Ramesses II
Ramesses the Great alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses
Ramesses II: one of four external seated statues at Abu Simbel
Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign	1279–1213 BC,  19th Dynasty
Predecessor	Seti I
Successor	Merneptah
Royal titulary Prenomen: Usermaatre-setepenre The justice of Re is powerful, chosen of Re. Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The creation of a reliable Chronology of Ancient Egypt is a task fraught with problems The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the fourth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt Re, bre, moré (with many variants is an Interjection common to the languages of the Balkans, Turkish, and Venetian, with [1] Nomen: Ramesses meryamun Ramesses (Re has fashioned him), beloved of Amun. The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imen, Greek Ἄμμων [1] Horus name: Kanakht Merymaa The strong bull, beloved of right, truth. The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt [2] Nebty name: Mekkemetwafkhasut Protector of Egypt who curbs foreign lands. The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt [2] Golden Horus: Userrenput-aanehktu Rich in years, great in victories. The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt [2]
Consort(s)	Henutmire, Isetnofret, Nefertari Maathorneferure
Children	Khaemweset, Merneptah, Amun-her-khepsef, Meritamen, see also: List of children of Ramesses II
Father	Seti I
Mother	Queen Tuya
Born	1303 BC
Died	1213 BC
Burial	KV7
Monuments	Abu Simbel, Ramesseum, Luxor and Karnak temples[3]

Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses The Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses *Riʕmīsisu; also known as Ozymandias in the Greek sources, from a transliteration into Greek of a part of Ramesses' throne name, User-maat-re Setep-en-re)^[4] was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. Henutmire was an Ancient Egyptian princess and queen one of the eight Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Isetnofret (or Isis-nofret or Isitnofret) ( Ancient Egyptian: "the beautiful Isis" was one of the Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. Maathorneferure was a daughter of the Hittite king Hattusili III, and was married to the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II in the Prince Khaemweset (also translated as Khamwese, Khaemwese or Khaemwaset) was the fourth son of Ramesses II, and the second son by his queen Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the fourth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Amun-her-khepeshef or Amonhirkhopshef or Amun-her-wenemef (died c Other Egyptian royal ladies called Meritamen include a sister-wife of Amenhotep I and a daughter of Thutmose III Meritamen (also spelled Meritamun The Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II had a large number of children – 48-50 sons and 40-53 daughters – whom he had depicted on several monuments Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses Queen Tuya (also called Tuy or Mut -Tuya) was the wife of Pharaoh Seti I of Egypt and mother of Ramesses II, Tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and Luxor (in Arabic: الأقصر al-Uqṣur) is a city in Upper (southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples chapels pylons and other buildings Transcription is the conversion into written typewritten or printed form of a Spoken language source such as the proceedings of a court hearing Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A regnal name, or reign name, is a formal name used by some Popes and Monarchs during their Reigns Since Medieval times monarchs Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. He is often regarded as Egypt's greatest and most powerful pharaoh. ^[5] Ancient Greek writers such as Herodotus attributed his accomplishments to the semi-mythical Sesostris. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash Sesostris was the name of a legendary king of Ancient Egypt who is suppossed to have led a military expedition into parts of Europe He is traditionally believed to have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus. The Exodus ( is the term used for the escape departure and emancipation of the enslaved Israelites freed from Ancient Egypt as described in the Hebrew

He was born around 1303 BC and at age fourteen, Ramesses was appointed Prince Regent by his father Seti I. For the station on the Docklands Light Railway, see Prince Regent DLR station. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses ^[5] He is believed to have taken the throne in his early 20s and to have ruled Egypt from 1279 BC to 1213 BC^[6] for a total of 66 years and 2 months, according to Manetho. Manetho (or Manethon) was an Egyptian Historian and Priest from Sebennytos ( Ancient Egyptian: Tjebnutjer) who He was once said to have lived to be 99 years old, but it is more likely that he died in his 90th or 91st year. If he became king in 1279 BC as most Egyptologists today believe, he would have assumed the throne on May 31, 1279 BC, based on his known accession date of III Shemu day 27. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian term Season of the Harvest (the Egyptian or Shemu is transliterated as Smw &ndash and occasionally written as Shomu) ^[7][8] Ramesses II celebrated an unprecedented 14 Sed festivals during his reign—more than any other pharaoh. The sed festival (also known as Heb Sed or Feast of the Tail) was an Ancient Egyptian ceremony which was held to celebrate the continued rule of a Pharaoh ^[9] On his death, he was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings;^[10] his body was later moved to a royal cache where it was discovered in 1881, and is now on display in the Cairo Museum. Tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" The Valley of the Kings ( Arabic: وادي الملوك Wadi Biban el-Muluk; "Gates of the King" is a Valley in Egypt where for Tomb DB320 (now usually referred to as TT320) is located next to Deir el-Bahri, in the Theban Necropolis, opposite modern Luxor contained an The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to the most extensive collection of Ancient ^[11]

As king, Ramesses II led several expeditions north into the lands east of the Mediterranean (the location of the modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria), he also lead expeditions to the south, into Nubia, commemorated in inscriptions at Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation. New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam. New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam.

The early part of his reign was focused on building cities, temples and monuments. He established the city of Pi-Ramesses in the Nile Delta as his new capital and main base for his campaigns in Syria. Avaris ( Egyptian: ħt wʕrt Hatwaret, Greek: αυαρις Auaris) located at Tell ed-Dab'a, was the ancient capital of the This city was built on the remains of the city of Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos when they took over, and was the location of the main Temple of Set. Avaris ( Egyptian: ħt wʕrt Hatwaret, Greek: αυαρις Auaris) located at Tell ed-Dab'a, was the ancient capital of the The Hyksos ( Egyptian heqa khasewet, "foreign rulers" Greek,, Arabic,) were an Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Set (also spelled Seth, Sutekh or Seteh) is an ancient god who was originally the god of the Desert

Family and life

See also: Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt Family Tree and List of children of Ramesses II

Ramesses II was the third king of the 19th dynasty, and the second child of Seti I and his Queen Tuya. The family tree of the Egyptian Nineteenth dynasty is the usual mixture of conjecture and interpretation The Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II had a large number of children – 48-50 sons and 40-53 daughters – whom he had depicted on several monuments The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses Queen Tuya (also called Tuy or Mut -Tuya) was the wife of Pharaoh Seti I of Egypt and mother of Ramesses II, ^[12] His only definite sibling was Princess Tia, though Henutmire, one of his Great Royal Wives, may have been the younger half-sister of Ramesses. Tia or Tiya was an Ancient Egyptian princess during the 19th dynasty; the daughter of Pharaoh Seti I and Queen Tuya and Henutmire was an Ancient Egyptian princess and queen one of the eight Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Ramesses II. M23-N41X1-wrt Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife ( Ancient egyptian: ḥmt nswt wrt ^[13]

Ramesses had numerous consorts, the most famous being Nefertari. Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. ^[14] During his long reign, eight women held the title Great Royal Wife (often simultaneously): Nefertari and Isetnofret, whom he married early in his reign; Bintanath, Meritamen and Nebettawy, his own daughters who replaced their mothers Nefertari and Isetnofret when they died or retired; Henutmire; Maathorneferure, Princess of Hatti and another Hittite princess whose name did not survive. M23-N41X1-wrt Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife ( Ancient egyptian: ḥmt nswt wrt Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. Isetnofret (or Isis-nofret or Isitnofret) ( Ancient Egyptian: "the beautiful Isis" was one of the Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Bintanath (or Bentanath) was the firstborn daughter and later Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II. Other Egyptian royal ladies called Meritamen include a sister-wife of Amenhotep I and a daughter of Thutmose III Meritamen (also spelled Meritamun Nebettawy (“Lady of the Two Lands” was an Ancient Egyptian princess and queen the fifth daughter and one of the eight Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Henutmire was an Ancient Egyptian princess and queen one of the eight Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Maathorneferure was a daughter of the Hittite king Hattusili III, and was married to the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II in the ^[15]

The writer Terence Gray stated in 1923 that Ramesses II had as many as 20 sons and 20 daughters but scholars today believe his offspring numbered over one hundred. Terence James Stannus Gray ( 14 September 1895 – 5 January 1986) better known by the Pen name Wei Wu Wei Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 2004, Dodson and Hilton noted that the monumental evidence "seems to indicate that Ramesses II had around 110 children, [with] 48-55 sons and 40-53 daughters. "^[16] His children include Bintanath and Meritamen (princesses and their father's wives), Sethnakhte, Amun-her-khepeshef the king's first born son, Merneptah (Ramesses' 13th son, who would eventually succeed him), and Prince Khaemweset. Bintanath (or Bentanath) was the firstborn daughter and later Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II. Other Egyptian royal ladies called Meritamen include a sister-wife of Amenhotep I and a daughter of Thutmose III Meritamen (also spelled Meritamun Amun-her-khepeshef or Amonhirkhopshef or Amun-her-wenemef (died c Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the fourth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Prince Khaemweset (also translated as Khamwese, Khaemwese or Khaemwaset) was the fourth son of Ramesses II, and the second son by his queen Ramesses II's second born son, Ramesses B, sometimes called Ramesses Junior, became the crown prince from Year 25 to Year 50 of his father's reign after the death of Amen-her-khepesh. Ramesses was an Ancient Egyptian prince the eldest son of Pharaoh Ramesses II and Queen Isetnofret. ^[17]

Campaigns and battles

Early in his life, Ramesses II embarked on numerous campaigns to return previously lost territories back to Egyptian hands and to secure Egypt's borders. He was also responsible for suppressing some Nubian revolts and carrying out a campaign in Libya. This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Although the famous Battle of Kadesh often dominates the scholarly view of Ramesses II's military prowess and power, he nevertheless did enjoy more than a few outright victories over the enemies of Egypt. } The Battle of Kadesh (also Qadesh) took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under

Battle against Sherden sea pirates

In his second year, Ramesses II decisively defeated the Shardana or Sherden sea pirates who were wreaking havoc along Egypt's Mediterranean coast by attacking cargo-laden vessels travelling the sea routes to Egypt. The Sherden (also known as Serden or Shardana sea pirates are one of several groups of " Sea Peoples " who appear in fragmentary historical records ( Egyptian ^[18] The Sherden people probably came from the coast of Ionia or possibly south-west Turkey. Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Ramesses posted troops and ships at strategic points along the coast and patiently allowed the pirates to attack their prey before skillfully catching them by surprise in a sea battle and capturing them all in a single action. ^[19] A stela from Tanis speaks of their having come 'in their war-ships from the midst of the sea, and none were able to stand before them'. There must have been a naval battle somewhere near the mouth of the Nile, as shortly afterwards many Sherden are seen in the Pharaoh's body-guard where they are conspicuous by their helmets with horns with a ball projecting from the middle, their round shields and the great Naue II swords with which they are depicted in inscriptions of the Battle of Kadesh. } The Battle of Kadesh (also Qadesh) took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under ^[20]

First Syrian campaign

The immediate antecedents to the Battle of Kadesh were the early campaigns of Ramesses II into Canaan and Palestine. } The Battle of Kadesh (also Qadesh) took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. His first campaign seems to have taken place in the fourth year of his reign and was commemorated by the erection of a stela near modern Beirut. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 The inscription is almost totally illegible due to weathering. His records tell us that he was forced to fight a Palestinian prince who was mortally wounded by an Egyptian archer, and whose army was subsequently routed. Ramesses carried off the princes of Palestine as live prisoners to Egypt. Ramesses then plundered the chiefs of the Asiatics in their own lands, returning every year to his headquarters at Riblah to exact tribute. In the fourth year of his reign, he captured the Hittite vassal state of Amurru during his campaign in Syria. Amurru (or Martu) are names given in Akkadian and Sumerian texts to the god of the Amorite /Amurru people often forming part of personal Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية ^[21]

Second Syrian campaign

Further information: Battle of Kadesh

The Battle of Kadesh in his fifth regnal year was the climatic engagement in a campaign that Ramesses fought in Syria, against the resurgent Hittite forces of Muwatalli. } The Battle of Kadesh (also Qadesh) took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II ( m NIRGÁL) was a king of the New kingdom of the Hittite empire (ca The pharaoh wanted a victory at Kadesh both to expand Egypt's frontiers into Syria and to emulate his father Seti I's triumphal entry into the city just a decade or so earlier. He also constructed his new capital, Pi-Ramesses where he built factories to manufacture weapons, chariots, and shields. Avaris ( Egyptian: ħt wʕrt Hatwaret, Greek: αυαρις Auaris) located at Tell ed-Dab'a, was the ancient capital of the Of course, they followed his wishes and manufactured some 1,000 weapons in a week, about 250 chariots in 2 weeks, and 1,000 shields in a week and a half. After these preparations, Ramesses moved to attack territory in the Levant which belonged to a more substantial enemy than any he had ever faced before: the Hittite Empire. See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established ^[22]

Although Ramesses's forces were caught in a Hittite ambush and outnumbered at Kadesh, the pharaoh fought the battle to a stalemate and returned home a hero. Ramesses II's forces suffered major losses particularly among the 'Re' division which was routed by the initial charge of the Hittite chariots during the battle. Once back in Egypt, Ramesses proclaimed that he had won a great victory but in reality, all he had managed to do was to save his army from destruction. ^[23] In a sense, however, the Battle of Kadesh was a personal triumph for Ramesses since after blundering into a devastating Hittite ambush, the young king courageously rallied his scattered troops to fight on the battlefield while escaping death or capture. While the pharaoh claimed that he had won the battle, the victory was a pyrrhic one, and he was unable to occupy the city or territory around Kadesh. A Pyrrhic victory (ˈpɪrɪk is a victory with devastating cost to the victor

Ramesses decorated his monuments with reliefs and inscriptions describing the campaign as a whole, and the battle in particular as a major victory. Inscriptions of his victory decorate the Ramesseum^[24], Abydos, Karnak, Luxor and Abu Simbel. The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and For example, on the temple walls of Luxor the near catastrophe was turned into an act of heroism:

“

His majesty slaughtered the armed forces of the Hittites in their entirety, their great rulers and all their brothers [. . . ] their infantry and chariot troops fell prostrate, one on top of the other. His majesty killed them [. . . ] and they lay stretched out in front of their horses. But his majesty was alone, nobody accompanied him [. . . ]. [25]

”

Third Syrian campaign

Egypt's sphere of influence was now restricted to Canaan while Syria fell into Hittite hands. Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Canaanite princes, seemingly influenced by the Egyptian incapability to impose their will and goaded on by the Hittites, began revolts against Egypt. In the seventh year of his reign, Ramesses II returned to Syria once again. This time he proved more successful against his Hittite foes. During this campaign he split his army into two forces. One of these forces was led by his son, Amun-her-khepeshef, and it chased warriors of the Šhasu tribes across the Negev as far as the Dead Sea, and captured Edom-Seir. Amun-her-khepeshef or Amonhirkhopshef or Amun-her-wenemef (died c The Negev (נֶגֶב Tiberian vocalization: Néḡeḇ) is the Desert region of southern Israel. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between It then marched on to capture Moab. Moab (; Greek Μωάβ; Arabic مؤاب, Assyrian Mu'aba, Ma'ba, Ma'ab; Egyptian The other force, led by Ramesses, attacked Jerusalem and Jericho. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô He, too, then entered Moab, where he rejoined his son. The reunited army then marched on Hesbon, Damascus, on to Kumidi, and finally recaptured Upi. Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. ^[26]

Later campaigns in Syria

Ramesses extended his military successes in his eighth and ninth years. The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and The Siege of Dapur occurred as part of Ramesses II 's campaign to suppress Galilee and conquer Syria in 1269 BC. He crossed the Dog River (Nahr el-Kelb) and pushed north into Amurru. His armies managed to march as far north as Dapur,^[27] where he erected a statue of himself. The Egyptian pharaoh thus found himself in northern Amurru, well past Kadesh, in Tunip, where no Egyptian soldier had been seen since the time of Thutmose III almost 120 years previously. This article is about Kadesh in Syria see also Kadesh (South of Israel or Kedesh Kadesh (also Qadesh) was an ancient city of Tunip was a city/' City-state ' in western Syria during the 1350 - 1335 BC, (and prior to that time Amarna letters correspondence. Thutmose III (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis III and meaning Thoth is Born) was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth He laid siege on the city before capturing it. His victory proved to be ephemeral. In year nine, Ramesses erected a stela at Beth Shean. After having reasserted his power over Canaan, Ramesses led his army north. A mostly illegible stela near Beirut, which appears to be dated to the king's second year, was probably set up there in his tenth. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 ^[28] The thin strip of territory pinched between Amurru and Kadesh did not make for a stable possession. This article is about Kadesh in Syria see also Kadesh (South of Israel or Kedesh Kadesh (also Qadesh) was an ancient city of Within a year, they had returned to the Hittite fold, so that Ramesses had to march against Dapur once more in his tenth year. The Siege of Dapur occurred as part of Ramesses II 's campaign to suppress Galilee and conquer Syria in 1269 BC. This time he claimed to have fought the battle without even bothering to put on his corslet until two hours after the fighting began. Six of the sons of Ramesses, still wearing their side locks, took part in this conquest. He took towns in Retenu,^[29] and Tunip in Naharin. ^[30], these were later recorded on the walls of the Ramesseum. ^[31] This second success here was equally as meaningless as his first since neither power could decisively defeat the other in battle. ^[32]

Peace treaty with the Hittites

The deposed Hittite king, Mursili III fled to Egypt, the land of his country's enemy, after the failure of his plots to oust his uncle from the throne. A Treaty is an agreement under International law entered into by actors in international law namely States and International organizations. Hattusili III ( Hittite: "from Hattusa" was a king of the Hittite empire (New Kingdom or Late Empire ca This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Hattusili III responded by demanding that Ramesses II extradite his nephew back to Hatti. ^[33]

This demand precipitated a crisis in relations between Egypt and Hatti when Ramesses denied any knowledge of Mursili's whereabouts in his country and the two Empires came dangerously close to war. Eventually, in the twenty-first year of his reign (1258 BC), Ramses decided to conclude an agreement with the new Hittite king at Kadesh, Hattusili III, to end the conflict. This article is about Kadesh in Syria see also Kadesh (South of Israel or Kedesh Kadesh (also Qadesh) was an ancient city of The ensuing document is the earliest known peace treaty in world history. A peace treaty is an agreement between two hostile parties usually countries or governments that formally ends an armed conflict ^[34]

The peace treaty was recorded in two versions, one in Egyptian hieroglyphs, the other in Akkadian, using cuneiform script; both versions survive. Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek Such dual-language recording is common to many subsequent treaties. This treaty differs from others however, in that the two language versions are differently worded. Although the majority of the text is identical, the Hittite version claims that the Egyptians came suing for peace, while the Egyptian version claims the reverse. This article is about the contemporary North African ethnic group ^[35] The treaty was given to the Egyptians in the form of a silver plaque, and this "pocket-book" version was taken back to Egypt and carved into the Temple of Karnak. The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples chapels pylons and other buildings

The Treaty was concluded between Ramesses II and Hattusili III in Year 21 of Ramesses' reign. Hattusili III ( Hittite: "from Hattusa" was a king of the Hittite empire (New Kingdom or Late Empire ca ^[36] (c. 1258 BC) Its eighteen articles call for peace between Egypt and Hatti and then proceeds to maintain that their respective gods also demand peace. The frontiers are not laid down in this treaty but can be inferred from other documents. The Anastasy A papyrus describes Canaan during the latter part of the reign of Ramses II and enumerates and names the Phoenician coastal towns under Egyptian control. Papyrus (/pəˈpaɪrəs/ (Rhymes -aɪrəs)is a thick paper-like material produced from the Pith of the papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. The harbour town of Sumur north of Byblos is mentioned as being the northern-most town belonging to Egypt, which points to it having contained an Egyptian garrison. Byblos ( Βύβλος) is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal (earlier Gubla) ^[37]

No further Egyptian campaigns in Canaan are mentioned after the conclusion of the peace treaty, the northern border seems to have been safe and quiet so the rule of the pharaoh was strong until the death of Ramesses II, and the waning of the dynasty. ^[38] When the King of Mira attempted to involve Ramses in a hostile act against the Hittites, the Egyptian responded that the times of intrigue in support of Mursili III, had passed. Mursili III, also known as Urhi-Teshub, was the eldest surviving son of Muwatalli II. Hattusili III wrote to Kadashman-Enlil II, King of Karduniash (Babylon) in the same spirit, reminding him of the time when his father, Kadashman-Turgu, had offered to fight Ramesses II, the king of Egypt. Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq The Hittite king encouraged the Babylonian to oppose another enemy, which must have been the king of Assyria whose allies had killed the messenger of the Egyptian king. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture Hattusili encouraged Kadashman-Enlil to come to his aid and prevent the Assyrians from cutting the link between the Canaanite province of Egypt and Mursili III, the ally of Ramesses.

Campaigns in Nubia

Ramesses II also campaigned south of the first cataract into Nubia. Aswan (formerly spelled Assuan (in standard أسوان Aswān) Egyptian: Swenet ( trade) Coptic: Swān; Greek This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation. When Ramesses was about 22, two of his own sons, including Amun-her-khepeshef, accompanied him in at least one one of those campaigns. Amun-her-khepeshef or Amonhirkhopshef or Amun-her-wenemef (died c By the time of Ramesses, Nubia had been a colony for two hundred years, but its conquest was recalled in decoration from the temples Ramesses II built at Beit el-Wali^[39] (which was the subject of epigraphic work by the Oriental Institute during the Nubian salvage campaign of the 1960s^[40]), Gerf Hussein and Kalabsha in Northern Nubia. New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam. New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam. New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam.

Campaigns in Libya

During the reign of Ramesses II, there is evidence that the Egyptians were active for a 300km stretch along the Mediterranean coast, at least as far as Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham. ^[41] Whilst the exact events surrounding the foundation of the coastal forts and fortresses is not clear, some degree of political and military control must have been held over the region that allowed their construction. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for

There are no detailed accounts of Ramesses II undertaking large military actions against the Libyans, only generalised records to his conquering and crushing them, which may or may not refer to specific events, otherwise unrecorded. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab It may be that some of the records, such as the Aswan Stela of his year 2, are harking back to Ramesses' presence on his father's Libyan campaigns. Aswan (formerly spelled Assuan (in standard أسوان Aswān) Egyptian: Swenet ( trade) Coptic: Swān; Greek Perhaps it was Seti I who achieved this proposed control over the region, and it was he who planned to establish the defensive system, in a manner similar to which he rebuilt those to the east, the Ways of Horus across Northern Sinai. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء

Religious impact

Sed festival

Further information: Sed festival

When Ramesses had reigned for 30 years, he had joined a selected group that included only a handful of Egypt's longest lived kings. The sed festival (also known as Heb Sed or Feast of the Tail) was an Ancient Egyptian ceremony which was held to celebrate the continued rule of a Pharaoh This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. By tradition the 30th year of his reign Ramesses celebrated a traditional jubilee called the Sed festival, during which the king was ritually transformed into a god. ^[42] Only a half way through what would be a 66 year reign, Ramesses had already eclipsed all but a few greatest kings in his achevements. He had brought peace, maintained Egyptian borders and built great and numerous monuments across the empire. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. His country was more prosperous and powerful than it had been in nearly a century. By becoming a god, Ramesses dramatically changed not just his role as ruler of Egypt, but also the role of his firstborn son, Amun-her-khepsef. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Amun-her-khepeshef or Amonhirkhopshef or Amun-her-wenemef (died c As chosen heir and commander and chief of Egyptian armies, his son become a ruler of land and effective ruler in all but name.

Building activity and monuments

Ramesses built extensively throughout Egypt and Nubia, and his cartouches are prominently displayed even in buildings that he did not actually construct. The Younger Memnon statue is one of two colossal granite heads from the Ancient Egyptian mortuary temple called the Ramesseum at Thebes, depicting the The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. ^[43] There are accounts of his honor hewn on stone, statues, remains of palaces and temples, most notable the Ramesseum in the western Thebes and the rock temples of Abu Simbel. The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt He covered the land from the Delta to Nubia with buildings in a way no king before him had done. A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation. ^[44] He also founded a new capital city in the Delta during his reign called Pi-Ramesses; it had previously served as a summer palace during Seti I's reign. Avaris ( Egyptian: ħt wʕrt Hatwaret, Greek: αυαρις Auaris) located at Tell ed-Dab'a, was the ancient capital of the ^[45]

His memorial temple Ramesseum, was just the beginning of the pharaoh's obsession with building. The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods When he built, he built on a scale unlike almost anything before. In the third year of his reign Ramesses started the most ambitious building project after the pyramids, that were built 1500 years earlier. The population was put to work on changing the face of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. In Thebes, the ancient temples were transformed, so that each one of them reflected honour to Ramesses as a symbol of this divine nature and power. Thebes may refer to one of the following places Thebes Greece, Boeotia Prefecture Ancient Thebes (Boeotia (gmy 𐀳𐀣 Ramesses decided to eternalise himself in stone, so he ordered to change the way and the principle the stone was shaped. Previous pharaohs had carved across the images and words of their predecessors, and the elegant reliefs could have been easely transformed, so Ramesses insisted on a different style where the pictures were instead deeply engraved in stone. They showed and shined more clearly on the Egyptian sun reflecting his relationship with the sungod, Ra. Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god.

Ramesses constructed many large monuments, including the archeological complex of Abu Simbel, and the mortuary temple known as the Ramesseum. Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt Mortuary temples (or memorial temples) were temples constructed adjacent to or in the vicinity of royal tombs in the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and He built on a monumental scale to ensure that his legacy would survive the ravages of time. Ramesses used art as a means of propaganda for his victories over foreigners and are depicted on numerous temple reliefs. Ramesses II also erected more colossal statues of himself than any other pharaoh. He also usurped many existing statues by inscribing his own cartouche on them. In Egyptian hieroglyphs a cartouche is an oblong enclosure with a horizontal line at one end indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name coming into use during

Pi-Ramesses

Further information: Pi-Ramesses

Here once stood some of the greatest monuments and buildings that Ramesses was building all across Egypt. Avaris ( Egyptian: ħt wʕrt Hatwaret, Greek: αυαρις Auaris) located at Tell ed-Dab'a, was the ancient capital of the This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The city was called Pi-Ramesses Aa-nakhtu, meaning "Domain of Ramesses II, Great in Victory"^[46] Although Pi-Ramesses was mentioned and named in the Bible, as a site where the Israelites were forced to work hard for the pharaoh, for many centuries it was lost, considered nothing more than a myth. Pr is the hieroglyph for 'house' the floor-plan of a walled building with an open doorway Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods ^[47] For a time it was misidentified as being in Tanis, due to the amount of statuary and other material from Pi-Ramesses found there. But after 20 years of excavation, it was finally found in the eastern Delta. ^[48] Its foundations lie hidden several feet beneath lush farmland. At the site the colossal feet of the statue of Ramesses are almost all that remains above ground today, the rest is buried in the fields. The ancient city was dominated by huge temples, vast residential palace of the king, complete with its own zoo. The city also had a massive chariot base, as described in the Bible. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin ^[46]

Ramesseum

Further information: Ramesseum

Ever since the 19th century, the temple complex known as the Ramesseum, which was built by Ramesses II between Qurna and the desert, has been known by this name. The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and Kurna, Gourna, Qurna or Qurnah (signifies "a promontory" or "a point of a mountain" is the name of three villages located near the The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus marveled at his gigantic and famous temple which is now no more than a few ruins. See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it ^[49]

Oriented northwest and southeast, the temple itself was preceded by two courts. An enormous pylon stood before the first court, with the royal palace at the left and the gigantic statue of the king looming up at the back. Only fragments of the base and torso remain of the syenite statue of the enthroned pharaoh, 17 meters high and weighing more than 1000 tons. Syenite is a coarse-grained intrusive Igneous rock of the same general composition as Granite but with the Quartz either absent or present in relatively The scenes of the great pharaoh and his army triumphing over the Hittite forces fleeing before Kadesh, represented on the pylon. This article is about Kadesh in Syria see also Kadesh (South of Israel or Kedesh Kadesh (also Qadesh) was an ancient city of Remains of the second court include part of the internal facade of the pylon and a portion of the Osiride portico on the right. Scenes of war and the rout the Hittites at Kadesh are repeated on the walls. The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established In the upper registers, feast and honor of the phallic god Min, god of fertility. Register is a term that refers to pictographic representation of a scene, and its separation from an adjoining scene by putting the scene in regestered sections On the opposite side of the court the few Osiride pillars and columns still left can furnish an idea of the original grandeur. ^[50]

Scattered remains of the two statues of the seated king can also be seen, one in pink granite and the other in black granite, which once flanked the entrance to the temple. The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" also spelt "Ramses" and A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites Thirty-nine out of the forty-eight columns in the great hypostyle hall (m 41x 31) still stand in the central rows. In Architecture, a hypostyle Hall has a flat ceiling which is supported by columns as in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. They are decorated with the usual scenes of the king before various gods. ^[24] Part of the ceiling decorated with gold stars on a blue ground has also been preserved. The sons and daughters of Ramesses appear in the procession on the few walls left. The sanctuary was composed of three consecutive rooms, with eight columns and the tetrastyle cell. A portico is a Porch that is leading to the entrance of a building or extended as a Colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway supported by Columns Part of the first room, with the ceiling decorated with astral scenes, and few remains of the second room are all that is left. Vast storerooms built in mud bricks stretched out around the temple. ^[50] Traces of a school for scribes were found among the ruins. ^[51]

A temple of Seti I, of which nothing is now left but the foundations, once stood to the right of the hypostyle hall. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses ^[24]

Abu Simbel

Further information: Abu Simbel

In the year 1255 BC Ramesses and his queen Nefertari had traveled into Nubia to inaugurate a new temple, a wonder of the ancient world, this was the great Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation. Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt Its an ego cast in stone. The man who built it intended not only to become the Egypt´s greatest pharaoh but also one of its gods. ^[52]

The great temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel was discovered in 1813 by the famous Swiss Orientalist and traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Abu Simbel ( أبو سنبل or ar '''أبو سمبل''' is an Archaeological site comprising two massive rock Temples in southern Egypt Johann Ludwig (aka John Lewis, Jean Louis) Burckhardt ( November 24, 1784 - October 15, 1817) Swiss However, four years passed before anyone could enter the temple, because an enormous pile of sand almost completely covered the facade and its colossal statues, blocking the entranceway. This feat was achieved by the great Paduan explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni, who managed to penetrate the interior on 4 August 1817. Padua ( Padova 'padova Latin: Patavium, Padoa) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. Giovanni Battista Belzoni; sometimes known as The Great Belzoni ( November 15 1778 &ndash December 3, 1823) was a prolific ^[53]

Other Nubian monuments

As well as the famous temples of Abu Simbel, Ramesses left other monuments to himself in Nubia. His early campaigns are illustrated on the walls of Beit el-Wali (now relocated to New Kalabsha). New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam. New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam. Other temples dedicated to Ramesses are Derr and Gerf Hussein (also relocated to New Kalabsha). New Kalabsha is a Promontory located near Aswan in Egypt by the Aswan High Dam.

Tomb of Nefertari

Further information: Tomb of Nefertari

The important and famous consort of Ramesses was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904. QV66 is the tomb of Nefertari, the Great Wife of Ramesses II, in Egypt 's Valley of the Queens. A queen consort is the title given to the wife of a reigning king. Ernesto Schiaparelli ( July 12, 1856 &ndash 1928 was an Italian Egyptologist, born in Occhieppo Inferiore (Biella who found Queen Nefertari ^[53][50] Although it had been looted in ancient times, the tomb of Nefertari is extremely important, because its magnificent wall painting decoration is regarded as one of the greatest achievements of ancient Egyptian art. Ancient Egyptian art refers to the style of painting sculpture crafts and architecture developed by the Civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 A flight of steps cut out of the rock gives access to the antechamber, which is decorated with paintings based on Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead. ' The Book of the Dead' is the common name for the Ancient Egyptian Funerary text known as ' Spells of Coming' (or ' Going') ' Forth By Day' This astronomical ceiling represents the heavens and is painted in dark blue, with a myriad of golden five-pointed stars. The east wall of the antechamber is interrupted by a large opening flanked by representation of Osiris at left and Anubis at right; this in turn leads to the side chamber, decorated with offering scenes, preceded by a vestibule in which the paintings portray Nefertari being presented to the gods who welcome her. Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir Anubis is the Greek name for a Jackal -headed god associated with Mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. On the north wall of the antechamber is the stairway that goes down to the burial chamber. This latter is a vast quadrangular room covering a surface area about 90 square meters, the astronomical ceiling of which is supported by four pillars entirely covered with decoration. Originally, the queen's red granite sarcophagus lay in the middle of this chamber. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone According to religious doctrines of the time, it was in this chamber, which the ancient Egyptians called the "golden hall" that the regeneration of the deceased took place. This decorative pictogram of the walls in the burial chamber drew inspirations from chapters 144 and 146 of the Book of the Dead: in the left half of the chamber, there are passages from chapter 144 concerning the gates and doors of the kingdom of Osiris, their guardians, and the magic formulas that had to be uttered by the deceased in order to go past the doors. ' The Book of the Dead' is the common name for the Ancient Egyptian Funerary text known as ' Spells of Coming' (or ' Going') ' Forth By Day' Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir ^[53]

Tomb KV5

Further information: KV5

In 1995, Professor Kent Weeks, head of the Theban Mapping Project rediscovered Tomb KV5. Tomb KV5 is the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, and the recent discovery of the large size of its extent has been referred to as the most amazing discovery in the Valley Dr Kent R Weeks (born December 16 1941) is an American Egyptologist. Tomb KV5 is the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, and the recent discovery of the large size of its extent has been referred to as the most amazing discovery in the Valley It has proven to be the largest tomb in the Valley of the Kings which originally contained the mummified remains of some of this king's estimated 52 sons. Approximately 150 corridors and tomb chambers have been located in this tomb as of 2006 and the tomb may contain as many as 200 corridors and chambers. ^[54] It is believed that at least 4 of Ramesses' sons including Meryatum, Sety, Amun-her-khepeshef (Ramesses' first born son) and "the King's Principal Son of His Body, the Generalissimo Ramesses, justified" (ie: deceased) were buried there from inscriptions, ostracas or canopic jars discovered in the tomb. Amun-her-khepeshef or Amonhirkhopshef or Amun-her-wenemef (died c An ostracon ( Greek: ostrakon, plural ostraka) is a piece of Pottery (or stone usually broken off from a Vase or other Canopic jars were used by Ancient Egyptians during the mummification process and were commonly made of Limestone, Pottery, wood or Bronze ^[55] Joyce Tyldesley writes that thus far

"no intact burials have been discovered and there have been little substantial funeral debris: thousands of potsherds, faience shabti figures, beads, amulets, fragments of Canopic jars, of wooden coffins. Joyce Ann Tyldesley is a British archaeologist, academic and freelance writer . . but no intact sarcophagi, mummies or mummy cases, suggesting that much of the tomb may have been unused. Those burials which were made in KV5 were thoroughly looted in antiquity, leaving little or no remains. "^[55]

Colossal statue

Further information: Statue of Ramesses II (Mit Rahina)

The colossal statue of Ramesses II was reconstructed and erected in Ramesses Square in Cairo in 1955. The Statue of Ramesses II is a 3200-year-old figure of Ramesses II, depicting him standing that was discovered in 1820 by Giovanni Battista Caviglia The Statue of Ramesses II is a 3200-year-old figure of Ramesses II, depicting him standing that was discovered in 1820 by Giovanni Battista Caviglia In August 2006, contractors moved the 3,200-year-old statue of him from Ramesses Square to save it from exhaust fumes that were causing the 83-ton statue to deteriorate. ^[56] The statue was originally taken from a temple in Memphis. The new site will be located near the future Grand Egyptian Museum. The Grand Egyptian Museum ( GEM) will be built by 2009–2010 at the cost of $US 550M ^[57]

Death and legacy

By the time of his death, he was suffering from severe dental problems and was plagued by arthritis and hardening of the arteries. Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body Arteries are Blood vessels that carry blood away from the Heart. When Ramesses finally died, he was about 90 years old. He had outlived many of his wives and children and left great memorials all over Egypt, especially to his beloved first queen Nefertari. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. Nine more pharaohs would take the name Ramesses in his honour, but few ever equalled his greatness. Nearly all of his subjects had been born during his reign and thought the world would end without him. Ramesses II did become the legendary figure he so desperately wanted to be, but this was not enough to protect Egypt. New enemies were attacking the empire which also suffered internal problems and it could not last. Less than 150 years after Ramesses died, the Egyptian empire fell, his descendants lost their power and the New Kingdom came to an end. The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and

Mummy

Ramesses II was buried in the tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings. Tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" The Valley of the Kings ( Arabic: وادي الملوك Wadi Biban el-Muluk; "Gates of the King" is a Valley in Egypt where for His mummy was placed in Cairo's Egyptian Museum, where it can also be found today. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to the most extensive collection of Ancient

The pharaoh's mummy features a hooked nose and strong jaw, and is below average height for an ancient Egyptian, standing some five feet, seven inches. ^[58] His successor was ultimately to be his thirteenth son: Merneptah. Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the fourth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt.

In 1974, Egyptologists visiting his tomb noticed that the mummy's condition was rapidly deteriorating. This is a partial list of Egyptologists. An Egyptologist is any Archaeologist, Historian, linguist, or Art historian who specializes in They decided to fly Ramesses II's mummy to Paris for examination. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city ^[59] Ramesses II was issued an Egyptian passport that listed his occupation as "King (deceased). " The mummy was received at a Paris airport with the full military honours befitting a king. ^[60]

In Paris, Ramesses' mummy was diagnosed and treated for a fungal infection. A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ During the examination, scientific analysis revealed battle wounds and old fractures, as well as the pharaoh's arthritis and poor circulation. In Medicine, a wound is a type of Injury in which the Skin is torn cut or punctured (an open wound or where blunt force trauma A fracture is the (local separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress.

For the last decades of his life, Ramesses II was essentially crippled with arthritis and walked with a hunched back,^[61] and a recent study excluded ankylosing spondylitis as a possible cause of the pharaoh's arthritis. Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS; previously known as Bechterew's disease, Bechterew syndrome, Marie Strümpell disease and a form of Spondyloarthritis Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body ^[62] A significant hole in the pharaoh's mandible was detected while "an abscess by his teeth was serious enough to have caused death by infection, although this cannot be determined with certainty. The mandible (from Latin mandibula, "jawbone" or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower Jaw and holds the lower teeth in place " Microscopic inspection of the roots of Ramesses II's hair revealed that the king may have been a redhead. ^[63] After Ramesses' mummy returned to Egypt, it was visited by the late President Anwar Sadat and his wife.

The results of the study concluded that "the anthropological study and the microscopic analysis" of the pharaoh's hair showed that Ramesses II was "a fair-skinned man related to the Prehistoric and Antiquity Mediterranean peoples, or briefly, of the Berber of Africa. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. "^[64]

Pharaoh of the Exodus

For more details on this topic, see Pharaoh of the Exodus. In the Bible the name of the Pharaoh of the Exodus is not given

At least as early as Eusebius of Caesarea,^[65] Ramesses II was identified with the pharaoh of whom the Biblical figure Moses demanded his people be released from slavery. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another

This identification has often been disputed, though the evidence for another solution is likewise inconclusive as critics point out that Ramesses II was not drowned in the Sea. The primary Exodus account itself makes no specific claim that the pharaoh was with his army when they were "swept . . . into the sea,";^[66] only Psalm 136 makes this claim. . ^{[67] [68]}

Critics of the theory also emphasize that there is nothing in the archaeological records from the time of Ramesses' reign to confirm the existence of the Plagues of Egypt. However, this is not surprising since few pharaohs wished to record natural disasters or military defeats in the same manner that their rivals documented these events (as in the Biblical narratives).

In the 1960s and 1970s, several scholars such as George Mendenhall^[69] associated the Israelites' arrival in Canaan more closely with the Hapiru mentioned in the Amarna letters which date to the reign of Amenhotep III and Akhenaten and in the Hittite treaties with Ramesses II. Habiru (Ha biru or Apiru or prw (Egyptianwas the name given by various Sumerian Egyptian, Akkadian Hittite, Mitanni Amenhotep III (sometimes read as Amenophis III meaning Amun is Satisfied was the ninth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. Akhenaten (often alt: Akhnaten, or rarely Ikhnaton) (In English ˌɑkəˡnɑtən or approximately "AHK-en-AHT-en" his royal name Amenhotep Most scholars today, however, view the Hapiru or Apiru instead as bandits who attacked the trade and royal caravans that travelled along the coastal roads of Canaan. Ramesses II's late 13th century BC stela in Beth Shan mentions two conquered peoples who came to "make obeisance to him" in his city of Raameses or Pi-Ramesses but mentions neither the building of the city nor, as some have written, the Israelites or Hapiru". Hebrews (or Hebertes, Eberites, Hebreians, " Habiru " or " Habiri " Hebrew: עברים ^[70]

Connection with the Biblical king Shishak

For more details on this topic, see Shishak. Shishak ( Hebrew: שישק Tiberian:) or Shishaq is the biblical Hebrew form of the first ancient Egyptian name of a Pharaoh mentioned

Speculation that Ramesses II was the Biblical Pharaoh named Shishak who attacked Judah and seized war bounty from Jerusalem in Year 5 of Rehoboam is untenable because Ramesses II (and his son Merneptah) retained firm control over Canaan during their reigns. Shishak ( Hebrew: שישק Tiberian:) or Shishaq is the biblical Hebrew form of the first ancient Egyptian name of a Pharaoh mentioned Rehoboam ( Hebrew:רחבעם Rehav'am was a king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, succeeding his father Solomon.

The Shishak of the Bible has generally been associated with Shoshenq I of Egypt instead. Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I ( Egyptian ššnq) also known as Shishak, Sheshonk or Sheshonq I (for discussion of the spelling A fragment of a stela bearing Shoshenq I's name has been found at Megiddo which affirms this king's claim, in several Karnak temple walls, that he invaded the land of Israel and conquered 170 towns there. Megiddo (מגידו is a hill in modern Israel near the Kibbutz of Megiddo, known for historical geographical and theological reasons ^[71] Shoshenq's Karnak triumphal inscription goes on to list the towns in alphabetical order including Megiddo. Jerusalem is not seen among this list of towns but the Karnak reliefs are damaged in several sections and some town's names were lost, so many scholars suggest that Jerusalem is mentioned in the damaged part ^[72].

However, David Rohl, controversially proposed a massive revision of the traditional chronology of the ancient Near East, and attempted to identify Shishaq with Ramesses II. David M Rohl (born 12 September 1950) is a British Egyptologist and Historian who has put forth several controversial theories concerning A few scholars, such as Peter James, who accept Rohl's criticism of identifying Shishaq with Shoshenq I while not his other theories, have sought to identify Shishaq with one of the other Ramesses kings of this period with varying success. Peter James is a British author and Historian specialising in Ancient history and Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean region. The so-called "James" chronology was first developed by Michael Sanders and published in "Catastrophism and Ancient History" ^[73] in 1985 many years before James published his revision.

Popular legacy

He was considered the inspiration for Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous poem "Ozymandias". Percy Bysshe Shelley (August 4 1792 – July 8 1822 ˈpɝːsɪ ˈbɪʃ ˈʃɛlɪ was one of the major English Romantic poets and is widely considered to be among Diodorus Siculus gives an inscription on the base of one of his sculptures as "King of Kings am I, Osymandias. King of Kings is a lofty title that has been used by several monarchies (usually empires in the informal sense of great powers throughout history and in many cases the literal title If anyone would know how great I am and where I lie, let him surpass one of my works. " ^[74] This is paraphrased in Shelley's poem.

The life of Ramesses II has inspired a large number of fictional representations, including the historical novels of the French writer Christian Jacq, the Ramsès, series, the graphic novel Watchmen, the character of Adrian Veidt uses Ramesses II to form part of the inspiration for his alter-ego known as 'Ozymandias' and Norman Mailer's novel Ancient Evenings is largely concerned with the life of Ramesses II, though from the perspective of Egyptians living during the reign of Ramesses IX, and Ramesses was the main character in the Anne Rice book The Mummy or Ramses the Damned. An historical novel is a Novel in which the story is set among historical events or more generally in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the Author Christian Jacq (born 1947 is a French Author and Egyptologist. Watchmen is a twelve-issue Comic book Limited series written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by Dave Gibbons and John Higgins Ozymandias ( Adrian Veidt) is a Fictional character appearing in the Comic book Limited series Watchmen by Alan Moore Norman Kingsley Mailer ( January 31, 1923 &ndash November 10, 2007) was an American Novelist, Journalist, Ancient Evenings is a novel by Norman Mailer. It deals with the lives of two protagonists one young one old in a very alien ancient Egypt marked by Ramesses IX (also written Ramses) (originally named 'Amon-her-khepshef Khaemwaset' ( 1129 &ndash 1111 BC) was the eighth king of the Twentieth Anne Rice (born Howard Allen O'Brien on October 4, 1941) is a best-selling American Author of gothic and religious-themed The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned, is a stand-alone historical- horror novel by Anne Rice, first published in 1989. Although not a major character, Ramesses appears in Joan Grant's So Moses Was Born, a first person account from Nebunefer, the brother of Ramoses, which paints the picture of the life of Ramoses from the death of Seti, with all the power play, intrigue, plots to assassinate, following relationships are depicted: Bintanath, Queen Tuya, Nefertari, and Moses. Joan Grant ( April 12, 1907 &ndash February 3, 1989) was an Author of Historical novels and reincarnationist Bintanath (or Bentanath) was the firstborn daughter and later Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II. Queen Tuya (also called Tuy or Mut -Tuya) was the wife of Pharaoh Seti I of Egypt and mother of Ramesses II, Nefertari ( Nefertari Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari) (c 1290–1255 BC was the Great Royal Wife (or principal wife of Ramesses the Great. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ

In film, Ramesses was played by Yul Brynner in the classic film The Ten Commandments (1956). Yul Brynner (July 11 1920 – October 10 1985 was a Russian born Actor of stage and film, perhaps best known for his portrayal of the The Ten Commandments is a 1956 motion picture that Dramatized the Biblical story of Moses, an adopted Egyptian Here Ramesses was portrayed as a vengeful tyrant, ever scornful of his father's preference for Moses over "the son of [his] body". ^[75] The animated film The Prince of Egypt, also featured a depiction of Ramesses (voiced by Ralph Fiennes), portrayed as Moses' adoptive brother. The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American Animated film, the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( "rafe fines" born 22 December 1962) is a British Actor.

See also

• Abu Simbel
• Battle of Kadesh
• Ramesseum
• Ozymandias
• Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt Family Tree

Notes & references

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

• Ramesses the Great
• Egypt's Golden Empire: Ramesses II
• Usermaatresetepenre
• Ramesses II Usermaatre-setepenre (about 1279-1213 BC)
• THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART: Relief of a King, probably Ramesses II
• Mortuary temple of Ramesses II at Abydos
• Egyptian monuments: Temple of Ramesses II
• Ramesses II at Find A Grave
• List of Ramesses II's family members and state officials

Persondata
NAME	Ramesses II
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ramesses the Great; Ramses II; Rameses II
SHORT DESCRIPTION	third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH	1302 BC
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH	1213 BC
PLACE OF DEATH

Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom.

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