Good Name That You Should Remember: Egyptian Biographical Texts on Middle Kingdom Stelae (Prague, 2011).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Los Angeles, 1973).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom: A Study and an Anthology (Freiburg, 1988).
• D. O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (London, 2009).
• S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 2000), 108--136.
• I. Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019).
• J. Wegner, ‘The Stela of Idudju-Iker, Foremost-One of the Chiefs of Wawat: New Evidence on the Conquest of Thinis Under Wahankh Antef II’, Revue d’égyptologie 68 (2018), 153--209.
• T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (London, 2010).

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Intef the Great (c.2050—2000 BCE). The reign of Intef II, ruler of Waset (Thebes) shows a sudden surge in expansion and conflict. Seeking absolute power over the south, Intef brought major districts like Abu (Elephantine) into his territory. He made alliances with the rulers of Wawat (Nubia). Then, he sent his armies north to seize a sacred city…

Episode details:

• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com.
• Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• Logo image: Intef II, from a stela in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibligraphy:

• M. D. Adams, ‘Community and Society in Egypt in the First Intermediate Period: An Archaeological Investigation of the Abydos Settlement Site’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Michigan (2005).
• D. Arnold, Gräber des Alten und Mittleren Reiches in El-Tarif (Mainz, 1976).
• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (Cairo, 2008).
• H. Brunner, Die Texte aus den Gräbern der Herakleopolitenzeit von Siut mit Übersetzung und Erläuterungen (Glückstadt, 1937).
• J. J. Clère and J. Vandier, Textes de la Première Période Intermédiare et de la XIeme Dynastie (Brussels, 1948).
• J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241--258.
• W. Ejsmond, ‘The Nubian Mercenaries of Gebelein in Light of Recent Field Research’, Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 14 (2017), 11--13.
• N. Fields, Soldier of the Pharaoh: Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055--1650 BC (2007).
• H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (Analecta orientalia 40; Rome, 1964).
• H. G. Fischer, ‘Provincial Inscriptions of the Heracleopolitan Period’, Varia Nova, Egyptian Studies 3 (New York, 1996), 79--90.
• G. P. Gilbert, Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in Early Egypt (Oxford, 2004).
• H. Goedicke, ‘The Inscription of Dmi’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 19 (1960), 288--291.
• W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (London, 2006 & 2024).
• R. Landgráfová, It Is My Good Name That You Should Remember: Egyptian Biographical Texts on Middle Kingdom Stelae (Prague, 2011).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Los Angeles, 1973).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom: A Study and an Anthology (Freiburg, 1988).
• D. O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (London, 2009).
• S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 2000), 108--136.
• I. Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019).
• J. Wegner, ‘The Stela of Idudju-Iker, Foremost-One of the Chiefs of Wawat: New Evidence on the Conquest of Thinis Under Wahankh Antef II’, Revue d’égyptologie 68 (2018), 153--209.
• T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (London, 2010).

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The first phase is over, and the war is heating up. Around 2055 BCE, a lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor named Intef I promoted himself far above the established norms. Sending representatives to treat with the other rulers, Intef nonetheless began to push his military power further afield. Soon, he began to isolate and attack the loyalist governors nearby…

Episode details:

• The Qena Bend and locations referenced in this episode.
• Logo image: Model soldiers from a First Intermediate Period tomb (Brooklyn MFA).
• “Godfather” Walz theme by Andrea Giuffredi.
• “Declare Independence” by Björk, instrumental version.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (2008).
• E. Brovarski, ‘Overseers of Upper Egypt in the Old to Middle Kingdoms’, Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 140 (2013), 91—111. Available online.
• J. J. Clère and J. Vandier, Textes de la Première Période Intermédiare et de la XIeme Dynastie (1948).
• J. C. Darnell, Theban Desert Road Survey in the Egyptian Western Desert, I: Gebel Tjauti Rock Inscriptions 1-45 and Wadi el-Hôl Rock Inscriptions 1-45 (2002).
• J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241—258. JSTOR.
• A. E. Demidchik, ‘The History of the Heracleopolitan Kings’ Domain’, in H.-W. Fischer-Elfert and R. B. Parkinson (eds), Studies on the Middle Kingdom in Memory of Detlef Franke (2013), 93—106. Online.
• H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (1964).
• H. G. Fischer, Dendera in the Third Millennium BC Down to the Theban Domination of Upper Egypt (1968).
• W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (2006 & 2024).
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (1973).
• S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000), 108—136.
• N. Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age (2005).
• T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (2010).
• T. Wilkinson, Lives of the Ancient Egyptians (2019).
• H. Willems, ‘The First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom’, in A. B. Lloyd (ed.), A Companion to Ancient Egypt, 1 (2010), 81—100.

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The complete autobiography of Ankhtyfy (Ankhtifi) from his tomb at el-Mo'alla.

Sources:

• J. Vandier, Mo’alla: La Tombe d’Ankhtifi et la tombe de Sébekhotep (1950). French translation of hieroglyphs.
• Logo image: Ankhtyfy, from his tomb at Mo'alla (Wikimedia Public Domain).
• The tomb of Ankhtyfy at Osirisnet. English translation of Vandier (1950).
• Minor re-translations and edits of the text by Dominic Perry (2024).
• Photos of Ankhtyfy's tomb by M. Attia, ‘Tombs of Ankhtifi and Sobekhotep el-Moalla Egypt’, https://flickr.com/photos/130870_040871/albums/72157676972946976/.

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Famine and resilience. Around 2060 BCE, the Overlord Ankhtyfy was riding high. Then, a crisis hit southern Egypt. Drought, food shortages, and starvation swept through the region. From sites like Elephantine, Edfu, and historical texts, we get a picture of Egypt in difficulty. But also, a sense of communities perservering and rebuilding...

• Logo image: Apophis from the tomb of Inerkhau at Deir el-Medina (Dynasty 19). Photo by Chris Ward.
• The tomb of Ankhtyfy at el-Mo’alla by Merja Attia https://flickr.com/photos/130870_040871/albums/72157676972946976/.
• Excavations at Edfu: Nadine Moeller and Gregory Marouard The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt (2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPUPQabHL04.
• Intro music by Ihab.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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The rise of Ankhtyfy. In southern Egypt, a "Great Overlord" named Ankh-tyfy began to expand his power. From his home base at Nekhen (Hierakonpolis), he annexed neighbouring territories like Edfu. He did this with some elaborate justifications, and perhaps inspired by the example of ancestors. Alas, his rapid rise soon brought him into conflict with other regional lords and their soldiers...

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Logo image: Ankhtyfy’s archers, photo by Mutnedjmet.
• Photos of the tomb of Ankhtyfy by Merja Attia.
• Intro music by Ihab and Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

Select bibliography:

1. M. Attia, ‘Tombs of Ankhtifi and Sobekhotep el-Moalla Egypt’, https://flickr.com/photos/130870_040871/albums/72157676972946976/.
2. H. Goedicke, ‘’Ankhtyfy’s Fights’, Chronique d’Égypte 73 (1998), 29-41.
3. N. Moeller, ‘The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt’, The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (2017).
4. L. D. Morenz, ‘Power and Status. Ankhtifi the Hero, Founder of a New Residence?’, CRIPEL 28 (2009), 177-192.
5. J. Vandier, Mo’alla: La Tombe d’Ankhtifi et la tombe de Sébekhotep (1950).

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By 2100 BCE, Egypt’s royal house was in trouble. A line of kings, known as the pr-Hty (“House of Khety”) claimed authority over the whole Nile Valley. But archaeological and historical data paint a different picture: of a growing division between communities in the north and south of Egypt. The “Two Lands” were separating, and government was too weak to stop it…

Logo image: A northern official named Ipi. From his tomb at the cemetery of Ihnaysa el-Medina (Photo Perez Die 2016).

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

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Don’t swim for at least 30 minutes after a banquet… Around 2150 BCE, so the story goes, the Queen-King Nitocris sought vengeance on those who had wronged her. This tale comes from Herodotos, and in 1928 a young Tennessee Williams published his own version of the gothic stroy. In this bonus episode, I read Williams’ work for a bit of spooky storytelling…

• Herodotos, Histories, Book II, via Perseus.
• Tennessee Williams ‘The Vengeance of Nitocris’ at Wikipedia and Wikisource.
• The Vengeance of Nitocris by Rejected Princesses.
• Music by Kevin Manthei, from Vampire: The Masquerade: Redemption (2000). I played this a lot as a child, and it seemed to fit the tone.
• Outro music, “Killer Queen – Medieval Rock Cover” by Medieval Rock. Less tonally consistent, but when the Queen gives an order...
• Logo image: "The Vengeance of Nitocris," from Weird Tales magazine.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

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Between 2500—2200 BCE, Egypt witnessed a period of surprisingly high rainfall. While the Old Kingdom was much wetter than today, archaeologists have found strong evidence for huge downpours, sweeping across northern Egypt and flooding tombs, cities, and forcing the ancients to adapt…

This episode is a brief epilogue to the Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom series.

• Intro music: Michael Jackson – Stranger in Moscow (Instrumental Version).
• Outro music: Toto – Africa (Bardcore) by Stravitticus.
• Logo image: Rain spout/gutter at the pyramid complex of Niuserrra (c.2400 BCE). Photo by Kairoinfo4u.

References used in this episode:

• K. W. Butzer, ‘When the Desert Was in Flood: Environmental History of the Giza Plateau’, AERAgram 5 (2001), 3—5.
• K. W. Butzer et al., ‘Urban Geoarchaeology and Environmental History at the Lost City of the Pyramids, Giza: Synthesis and Review’, Journal of Archaeological Science 40 (2013), 3340—3366.
• K. O. Kuraszkiewicz, ‘Architectural Innovations Influenced by Climatic Phenomena (4.2 KA Event) in the Late Old Kingdom (Saqqara, Egypt)’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 27—34.
• S. Rzepka et al., ‘Preliminary Report on Engineering Properties and Environmental Resistance of Ancient Mud Bricks from Tell el-Retaba Archaeological Site in the Nile Delta’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 47—56.

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Why did it all go so wrong? We’ve explored the historical overview of Old Kingdom decline; but what was driving it? There are three major factors that caused this fall. Two originate in the climate, the third comes from the political structure of the kingdom and its society. From the deserts of Sahara to the depths of the Nile, we uncover the causes of decline…

Note: An extended version of this episode is available at Patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
• Logo image: The “Starving Bedouin” from the Pyramid of Unas. Photo by Sarah Murray.

Select Bibliography:

1. M. Bárta, Analyzing Collapse: The Rise and Fall of the Old Kingdom (2019).
2. B. Bell, ‘The Oldest Records of the Nile Floods’, The Geographical Journal 136 (1970), 569—573.
3. K. W. Butzer, ‘When the Desert Was in Flood: Environmental History of the Giza Plateau’, AERAgram 5 (2001), 3—5.
4. K. W. Butzer, ‘Landscapes and Environmental History of the Nile Valley: A Critical Review and Prospectus’, in E. Bloxam and I. Shaw (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology (Oxford, 2020), 99—124.
5. N. Kanawati and J. Swinton, Egypt in the Sixth Dynasty: Challenges and Responses (2018).
6. K. O. Kuraszkiewicz, ‘Architectural Innovations Influenced by Climatic Phenomena (4.2 KA Event) in the Late Old Kingdom (Saqqara, Egypt)’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 27—34.
7. M. van de Mieroop, A History of Ancient Egypt (2nd edn, 2021).
8. N. Moeller, ‘The First Intermediate Period: A Time of Famine and Climate Change?’, Egypt and the Levant 15 (2005), 153—167.
9. J. C. Moreno García, ‘Climatic Change or Sociopolitical Transformation? Reassessing Late 3rd Millennium BC in Egypt’, in J. C. Moreno García et al. (eds), 2200 BC - A Climatic Breakdown as a Cause for the Collapse of the Old World? 2 vols (2015), 79—94.
10. S. Rzepka et al., ‘Preliminary Report on Engineering Properties and Environmental Resistance of Ancient Mud Bricks from Tell el-Retaba Archaeological Site in the Nile Delta’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 47—56.
11. J.-D. Stanley et al., ‘Nile Flow Failure at the End of the Old Kingdom, Egypt: Strontium Isotopic and Petrologic Evidence’, Geoarchaeology 18 (2003), 395—402.
12. P. Tallet and M. Lehner, The Red Sea Scrolls: How Ancient Papyri Reveal the Secrets of the Pyramids (2021).

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Why did the Old Kingdom disappear? Was it an overnight "collapse," or something more long term? In this episode, and the next, we explore the question in overview. This chapter focusses on the historical sources including King Lists, Classical authors like Herodotos and Manetho, and the fragmentary evidence for some of the "shadow kings" of this period…

Chronology and Historical Studies:

• Overview of all sources and scholarship at Pharaoh.se.
• M. Baud, ‘The Relative Chronology of Dynasties 6 and 8’, in E. Hornung et al. (eds), Ancient Egyptian Chronology (2006), 144—158. Available in pdf at Digital Giza.
• J. von Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999).
• W. Helck, ‘Anmerkungen zum Turiner Königspapyrus’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 150–216. English translation available at Pharaoh.se.
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013). Available at Internet Archive.
• K. Ryholt, ‘The Turin King-List’, Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant 14 (2004), 135—155.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Logo image: The damaged visage of Pepy II from his pyramid at South Saqqara (Jéquier 1936).

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Frustrated with the break from New Kingdom material? I hear you, and I can promise a return.

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Interview. How does copper cut stone? Martin Odler specialises in ancient Egyptian technology. Specifically, the manufacture and use of metal in tools and industry. In this interview, Dr. Odler shares some of his research insights on the production and use of copper, at sites like the Giza pyramids during the Old Kingdom. We also explore the use of metal in weaponry and daily life, and how scientists can experiment with reconstructed tools to examine their value and effectiveness. Today, Dr. Odler shares his methodical and wide-ranging interests. Personally, I learned a lot from speaking with him.

• Logo image: A copper mirror of Reni-Seneb (c.1800 BCE), Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Martin Odler at Newcastle University.
• Research papers by Martin Odler at Academia.edu.
• Book: Copper in Ancient Egypt Before, During, and After the Pyramid Age (c.4000—1600 BC) (2023), published by Brill.
• Book: Old Kingdom Copper Tools and Model Tools (2016), published by Archaeopress.

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Before the fall (c.2600 - 2200 BCE). Early Egyptians were fierce and active warriors. Our evidence for the Old Kingdom “army,” however, is scattered and fragmentary. Sifting through the pieces, we can reconstruct some elements of the early armed forces. In this episode, we explore royal texts that describe campaigns; pyramid art showing battles and soldiers training; and even images of siege warfare…

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro music by Stephen Rippy from Age of Empires (1997).
• Outro music and interludes by Keith Zizza.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos.

Episode Chapters:

1. Introduction 00:00
2. Dynasty IV Raids and Warriors 02:40
3. Army Organisation and Weapons 16:07
4. Battle Scenes of Unas and Ka-em-heset 25:58
5. Siege Scene of Inti 38:00

Notable artefacts (see Bibliography for full titles):

• Archers from the reign of Khufu, MMA. See Goedicke 1971, MMA Open Access.
• Sahura training scenes: Published in El Awady 2009.
• Unas battle scene: First published by Selim Hassan 1938 (Archive.org).
• Siege scene of Khaemheset: First published in Quibell and Hayter 1927. Archive.org.
• Siege scene of Inti: See Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare, 2019 (Pen & Sword). First published Petrie 1894. See also Kanawati and McFarlane 1993.

Examples of pre-New Kingdom Egyptian weapons in museum collections:

• Wooden bows: Louvre, MMA (FIP or early MK).
• Arrows: MMA (FIP or early MK), Louvre (Pre-Dynastic), MFA (FIP or early MK), ROM (FIP).
• Maces: ROM (4th Dyn., Khafra), ROM (Pre-Dynastic), MMA (FIP or MK).
• Spearheads: Louvre (FIP), Louvre (12th Dyn.), MMA (MK).
• Axes: Louvre, (OK), Louvre (FIP), Louvre (MK).

Select Bibliography (see website for full details):

• L. Bestock, Violence and Power in Ancient Egypt: Image and Ideology Before the New Kingdom (2018).
• T. El Awady, Sahure: The Pyramid Causeway: History and Decoration Program in the Old Kingdom (2009).
• H. Goedicke, Re-Used Blocks from the Pyramid of Amenemhat I at Lisht (1971). MMA Open Access.
• S. Hassan, ‘Excavations at Saqqara 1937--1938’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 38 (1938), 503—514. Archive.org.
• N. Kanawati and A. McFarlane, Deshasha: The Tombs of Inti, Shedu and Others (1993).
• A. Labrousse and A. Moussa, La chaussée du complexe funéraire du roi Ounas, I (2002).
• F. Monnier, ‘Les techniques de siège décrites dans la documentation pharaonique’, Égypte Nilotique et Méditerranéenne 15 (2022), 51—73. ENIM.fr.
• A.-L. Mourad, ‘Siege Scenes of the Old Kingdom’, Bulletin of the Australian Centre of Egyptology 22 (2011), 135—158. Academia.edu.
• J. E. Quibell and A. G. K. Hayter, Excavations at Saqqara: Teti Pyramid, North Side (1927). Archive.org.
• I. Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (2019).
• N. Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age (2005).

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A new tour for February 2025 is now ready to announce and book. The tour includes a return to Amarna (Akhet-Aten), to explore the city of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. We visit some new sites, not seen on previous tours. And we have special permits for the tomb of Senuseret III at Abydos, and the tombs of Thutmose III and Horemheb in the Valley of the Kings. It's a great itinerary with a mix of famous favourites and new adventures. If you'd like to visit Egypt, come along in 2025!

Website with itinerary and cost breakdown: The History of Egypt Podcast 2025 — Ancient World Tours.

Questions about history/sites - [email protected].

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A tomb revisited. In 1923 CE, excavations at Luxor revealed the graves of ancient Egyptian soldiers. They bore scars of battle on their bones and flesh; and their story may belong to one of several major conflicts within the Nile Valley, around 2000—1900 BCE. In this episode, we revisit an old topic, and describe the tale anew…

Note: This episode has an extended version on Patreon (link below).

• Dates: 1923—1926 CE (excavation); c. 2000—1900 BCE (ancient burial).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

Select Bibliography:

• H. E. Winlock, The Slain Soldiers of Neb-Hepet-Re Mentu-Hotpe (1945). Available in Open Access via MMA.
• C. Vogel, ‘Fallen Heroes? Winlock’s “Slain Soldiers” Reconsidered’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 89 (2003), 239—245. Access via Academia.edu and JSTOR.org.
• P. Chudzik, ‘Middle Kingdom tombs in the North Asasif Necropolis: Field Seasons 2018/2019 and 2020’, Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (2020), 177—202. Open Access via Academia.edu.
• Wikipedia, ‘MMA 507,’ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MMA_507&oldid=1151562120.
• J. Heath, ‘The Slain Soldiers of Tomb 507: An Egyptological Mystery’, Ancient Egypt: The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley 118 (2020), 28-33. Note: I became aware of this article after publication of this episode, but I include it here as the author reaches similar conclusions to mine.

Artefacts from the tomb at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

• Archers’ wrist guard.
• Folded linen with hieratic text of Sobekhotep Son-of-Imeny. Additional pieces at MMA Collections (objects dated .1961 – 1917 BC).
• Skull fragment with arrow in eye (images restricted).
• Model weapons of the early Middle Kingdom: shield, spear, quiver.
• The tomb of Queen Neferu at Deir el-Bahari: Wikipedia, photos at Flickr.com.

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A name more famous than its owners. The Cleopatras of Egypt (all seven of them) were remarkably influential women and rulers. Frequently taking up power and responsibilities far beyond their more famous husbands (the Ptolemies), the seven Cleopatras of Egypt (and even more in the wider Hellenistic world) are worthy of greater attention and respect. In this interview, Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones of Cardiff University introduces these figures and his new book The Cleopatras: Forgotten Queens of Egypt.

Author details:

• Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, The Cleopatras, 2024. Available in hardback, paperback, ebook, and audiobook (read by the author). See Headline Publishing and all good retailers.
• Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones at Cardiff University and Academia.edu.

Rulers discussed in this episode:

• Cleopatra I Syra: Wikipedia.
• Cleopatra III: Wikipedia.
• Cleopatra Thea of the Seleukid Empire: Wikipedia.
• Cleopatra VI Tryphaena: Wikipedia.
• Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator: Wikipedia.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music by Michael Levy www.ancientlyre.com.

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What’s the deal? We explore the Pyramid Texts’ meaning, as well as their origins and scholarship.

The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women…

Episode topics:

1. Meaning 01:15.
2. Rituals 03:54
3. Afterlife geography 17:05.
4. Origins 20:16.
5. Arrangement / Structure 29:00.
6. Conclusion 37:25

Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

• Date: c.2320 BCE.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.
• Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.

Select Bibliography:

• Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.
• J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org.
• J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers.
• R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher.
• W. M. Davis, ‘The Ascension-Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 36 (1977), 161—179. JSTOR.
• J. Hellum, ‘The Presence of Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (2001). Online.
• J. Hellum, ‘Toward an Understanding of the Use of Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 43 (2014), 123—142. Academia.edu.
• H.-J. Klimkeit, ‘Spatial Orientation in Mythical Thinking as Exemplified in Ancient Egypt: Considerations toward a Geography of Religions’, History of Religions 14 (1975), 266—281. JSTOR.
• A. J. Morales, ‘The Transmission of the Pyramid Texts into the Middle Kingdom: Philological Aspects of a Continuous Tradition in Egyptian Mortuary Literature’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (2013). Academia.edu.
• D. Stewart, ‘The Myth of Osiris in the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Monash University (2014). Online.

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The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women…

Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

• Date: c.2320 BCE.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.
• Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.
• Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.

The Pyramid Texts publications:

• J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org.
• J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers.
• R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher.

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We leave the Duat and enter the horizon. On the walls of the antechamber, Unas’ Pyramid Texts describe the king’s entry to the sky. The ruler establishes and affirms his power. And, in a famous passage, Unas engages in some ritual cannibalism…

Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

• Date: c.2320 BCE.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.
• Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.
• Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.

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We travel deeper into the stars. Unas’ Pyramid Texts, on the walls of his burial chamber, lay out protections against serpents and dangers. They also introduce offerings, to sustain the King’s soul and nourish the gods.

Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

• Date: c.2320 BCE.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.
• Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.
• Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.

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Unas in the sky with deities. Around 2320 BCE, King Unas did something interesting. His pyramid, at Saqqraa, is the first (surviving) monument to feature the Pyramid Texts. These elaborate hieroglyph texts reveal the religious rituals, references, and philosophy of the Old Kingdom Egyptians. In this episode, we begin a journey deep into the night and up to the sky, as King Unas travels to his immortality…

• Date: c.2320 BCE.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.
• The "Imperishable " or Circumpolar Stars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Indestructibles.
• The Egyptian gods family tree: https://veritablehokum.com/comic/the-egyptian-god-family-tree/.
• Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.
• Interludes by Keith Zizza.

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The daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti were not just "ornaments" for their parents. Like many princesses, they also participated in the religious rituals and royal pageantry of the Egyptian government. In this interview, Courtney Marx (MA, George Mason University) joins us on behalf of the American Research Center in Egypt, to discuss the Amarna princesses and their role as priestesses. We also explore the history of royal women as priestesses and the unique roles they played in the temple rituals. Finally, we explore the aftermath of Amarna: how the visible roles, titles, and imagery of princesses changed following the death of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.

The American Research Center in Egypt is celebrating 75 years of work in the Nile Valley. Dedicated to scholarship of the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds, the ARCE supports researchers and students, funds archaeological and scholarly work, and organises many public outreach programs. Learn more about ARCE at their website and follow the ARCE Podcast online and on all podcasting apps.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Logo image: Block fragment showing two Amarna princesses (Metropolitan Museum of Art 1985.328.6). Photo by Courtney Marx.

Select Bibliography (provided by Courtney Marx):

• Ayad, Mariam F. “The God's Wife of Amun: origins and rise to power.” In Carney, Elizabeth D. and Sabine Müller (eds), The Routledge companion to women and monarchy in the ancient Mediterranean world, 47-60. New York: Routledge, 2021.
• Ayad, Mariam F. God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun (ca.740–525 BC). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2009.
• Bryan, Betsy M. “Property and the God’s Wives of Amun.” In D. Lyons and R. Westbrook, eds. Women and Property in Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Societies. Washington, DC: Center For Hellenic Studies, Harvard University, 2005.
• Pawlicki, Franciszek. Princess Neferure in the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari: Failed Heiress to the Pharaoh’s Throne? Études et Travaux 21, 109-127. 2007.
• Xekalaki, Georgia. Symbolism in the Representation of Royal Children During the New Kingdom. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2011.
• Troy, Lana. “Patterns of Queenship in Ancient Egyptian Myth and History.” PhD diss., Uppsala University, 1986.
• Williamson, Jacquelyn. “Death and the Sun Temple: New Evidence for Private Mortuary Cults at Amarna.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 103, no. 1 (June 2017): 117–123. 

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Following a complicated rise-to-power, King Men-kheper-Ra Djehuty-messu (aka Thutmose III) achieved great victories on the battlefield. His campaigns extended far to the north and south, bringing tribute and captives into Egypt. At home, Thutmose’s building projects were enormous and elaborate. And over fifty-four years of rule, the King’s followers established a legendary reputation…

Date: c.1495 - 1441 BCE.

Episode Chapters:

• Part Five - Wives and Warriors: 00:01 - 01:26:22.
• Part Six - Revisions to the Past: 01:26:22 - 02:38:29.
• Part Seven - Fifty Four Years of Splendour, and the End: 02:38:29 - End.

Logo image: Decorated block of Thutmose III, Luxor Museum. Photo by Dominic Perry.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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At the height of the 18th Dynasty (c.1495 - 1441 BCE), King Men-kheper-Ra Djehuty-messu (aka Thutmose III) ruled Egypt. The start of his reign was unusual, with power wielded primarily by the Queen-King Hatshepsut. But following Hatshepsut's death, Thutmose would rise to the challenges of rule. In this episode, we explore the King's upbringing, his rise-to-power, and the famous Battle of Megiddo.

Compilation of previously released material.

Date: c.1495 - 1441 BCE.

Episode Chapters:

• Part One - Little King Thutmose: 02:20 - 37:25.
• Part Two - The Battle of Megiddo: 37:25 - 01:10:30.
• Part Three - Campaigns of Victory (Thutmose at War): 01:10:30 - 01:50:05.
• Part Four - Fighting and Festivals (War Stories and Heb Sed): 01:50:05 - End.

Logo image: Statue of Thutmose III, Luxor Museum. Photo by Dominic Perry.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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In New Kingdom Egypt (c.1500 – 1150 BCE), the rulers and people of the Nile Valley communicated extensively with their eastern neighbours. Trade and diplomacy were far more common than outright conflict. And the Egyptian pharaohs were highly regarded in distant courts. These contacts survive in the archaeological record: detailed texts recording interactions; shipwrecks carrying cargo from the Egyptian court; and even tombs recording the high status of foreigners serving the pharaoh himself.

Compilation of previously released material.

Logo image: A wooden statue head from the tomb of Aper-el / Abdiel. Saqqara, Imhotep Museum, photo by Dominic Perry 2024.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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In New Kingdom Egypt (c.1500 - 1150 BCE), the pharaohs and their agents had many dealings with people of the Mediterranean. These include the ancient Cretans (the "Keftiu" or Minoans) and the Mycenaeans (the "Danae" or "Danaeans"). And from the time of Amunhotep III (c. 1400--1362 BCE), we have tentative evidence for Egyptian embassies visiting these islands. From Memphis to Mycenae, Karnak to Crete, we go in search of international relations.

Compilation of previously released material.

Logo image: Bull-leaper "taureadors" from an Egyptian palace, fresco fragments excavated at Tell el-Dab'a (ancient Avaris) in the Nile Delta. Image adapted from M. Bietak et al., Taureador Scenes in Tell El-Dab'a (Avaris) and Knossos (2007).

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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Remember “Going Forth by Day”? It’s back! In song form. Many creative projects have explored themes around the Egyptian underworld. But in 2023, the Czech band Nemuer has taken a novel approach. Their album, Book of Going Forth by Day is based on original funerary papyri; and for the pronunciation of the Egyptian language, they consulted with Egyptologist Dr. Christian de Vartavan. This gives us an opportunity to explore excerpts from the Book of the Dead from a new perspective and connect more deeply with the ancient language.

The podcast has covered the Book of the Dead previously, but it may be time to revisit it. Would you like me to produce more episodes diving into this text? Let me know in the comments.

Episode details:

• Nemuer, Going Forth by Day (2023). Available on Spotify and Bandcamp.
• Christian de Vartavan, Vocalised Dictionary of Ancient Egyptian (2022). Available in Open Access.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Access expanded materials and support the History of Egypt Podcast at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. 
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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A new year dawns, and it’s time to look back. Egyptology and archaeology had a great year in 2023, with numerous major discoveries, studies, and conservation projects reaching fruition. Here is a sample selection of some particularly significant finds…

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Chat with ancient Egypt enthusiasts at our Discord.
• Logo image: Statue discovered at Saqqara, 2023.

Select Bibliography (in order of discussion):

• Luxor, new royal tomb: Press Release from Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Article by Dr. Piers Litherland in Egyptian Archaeology 63 (2023). Hear about the (brief) reign of Thutmose II on the podcast, episode 60 “Thutmosid Family Values.”
• Luxor, tomb re-openings: The tomb of Meru (Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology). The tombs of Hurri and Djehuty (Proyecto Djehuty and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Press Release).
• Abydos, grave goods of Mer(et)-Neith: Press Release from the University of Vienna. Hear about the life and reign of Mer(et)-Neith on the podcast, episode 02 “Horus Takes Flight.”
• Abydos, temple of Ramesses II animal burials: Article by Dr. Sameh Iskander in Egyptian Archaeology 63 (2023).
• Saqqara, embalming workshops and Old Kingdom tomb: Press Release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
• Saqqara, Gisr el-Mudir new finds: Press Release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
• Saqqara, new temple for Hathor: Article by Ahmed Osman in Egyptian Archaeology 63 (2023).
• Abusir, tomb of the 27th Dynasty scribe Djehuty-em-hat: Press Release from the Czech Institute of Egyptology (Charles University).
• Cairo Museum, CT scans and 3d printing of Ptolemaic mummy: Press Release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and open-access article at Frontiers in Medicine.

Egyptology Newsletters and Websites:

• Mailing list by The Egyptologists’ Electronic Forum (Application Form).
• Updates from The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Facebook.
• Updates and news from Luxor Times on Facebook.

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A tale of terror and tombs. In 1924, Weird Tales magazine published "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" (aka "Under the Pyramids"). A short story in which Harry Houdini, world-famous escape-artist, illusionist, and advocate of rationalism, came face-to-face with horrors beyond his comprehension. The tale is work of horror, ghost-written by H.P. Lovecraft. It is a fun story, worthy of the genre.

Logo image: The statue of Khafra / Khephren in Cairo's old museum (Photo Dominic Perry).

Timecodes:

1. Story Part One: 00:01:40.
2. Story Part Two: 00:38:39.
3. Commentary: 01:18:50.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• H.P. Lovecraft, “Imprisoned with the Pharaohs,” Weird Tales magazine at WikiSource.
• R. Emrys and A. M. Pillsworth, ‘Harry Houdini Versus Cosmic Horror: “Under the Pyramids”’, TOR.com, <https://www.tor.com/2015/02/24/harry-houdini-versus-cosmic-horror-under-the-pyramids/> accessed 12.27.2023.
• D. Harms, Cthulu Mythos Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Horrors Created and Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft (3rd edn, Chelsea, 2012).
• S. T. Joshi and D. E. Schultz, An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia (2001).
• H. P. (Howard P. Lovecraft, The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft (2014).
• D. Norris, ‘Lovecraft and Egypt: A Closer Examination’, Lovecraft Annual (2016), 3–45.

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Restoration, Recovery, Wreckage. Around 2520 BCE, King Men-kau-ra (or Menkaure) ruled Egypt. In his time, royal artists produced high-quality sculpture, and builders constructed another pyramid at Giza. But Menkaura has a complicated legacy. Although his pyramid is the smallest of the three "Great Pyramids of Giza," this King's legacy proved far more positive than his predecessors. Likewise his treasures, including his beautiful sarcophagus, have gone through a difficult journey over the past 4500 years...

Further information:

• Photos of Menkaure’s pyramid by Aidan McRae Thomson on Flickr.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music and interludes by Luke Chaos.

Select Bibliography:

1. M. Baud, Famille royale et pouvoir sous l’Ancien Empire égyptien (1999).
2. P. Boughton, ‘The Lost Sarcophagus’, Egyptology News Network, https://egyptologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/01/lost-sarcophagus.html.
3. P. Boughton, ‘Who Owns Menkaure’s Sarcophagus?’, Nile Magazine (2016), 60—66.
4. Digital Giza, ‘Menkaure Pyramid’, http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/2796/full/.
5. D. Gibbins, ‘PHARAOH: The Sarcophagus of Menkaure and the Wreck of the Beatrice’, http://davidgibbins.com/journal/2013/8/28/pharaoh-the-sarcophagus-of-menkaure-and-the-wreck-of-the-beatrice.
6. R. Gundacker, ‘Die Inschrift an der Nordseite der Mykerinospyramide’, Sokar 19 (2009), 18—25.
7. J. Leclant, ‘Fouilles et travaux en Égypte et au Soudan 1967—1968,’ Orientalia 38 (1969), 240—307.
8. M. Lehner and Z. A. Hawass, Giza and the Pyramids (2017).
9. É. Prisse d’Avennes, Histoire de l’art égyptien: d’après les monuments; depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu’à la domination romaine, 2 vols (1879).
10. U. C. Ringuer, ‘The Story of the Lost Sarcophage’, Archaeology Mysteries, https://archaeologymysteries.com/2019/02/09/the-lost-sarcophage/.
11. A. M. D. Roveri, I sarcofagi egizi dalle origini alla fine dell’antico regno (1969).
12. J. Thompson, Wonderful Things, A History of Egyptology, I: From Antiquity to 1881 (2015).
13. M. Verner, The Pyramids: The Archaeology and History of Egypt’s Iconic Monuments (Updated edn, 2020).
14. H. Vyse, Operations Carried on at the Pyramids of Gizeh in 1837: With an Account of a Voyage into Upper Egypt and an Appendix, 2 (1840).

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How archaeology can increase your life expectancy by 40%! For centuries, popular perceptions of the Great Pyramid’s construction have hinged on Herodotos reference to “twenty years.” While historians have debated that, hard evidence on the reign of Khufu (and its length) has always been fragmentary. In the past ten years, though, things have changed substantially. We now have strong evidence that Khufu reigned much longer than the “twenty years” story. This fundamentally changes our understanding of the period, and the Great Pyramid project…

More information:

• Episode image: Khufu, small ivory statuette from Abydos (Egyptian Exploration Society archives).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• The Memorial/Mortuary Temple of Khufu at Wikimedia Commons.
• Digital Giza, ‘Khufu Pyramid’, http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/1782/full/.
• H. Goedicke, Re-Used Blocks from the Pyramid of Amenemhat I at Lisht, 20 (1971) free download.
• Z. A. Hawass et al., ‘The Great Pyramid Temple Project’, AERAGram 21 (2020), 10—17 (free download).
• J.-P. Lauer, Note Complémentaire sur le Temple Funéraire de Khéops (1949).
• M. Lehner and Z. A. Hawass, Giza and the Pyramids (2017).
• F. Monnier and D. Lightbody, The Great Pyramid 2590 BC Onwards: Operations Manual (2019).
• K. Ryholt, ‘The Turin King-List’, Egypt and the Levant 14 (2004), 135—55.
• K. Ryholt, ‘The Turin King-List or So-Called Turin Canon (TC) as a Source for Chronology’, in E. Hornung et al. (eds), Ancient Egyptian Chronology (2006), 26—32.
• P. Tallet, Les Papyrus de la Mer Rouge I: Le ‘Journal de Merer’ (Papyrus Jarf A et B) (2017).
• P. Tallet and M. Lehner, The Red Sea Scrolls: How Ancient Papyri Reveal the Secrets of the Pyramids (2021).
• M. Verner, The Pyramids: The Archaeology and History of Egypt’s Iconic Monuments (Updated edn, 2020).
• Waseda University Institute of Egyptology, ‘Khufu’s Second Boat’, https://www.egyptpro.sci.waseda.ac.jp/e-khufu.html.

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A crime scene with no crime? In 1925, archaeologists working at Giza uncovered a remarkable monument. The tomb chamber of Queen Hetep-Heres (c.2630-2580 BCE) contained a wealth of beautiful, high-quality items. But the monument itself was strange, the excavation was a serious challenge, and the results were baffling in many ways. In this episode, we explore the discovery, revelation, the life, and the legacy of Queen Hetep-Heres...

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

The Tomb of Queen Hetep-Heres:

• Digital Giza http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/1509/full/.
• G. A. Reisner and W. S. Smith, A History of the Giza Necropolis Volume II: The Tomb of Hetep-Heres the Mother of Cheops (1955). Available online.
• M. Lehner, The Pyramid Tomb of Hetep-Heres and the Satellite Pyramid of Khufu (1985). Available online.

The treasures of Hetep-Heres:

• Ancient objects at Digital Giza.
• Furniture of Hetep-Heres in the Cairo Museum at Wikimedia.
• Exact replicas at Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
• Modern reconstruction and replica of a throne at Harvard University.
• The bracelets of Hetep-Heres – Aegean silver? SCIMEX, ‘Queen Hetepheres’ bracelets reveal new information on trade networks in Old Kingdom Egypt, c 2600 BC’, Scimex, Available online. See also K. Sowada et al., ‘Analyses of Queen Hetepheres’ bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c. 2600 BC’, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 49 (2023), 1—9. Available online.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Baud, Famille royale et pouvoir sous l’Ancien Empire égyptien (1999).
• Boston Museum of Fine Arts, ‘The Tomb of Queen Hetep-heres’.
• V. G. Callender, In Hathor’s Image I. The Wives and Mothers of Egyptian Kings from Dynasties I-VI (2011).
• V. G. Callender, ‘Queen Hetepheres I’, Bulletin of the Australian Centre of Egyptology 1 (1990), 25—30.
• P. Der Manuelian, ‘The Lost Throne of Queen Hetepheres from Giza: An Archaeological Experiment in Visualization and Fabrication’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 53 (2017), 1–46.
• D. Dunham, ‘A Statuette of Two Egyptian Queens’, Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts 34 (1936), 3–5.
• Z. A. Hawass, ‘The Mystery of Hetepheres’, in Z. A. Hawass (ed.), The Treasures of the Pyramids (2003), 152—155.
• G. P. Killen, Ancient Egyptian Furniture Volume I: 4000–1300 B.C. (Oxford, 2013).
• M. Lehner and Z. A. Hawass, Giza and the Pyramids (2017).
• H.-H. Münch, ‘Categorizing Archaeological Finds: The Funerary Material of Queen Hetepheres I at Giza’, Antiquity 74 (2000), 898—908.
• Reisner, ‘The Household Furniture of Queen Hetep-Heres I’, Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts 27 (1929), 83–90.
• G. A. Reisner, ‘Hetep-Heres, Mother of Cheops’, Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts 25 (1927), 1–36.
• G. A. Reisner and W. S. Smith, A History of the Giza Necropolis Volume II: The Tomb of Hetep-Heres the Mother of Cheops (1955).
• SCIMEX, ‘Queen Hetepheres’ bracelets reveal new information on trade networks in Old Kingdom Egypt, c 2600 BC’, Scimex, https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/analysis-of-queen-hetepheres-bracelets-reveals-new-information-on-trade-networks-in-old-kingdom-egypt-c-2600-bc.
• W. S. Smith, ‘The Tomb of Hetep-Heres I’, Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts 51 (1953), 23–30.
• K. Sowada et al., ‘Analyses of Queen Hetepheres’ bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c. 2600 BC’, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 49 (2023), 1—9 https://hal.science/hal-04108566/document#:~:text=Imaging%20of%20a%20cross%2Dsection,during%20the%20Early%20Bronze%20Age.
• ‘Digital Giza | G 7000 X’, http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/1509/full/.

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In 1798, an army of soldiers and scientists invaded Egypt. At their head, the young general Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Expedition had an enormous impact on Egypt's political history, and Egyptology as a field of scholarly inquiry. Remarkable discoveries, and dedicated study, led to an explosion in knowledge about the ancient past. Today, William Clark of Grey History: The French Revolution & Napoleon joins me to discuss these momentous undertakings. And, of course, we talk about the new film "Napoleon," directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.

Links and details:

• William Clark's Grey History: The French Revolution & Napoleon podcast.
• Logo image - Maurice Orange, Napoleon at the Pyramids 1895.
• The Description of Egypt complete digital copy at Bibliotecha Alexandrina.
• The Description of Egypt complete digital copy at Library of Congress.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• ‘Abd al-Rahman al- Jabarti’, Oxford Reference, https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100014918.
• E. Prusskaya, ‘Arab Chronicles as a Source for Studying Bonaparte’s Expedition to Egypt’, Napoleonica. LaRevue 24 (2015), 48–60.
• P. Mainterot, ‘France’, in A. Bednarski et al. (eds), A History of World Egyptology (Cambridge, 2020), 68–90.
• S. Ikram and A. Omar, ‘Egypt’, in A. Bednarski et al. (eds), A History of World Egyptology (Cambridge, 2020), 25–67.
• A. Bednarski et al. (eds), ‘The Prehistory of Egyptology’, A History of World Egyptology (Cambridge, 2020), 8–24.
• A. Bednarski et al. (eds), A History of World Egyptology (Cambridge, 2020).
• O. El Daly, Egyptology: The Missing Millennium – Ancient Egypt in Medieval Arabic Writings (2005).
• L. Greener, The Discovery of Egypt (1966).
• R. Asprey, The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte (2000).

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The Opportunist and the Last of His Kind. In the Late Bronze Age, there were few kingdoms as mighty as Hatti. Their Great Kings, like SUPPILULIUMA and KURUNTA, were a significant force in Anatolia and the Near East. But around 1200 BCE, their royal house was divided. And the Hittites suffered greatly in the Late Bronze Age Collapse. In Total War: Pharaoh, you must reunify the highlands, guard the lowlands, and weather the coming storm…

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Alparslan and M. Dogan-Alparslan, ‘The Hittites and their Geography: Problems of Hittite Historical Geography’, European Journal of Archaeology 18 (2015), 90—110.
• R. H. Beal, ‘Kurunta of Tarḫuntašša and the Imperial Hittite Mausoleum: A New Interpretation of §10 of the Bronze Tablet’, Anatolian Studies 43 (1993), 29—39.
• G. Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts (1996).
• T. Bryce, The Kingdom of the Hittites (New edn, 2005).
• T. R. Bryce, Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites (2019).
• H. G. Güterbock, ‘The Deeds of Suppiluliuma as Told by His Son, Mursili II’, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 10 (1956), 41--68, 75--98, 107—130.
• T. P. J. van den Hout, ‘A Chronology of the Tarhuntassa-Treaties’, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 41 (1989), 100—114.
• V. Koros̆ec, ‘The Warfare of the Hittites: From the Legal Point of View’, Iraq 25 (1963), 159—66.
• S. Langdon and A. H. Gardiner, ‘The Treaty of Alliance between Ḫattušili, King of the Hittites, and the Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6 (1920), 179–205.
• J. Lorenz and I. Schrakamp, ‘Hittite Military and Warfare’, in H. Genz and D. P. Mielke (eds), Insights to Hittite History and Archaeology, Colloquia Antiqua 2 (2011), 125—151.
• D. D. Luckenbill, ‘Hittite Treaties and Letters’, The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 37 (1921), 161—211.
• S. W. Manning et al., ‘Severe Multi-Year Drought Coincident with Hittite Collapse Around 1198–1196 BC’, Nature 614 (2023), 719—724.
• A. Matessi, ‘The Making of Hittite Imperial Landscapes: Territoriality and Balance of Power in South-Central Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age’, Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History 3 (2016), 117—162.
• R. Meri̇ç, ‘The Arzawa Lands. The Historical Geography of Izmir and Its Environs During Late Bronze Age in the Light of New Archaeological Research’, Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Arkeoloji Dergisi (2020), 151—177.
• C. Mora and G. Torri (eds), Administrative Practices and Political Control in Anatolian and Syro-Anatolian Polities in the 2nd and 1st Millennium BCE (2023).
• I. Singer, Hittite Prayers (2002).
• A. Spalinger, ‘Egyptian-Hittite Relations at the Close of the Amarna Period and Some Notes on Hittite Military Strategy in North Syria’, Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar 1 (1979), 55–89.
• J. Sturm, La guerre de Ramsès II contre les Hittites (1996).

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The Pretender and the Herald of the Collapse. The Chancellor BAY is a fascinating figure. Although an outsider, he politicked his way to supreme authority. IRSU, meanwhile, is a shadowy man, known only from tiny fragments. Following their methods you may craft a new path to power, or precipitate the collapse of civilizations. Choose your role, and their fate, in Total War: Pharaoh...

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

1. A. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Decline and Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty (2016).
2. H. Goedicke, ‘“Irsu, The Kharu” in Papyrus Harris’, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes 71 (1979), 1—17.
3. R. W. Hopper, ‘The Monuments of Amenmesse and Seti II: A Historical Inquiry’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Memphis (2010).
4. K. L. Johnson and P. J. Brand, ‘Prince Seti-Merneptah, Chancellor Bay and the Bark Shrine of Seti II at Karnak’, Journal of Egyptian History 6 (2013), 19—45.
5. K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume IV: Merenptah & The Late Nineteenth Dynasty (2003).

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The Puppeteer. When the old methods are failing, a kingdom needs a new perspective. Across three thousand years, only a few women took power as a “King” in Egypt. One of these was TAUSRET, wife of Sety II and daughter-in-law of Merneptah. When the royal line crumbled, Tausret took power into her own hands. And as Total War: Pharaoh begins, she is ready to do what her relatives and rivals will not…

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (2008).
• A. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Decline and Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty (2016).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2017).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004).
• K. A. Kitchen, Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, King of Egypt (1982).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume IV: Merenptah & The Late Nineteenth Dynasty (2003).
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013).
• R. H. Wilkinson (ed.), Tausret: Forgotten Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt (2012).

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The Successor and the Brute. Legitimacy is no guarantee of peace. King SETY II, son of Merneptah, is a powerful leader in Total War: Pharaoh. Historically, this King enjoyed a smooth inheritance and accession. But all the legitimacy in the world could not protect his rule...

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300—1069 BC (2008).
• A. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Decline and Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty (2016).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004).
• R. W. Hopper, ‘The Monuments of Amenmesse and Seti II: A Historical Inquiry’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Memphis (2010).
• K. L. Johnson and P. J. Brand, ‘Prince Seti-Merneptah, Chancellor Bay and the Bark Shrine of Seti II at Karnak’, Journal of Egyptian History 6 (2013), 19—45.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume IV: Merenptah & The Late Nineteenth Dynasty (2003).
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013).

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The Gilded Rebel. One may seize power, by any means, as long as they succeed. In Total War: Pharaoh, the prince AMENMESSE is a strong-willed and strong-armed warrior. Taking command of his faction, you may build a mighty (and wealthy) powerbase, before taking the crown for yourself.

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

1. D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (2008).
2. A. Dodson, ‘Crown Prince Djhutmose and the Royal Sons of the Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 76 (1990), 87—96.
3. A. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Decline and Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty (2016).
4. A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004).
5. R. W. Hopper, ‘The Monuments of Amenmesse and Seti II: A Historical Inquiry’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Memphis (2010).
6. K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume IV: Merenptah & The Late Nineteenth Dynasty (2003).
7. K. A. Kitchen, ‘Ramesses III and the Ramesside Period’, in E. H. Cline and D. O’Connor (eds), Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt’s Last Hero (2012), 1—26.
8. R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013).

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Begotten by the sun god. The "last great pharaoh," RAMESSES (aka Ramesses III) is a warrior and a builder. In Total War: Pharaoh, you will lead this man to victory over his rivals, and remake Egypt in your image…

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (2008).
• E. H. Cline and D. O’Connor (eds), Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt’s Last Hero (2012).
• A. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Decline and Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty (2016).
• A. Dodson, Ramesses III King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004).
• D. Kahn, ‘Ramesses III and the Northern Levant: A Reassessment of the Sources’, in S. Kubisch and U. Rummel (eds), The Ramesside Period in Egypt: Studies into Cultural and Historical Processes of the 19th and 20th Dynasties (2018), 175—188.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume V: Setnakht, Ramesses III, & Contemporaries (2008).
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013).
• C. J. Moreu, ‘The Sea Peoples and the Historical Background of the Trojan War’, Mediterranean Archaeology 16 (2003), 107–24.

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The Legacy and the Loss. As Total War: Pharaoh begins, Egypt lives under the rule of MERNEPTAH. A mighty pharaoh, Merneptah has accomplished much in peace and war. But the King is aging, his journey will soon end, and his legacy will be complicated…

NOTE: We will discuss Merneptah's Canaanite wars in an upcoming episode (about Bay, Irsu, and that region). This was mentioned in episode but some folks may have missed that. Please be patient and let the episodes tell their story :)

• Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.
• Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.
• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume IV: Merenptah & The Late Nineteenth Dynasty (2003).
• C. Manassa, The Great Karnak Inscription of Merneptah: Grand Strategy in the 13th Century BC (2003).
• D. B. Redford, ‘The Ashkelon Relief at Karnak and the Israel Stela’, Israel Exploration Journal 36 (1986), 188—200.
• F. Servajean, Mérenptah et la fin de la XIXe dynastie (2014).
• I. Singer, ‘Merneptah’s Campaign to Canaan and the Egyptian Occupation of the Southern Coastal Plain of Palestine in the Ramesside Period’, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (1988), 1—10.
• F. J. Yurco, ‘Merenptah’s Canaanite Campaign’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 23 (1986), 189—215.

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Welcome to The History of Egypt Podcast and Total War: Pharaoh! In this brief introduction, I explain the coming episodes and the historical background of Creative Assembly’s new game…

Preview and purchase Total War: Pharaoh at https://pharaoh.totalwar.com/.

Music in all episodes by Richard Beddow © Creative Assembly 2023.

• See the History of Egypt Podcast on all podcasting apps and at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Special Tomb Kings episode: https://www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com/the-tomb-kings/. 
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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How the west was won. Around 1298 BCE, King Sety I (Men-ma’at-Ra) attacked the peoples of modern-day Libya and, in a supposedly swift victory, took many captives back to Egypt. The relationship between Libyans and ancient Egyptians is complicated, but we go in search of some answers…

• Date: c.1298 BCE (Sety I, year 6).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro/outro: “Godzilla theme” by Akira Ifukube, cover version by Luke Chaos.
• Music interludes by: Keith Zizza, Luke Chaos.
• Sety’s War Reliefs at Karnak: Available in Open Access at The University of Chicago.

Select Bibliography:

• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• W. A. Cooney, ‘Egypt’s Encounter with the West: Race, Culture and Identity’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Durham (2011).
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• A. A. el Magd, ‘Dehumanization of the “Other:” Animal Metaphors of Defeated Enemies in the New Kingdom Military Texts’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 52 (2016), 329–341.
• H. El Saady, ‘The Wars of Sety I at Karnak: A New Chronological Structure’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 285–94.
• R. O. Faulkner, ‘The Wars of Sethos I’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 33 (1947), 34–9.
• J. C. M. García, ‘Ḥwt jḥ(w)t, The Administration of the Western Delta and the “Libyan Question” in the Third Millennium BC’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 101 (2015), 69–105.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical, I (Oxford, 1975).
• K. A. Kitchen, ‘The Arrival of the Libyans in Late New Kingdom Egypt’, in A. Leahy (ed.), Libya and Egypt c.1300–750 BC (1990), 15–27.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume I: Ramesses I, Sethos I and Contemporaries (Second Publication edn, 2017).
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (2005).
• W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (1985).
• D. O’Connor, ‘The Nature of Tjemhu (Libyan) Society in the Later New Kingdom’, in A. Leahy (ed.), Libya and Egypt c.1300–750 BC (1990), 29–113.
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Northern Wars of Seti I: An Integrative Study’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 16 (1979), 29–47.
• A. J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (2005).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu, Volume I. Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III (1930).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu, Volume II. The Later Historical Records of Ramses III (1932).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak Volume 4: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I (1986).

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Karnak, Abydos, foreign wars, and prince Ramesses. In this interview, Prof. Peter Brand joins us once again to explore the life, reign, and legacy of Sety I. We also explore the rise of prince Ramesses (later King Ramesses II), who becomes increasingly prominent in the later years of his father's rule.

Links and more info:

• Peter Brand at Memphis University.
• National Geographic documentary "Egypt: Quest for Eternity," on YouTube.
• Peter Brand articles and books on Academia.edu.
• Peter Brand, The Monuments of Sety I (2000), free pdf version at Academia.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh (2023) available now via Lockwood Press. Free preview at Academia.
• Peter Brand (with Rosa Ferleg and William Murnane), The Great Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, volumes II and III (2018) free pdf versions via Chicago University. Volume I (by Harold Hays and William Murnane) also available via Chicago University.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Dorothy Eady, Bulbul Abd el-Meguid, Omm Sety… A woman of three names, multiple lives, and a lifelong devotion to Egyptology. From the 1950s to 1981, Omm Sety was a resident of Abydos, and a regular worshipper at the great Temple of Sety I. Her life is a tale of dedication, spiritual connection, and fascination with the ancient past. In this episode, we explore Omm Sety’s life and try to “shine a spotlight” on her work, personality, and beliefs…

Documentaries about Omm Sety (YouTube):

• BBC Interview with Omm Sety at Abydos: https://youtu.be/2fdNJ2L9_zw?t=1.
• Omm Sety explains the Abydos Temple: https://youtu.be/QXmnus48jdI?t=83.
• Recollections of Omm Sety by those who knew her (Arabic, with subtitles): https://youtu.be/ZrFA-kDHtzg?t=281.
• Egypt – Quest for Eternity, with section on Omm Sety (filmed just prior to her death): https://youtu.be/VHXsv9ZLlYo?t=737.

Episode details:

• Jonathan Cott, The Search for Omm Sety at Archive.org.
• Omm Sety and Hanny el Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt at Archive.org.
• Date: 1904—1981 CE.
• Places: Blackheath; Cairo; Abydos.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Ancient Lyric.
• Interludes: Luke Chaos and Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

• J. Cott, The Search for Omm Sety: A Story of Eternal Love (1987).
• E. B. Ghazzouli, ‘The Palace and Magazines Attached to the Temple of Sety I at Abydos and the Facade of this Temple’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 58 (1964), 99—186.
• B. S. Lesko, ‘Omm Sety, 1904—1981,’ in M. S. Joukowsky and B. S. Lesko (eds), Breaking Ground: Women in Old World Archaeology.
• O. Sety and H. El-Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt (1981).
• J. Thompson, Wonderful Things, A History of Egyptology, III: From 1914 to the Twenty-First Century (2018).
• J. Uglow et al. (eds), ‘Eady, Dorothy (1904-1981)’, The Palgrave MacMillan Dictionary of Women’s Biography (1982).

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Sety at Abydos (Part 4). Finishing our tour of Sety’s Great Temple at Abydos, we explore a few more sanctuaries and facilities. Then, we discuss the monument overall. Sety invested huge resources into his building projects at Abydos, and these monuments connect to some truly ancient traditions. What were the King’s priorities, what was he trying to achieve?

Photos of monuments described in this episode:

• Sety’s Temple: Kairoinfo4u.
• Sety’s Temple: Wikimedia.
• Chapel of Ramesses I: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Umm el-Qa’ab, pottery sherds from ancient offerings: Soloegipto.

Interpreting the temple complex and adjacent facilities:

• David, Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018).
• O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (2009).
• Verner, Temple of the World: Sanctuaries, Cults, and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt (2013).

Additional details and sources:

• Date: c.1300 BCE—1292 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Music outro: Ancient Lyric.
• Sistrum interludes: Tahya / Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

• P. J. Brand, ‘The Monuments of Seti I and Their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (1998).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• A. M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume I: The Chapels of Osiris, Isis, and Horus (1933).
• A. M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume II: The Chapels of Amen-Re, Re-Harakhti, Ptah, and King Sethos (1935).
• A. M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume III: The Osiris Complex (1938).
• A. M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume IV: The Second Hypostyle Hall (1958).
• J. Capart, Abydos: Le Temple de Seti Ier (1912).
• A. S. G. T. Caulfeild, The Temple of the Kings at Abydos (Sety I) (1989).
• R. David, Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018).
• K. J. Eaton, ‘The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in the Month of Khoiak: The Evidence from Nineteenth Dynasty Royal Monuments at Abydos’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 35 (2006), 75–101.
• A. el-Sawi, ‘Ramesses II Completing a Shrine in the Temple of Sety I at Abydos’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 10 (1983), 307–10.
• H. Frankfort, The Cenotaph of Seti I at Abydos (1933).
• F. Ll. Griffith, ‘The Abydos Decree of Seti I at Nauri’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 13 (1927), 193–208.
• K. Hamilton, ‘The Osireion: A Layman’s Guide’ (2018).
• C. H. Herzer Jr, ‘Study of the Osireion at Abydos: Code Book and Source Document for the Birth House of Isis’ (2022).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume I: Ramesses I, Sethos I and Contemporaries (Second Publication edn, 2017).
• A. Leahy, ‘The Osiris “Bed” Reconsidered’, Orientalia 46 (1977), 424–34.
• A. Mariette, Abydos: Description des fouilles (1869).
• M. A. Murray, Egyptian Temples (2005).
• D. O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (2009).
• D. B. Redford, Pharaonic King-Lists, Annals, and Day-Books: A Contribution to the Study of the Egyptian Sense of History (1986).
• O. Sety and H. el Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt (1981).
• M. Smith, Following Osiris: Perspectives on the Osirian Afterlife from Four Millenia (2017).
• M. Verner, Temple of the World: Sanctuaries, Cults, and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt (2013).
• R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt (2000).
• R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003).
• H. E. Winlock, Bas-Reliefs from the Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos (1921).

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Sety at Abydos (Part 3). The Osireion is an intriguing monument, one that attracts a huge amount of debate, discussion, and speculation. Its discovery was unexpected, its excavation was an enormous undertaking, and there are many uncertainties about its purpose, history, and overall significance. Still, with an extensive photographic record, some meticulous archaeological work, and a great deal of discussion, we can attempt to understand the Osireion. Who built the Osireion (and how old is it)? Why is it here, behind Sety’s great temple? What purpose does it serve? In this episode, we explore these questions, and try to understand the monument overall.

NOTE: Due to the complex nature of the Osireion’s history (ancient and modern), archaeology, and the difficulty of describing it, I will do a video lecture on YouTube in future. Check this post, or the website, for links when published.

Further Information: The Osireion is surprisingly well documented, both in archival photography and modern analysis and discussion.

Modern photos exploring the Osireion:

• Flickr: Soloegipto.
• Flickr: Archaeology Archive Project.

Archaeology / Excavation Reports for The Osireion (free open access):

• Caulfeild, Temple of the Kings at Abydos, 1902: Internet Archive and Heidelberg University. Primarily focusses on main temple but brief discussion of work in western precinct that led to Murray’s excavations.
• Murray, The Osireion, 1904: Internet Archive, ETANA.org, and Academia.edu.
• Edouard Naville’s excavation reports (various journals) describing work at Abydos including the Osireion: JSTOR.org (requires free account).
• Frankfort, The Cenotaph of Sety I at Abydos, volume 1 and volume 2, 1933: Internet Archive. Includes complete summary of earlier excavations and fuller description of the monument (compared to Naville).
• James Westerman website (with database of articles and photos): JamesWesterman.org.
• Keith Hamilton, “Osiris: A Layman’s Guide,” on Academia.edu.
• Charles Herzer, “Study of the Osireion at Abydos,” at Isida Project.

Photo Collections of early excavations at Abydos/Osireion:

• Dumbarton Oaks: Photo Exhibition Abydos 1910s—1920s.
• Egypt Exploration Society Photo Archives (Flickr): Excavations 1911. Entrance passages and central hall.
• Excavations 1913. Central hall.
• Excavations 1925 (Part 1). Central hall and side chambers.
• Excavations 1925 (Part 2). Central hall clearance and work.

In this episode, I don’t discuss the mechanics of ancient stone working. That will come in future. But for now, you may be interested in archaeologists’ experiments to test ancient tools and the feasibility of carving hard stones (e.g., granite). Some good starter information can be found here:

• Denys Stocks, Experiments in Egyptian Archaeology: Stoneworking Technology in Ancient Egypt (2022 updated edition). Taylor and Francis Publications.
• YouTube: Ancient Egyptian Stoneworking with Denys Stocks (Sacred Geometry Decoded) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoOCcrgWkIA.
• YouTube: Reconstruction of Ancient Technologies (Scientists Against Myths) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJXCRTftQoU_AXz0_uxwMQZCt2O9ULxLE.

Additional details and sources:

• Date: c.1300 BCE—1292 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro: Ihab Mahna.
• Music interludes and outro: Luke Chaos.
• Sistrum interludes: Tahya / Hathor Systrum.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.

Select Bibliography:

• A. M. Abudeif et al., ‘Geoarchaeological Investigation of Abydos Area Using Land Magnetic and GPR Techniques, El-Balyana, Sohag, Egypt’, Applied Sciences 12 (2022), 9640.
• P. Brand, ‘Secondary Restorations in the Post-Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 36 (1999), 113–34.

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Hello folks! Time for a schedule update. In late 2023, the podcast narrative will be taking an eight-week break. Plus we have a giveaway! Details inside.

Giveaway available to New Zealand listeners (or anyone visiting NZ in September 2023). Email [email protected] with your name and email address, to enter.

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Sety in Abydos (Part 2). Having toured the first part of Sety’s Temple at Abydos, we continue our exploration. Today, we discuss one of the monument’s most famous features: a King List, presenting a (supposedly) uninterrupted record of rulers up to Sety’s day. In truth, the Abydos King List is complex, with omissions and inclusions that don’t quite match scholars’ archaeological and historical information. What was Sety trying to achieve, with this curious feature? We explore…

This is part 2 in our tour of the temple. We have already visited the Hypostyle Halls, Seven Chapels, and Osiris Complex. In future episodes, we will discuss the Osireion, the secondary features of the monument, and the known priests/staff who managed it.

Images:

• Full-colour reproduction of the Abydos King List at Wonderful Things Art. Use checkout code EGYPTPODCAST for 30% off your order when purchasing 3-or-more items! Logo image by Wonderful Things Art.
• A.M. Calverley, The Temple of Sethos I at Abydos, 4 volumes, open access via Chicago University Publications.
• Wikimedia: Category: Temple of Seti I in Abydos.
• Flickr.com: Kairoinfo4u.
• Flickr.com: Heidi Kontkanen.

Details and sources:

• Read the Abydos King List at Wikipedia and Pharaoh.se.
• Date: c. 1300 BCE—1292 BCE (temple unfinished at Sety I death).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Music interludes and outro: Keith Zizza.
• Sistrum interludes: Tahya / Hathor Systrum.
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Texts: Full texts of the temple, including transliteration and translation: Rosalie David, Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018) at Egypt Exploration Society.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.

Select Bibliography:

• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• J. Capart, Abydos: Le Temple de Seti Ier (1912).
• A. S. G. Caulfield, The Temple of the Kings at Abydos (Sety I) (1989).
• R. David, Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018).
• C. Eyre, The Use of Documents in Pharaonic Egypt (2013).
• H. W. Fairman, ‘The Kingship Rituals of Egypt’, in S. Hooke (ed.), Myth, ritual, and kingship: essays on the theory and practice of kingship in the ancient Near East and in Israel (1958), 74–104.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume I: Ramesses I, Sethos I and Contemporaries (Second Publication edn, 2017).
• H. H. Nelson, ‘Certain Reliefs at Karnak and Medinet Habu and the Ritual of Amenophis I’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 8 (1949), 201–32, 310–45.
• D. B. Redford, Pharaonic King-Lists, Annals, and Day-Books: A Contribution to the Study of the Egyptian Sense of History (1986).
• K. Ryholt, ‘The Turin King-List’, Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant 14 (2004), 135–55.
• O. Sety and H. el Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt (1981).

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Part 1. In the ancient city and necropolis of Abydos (Egyptian Abdju), pharaoh Sety I commissioned a magnificent temple. Today, this monument is one of the finest in the country, a highlight of any trip. Sety’s work is complicated, with several components and structures worthy of discussion. So, this is part one of a multi-part tour through the complex. Today, we cover:

1. The history of Abydos pre-Sety I.
2. The modern experience of Sety’s temple.
3. The Hypostyle Halls, the unique “Seven Chapels,” and the “Osiris Complex.”
4. The meaning and symbolism of the Osiris religion as Sety shows it.

In future episodes, we will discuss the Osireion, the Abydos King List, and the known Priests/Staff who managed it.

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1300 BCE—1292 BCE (temple unfinished at Sety I death).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Texts: Full texts of the temple, including transliteration and translation: Rosalie David, Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018) at Egypt Exploration Society.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.

Images: For high-quality illustrations and photos of Sety’s temple, see:

• A.M. Calverley, The Temple of Sethos I at Abydos, 4 volumes, open access via Chicago University Publications.
• Wikimedia: Category: Temple of Seti I in Abydos.
• Flickr.com: Kairoinfo4u.
• Flickr.com: Heidi Kontkanen.
• Music intro and interludes: Keith Zizza.
• Music interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Sistrum interludes: Tahya / Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume I: The Chapels of Osiris, Isis, and Horus (1933) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/misc/sethos-1-temple-king-sethos-i-abydos-volume-i-chapels-osiris-isis-and.
• M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume II: The Chapels of Amen-Re, Re-Harakhti, Ptah, and King Sethos (1935) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/misc/sethos-2-temple-king-sethos-i-abydos-volume-ii-chapels-amen-re-re. 
• M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume III: The Osiris Complex (1938) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/misc/sethos-3-temple-king-sethos-i-abydos-volume-iii-osiris-complex. 
• M. Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Volume IV: The Second Hypostyle Hall (1958) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/misc/sethos-4-temple-king-sethos-i-abydos-volume-iv-second-hypostyle-hall. 
• Capart, Abydos: Le Temple de Seti Ier (1912).
• S. G. Caulfield, The Temple of the Kings at Abydos (Sety I) (1989).
• David, Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018).
• J. Eaton, ‘The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in the Month of Khoiak: The Evidence from Nineteenth Dynasty Royal Monuments at Abydos’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 35 (2006), 75–101.
• Mariette, Abydos: Description des fouilles (1869).
• O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (2009).
• Sety and H. el Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt (1981).
• Smith, Following Osiris: Perspectives on the Osirian Afterlife from Four Millenia (2017).
• Verner, Temple of the World: Sanctuaries, Cults, and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt (2013).
• H. Wilkinson, The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt (2000).

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Ramesses II: Prince of Egypt. When Sety I took power, his eldest son was probably 10—15 years old. The King's Son Ra-messes (“Born of Ra”) enjoyed a privileged upbringing. And by the time he was physically mature, the young prince was ready to expand the royal household. His father Sety had some plans in that regard…

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1299 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro: Keith Zizza.
• Music interludes and outro: Luke Chaos.
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptionsvolume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Looking to upgrade your eating habits? Try HELLO FRESH and get 50% off your order. Visit hellofresh.com/egypt50 and use the promo code EGYPT50 for 50% off (U.S. customers only).

Select Bibliography:

• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004).
• M. M. Fisher, The Sons of Ramesses II (2001).
• D. C. Forbes, The Royal Mummies Caches (TT320 & KV35) (2015).
• W. Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary (2005).
• J. E. Harris and K. R. Weeks, X-Raying the Pharaohs (1973).
• Z. Hawass and S. N. Saleem, Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (2016).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical, III (1980).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations, II (2017).
• W. J. Murnane, ‘The Earlier Reign of Ramesses II and His Coregency with Sety I’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 34 (1975), 153–90.
• K. C. Seele, The Coregency of Ramses II with Seti I and the Date of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak (1940).
• A. J. Spalinger, The Great Dedicatory Inscription of Ramesses II: A Solar-Osirian Tractate at Abydos (2009).
• J. Tyldesley, Ramesses: Egypt’s Greatest Pharaoh (2001).
• J. Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (2006).
• T. Wilkinson, Ramesses the Great: Egypt’s King of Kings (2023).

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Sety I (Part 6b): Standards and Practices. The early 19th Dynasty army was a well-organised machine, with distinct units (the zA ‘company’) and officers (e.g., chai sereet, ‘Standard Bearers’). Papyrus archives record the daily business of military life, like the Standard Bearer Mai-Sety / Mai-Sutekhy, the company scribe User-Hat, and the royal administrators that monitored food deliveries, rations, and supplies of essential goods…

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Music outro: Bettina Joy de Guzman (Ancient Lyric).
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.

Select Bibliography:

• S. Allam, ‘Trois missives d’un commandant (Pap. CGC 58053-5), (avec 5 planches)’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 71 (1987), 5–27.
• A. H. Gardiner, ‘The Ancient Military Road between Egypt and Palestine’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6 (1920), 99–116.
• B. Heagren, ‘The Art of War in Pharaonic Egypt’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Auckland (2010).
• M. Healy, Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the Warrior Kings (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• S. McDermott, ‘Ancient Egyptian Footsoldiers and Their Weapons: A Study of Military Iconography and Weapon Remains’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Manchester (2002).
• A. R. Schulman, ‘Military Rank, Title, and Organization in the Egyptian New Kingdom’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (1962).
• A. J. Spalinger, Aspects of the Military Documents of the Ancient Egyptians (1982).
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Army’, in T. Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World (2007), 118–131.
• The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak Volume 4: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I (1986).
• E. F. Wente, Letters from Ancient Egypt (1990).

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Sety I (Part 6): Mesha, Menfat, Pedjet, Pecherer. By 1300 BCE, Egyptians had developed a sophisticated, well-organised military system. Distinct branches and types of troops (infantry, archers, auxiliaries, and more) marched and fought in identifiable units. Their weapons survive in the archaeological record, and ancient texts and art reveal their equipment, behaviour, and battlefield roles. Today, we introduce the soldiers who won Sety I’s wars…

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro and interludes: Bettina Joy de Guzman.
• Interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Music outro: Keith Zizza.
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.

Select Bibliography:

• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• A. H. Gardiner, ‘The Ancient Military Road between Egypt and Palestine’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6 (1920), 99–116.
• B. Heagren, ‘The Art of War in Pharaonic Egypt’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Auckland (2010).
• M. Healy, Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the Warrior Kings (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (Oxford, 1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (Wallasey, 2017).
• S. McDermott, ‘Ancient Egyptian Footsoldiers and Their Weapons: A Study of Military Iconography and Weapon Remains’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Manchester (2002).
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (2005).
• W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (1985).
• A. R. Schulman, ‘Military Rank, Title, and Organization in the Egyptian New Kingdom’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (1962).
• A. J. Spalinger, Aspects of the Military Documents of the Ancient Egyptians (1982).
• A. J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (2005).
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Army’, in T. Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World (New York, 2007), 118–131.
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu, Volume I. Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III (1930).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu, Volume II. The Later Historical Records of Ramses III (1932).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak Volume 4: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I (1986).

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Hey New Zealand! It's time to explore ancient Egypt. A new exhibition, Egypt: In the Time of Pharaohs, has just opened at Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira. And to celebrate, we've got a special deep-dive into the artefacts and cultural background of the Nile Valley! Have a listen and check out the exhibition for yourself. And while you're there, consider an Auckland Museum Membership, which comes with all kinds of perks including free entry to paid exhibitions, exclusive events and lectures from leading experts, special discounts at the museum shops and cafes, and more!

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Sety I (Part 5): Empires clash. Around 1300 BCE (approximately), Sety I records a battle against the Hittites. In the course of his northern wars, perhaps following the reconquest of Kadesh and Amurru, Sety faced off with his distant rival. The Kingdom of Hatti, land of the Hittites, sent forces to challenge the Egyptian resurgence…

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Luke Chaos.
• Interludes: Keith Zizza, Luke Chaos, Hathor Systrum.
• The Battle Reliefs of Sety I by The Epigraphic Survey Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume IV: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (uchicago.edu).
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Support the History of Egypt Podcast and get amazing skincare products from RA EGYPTIAN, the natural skincare range inspired by ancient ingredients! Shop at www.ra-egyptian.comand use the checkout code EGYPT to get 30% off your order!

Select Bibliography:

• G. Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts (1996).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• T. Bryce, The Kingdom of the Hittites (2005).
• T. R. Bryce, Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History (2014).
• T. R. Bryce, Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites (2019).
• V. Davies, ‘The Treatment of Foreigners in Seti’s Battle Reliefs’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 98 (2012), 73–85.
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• H. El-Saady, ‘The Wars of Sety I at Karnak: A New Chronological Structure’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 285–94.
• R. O. Faulkner, ‘The Wars of Sethos I’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 33 (1947), 34–9.
• B. Heagren, ‘The Art of War in Pharaonic Egypt’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Auckland (2010).
• M. Healy, Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the Warrior Kings (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• S. Langdon and A. H. Gardiner, ‘The Treaty of Alliance between Ḫattušili, King of the Hittites, and the Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6 (1920), 179–205.
• D. D. Luckenbill, ‘Hittite Treaties and Letters’, The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 37 (1921), 161–211.
• S. McDermott, ‘Ancient Egyptian Footsoldiers and Their Weapons: A Study of Military Iconography and Weapon Remains’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Manchester (2002).
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (2005).
• W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (1985).
• D. B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times (1992).
• A. Spalinger, Aspects of the Military Documents of the Ancient Egyptians (1982).
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Northern Wars of Seti I: An Integrative Study’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 16 (1979), 29–47.
• A. J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (2005).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak Volume 4: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I (1986).
• G. Wilhelm, ‘Muršilis II. Konflikt mit Ägypten und Haremhabs Thronbesteigung’, Die Welt des Orients 39 (2009), 108–16.
• W. Wreszinski, Atlas zur altaegyptischen Kulturgeschichte (1988).

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Amurru (Part 4): Reconquista. The land of Amurru, and its leaders, have been a noteworthy part of the story in recent decades. Since the reigns of Amunhotep III and Akhenaten, the lords of Amurru have caused great trouble in Egypt’s northern empire. They have raided, plundered, and even murdered their way to regional prominence. Now, a couple decades after their betrayals, King Sety I is bringing vengeance…

Note: This episode includes new content and old material from episodes 123, 124, 142c. See timecodes for relevant chapters.

Timecodes:

• 00:00 Introduction.
• 02:25 The Land of Amurru.
• 12:25 How Science Uncovered Amurrite Expansion.
• 24:04 The Amurru – Hittite Alliances.
• 35:44 The Battle of Amurru.
• 46:28 Can We Trust Sety's Story?
• 51:15 Conclusion.
• 53:50 Episode 123, Amurrites and Where to Find Them.
• 2:07:17 Episode 124, The Crimes of Aziru.
• 3:07:45 Episode 142c, Aziru’s Betrayal.

Episode Details:

• Date: c. 1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Michael Levy - Composer for Lyre (ancientlyre.com).
• Interludes: Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos.
• Logo image: Warriors of Kadesh, near Amurru, falling before Sety I's assault. Battle reliefs at Karnak, via the University of Chicago (below).
• Goren, Finkelstein, and Na’aman: The Expansion of the Kingdom of Amurru According to the Petrographic Investigation of the Amarna Tablets | Yuval Goren and Nadav Na'aman - Academia.edu.
• Sety’s Battle Reliefs, including the possible scenes of Amurru, at the University of Chicago: Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume IV: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (uchicago.edu).
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Support The History of Egypt Podcast by shopping at RA EGYPTIAN, the clean skincare line inspired by ancient Egyptian ingredients! Visit www.ra-egyptian.com and use code EGYPT at checkout for 30% off your order!

Select Bibliography:

• S. Aḥituv, Canaanite Toponyms in Ancient Egyptian Documents (1984).
• G. Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts (1996).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• T. Bryce, The Kingdom of the Hittites (2005).
• T. Bryce and J. Birkett-Rees, Atlas of the Ancient Near East from Prehistoric Times to the Roman Imperial Period (2016).
• T. R. Bryce, Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History (2014).
• T. R. Bryce, Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites (2019).
• V. Davies, ‘The Treatment of Foreigners in Seti’s Battle Reliefs’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 98 (2012), 73–85.
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• H. El-Saady, ‘The Wars of Sety I at Karnak: A New Chronological Structure’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 285–94.
• R. O. Faulkner, ‘The Wars of Sethos I’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 33 (1947), 34–9.
• Y. Goren et al., ‘The Expansion of the Kingdom of Amurru According to the Petrographic Investigation of the Amarna Tablets’, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (2003), 1–11.
• M. Healy, Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the Warrior Kings (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• S. Langdon and A. H. Gardiner, ‘The Treaty of Alliance between Ḫattušili, King of the Hittites, and the Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6 (1920), 179–205.
• D. D. Luckenbill, ‘Hittite Treaties and Letters’, The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 37 (1921), 161–211.
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (2005).

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Sety I (Part 4): Catching Up with the Kadeshians. Around 1300 BCE (chronology uncertain), Sety led another campaign into the north. This time, the pharaoh of Egypt marched into Canaan, Lebanon, and Syria. In the process, he visited local chieftains, went “shopping” for luxury items, and then launched a daring attack on Kadesh…

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro Music: Bettina Joy de Guzman.
• Interludes: Keith Zizza.
• Outro music and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Logo image: A warrior/cattleman flees with his animals, while Sety I attacks Kadesh. Image colours based on traces found at Karnak, edited by Dominic Perry 2023.
• Sety’s Battle Reliefs at Karnak, published by The Epigraphic Survey of The University of Chicago: Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume IV: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (uchicago.edu).
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Support The History of Egypt Podcast by shopping at RA EGYPTIAN, the clean skincare line inspired by ancient Egyptian ingredients! Visit www.ra-egyptian.com and use code EGYPT at checkout for 30% off your order!

Select Bibliography:

• M. R. Abbas, ‘The Town of Yenoam in the Ramesside War Scenes and Texts of Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak 16 (2017), 329–341.
• S. Aḥituv, Canaanite Toponyms in Ancient Egyptian Documents (1984).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• T. Bryce, The Kingdom of the Hittites (2005).
• T. Bryce, The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the Fall of the Persian Empire (2009).
• T. R. Bryce, Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History (2014).
• T. R. Bryce, Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites (2019).
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• H. El-Saady, ‘The Wars of Sety I at Karnak: A New Chronological Structure’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 285–94.
• R. O. Faulkner, ‘The Wars of Sethos I’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 33 (1947), 34–9.
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments, I (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (1985).
• N. Na’aman, ‘Yeno’am’, Tel Aviv 4 (1977), 168–77.
• D. B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times (1992).
• A. Spalinger, Aspects of the Military Documents of the Ancient Egyptians (1982).
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Northern Wars of Seti I: An Integrative Study’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 16 (1979), 29–47.
• A. J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (2005).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak Volume 4: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I (1986).
• W. Wreszinski, Atlas zur altaegyptischen Kulturgeschichte (1988).

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History Daily is your regular introduction to major events and stories. Every weekday, new stories arrive on topics ranging from war and fashion, culture and politics, religion and technology. Episodes run 18-20 minutes on average, providing a bite-sized exploration to major topics. Enjoy a special introduction to the show, covering one of the major events of the French Revolution. In 1893, the execution of King Louis XVI helped expand the crisis known as the Revolutionary Wars, a crisis that had a profound impact on the nascent field of Egyptology...

Find History Daily on all podcasting apps, or at www.historydaily.com.

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• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Sety I (Part 3): The Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak. In 1302 BCE (approximately) the pharaoh of Egypt Men-Ma’at-Ra Sety I commissioned a remarkable monument. A hall of columns, near the entrance of Karnak sanctuary, would be a gathering place for the gods and the faithful. This hall, called “Sety is Effective in the House of Amun,” is now one of Egypt’s most famous (and most photographed) monuments…

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1302 BCE (Year 2 of Sety I).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Keith Zizza and Bettina Joy de Guzman.
• The Hypostyle Hall: Publications by The University of Chicago Epigraphic Survey: https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/oip/great-hypostyle-hall-karnak-volume-1-part-1-wall-reliefs and https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/oip/oip-142-great-hypostyle-hall-temple-amun-karnak
• Texts: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptionsvolume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Support The History of Egypt Podcast by shopping at RA EGYPTIAN, the clean skincare line inspired by ancient Egyptian ingredients! Visit www.ra-egyptian.com and use code EGYPT at checkout for 30% off your order!

Select Bibliography:

• E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (2006).
• P. J. Brand, ‘The Monuments of Seti I and Their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (1998).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand et al., The Great Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun at Karnak Volume 1, Part 2: Translation and Commentary (2018).
• S. Costa, ‘On the Scenes of the King Receiving the Sed-Fests in the Theban Temples of the Ramesside Period’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 35 (2006), 61–74.
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• H. H. Nelson, The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak Volume 1, Part 1: The Wall Reliefs, ed. W.J. Murnane (1981).
• J. Revez et al., ‘Gaining New Perspectives on the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak Through the Use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Other Emerging Techniques’, in R. Lucarelli et al. (eds), Ancient Egypt, New Technology (2023), 476–511.
• A. Spalinger, ‘Some Revisions of Temple Endowments in the New Kingdom’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 28 (1991), 21–39.
• Memphis.edu: ‘Field Reports’, https://www.memphis.edu/hypostyle/project/field_reports.php
• ‘Hypostyle Hall – Digital Karnak’. https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/hypostyle-hall/

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Sety I (Part 2): The First Campaign of Victory. In1302 BCE, the pharaoh Men-Ma'at-Ra Sety I led a military expedition to the east. He attacked the Bedouin ("Shasu") in Sinai. Then, he turned his sights on Canaan. The new King was an active warlord, aggressive and eager to fight. Thanks to records at Karnak and elsewhere, we can trace his assault...

• Date: c. 1302 BCE (March - June).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Ancient Lyric and Luke Chaos.
• Sources: The war reliefs of Sety I, at Karnak, via the University of Chicago Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume IV: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (uchicago.edu).
• Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Support The History of Egypt Podcast by shopping at RA EGYPTIAN, the clean skincare line inspired by ancient Egyptian ingredients! Visit www.ra-egyptian.com and use code EGYPT at checkout for 30% off your order!

Select Bibliography:

• W. F. Albright, ‘The Smaller Beth-Shan Stele of Sethos I (1309-1290 B. C.)’, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (1952), 24–32.
• M. Artzy, ‘From Akko/Acco to Beit She’an/Beth Shan in the Late Bronze Age’, Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant 28 (2018), 85–98.
• P. J. Brand, ‘The Monuments of Seti I and Their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (1998).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (Cairo, 2019).
• H. El-Saady, ‘The Wars of Sety I at Karnak: A New Chronological Structure’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 285–94.
• R. O. Faulkner, ‘The Wars of Sethos I’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 33 (1947), 34–9.
• A. H. Gardiner, ‘The Ancient Military Road between Egypt and Palestine’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6 (1920), 99–116.
• M. Healy, Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the Warrior Kings (1993).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• A. Mazar, ‘Four Thousand Years of History at Tel Beth-Shean: An Account of the Renewed Excavations’, The Biblical Archaeologist 60 (1997), 62–76.
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (2005).
• W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (1985).
• D. B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times (1992).
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Northern Wars of Seti I: An Integrative Study’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 16 (1979), 29–47.
• A. J. Spalinger, ‘The Army’, in T. Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World (2007), 118–131.
• A. J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (2005).
• The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak Volume 4: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I (Chicago, 1986).
• N. E. Wernick, ‘The Images of Fortifications in the Sety I Battle Reliefs: Comparing Art and Archaeology’, in J. Corbelli et al. (eds), Current Research in Egyptology 2009, Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Symposium, 10 (2011), 157–70.

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Sety I (Part 1): A Repeat Appearance. In 1303 BCE, the old king Ramesses is dead after a brief reign. But now, for the first time in decades, a royal son is taking power. King Sety (Men-ma'at-Ra) ascends, aged approximately thirty years old. The new ruler's reign will be noteworthy for its splendid monuments and its abundant records. In fact, as his reign begins, we can even trace his movements on a week-to-week basis...

Video version of Sety's coronation imagery available on YouTube.

Note: Patrons enjoy an extended epilogue on this episode.

• Date: c. 1303 BCE (roughly July to September).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Luke Chaos and Keith Zizza.
• Logo image: Sety I from his royal tomb. Louvre Museum.
• Sources: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.
• Support The History of Egypt Podcast by shopping at RA EGYPTIAN, the clean skincare line inspired by ancient Egyptian ingredients! Visit www.ra-egyptian.com and use code EGYPT at checkout for 30% off your order!

Select Bibliography:

• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 – 1069 BC (2008).
• P. J. Brand, ‘The Monuments of Seti I and Their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (1998).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• P. J. Brand et al., The Great Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun at Karnak Volume 1, Part 2: Translation and Commentary (2018).
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (2019).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004).
• D. C. Forbes, Complete Catalogue of the Royal Mummies Plus 7 Addenda (2016).
• J. E. Harris and K. R. Weeks, X-Raying the Pharaohs (1973).
• Z. Hawass and S. N. Saleem, Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (2016).
• K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated: Translations, I (2017).
• R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Wilson, 2013).
• M. Murray, Egyptian Temples (2005).
• H. H. Nelson, The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak Volume 1, Part 1: The Wall Reliefs, ed. W.J. Murnane (1981). The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, Volume 1, Part 1: The Wall Reliefs | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (uchicago.edu)

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Peter Brand (Part 2): Ramesses I and Sety I. The start of Egypt's 19th Dynasty saw two significant reigns. Ramesses I, though short-lived, established a new regime and legacy. His son, Sety I, confirmed that legacy and expanded it magnificently. In this interview, Prof. Peter Brand continues his conversation about the early Ramessids. How they legitimized their rule, how they differed from their predecessors, and how they responded to recent political events (e.g. the Amarna Period).

Dr. Peter Brand is Associate Professor at The University of Memphis (Tennessee, USA). He completed his PhD. in 1998 studying The Monuments of Sety I. In 2023, he has published an enormous study of the Ramesside era: Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh. A long-needed and beautifully written study of this reign in the big picture, Prof. Brand's book is a lively and beautifully presented work that will become a "standard reference" for Ramessid enthusiasts.

• Dr. Peter Brand at The University of Memphis.
• Peter Brand at Academia.edu.
• Peter Brand's new book, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh at Lockwood Press.
• Peter Brand's book The Monuments of Sety I (2000) free pdf copy on Academia.
• Peter Brand (et al), The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, Vols. 2-3, free pdf copies at Chicago Oriental Institute.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music by Luke Chaos.
• Music interludes by Keith Zizza and Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

• P. Brand, ‘Secondary Restorations in the Post-Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 36 (1999), 113–34.
• P. Brand, ‘Reuse and Restoration’, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2010).
• P. J. Brand, ‘The Monuments of Seti I and Their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (1998).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (Leiden, 2000).
• P. J. Brand, ‘Usurpation of Monuments’, in W. Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (Los Angeles, 2010).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (Columbus, 2023).
• P. J. Brand et al., The Great Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun at Karnak Volume 1, Part 2: Translation and Commentary (Oriental Institute Publications 142; Chicago, 2018).

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Peter Brand (Part 1): Ramesses I and his Household. When Paramessu became Ramesses I, his ascent marked a "break" in many ways. For historians studying this period, the evidence presents these pharaohs as a curious blend of traditional motifs and conscious reinvention. How did Ramesses, and his son Sety I, establish a new royal household; and guarantee their legitimacy, as newcomers to the throne?

Dr. Peter Brand is Associate Professor at The University of Memphis (Tennessee, USA). He completed his PhD. in 1998 studying The Monuments of Sety I. In 2023, he has published an enormous study of the Ramesside era: Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh. A long-overdue, and beautifully written study of this reign in the big picture, Prof. Brand's new book is a lively and beautifully presented work that will become a "standard reference" for Ramessid enthusiasts.

• Dr. Peter Brand at The University of Memphis.
• Peter Brand at Academia.edu.
• Peter Brand's new book, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh at Lockwood Press.
• Peter Brand's book The Monuments of Sety I (2000) free pdf copy on Academia.
• Peter Brand (et al), The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, Vols. 2-3, free pdf copies at Chicago Oriental Institute.
• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music by Luke Chaos.
• Music interludes by Keith Zizza and Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

• P. Brand, ‘Secondary Restorations in the Post-Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 36 (1999), 113–34.
• P. Brand, ‘Reuse and Restoration’, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2010).
• P. J. Brand, ‘The Monuments of Seti I and Their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (1998).
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (Leiden, 2000).
• P. J. Brand, ‘Usurpation of Monuments’, in W. Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (Los Angeles, 2010).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (Columbus, 2023).
• P. J. Brand et al., The Great Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun at Karnak Volume 1, Part 2: Translation and Commentary (Oriental Institute Publications 142; Chicago, 2018).

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Ramesses I and Pharaoh's Palace(s). Dr. Peter Lacovara is an experienced archaeologist, museum curator, and specialist in the palaces of Egyptian pharaohs. Since the 1980s Dr. Lacovara has been involved in many noteworthy projects. Most famously, he led the project to identify and repatriate the mummy of King Ramesses I. In this interview, we discuss the mummy and its return to Egypt, as well as the elaborate royal palace complex at Deir el-Ballas.

Learn more:

• Peter Lacovara
• Home | The Ancient Egypt Heritage and Archeology Fund (ancientegyptarchaeologyfund.com)
• Deir el-Ballas - Wikipedia
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

• P. Lacovara, The New Kingdom Royal City (1997).

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The Mummy Movie Podcast is dedicated to the many (many) films in which ancient Egyptian mummies play a role. From the 1932 classic, to the 1999 remake, and dozens more in between, mummies are a classic feature of horror, suspense, and adventure filmmaking. Egyptologist Peter Rose dives into these movies from the historical, production, and entertainment point of view, exploring every nook and cranny in these classic works. Find the Mummy Movie Podcast on all podcasting apps, or visit Mummy Movie Podcast - Hosted by Peter Rose (acast.com)

• The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Ramesses I (Part 2): Family, Regime, Remains. In 1304 BCE, Ramesses I rules Egypt. The new royal family is an interesting group, and we have a surprisingly detailed idea of Ramesses' son Suty (Sety). Then, we consider the legacy of Ramesses, which has some remarkably international elements...

Details and sources:

• Date: c. 1304 - 1303 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Luke Chaos and Keith Zizza.
• Sources: Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions volume 1. Hieroglyph versions at Internet Archive, English translations at Abercromby Press.
• Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, out now from Lockwood Press.

Select Bibliography:

• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (Leiden, 2000).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017).
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (Cairo, 2019).
• A. Dodson and S. Ikram, The Mummy in Ancient Egypt (London, 1998).
• D. C. Forbes, The Royal Mummies Caches (TT320 & KV35) (Tombs. Treasures. Mummies. Seven Great Discoveries of Egyptian Archaeology I; 2015th edn, Weaverville, 2015).
• D. C. Forbes, Complete Catalogue of the Royal Mummies Plus 7 Addenda (Tombs. Treasures. Mummies. Seven Great Discoveries of Egyptian Archaeology V; Sebastopol, 2016).
• F. Janot, The Royal Mummies: Immortality in Ancient Egypt (Vercelli, 2008).
• A. Piankoff, ‘La tombe de Ramsès Ier’, Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale 56 (1957), 189–200.

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Ramesses I (Part 1): Appearing in Splendour. In this episode, we repeat the career and rise of Paramessu (content recycled from episode #170). Then, we begin the reign of Ramesses I, who takes the throne around 1305 BCE. The new king is fully aware of his unusual succession and immediately works to establish his legitimacy...

Details:

• Date: c.1305 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Luke Chaos and Keith Zizza.
• Research assistance: Elissa Day.

Episode chapters:

1. Career (recycled): 02:35 - 26:20.
2. Reign (new): 26:20 - 53:50.

Listener survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave

Select Bibliography:

• P. Brand, ‘Secondary Restorations in the Post-Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 36 (1999), 113–34.
• P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (Leiden, 2000).
• P. J. Brand, ‘Usurpation of Monuments’, in W. Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (Los Angeles, 2010).
• P. J. Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017).
• A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (Cairo, 2019).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (London, 2004).
• E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (Leiden, 2005).
• A. Piankoff, ‘La tombe de Ramsès Ier’, Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale 56 (1957), 189–200.
• R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temples of Karnak (London, 1999).

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Reflective and Prospective. In this episode, we take a moment to reflect on the outgoing 18th Dynasty (and its last scion, Horemheb). Then, we consider some of the major themes that will appear in Dynasty 19, and the continuities between the two eras. Finally, we reflect on the 10th Anniversary of The History of Egypt Podcast!

• Date: c.1305 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music by Luke Chaos.
• Help The History of Egypt Podcast by completing a brief listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave. 100% anonymous.

Select Bibliography:

• D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 – 1069 BC (Cairo, 2008).
• K. M. Bryson, ‘Some Year Dates of Horemheb in Context’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 51 (2015), 285–302.
• K. M. Bryson, ‘The Reign of Horemheb: History, Historiography, and the Dawn of the Ramesside Era’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2018).
• E. Cruz-Uribe, ‘The Father of Ramses I: OI 11456’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 37 (1978), 237–44.
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017).
• A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (London, 2004).
• E. Hornung, Das Grab des Haremhab im Tal der Könige (Bern, 1971).
• C. Manassa Darnell, ‘Transition 18th—19th Dynasty’, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2015).
• J. Van Dijk, ‘New Evidence on the Length of the Reign of Horemheb’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 44 (2008), 193–200.

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From hours 6-12, Ra continues his journey. The great serpent Apep returns, bringing an army of his followers. The sun god deals with those who have died in horrible ways. The journey reaches its climax, and the dawn approaches...

• Date: c. 1305 BCE (first appearance).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music intro and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Sistrum: Tahya Hathor Systrum.
• TRANSLATIONS of the Book of Gates by Erik Hornung (2014) and John Darnell & Colleen Manassa Darnell (2018)

Select Bibliography:

• C. Carrier, Grands Livres Funéraires de l’Égypte Pharaonique (Paris, 2009).
• J. C. Darnell and C. Manassa Darnell, The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books (Writings from the Ancient World 39; Atlanta, 2018).
• N. J. Dominy, ‘Mysteries of Ancient Egypt’s Sacred Baboons Revealed’, Scientific American, <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mysteries-of-ancient-egypts-sacred-baboons-revealed/> accessed 3.21.2023 (2021).
• N. J. Dominy, ‘Secrets of the Sacred Baboons’, Scientific American 325 (2021), 46–53.
• E. Hornung, Das Grab des Haremhab im Tal der Könige (Bern, 1971).
• E. Hornung, Das Buch von den Pforten des Jenseits, I (Geneva, 1979).
• E. Hornung, Das Buch von den Pforten des Jenseits, II (Geneva, 1984).
• E. Hornung, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife (Ithaca, 1999).
• E. Hornung, The Egyptian Book of Gates, trans. T. Abt (Zurich, 2014).
• J. Roberson, ‘The Royal Funerary Books: The Subject Matter of Scenes and Texts’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (New York, 2016), 316–332.
• M. Smith, Following Osiris: Perspectives on the Osirian Afterlife from Four Millenia (Oxford, 2017).
• Theban Mapping Project, ‘KV 57 The Tomb of Horemheb’.
• J. Zandee, ‘The Book of Gates’, Liber Amicorum: Studies in Honor of Professor Dr. C.J. Bleeker (Leiden, 1969), 282–324.

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In the dark of the night, Ra took a journey through the Duat (underworld). His voyage was fraught with danger, but he also made many friends along the way. In the Book of Gates, the sun god takes a mysterious but meaningful journey...

Details:

• Date: c.1305 BCE (first recorded appearance).
• Source: KV57, the tomb of Horemheb, and others.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music intro: Jeffrey Goodman.
• Music interludes: Cover versions by Luke Chaos.
• Music outro: Ancient Lyric.
• Logo image: Ra on his solar barque, from the tomb of Ramesses I (Photo by Dominic Perry, 2022).
• TRANSLATIONS of the Book of Gates by Erik Hornung (2014) and John Darnell & Colleen Manassa Darnell (2018).

Select Bibliography:

• J. Assmann, Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom: Re, Amun and the Crisis of Polytheism (1995).
• C. Carrier, Grands Livres Funéraires de l’Égypte Pharaonique (2009).
• J. C. Darnell and C. Manassa Darnell, The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books (2018).
• E. Hornung, Das Grab des Haremhab im Tal der Könige (1971).
• E. Hornung, Das Buch von den Pforten des Jenseits, I (1979).
• E. Hornung, Das Buch von den Pforten des Jenseits, II (1984).
• E. Hornung, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife (1999).
• E. Hornung, The Egyptian Book of Gates, trans. T. Abt (2014).
• C. Manassa, ‘The Judgement Hall of Osiris in the Book of Gates’, Revue d’Égyptologie 57 (2006), 109—150.
• J. Roberson, ‘The Royal Funerary Books: The Subject Matter of Scenes and Texts’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (2016), 316–332.
• M. Smith, Following Osiris: Perspectives on the Osirian Afterlife from Four Millenia (2017).
• Theban Mapping Project, ‘KV 57 The Tomb of Horemheb’.
• Y. Volokhine, Le porc en Égypte ancienne (2014).
• J. Zandee, ‘The Book of Gates’, Liber Amicorum: Studies in Honor of Professor Dr. C.J. Bleeker (1969), 282–324.

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Horemheb's Lesser-known works and monuments. A selection of "off-cuts" from the Horemheb narrative including the Luxor Cachette, Horemheb's burial(s) of the Apis Bulls, and the rock-cut temple at Gebel Silsila.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music and Interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Additional music interludes: Keith Zizza.
• See statues from the Luxor Cachette in Luxor Museum, Wikimedia.
• Logo image: Horemheb with Amun, from the Luxor Cachette (Photo by Dominic Perry, 2022).

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The Death and Legacy of Horemheb (c.1305 BCE). Horemheb's reign ended after some 27-years of rule, though this is debated fiercely among historians. His latter-day achievements include an unorthodox approach to building his Memorial Temple, as well as an innovative and spectacular royal tomb. Ultimately, the King reached the end of his reign, leaving a legacy that deserves greater attention...

• Date: c.1305 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Intro music and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Additional interludes: Keith Zizza.
• Outro music: Ancient Lyric.
• Logo image: Horemheb before Anubis, from his royal tomb KV57. Painting by Lancelot Crane, public domain (MMA).
• Read the excavation report for Horemheb/Ay's Memorial Temple at The University of Chicago.

Select Bibliography:

• N. Brown, ‘Coffin of Ramesses II’, American Research Center in Egypt.
• K. M. Bryson, ‘Some Year Dates of Horemheb in Context’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 51 (2015), 285–302.
• K. M. Bryson, ‘The Reign of Horemheb: History, Historiography, and the Dawn of the Ramesside Era’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2018).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, 2017).
• U. Hölscher, The Excavation of Medinet Habu II: The Temples of the Eighteenth Dynasty (1939). Available free online.
• E. Hornung, Das Grab des Haremhab im Tal der Könige (1971).
• M. Nilsson and P. Martinez, ‘In the Footsteps of Ricardo Caminos: Rediscovering the “Speos of Gebel el Silsila”’, in G. Rosati and M. C. Guidotti (eds), Proceedings of the XI International Congress of Egyptologists (2017), 445—449.
• N. Reeves, ‘The Coffin of Ramesses II’, Proceedings of the First Vatican Coffin Conference 19–22 June 2013, I (2013), 425—438.
• Theban Mapping Project, ‘KV 57 The Tomb of Horemheb’.
• A.-C. Thiem, Speos von Gebel es-Silsileh: Analyse der architektonischen und ikonographischen Konzeption im Rahmen des politischen und legitimatorischen Programmes der Nachamarnazeit (2000).
• J. Van Dijk, ‘New Evidence on the Length of the Reign of Horemheb’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 44 (2008), 193—200.

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Her life and reign (c. 1500 - 1475 BCE). As pharaoh of Egypt, Hatshepsut achieved great wonders. The magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahari (Djeser Djeseru), an enormous trade fleet to Punt (modern Ethiopia, Somalia, or Yemen), the expansion of Karnak Temple and the erection of great obelisks, and the promotion of new ideas in royal mythology and propaganda. In this compilation of previously-released episodes, we discuss Hatshepsut's rise to power, her assumption of kingship, her great monuments and achievements, and the loyal servants who supported her rule. In the end, we also explore Hatshepsut's legacy, both in the ancient world and our own...

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

Additional content (not included in this compilation):

• Episode 62b: The Divine Birth of Hatshepsut – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)
• Episode 65b: Two Texts of Hatshepsut – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Books and sources:

• Kara Cooney: The Woman Who Would be King
• Joyce Tyldesley: Hatchepsut - The Female Pharaoh
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hatshepsut - From Queen to Pharaoh
• The University of Chicago: Creativity and Innovation in the Reign of Hatshepsut.
• Logo image: Seated Statue of Hatshepsut | New Kingdom | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)

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Music was everywhere in ancient Egypt: in the fields, in the temple, on the parade ground, and in the home. Songs and compositions were a part of daily life, and abundant evidence survives for the art of musicianship in the ancient world. In this compilation, we explore some of the notable evidence for ancient Egyptian music. We look at instruments, musicians and songs, unpacking the artwork and texts from this ancient profession. We also have interviews! Jeffrey Goodman and Michael Levy come on the show to discuss their work recreating ancient instruments and soundscapes...

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

Music Credits:

• Flute: Erik the Flutemaker (Youtube) (Website)
• Sistrum: Tahya of HathorSystrum (Youtube) (Website)
• Harp: Michael Levy (Website)
• Prayer: Michael Atherton (Website)
• Drums: Jeffrey Goodman (Youtube) (Website)
• Michael Levy: https://ancientlyre.com/
• Jeffrey Goodman: https://www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com/

More information

• Mini Episode(s): Music in Ancient Egypt – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)
• Interview: Michael Levy – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)
• Logo: A blind (?) harper from the Tomb of Nakht, New Kingdom.

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A History of the Tomb Kings (Part 1). The undead lords of Khemri, the Tomb Kings of Nehekhkara, are a staple of the Warhammer Fantasy world. They sweep across the dunes in skeletal chariots, backed by giant scorpions, terrifying Ushabti warriors, and the magnificent Hierotitans. Undead liche priests rain magical destruction on their enemies, while the Kings themselves smite foes with impunity. In forgotten lands, their enormous pyramids hold many dangers but promise riches to the brave and the foolhardy alike...

CHAPTER TIME CODES

1. Nehekhara 06:00
2. Settra Prince of Khemri 18:10
3. Settra the Imperishable 29:50
4. The Time of Kings, the Rise of Nagash 48:06
5. The Tyranny of Nagash 56:44
6. The Creation of the Tomb Kings 1:08:34
7. Miniatures and Inspirations of Ancient Egypt 1:25:16
8. Epilogues 1:40:34

• Date c.2,500 Before the Imperial Calendar (I.C.)
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music by TableTop Audio www.tabletopaudio.com
• Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com
• Music from Pond5 www.pond5.com
• Logo image: Settra the Imperishable, fanart by Daniel Knoblich https://www.artstation.com/artwork/N0KVJ
• References, images, and more information at https://www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com/the-tomb-kings/

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Just checking in...

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The Doomed Prince; The Tale of Two Brothers; and the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Ancient Egypt has given us many tales, both fantastical and historical. In this episode, I have compiled three famous stories. These come from the New Kingdom and the Greco-Roman eras, and they give us insights to the fantastical world of ancient Egyptian storytelling.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

References and more information:

• The Doomed Prince https://www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com/the-doomed-prince/
• The Tale of Two Brothers https://www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com/the-tale-of-two-brothers/
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice https://www.patreon.com/posts/mini-episode-30507057

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Two letters that tell tales. A model letter from c.1250 BCE tells us of a wayward scribe, who fell off the path of ma’at and became lost in drunkeness, indolence and womanizing. Disappointed in his former pupil, a schoolmaster writes to the scribe, rebuking him for his lifestyle and failures. Then, around 1250 BCE an Egyptian father wrote a letter to his wayward son. The boy had joined a ship’s crew and was now abroad, but had not sent any word of his well-being. Anxious, the father wrote a poignant letter begging his son to return. That letter survives and reveals wonderful parts of ancient life…

Warning: this episode may not be suitable for all ages. It contains reference to ancient Egyptian beer and alcoholism.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Logo: A man of Syrian(?) descent consuming beer with a straw, from a stela of the New Kingdom c.1350 BCE. Image via worldhistory.org.
• Mini Episode: A Wayward Scribe – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)
• Mini Episode: The Lost Son – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

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Ancient, ancient, ancient Egypt. Prehistoric Egypt and north Africa were home to many species of flora and fauna. From the shores of the great Tethys Ocean, to inland swamps, great animals roamed and lived their lives. In this previously released content, we explore some of the prehistoric flora and fauna of Egypt and north Africa. Note: This episode was originally released in 2018 and may not be fully up-to-date with paleontological science. If you have any updates or comments, please contact me at egyptpodcast at gmail.com.

Logo image: Spinosaurus reconstruction from a skeleton in Morocco. Image by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about the dinosaurs of prehistoric Egypt and north Africa at dinosaurpictures.org. Some recent discoveries at CNN and EgyptToday.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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The Deified Dozen. The ancient Egyptian calendar had its origins in lunar traditions (following the moon), but later transitioned to a 365-day solar system. Over the course of twelve months, the Egyptians marked three major seasons and honoured many deities. Festivals to goddesses and gods brought pageantry and partying to the temples. People honoured the great deities, and they sought to unify the world of nature with that of the living, and sometimes even the dead...

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music "Hymn to Hathor" by Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com.
• Music interludes by Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos.
• References, images, and details for various episodes at https://www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com/all-episodes/mini-episodes/

Individual episodes:

Month 1 Tekh: Mini Episode: The Egyptian New Year – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 2 Opet: Mini Episode: Opet Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 3 Hathor: Mini Episode: Hathor Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 4 Khoiak: Mini Episode: Khoiak Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 5 Ta-Abet: Mini Episode: Banquet Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 6 Great Heat and Month 7 Small Heat: Mini Episode: Festivities of Heat – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 8 Pa-Renenutet and Month 9 Pa-en-Khonsu: Mini Episode: Onion Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 10 Khent-khety and Month 11 Ipet-Hemet: Mini Episode: Flower Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

Month 12 Wepet-Renpet and the five extra days Heriu-Renpet: Mini Episode: Birthday Festivities – The History of Egypt Podcast (egyptianhistorypodcast.com)

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Oof. Time for a break.

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Face-to-face with the legends. Christina Riggs is a Professor (History of Visual Culture) at Durham University. In 2021, her book Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century took a broader view of the tomb and its discovery than most books on the subject. Her discussion helps us review and revisit older myths or assumptions, and encourage new perspectives on Egyptology's most famous discovery.

• Prof. Christina Riggs at Durham University.
• Christina Riggs at Academia.edu.
• Christina Riggs' website including her blog and the article "Waterboys and Wishful Thinking."

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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An enigmatic icon. Dr. Joyce Tyldesley returns for her second interview with The History of Egypt Podcast! We spoke about her recent book Tutankhamun: Pharaoh. Icon. Enigma. and the legacy of the discovery, including aspects of its excavation and significance. We also got into some random topics including Philomena Cunk, Scandinavian Noir shows, and Strictly Come Dancing. Enjoy!

• Dr. Joyce Tyldesley at The University of Manchester.
• Dr. Tyldesley's 2022 book Tutankhamun: Pharaoh. Icon. Enigma. at Headline Publishing.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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Tutankhamun, Mummies, and Murder, oh my! I sat down with Dr. Bob Brier to discuss the Tomb of Tutankhamun, and the legacy of this important discovery. We also chatted about Dr. Brier's work in Egyptology, including his experiment in mummifying a human for scientific research. Finally, we touched on some older works including his "Murder of Tutankhamun" hypothesis and the Great Pyramid's construction (including the "internal ramp" hypothesis of Jean-Pierre Houdin).

My thanks to Dr. Brier for coming on the show, and for allowing me to release the video version! Extra special thanks to Pat Remler for organising the conversation!

• Preorder Dr. Brier's book Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World from Oxford University Press.
• Read a report on Carter's thefts at The Guardian.
• Find Dr. Brier's hierogylphs lessons (and others) at The Great Courses.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 

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Hardcore Edition. In a special presentation, I compile my “Tomb of Tutankhamun” miniseries into a single mega episode. With updated information, and some new revelations, this 7-hour special is the full story, as best I can tell it.

Reference materials:

• For the full archive of Harry Burton’s photographs, showing the tomb of Tutankhamun in its original state, at the Griffith Institute.
• See other images, including the treasures, at Wikimedia.
• The Tomb of Tutankhamun at The Theban Mapping Project.
• The life and reign of Tutankhamun at The History of Egypt Podcast.

The Tomb of Tutankhamun episodes (with references and pictures):

• Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 5).
• Part 2 (Chapters 6 and 7).
• Part 3 (Chapters 8 and 9).
• Part 4 (Chapters 10 to 12).
• Part 5 (Chapters 13 and 14).
• Part 6 (Chapters 15 and 16).
• The “DNA Study” (Episode 128).
• The Tomb of Nefertiti (Episode 137b).

Episode Details

• Date: 1340 BCE and 1922 - 1932 CE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Logo image: The gold mummy mask of Tutankhamun via Wikimedia.
• Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/
• Music by Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/
• Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/
• Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos

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To Vile Carchemish. In Year 16, King Horemheb may have led a "campaign of victory" to the far north. An artefact identified in the 1970s, but lost for decades, testifies to these events... but what do they mean?

Episode details:

• Date: c.1316 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Music intro: Keith Zizza.
• Music interludes and outro: Luke Chaos.
• Logo: Horemheb smiting prisoners before Ptah. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Select Bibliography:

• A. Ahrens, ‘New Light on the Amarna Period from the Northern Levant: A Clay Sealing with the Throne Name of Akhenaten/Amenhotep IV from the Royal Palace at Tall Mišrife/Qatna, in: Zeitschrift für Orient-Archäologie 5 (2012): 232-248’, Zeitschrift für Orient-Archäologie 5 (2012), 232—248.
• A. Ahrens, ‘Pharao Haremhab und die nördliche Levante. Bemerkungen zu einem Skarabäenabdruck aus Tell Mišrife/Qatna, in: Ugarit-Forschungen 45, In memoriam Oswald Loretz (2014): 1-9’, Ugarit-Forschungen 45 (2014), 1—9.
• E. Devecchi and J. L. Miller, ‘Hittite-Egyptian Synchronisms and their Consequences for Ancient Near Eastern Chronology’, in J. Mynářová (ed.), Egypt and the Near East – The Crossroads (Prague, 2011), 139—176.
• H. Gauthier, Dictionnaire des noms géographiques contenus dans les textes hiéroglyphiques (Paris, 1925).
• R. Gautschy, ‘A Reassessment of the Absolute Chronology of the Egyptian New Kingdom and its “Brotherly” Countries’, Egypt and the Levant 24 (2014), 141—158.
• N. Grimal, ‘L’offrande d’un vétéran de l’an 16 d’Ḥoremḥeb’, Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres (Paris) (2018), 319—338.
• B. Lagarce-Othman, ‘Un nouveau vase inédit d’Horemheb’, in V. Matoïan and M. al-Maqdissi (eds), Études Ougaritiques III, Ras Shamra–Ougarit XXI (Leuven, 2013), 347—364.
• V. Matoïan, ‘Ugarit et l’Égypte: essai d’interprétation de la documentation archéologique et perspectives de la recherche’, in B. Eder and R. Pruzsinszky (eds), Policies of Exchange Political Systems and Modes of Interaction in the Aegean and the Near East in the 2nd Millenium B.C.E, Proceedings of the International Symposium at the University of Freiburg Institute for Archaeological Studies, 30th May – 2nd June 2012, 2 (Vienna, 2015), 35—84.
• J. L. Miller, ‘Amarna Age Chronology and the Identity of Nibḫururiya In the Light of a Newly Reconstructed Hittite Text’, Altorientalische Forschungen 34 (2007), 252—293.
• D. B. Redford, ‘New Light on the Asiatic Campaigning of Ḥoremheb’, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 211 (1973), 36—49.
• D. B. Redford, ‘A Head-Smiting Scene from the 10th Pylon’, in M. Görg (ed.), Fontes Atque Pontes. Eine Festgrabe für Hellmut Brunner (Wiesbaden, 1983), 362—373.
• Z. Simon, ‘Kann Armā mit Haremhab gleichgesetzt werden?’, Altorientalische Forschungen 36 (2009), 340—348.
• G. Wilhelm, ‘Muršilis II. Konflikt mit Ägypten und Haremhabs Thronbesteigung’, Die Welt des Orients 39 (2009), 108—116.
• J. A. Wilson, ‘Egyptian Historical Texts’, in J. B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament with Supplement (1978), 227–64.
• W. Wreszinski, Atlas zur altaegyptischen Kulturgeschichte (Geneva, 1988).

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Horemheb's favourite god. Throughout his life, Horemheb commissioned monuments and artefacts that honoured Djehuty (Thoth). As a courtier, then a King, Horemheb showed a certain favour towards this god. Why did he like this god, in particular, and what do these artefacts tell us about Horemheb as a person?

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Logo image: Horemheb as a Scribe, statue in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
• Read the Hymn to Thoth at the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.
• Music interludes by Luke Chaos, Hathor Systrum, and Keith Zizza.

Select Bibliography:

• N. Allon, Writing, Violence, and the Military: Images of Literacy in Eighteenth dynasty Egypt (1550-1295 BCE). (2019).
• B. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (1995).
• M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume II: The New Kingdom (1976).
• W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (1995).
• K. Sowada, ‘A Late Eighteenth Dynasty Statue in the Nicholson Museum, Sydney’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 80 (1994), 137–43.
• H. E. Winlock, ‘A Statue of Horemhab before His Accession’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 10 (1924), 1–5.

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Horemheb's Great Decree. Sometime during his reign, King Horemheb proclaimed a new set of laws. Taking aim at corruption and abuses-of-power (allegedly happening throughout Egypt), the pharaoh went hard on corrective measures. Punishments could range from beatings to disfigurement, exile, and death. Horemheb was not messing around. But what was he really trying to achieve?

• Episode details, pictures and references at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
• Intro music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net
• Interludes and Outro music by Luke Chaos www.twitter.com/luke_chaos
• Logo: Horemheb and Amun. Photo by Richard Mortel via Flickr.com.

Select Bibliography:

1. G. de la Bédoyere, Pharaohs of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of Tutankhamen’s Dynasty (2022).
2. C. Eyre, The Use of Documents in Pharaonic Egypt (2013).
3. A. Gnirs, ‘Haremhab - ein Staatsreformator? Neue Betrachtungen zum Haremhab-Dekret’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 16 (1989), 83–110.
4. A. M. Gnirs, Militär und Gesellschaft: Ein Beitrag zur Sozialgeschichte des Neuen Reiches (1996).
5. A. M. Gnirs, ‘Coping With the Army: The Military and the State in the New Kingdom’, in J. C. Moreno García (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Administration (2013), 639—717.
6. R. Hari, Horemheb et la reine Moutnedjemet ou la fin d’une Dynastie (1965).
7. W. Helck, Urkunden der 18. Dynastie: Ubersetzung zu den Heften 17–22 (1961).
8. J.-M. Kruchten, Le décret d’Horemheb: traduction, commentaire épigraphique, philologique et institutionnel (1981).
9. K. Pflüger, ‘The Edict of King Haremhab’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 5 (1946), 260–76.
10. YouTube: Guy de la Bédoyere, "Horemheb, the 'Enlightened Despot,'" https://youtu.be/-jCEo21_hK4 

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The bold and the bloody. This is a lecture I gave at The University of Auckland, as an "Introduction to Egyptian Warfare in the New Kingdom." It covers basic points: weapons, organisation, vehicles, battles and strategies, and also larger concepts like state violence and imperialism - how the Pharaohs approached warfare itself. Also, I explore some major events that we have already discussed (e.g. the Battle of Megiddo, the Capture of Joppa), and some still to come (The Battle of Kadesh).

• There is also a video version available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0OTRLicVis
• Podcast website www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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This is a talk I gave for the Intelligent Speech Conference in 2021, discussing some recent discoveries and newer angles of exploration in Egyptology. It is also available on YouTube.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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This is a talk I gave in 2021 regarding some of my PhD research (still ongoing). This is also available on YouTube with nice pictures etc.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Hello everyone. Just a very brief update. The narrative needs to pause for a week (maybe more). Details in episode.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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New Kingdom vs the World. This week we have an interview with Dr. Uroš Matić. Dr. Matić is a member of the Austrian Archaeological Institute, and takes a fascinating view of ancient society, including violence, gender, and the state. This episode was recorded in 2021.

• Dr. Uroš Matić online: Twitter, Academia.edu, and the Austrian Archaeological Institute.
• The Egyptian Empire in the 18th Dynasty: episodes at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com.
• Music by Bettina Joy de Guzman www.bettinajoydeguzman.com.

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The Mother is Sweet, Born of the Sun. In the second half of Horemheb’s reign, Egypt’s Queen died in childbirth. Subsequently, pharaoh chose one of his servants, Paramessu (Ramesses) as a successor. This choice arguably established the 19th royal Dynasty. Why did Horemheb do this? 

Episode details:

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro music: Keith Zizza.
• Interlude sounds and Outro music: Luke Chaos.
• Additional research by Elissa Day.
• See Geoffrey Martin discussing the discovery of Horemheb's Saqqara tomb at the Associated Press (1975).

Select Bibliography:

• G. Brunton, ‘The Inner Sarcophagus of Prince Ramessu from Medinet Habu’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 43 (1943), 133—156.
• G. Brunton and R. Engelbach, Gurob (1927).
• E. Cruz-Uribe, ‘The Father of Ramses I: OI 11456’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 37 (1978), 237–44.
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2017).
• W. Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary (London, 2005).
• G. T. Martin, ‘Excavations at the Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, 1977: Preliminary Report’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 64 (1978), 5–9.
• G. T. Martin, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn, 1 (1989).
• G. T. Martin, Tutankhamun’s Regent: Scenes and Texts from the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb (2016).
• G. T. Martin, ‘Bestower and the Recipient: On a Controversial Scene in the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb’, in C. Demarée et al. (eds), Imaging and Imagining the Memphite Necropolis: Liber Amicorum René van Walsem (2017), 47—56.
• D. Polz, ‘Die Särge des (Pa-)Ramessu’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 42 (1986), 145—166.
• E. Strouhal, ‘Queen Mutnodjmet at Memphis: Anthropological and Paleopathological Evidence’, L’Egyptologie en 1979 II (1982), 317—322.
• E. Strouhal, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn IV: Human Skeletal Remains (2008).
• E. Strouhal and V. G. Callender, ‘A Profile of Queen Mutnodjmet’, Bulletin of the Australian Centre for Egyptology 3 (1992), 67—75.
• J. van Dijk, ‘Horemheb and the Struggle for the Throne of Tutankhamun’, Bulletin of the Australian Centre for Egyptology 7 (1996), 29—42.

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In the Valley of the Kings, Horemheb commissioned a magnificent tomb. Artistically innovative, it has one foot in the past and one in the future. This tomb introduced a new style of decoration, developed on recent trends, and reshaped the model of royal burials…

Episode Details:

• Date: c. 1323 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro and break music: Keith Zizza.
• Outro music and interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Learn more about the tomb of Horemheb at the Theban Mapping Project.
• See Prof. Geoffrey Martin's description of the tomb at YouTube.
• Logo: Unfinished scene from the tomb of Horemheb. Hornung 1971.

Select Bibliography:

• T. M. Davis, The Tombs of Harmhabi and Toutânkhamanou (1912).
• E. Hornung, Das Grab des Haremhab im Tal der Könige (1971).
• Geoffrey Martin, Haremhab, Pharaoh and Conqueror: New Investigations in His Royal Tomb in the Valley of the Kings (2012). YouTube.
• ‘Horemheb | Theban Mapping Project’, https://thebanmappingproject.com/tombs/kv-57-horemheb.

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Securing the halls. In the 8th year of Horemheb's reign, a royal official named Maya visited a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. He was there to inspect the burial of Thutmose IV, to ensure its security, and repair it if necessary…

Episode details:

• Date: c.1324 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro music: Luke Chaos.
• Interlude music: Luke Chaos and Keith Ziza.
• Outro music: Bettina Joy de Guzman.
• See the tomb of Thutmose IV at the Theban Mapping Project.
• Logo image: Detail from the chariot of Thutmose IV (Photo by Dominic Perry).

Select Bibliography:

• B. M. Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV (Baltimore, 1991).
• K. M. Bryson, ‘The Reign of Horemheb: History, Historiography, and the Dawn of the Ramesside Era’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2018).
• H. Carter, ‘Introduction’, in T. M. Davis (ed.), The Tomb of Thoutmôsis IV (London, 1904), VII—XII.
• T. M. Davis (ed.), The Tomb of Thoutmôsis IV (2002 Reprint edn, London, 1904).
• P. E. Newberry, ‘Description of the Tomb and Sarcophagus of Thoutmôsis IV’, in T. M. Davis (ed.), The Tomb of Thoutmôsis IV (London, 1904), XXIX—XL.
• N. Reeves and R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Valley of the Kings (London, 1996).
• ‘Thutmes IV | Theban Mapping Project’, <https://thebanmappingproject.com/tombs/kv-43-thutmes-iv> accessed 8.27.2022.
• ‘Thutmosis IV — KV43’, <https://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/pharaons/thoutmosis4/e_thoutmosis4_01.htm> accessed 8.27.2022.

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Back in the village. In regnal year 7, Horemheb's officials turn up in western Thebes (Waset). They began reorganising the village of the tomb-builders, Set-Ma'at "The Place of Truth." Doing so, the King's government created a lasting legacy in the town we call Deir el-Medina.

Episode details:

• Date: c.1325 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro music: Keith Zizza.
• Outro music: Ancient Lyric.
• Music interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Logo image: Horemheb in his tomb, decorated by the workers of Deir el-Medina (Image: Hornung 1971).

Select Bibliography:

• M. B. Bruyère, ‘Fouilles de Deir el Medineh (1923—1924)’, Fouilles de L’Institut Francais d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire (1925).
• J. Černý, A Community of Workmen at Thebes in the Ramesside period (Cairo, 1973).
• B. G. Davies, Who’s Who at Deir el-Medina: A Prosopographic Study of the Royal Workmen’s Community (Leiden, 1999).
• B. G. Davies, Life Within the Five Walls: A Handbook to Deir el-Medina (Wallasey, 2018).
• Y. M. El Shazly, ‘Royal Ancestor Worship in Deir el-Medina During the New Kingdom’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2008).
• B. J. J. Haring, ‘Workmen’s Marks and the Early History of the Theban Royal Necropolis’, in J. Toivari-Viitala et al. (eds), Deir el-Medina Studies: Helsinki, June 24 – 26, 2009, Proceedings (Helsinki, 2014), 87—100.
• J. R. Harris, ‘How Long was the Reign of Horemheb?’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 54 (1968), 95—99.
• M. Müller, ‘Deir el-Medina in the Dark – The Amarna Period in the History of the Village’, in J. Toivari-Viitala et al. (eds), Deir el-Medina Studies: Helsinki, June 24 – 26, 2009, Proceedings (Helsinki, 2014), 154—167.
• M. S. i Sanjaume, ‘La Tomba de Sennedjem a Deir el-Medina TT1’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University de Barcelona (2013).
• E. Uphill, ‘Some Matters Relating to the Growth and Walls of Deir el-Medina’, in Jac. J. Janssen et al. (eds), Deir el-Medina in the Third Millenium AD: A Tribute to Jac. J. Janssen, Egyptologische uitgaven XIV (Leiden, 2000), 325–9.

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On August 13th, 2022, The Guardian (UK) ran a headline "Howard Carter stole Tutankhamun’s treasure, new evidence suggests." What's going on, exactly? We dive into the new information and its context. Read the Guardian article here.

• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Horemheb vs Ay, Tutankhamun, and others. Everyone talks about Horemheb "erasing" Akhenaten. But the King demolished monuments of several rulers, and erased the names of others. What does it all mean?

Episode details:

• Date: c. 1327 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music intro: Luke Chaos.
• Music interludes: Luke Chaos.
• Music outro: Keith Zizza.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Azim, ‘La structure des pylônes d’Horemheb à Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 127—166.
• E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (2006).
• P. Brand, ‘Secondary Restorations in the Post-Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 36 (1999), 113–34.
• L. Cotelle-Michel, ‘Présentation préliminaire des blocs de la Chapelle de Sésostris Ier découverte dans le IXe Pylône de Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak XI.
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy (2014).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, 2017).
• C. Manassa Darnell, ‘Transition 18th—19th Dynasty’, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2015).
• W. J. Murnane, ‘Tutankhamun on the Eighth Pylon at Karnak’, Varia Aegyptiaca I (1985), 59—68.
• R. Saad, ‘Fragments d’un monument de Toutânkhamon retrouvés dans le IXe pylône de Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak V (1975), 93—109.
• R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temples of Karnak (1999).
• E. Sullivan, ‘Karnak: Development of the Temple of Amun-Ra’, in W. Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2010).
• C. Traunecker, ‘Rapport préliminaire sur la chapelle de Sésostris Ier découverte dans le IXe pylône’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 121—126.

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Seth needs you! In Egypt's western desert, the Dakhleh Oasis Project has been doing wonderful work. Unfortunately, recent events have disrupted access and archaeological work. In this brief appeal, we explain why the project is worthwhile, and why it needs your help...

Details:

• The Dakhleh Oasis Project website.
• Fundraiser (gogetfunding.com).
• Logo: Seth, in falcon-headed form, from a temple in Dakhleh (Image: Olaf Kaper and Colin Hope, in Rich and Great, 2016).
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

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Horemheb vs Akhenaten. To build his magnificent pylons at Karnak, Horemheb dismantled other monuments. Within the masonry of these pylons, archaeologists found nearly fifty thousand blocks from temples of Akhenaten...

Episode details:

• Date: c.1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Intro music: Keith Zizza.
• Interlude music: Luke Chaos.
• Outro music: Bettina Joy de Guzman.
• Logo image: author unknown.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Azim, ‘La structure des pylônes d’Horemheb à Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 127—166.
• E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (2006).
• P. Brand, ‘Secondary Restorations in the Post-Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 36 (1999), 113–34.
• L. Cotelle-Michel, ‘Présentation préliminaire des blocs de la Chapelle de Sésostris Ier découverte dans le IXe Pylône de Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak XI.
• Digital Karnak, ‘2nd Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/2nd-pylon/.
• Digital Karnak, ‘9th Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/9th-pylon/.
• Digital Karnak, ‘10th Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/10th-pylon/.
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy (2014).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, 2017).
• J. Gohary, ‘Final Report “Talatat Project”’, The Egyptian Antiquities Conservation Project (2012).
• M. Jordan et al., La porte d’Horemheb au Xe pylône de Karnak (2015).
• C. Manassa Darnell, ‘Transition 18th—19th Dynasty’, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2015).
• W. J. Murnane, ‘Tutankhamun on the Eighth Pylon at Karnak’, Varia Aegyptiaca I (1985), 59—68.
• D. Redford, ‘Akhenaten: New Theories and Old Facts’, Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 369 (2013), 9.
• D. B. Redford, Akhenaten: The Heretic King (1984).
• D. B. Redford, ‘Studies on Akhenaten at Thebes. I. A Report on the Work of the Akhenaten Temple Project of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 10 (1973), 77–94.
• R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temples of Karnak (1999).
• E. Sullivan, ‘Karnak: Development of the Temple of Amun-Ra’, in W. Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2010).

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Horemheb at Karnak (Part 2). There are secrets beneath the sand of Karnak. Horemheb's architects significantly changed the temple's landscape. In some cases, they even relocated older buildings, dismantling and moving them piece-by-piece...

Episode details:

• Date: c. 1329 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music by Keith Zizza.
• Music interludes by Luke Chaos.
• Logo image: The southern pylons, by Jean-Claude Golvin.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Azim, ‘La structure des pylônes d’Horemheb à Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 127—166.
• E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (New York, 2006).
• Digital Karnak, ‘9th Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/9th-pylon/.
• Digital Karnak, ‘10th Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/10th-pylon/.
• Digital Karnak, ‘Edifice of Amenhotep II’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/edifice-of-amenhotep-ii/.
• J-C. Goyon and C. Traunecker, ‘La Chapelle de Thot et d’Amon au sud-ouest du lac sacré’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 355—366.
• M. Jordan et al., La porte d’Horemheb au Xe pylône de Karnak (2015).
• R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temples of Karnak (1999).
• C. Van Siclen III, ‘The Edifice of Amenhotep II at Karnak: An Architectural Pious Fraud’, in C. Leblanc and G. Zaki (eds), The Temples of Millions of Years and Royal Power at Thebes in the New Kingdom (2010), 81—89.
• W. Wreszinski, Atlas zur altaegyptischen Kulturgeschichte (1988).

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Horemheb at Karnak (Part 1). Before his ascent, Horemheb had managed building projects for Tutankhamun. Now, as pharaoh, Horemheb went all out. He invested in one of the largest building sprees Karnak would ever see. His monuments continue to define this temple...

Episode details:

• Date: c.1329 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Horemheb theme by Luke Chaos.
• Music interludes by Luke Chaos and Keith Zizza.
• Logo image: The Tenth Pylon, completed in Horemheb's reign. Photo by Neithsabes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• See photos of Horemheb’s Pylons (2, 9, and 10) at Wikimedia.

Select Bibliography:

• M. Azim, ‘La structure des pylônes d’Horemheb a Karnak’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 127—166. Online.
• M. Azim, ‘Un mât du IXe Pylône au nome d’Horemheb’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 75—92. Online.
• E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (New York, 2006).
• Digital Karnak, ‘2nd Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/2nd-pylon/
• Digital Karnak, ‘9th Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/9th-pylon/
• Digital Karnak, ‘10th Pylon’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/10th-pylon/
• Digital Karnak, ‘Edifice of Amenhotep II’, https://digitalkarnak.ucsc.edu/edifice-of-amenhotep-ii/
• J.-C. Goyon and C. Traunecker, ‘La Chapelle de Thot et d’Amon au sud-ouest du lac sacré’, Cahiers de Karnak VII (1982), 355—366. Online.
• W. R. Johnson, ‘Amenhotep III and Amarna: Some New Considerations’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 82 (1996), 65–82.
• M. Jordan et al., La porte d’Horemheb au Xe pylône de Karnak (2015).
• R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temples of Karnak (1999).
• E. Sullivan, ‘Karnak: Development of the Temple of Amun-Ra’, in W. Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2010).
• The Epigraphic Survey, The Temple of Khonsu Volume 1: Scenes of King Herihor in the Court (1979). Online.
• C. Van Siclen III, ‘The Edifice of Amenhotep II at Karnak: An Architectural Pious Fraud’, in C. Leblanc and G. Zaki (eds), The Temples of Millions of Years and Royal Power at Thebes in the New Kingdom (Cairo, 2010), 81—89.
• W. Wreszinski, Atlas zur altaegyptischen Kulturgeschichte (1988).

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Karnak had experienced a tumultuous time, in the three decades preceding Horemheb's reign...

• Dates: c.1362 - 1300 BCE.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music interludes: Keith Zizza, Ancient Lyric, and Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

• E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (New York, 2006).
• A. Dodson, Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy (Cairo, 2014).
• M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Tutankhamun at Karnak’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo (1988), 1–11.
• M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016).
• D. Redford, ‘Akhenaten: New Theories and Old Facts’, Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 369 (2013), 9.

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