Episodes

  • 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.


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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.
    Select references:

    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.
    Select references:

    A. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Decline and Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty (2016).

    H. Goedicke, ‘“Irsu, The Kharu” in Papyrus Harris’, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes 71 (1979), 1—17.

    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).


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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.
    Select references:

    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.
    Select references:

    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.
    Select references:

    D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (2008).

    A. Dodson, ‘Crown Prince Djhutmose and the Royal Sons of the Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 76 (1990), 87—96.

    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. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume IV: Merenptah & The Late Nineteenth Dynasty (2003).

    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.

    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.
    Select references:

    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.
    Select references:

    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/. 
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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.

    Music: Ancient Lyric.

    Interludes: Luke Chaos and Hathor Systrum.


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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.

    Descriptions and excavation reports:

    Caulfeild, Temple of the Kings at Abydos, 1902: Internet Archive and Heidelberg University.

    Calverley, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, in four volumes. Volume I, The Chapels of Osiris, Isis, and Horus (1933); Volume II, The Chapels of Amen-Re, Re-Harakhti, Ptah, and King Sethos (1935); Volume III, The Osiris Complex (1938); Volume IV, The Second Hypostyle Hall (1958). All volumes available in PDF at The University of Chicago.

    Texts: K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume I: Ramesses I, Sethos I and Contemporaries (Second Publication edn, 2017).

    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.

    Music intro and interludes: Luke Chaos.

    Music outro: Ancient Lyric.

    Sistrum interludes: Tahya / Hathor Systrum.


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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.

    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.


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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 eg[email protected] with your name and email address, to enter.
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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).

    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.


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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:

    The history of Abydos pre-Sety I.

    The modern experience of Sety’s temple.

    The Hypostyle Halls, the unique “Seven Chapels,” and the “Osiris Complex.”

    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).

    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.


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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.

    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).


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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.

    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.

    Would you like to know more? www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.

    Support the show and access exclusive perks on Patreon, www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.


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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.

    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.

    Support the show and get exclusive perks at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.


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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!
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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.

    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!


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