Preceded by: Seti I	Pharaoh of Egypt 19th Dynasty	Succeeded by: Merneptah
Ramesses II
Ramesses the Great alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses
Ramesses II, Abu Simbel
Reign	66 years 1279 BC to 1213 BC
Praenomen	Usermaatre-setepenre The Justice of Re is Powerful, Chosen of Re
Nomen	Ramesses (meryamun) Born of Re, (Beloved of Amun)
Horus name	Kanakht Merymaa
Nebty name	Mekkemetwafkhasut
Golden Horus	Userrenput-aanehktu
Consort(s)	Isetnofret, Nefertari Maathorneferure
Issues	Bintanath, Khaemweset, Merneptah, Amun-her-khepsef Meritamen
Father	Seti I
Mother	Queen Tuya
Born	1302 BC
Died	1213 BC
Burial	KV7
Major Monuments	Abu Simbel, Ramesseum, etc.

Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses *Ria'mīsisu) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He was born ca. 1302 BC. At age fourteen, Ramses II was appointed Prince Regent by his father. He is believed to have taken the throne in his early 20s and to have ruled Egypt from 1279 BC to 1213 BC^[1] for a total of 66 years and 2 months. He was once said to have lived to be 99 years old, but it is more likely that he died in his 90th or 92nd year. Ancient Greek writers such as Herodotus attributed his accomplishments to the semi-mythical Sesostris, and he is traditionally believed to have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus due to a tradition started by Eusebius of Caesarea. If he became king in 1279 BC as most Egyptologists today believe, he would have taken the throne on May 31, 1279 BC based on his known accession date of III Shemu day 27.^[2] Pharaoh is a title used to refer to any ruler, usually male, of the Egyptian kingdom in the pre-Christian, pre-Islamic period. ... Kufus Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Kufus Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... nomen or birth name Menmaatre, or Seti I was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt), the son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. According to some historians, he reigned between either 1294 BC or 1290 BC to 1279 BC or 1305... Pharaoh is a title used to refer to any ruler, usually male, of the Egyptian kingdom in the pre-Christian, pre-Islamic period. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Merneptah (occasionally: Merenptah) was pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1213 – 1203 BC), the fourth ruler of the 19th Dynasty. ... Image File history File links RamsesIIEgypt. ... Image File history File links RamsesIIEgypt. ... Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation Categories: Ancient Egypt stubs | Wonders of the World ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... (Redirected from 1279 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1320s BC 1310s BC 1300s BC 1290s BC 1280s BC - 1270s BC - 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC Events and Trends Significant People Categories: 1270s BC ... (Redirected from 1213 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC - 1210s BC - 1200s BC 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC Events and Trends 1213 BC - Theseus, legendary King of Athens is deposed and... 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. ... 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. ... The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt. ... Isetnofret or Isis-nofret (Ancient Egyptian: the beautiful Isis) was one of the the Great Royal Wives of Ramesses II and was the mother of his heir, Merenptah. ... A picture of Nefertari taken in her Abu Simbel temple. ... Maathorneferure at Tanis Maathorneferure was a princess of Hatti, and was married to Ramesses II in the 34th year of his reign. ... Bintanath (or Bentanath) was the firstborn daughter and Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II. She was born possibly when her father was still a co-regent with his father, Sethi I. Her mother was Isetnofret, one of the two most prominent wives of Ramesses. ... Prince Khaemweset (or Khaemwaset) was the 4th son of Ramesses II, by his queen Isisnofret. ... Merneptah (occasionally: Merenptah) was pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1213 – 1203 BC), the fourth ruler of the 19th Dynasty. ... Amun-her-khepeshef or Amun-her-wenemef (13th century BCE) was the firstborn son of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great and Queen Nefertari. ... Meritamen (also spelled Meritamun, Merytamen, Meryt-Amen; Ancient Egyptian: Beloved of Amun) was a daughter and later Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great. ... nomen or birth name Menmaatre, or Seti I was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt), the son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. According to some historians, he reigned between either 1294 BC or 1290 BC to 1279 BC or 1305... Queen Tuya was the wife of Seti I of Egypt and mother of Ramesses II. References Grajetkzi, Wolfram (2005) Ancient Egyptian Queens – a hieroglyphic dictionary Categories: | | | ... Centuries: 15th century BC - 14th century BC - 13th century BC Decades: 1350s BC 1340s BC 1330s BC 1320s BC 1310s BC - 1300s BC - 1290s BC 1280s BC 1270s BC 1260s BC 1250s BC Events and trends Cecrops II, legendary King of Athens, dies after a reign of 40 years and... (Redirected from 1213 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC - 1210s BC - 1200s BC 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC Events and Trends 1213 BC - Theseus, legendary King of Athens is deposed and... Tomb KV7, located in the Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of Ramesses II, and is located in the main valley, opposite the tomb of his sons, KV5, and near to the tomb of his son and successor, Merenptah, KV8. ... Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation Categories: Ancient Egypt stubs | Wonders of the World ... The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramses II (Ramses the Great). ... Transcription is the conversion into written, typewritten or printed form, of a spoken language source, such as the proceedings of a court hearing. ... Pharaoh is a title used to refer to any ruler, usually male, of the Egyptian kingdom in the pre-Christian, pre-Islamic period. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Centuries: 15th century BC - 14th century BC - 13th century BC Decades: 1350s BC 1340s BC 1330s BC 1320s BC 1310s BC - 1300s BC - 1290s BC 1280s BC 1270s BC 1260s BC 1250s BC Events and trends Cecrops II, legendary King of Athens, dies after a reign of 40 years and... (Redirected from 1279 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1320s BC 1310s BC 1300s BC 1290s BC 1280s BC - 1270s BC - 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC Events and Trends Significant People Categories: 1270s BC ... (Redirected from 1213 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC - 1210s BC - 1200s BC 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC Events and Trends 1213 BC - Theseus, legendary King of Athens is deposed and... Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking world in ancient times. ... Bust of Herodotus at Naples Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: , Herodotos) was a historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ... Sesostris was the name of a legendary king of ancient Egypt. ... The Exodus, more fully The Exodus of Israel out of Egypt, was the departure of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron as described in the biblical Book of Exodus. ... Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea (c. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... (Redirected from 1279 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1320s BC 1310s BC 1300s BC 1290s BC 1280s BC - 1270s BC - 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC Events and Trends Significant People Categories: 1270s BC ...

Naming

As with most pharaohs, Ramesses had a number of royal names. The two most important, his prenomen (regnal name) and nomen (birth name) are shown in Egyptian hieroglyphs above to the right. These names are transliterated as wsr-m3‘t-r‘–stp-n-r‘ r‘-ms-sw–mry-ỉ-mn, which is usually written as Usermaatra-setepenra Ramessu-meryamen. It translates as "Powerful one of Maat, the Justice of Ra is Powerful, chosen of Ra, Ra bore him, beloved of Amun". In the Hittite copy of the above-mentioned peace treaty with Hattusilis, the Pharaoh's name appears as Washmuaria Shatepnaria Riamashesha Maiamana. Some scholars believe this is possibly a closer approximation of the actual vocalization of the Egyptian king's name. Pharaoh is a title used to refer to any ruler, usually male, of the Egyptian kingdom in the pre-Christian, pre-Islamic period. ... It has been suggested that Hieroglyph (French Wiki article) be merged into this article or section. ... In the field of Egyptology, transliteration is the process of converting (or mapping) texts written in the Egyptian language to alphabetic symbols representing uniliteral hieroglyphs or their hieratic and demotic counterparts. ... [1] Maàt (reconstructed to have been pronounced as * (Muh-aht)[2]) was the Ancient Egyptian concept of law, morality, and justice[3] which was deified as a goddess. ... , , , or [1] This article is about the Egyptian god. ... Amun (also spelt Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imenand, and spelt in Greek as Ammon, and Hammon) was the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who gradually rose to become one of the most important deities, before fading into obscurity. ... Relief of Suppiluliuma II, last known king of the Hittite Empire The Hittites were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language, and established a kingdom centered at Hattusa (Hittite URU) in north-central Anatolia from the 18th century BC. In the 14th century BC, the Hittite empire was...

Life

Tablet of the treaty between Hattusili III of Hatti and Ramesses II of Egypt, contained within the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

Ramesses II was the third king of the 19th dynasty, and the second son of Seti I and his Queen Tuya. Ramesses' older brother predeceased him before adulthood. The most memorable of Ramesses' wives was Nefertari. Earlier wives, among others, were Isisnofret and Maathorneferure^[3], Princess of Hatti. The writer Terence Gray stated in 1923 that Ramesses II had as many as 20 sons and 20 daughters; more recent scholars, however, believe his offspring were far fewer. His children include Bintanath and Meritamen (princesses and their father's wives), Sethnakhte, the Pharaoh Merneptah (who succeeded him - he is his 13th son), and Prince Khaemweset. ImageMetadata File history File links Kadesh. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Kadesh. ... Istanbul Archaeology Museum (Turkish: Ä°stanbul Arkeoloji Müzesi) is an archeological museum, located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... nomen or birth name Menmaatre, or Seti I was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt), the son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. According to some historians, he reigned between either 1294 BC or 1290 BC to 1279 BC or 1305... Queen Tuya was the wife of Seti I of Egypt and mother of Ramesses II. References Grajetkzi, Wolfram (2005) Ancient Egyptian Queens – a hieroglyphic dictionary Categories: | | | ... A picture of Nefertari taken in her Abu Simbel temple. ... Isetnofret or Isis-nofret (Ancient Egyptian: the beautiful Isis) was the name of several women in Ancient Egyptian history. ... Maathorneferure at Tanis Maathorneferure was a princess of Hatti, and was married to Ramesses II in the 34th year of his reign. ... Hatti is the reconstructed ancient name of a region in Anatolia inhabited by the Hattians between the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC, and later by the Hittites, who were at the height of their power ca 1400 BC–1200 BC. The capital city of both peoples was Hattusa (modern... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bintanath (or Bentanath) was the firstborn daughter and Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II. She was born possibly when her father was still a co-regent with his father, Sethi I. Her mother was Isetnofret, one of the two most prominent wives of Ramesses. ... Meritamen (also spelled Meritamun, Merytamen, Meryt-Amen; Ancient Egyptian: Beloved of Amun) was a daughter and later Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great. ... Merneptah (occasionally: Merenptah) was pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1213 – 1203 BC), the fourth ruler of the 19th Dynasty. ... Prince Khaemweset (or Khaemwaset) was the 4th son of Ramesses II, by his queen Isisnofret. ...

In his Year 2, Ramesses II decisively defeated the Sherden sea pirates who were wreaking havoc along Egypt's Delta coasts by attacking cargo-ladden vessels travelling along the Mediterranean.^[4] The Sherden people came from the coast of Ionia or south-west Turkey. 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 one fell swoop.^[5] Ramesses would soon incorporate these skilled mercenaries into his army where they were to play a pivotal role at the battle of Kadesh. As king, Ramesses II led several expeditions north into the lands east of the Mediterranean (the location of the modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria). Ionia (Greek Ιωνία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was an ancient region of southwestern coastal Anatolia (now in Turkey) on the Aegean Sea. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...

After some preparations, Ramesses decided to attack territory in the Levant which belonged to a more substantial enemy: the Hittite Empire. At the Second Battle of Kadesh in May 1274 BC towards the end of the Fourth year of his reign, Egyptian forces under his leadership marched through the coastal road through Canaan and south Syria through the Bekaa Valley and approached Kadesh from the south..^[6] Ramesses planned to seize the citadel of Kadesh which belonged to king Muwatallis, king of the Hittite Empire. The battle almost turned into a disaster as Ramesses was initially tricked by 2 Bedouin spies in the pay of the Hittites to believe that Muwatallis and his massive army were still 120 miles north of Kadesh. Ramesses II only learned of the true nature of his dire predicament when a subsequent pair of Hittite spies were captured, beaten and forced to reveal the truth before him: Combatants New Kingdom of Egypt Hittite empire Commanders Ramesses II Muwatalli Strength ca. ... ... Muwatalli II was a king of the Hittite empire (New kingdom) from 1285 BC–1273 BC. The elder son of Mursili II, he is best known as the Hittite ruler who fought Ramesses II at the Battle of Kadesh around 1285 BC. Categories: Historical stubs | Hittite kings ... Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa (the modern village of Boğazköy in todayss north-central Turkey), through most of the second millennium BC. The Hittite kingdom, which at...

When they had been brought before pharaoh his majesty asked 'Who are you?' They replied 'We belong to the king of Hatti. He has sent us to spy on you.' Then his majesty said to them 'Where is he, the enemy from Hatti? I had heard that he was in the land of Khaleb, north of Tunip.' They replied to his majesty 'Lo, the king of Hatti has already arrived, together with the many countries who are supporting him...They are armed with their infantry and their chariots. They have their weapons of war at the ready. They are more numerous than the grains of sand on the beach. Behold, they stand equipped and ready for battle behind the old city of Kadesh[7].

Ramesses had fallen into a well-laid trap by Muwatallis whose thousands of infantry and chariotry were hidden well behind the eastern bank of the Orontes river under the command of the king's brother, Hattusili III. The Egyptian army itself had been divided into two main forces – the Re and Amun brigades with Ramesses and the Ptah and Seth brigades – separated from each other by forests and the far side of the Orontes river.^[8] The Re brigade was almost totally destroyed by the surprise initial Hittite chariot attack and Ramesses II had barely enough time to rally his own Amun brigade and secure reinforcements from the Ptah Army Brigade (who were just arriving upon the scene of battle) to turn the tide of battle against the Hittites. While Ramesses II had in theory 'won' the battle, Muwatallis had effectively won the war. Ramesses was compelled to retreat south with the Hittite commander Hattusili III relentlessly harrying the Egyptian forces through the Bekaa Valley; the Egyptian province of Upi was also captured according to the Hittite records at Boghazkoy. ^[9] Image File history File links Cquote1. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ... The Orontes or ‘Asi is a river of Lebanon and Syria. ... Hattusili III was a king of the Hittite empire (New kingdom) 1265 BC–1235 BC. He was the commander of Hittite forces in 1274 BC that defeated an Egyptian campign into Syria in the famous Battle of Kadesh. ... Hattusili III was a king of the Hittite empire (New kingdom) 1265 BC–1235 BC. He was the commander of Hittite forces in 1274 BC that defeated an Egyptian campign into Syria in the famous Battle of Kadesh. ... Boghazkoy is the site of a major Hittite capital called Hattusas, in what is now Turkey, some 100 kilometers from the Black Sea and 150 miles from Ankara. ...

Egypt's sphere of influence was now restricted to Canaan while Syria fell into Hittite hands. Over the ensuing years, Rameses II would return to campaign against the Hittites and even achieved several spectacular victories (at a time of Hittite weakness due to a dispute over Muwatallis' succession) to briefly capture the cities of Tunip, where no Egyptian soldier had been seen since the time of Thutmose III almost 120 years previously and even Kadesh in his 8th and 9th Years.^[10] However, neither power could decisively defeat the other in battle. Consequently, 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. The ensuing document is the earliest known peace treaty in world history. Thutmose Neferkheperu Son of Ra, Thutmose, beautiful of forms Praenomen Menkheperre Lasting is the Manifestation of Re Golden Horus Sekhempahtydsejerkhaw Horus of Gold Powerful of strength, holy of diadems Nebty name Wahnesytmireempet He of the Two Ladies, Enduring in kingship like Re in heaven Horus name Kanakht Khaemwaset Horus Mighty... Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1300s BC 1290s BC 1280s BC 1270s BC 1260s BC - 1250s BC - 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC 1200s BC Events and trends September 7, 1251 BC - A solar eclipse at this date might mark the birth... A peace treaty is an agreement (a peace treaty) between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a war or armed conflict. ...

Ramesses II also campaigned south of the first cataract into Nubia. He constructed many impressive monuments, including the renowned archeological complex of Abu Simbel, and the mortuary temple known as the Ramesseum. It is said that there are more statues of him in existence than of any other Egyptian pharaoh ^[11], not surprising as he was the second-longest-reigning Pharaoh of Egypt after Pepi II. A colossal statue of Ramesses II was reconstructed and erected on Ramses Square in Cairo in 1955.
In August 2006, contractors moved the 3,200-year-old statue of him from Ramesess Square to save it from exhaust fumes that were causing the 83-ton statue to deteriorate.[1] The statue was originally taken from a temple in Memphis. The new site will be located near the future Grand Museum of Egypt. Aswan (Arabic: أسوان Aswān) (, population 200,000) is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate. ... Today Nubia is the region in the south of Egypt, along the Nile and in northern Sudan, but in ancient times it was an independent kingdom. ... Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation Categories: Ancient Egypt stubs | Wonders of the World ... Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut Mortuary temples (or memorial temples) were temples constructed adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, royal tombs in the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom periods of Ancient Egypt. ... The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramses II (Ramses the Great). ... nomen or birth name Pepi II was a ruler of the Sixth dynasty in Egypts Old Kingdom. ... The Statue of Ramesses II is a 3,200-year-old figure of Ramesses II, depicting him standing, that was discovered in 1882 at the Great Temple of Ptah of Mit-Rahina near Memphis, Egypt. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mummy

Mummy of Ramesses II

He was buried in the Valley of the Kings, in KV7, but his mummy was later moved to the mummy cache at Deir el-Bahri, where it was found in 1881. It was then placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in 1885, where it remains as of 2006. Ramesses' mummy featured a hooked nose, strong jaw and was of above average height for an ancient Egyptian, standing some five feet and seven inches tall.^[12] He suffered from arthritis in his joints, tooth cavities and poor circulation during the last years of his life. ^[13] His successor was ultimately to be his thirteenth son Merneptah. Image File history File links Rammumy. ... Image File history File links Rammumy. ... View over the East Valley The Valley of the Kings, or Wadi el-Muluk (وادي الملوك) in Arabic, is a valley in Egypt where tombs were built for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom, the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. ... Tomb KV7, located in the Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of Ramesses II, and is located in the main valley, opposite the tomb of his sons, KV5, and near to the tomb of his son and successor, Merenptah, KV8. ... A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold or dryness, or airlessness. ... Tomb DB320 is located next to Deir el-Bahri, in the Theban Necropolis, opposite modern Luxor contained an extraordinary cache of mummified remains and funeral equipment of more than 50 kings, queens, royals and various nobility. ... Djeser-Djeseru – the focal point of the complex Deir el-Bahri (Arabic دير البحري dayr al-baḥrÄ«, literally meaning, “The Northern Monastery”) is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Main entrance of the Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to the most extensive collection of pharaonic antiquities in the world. ... Cairos location in Egypt Coordinates: Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area    - City 210 km²  - Metro 1,492 km² Population    - City (2005) 7,438,376  - Density 35,420/km²  - Urban 10,834,495  - Metro 15,200,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3) Cairo (Arabic: ‎ translit: , translated the... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Merneptah (occasionally: Merenptah) was pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1213 – 1203 BC), the fourth ruler of the 19th Dynasty. ...

Tomb KV5

In 1995, Professor Kent Weeks, head of the Theban Mapping Project rediscovered Tomb KV5. 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.[2] It is believed that at least 4 of Ramesses' sons including Meryatum, Sety, Amenhirkhepshef--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.^[14] Joyce Tyldesley writes that thus far Dr. Kent R. Weeks (b. ... KV5 is the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, and the recent discovery of its great extent has been called the most amazing discovery in the Valley of the Kings since the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. ... Joyce Ann Tyldesely is a British archaeologist, academic, and free lance writer. ...

"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 woooden coffins...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."^[15]

Pharaoh of Exodus?

At least as early as Eusebius of Caesarea, Ramesses II was identified with the pharaoh of whom the Biblical figure Moses demanded his people be released from slavery. Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea (c. ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Moses strikes water from the stone, by Bacchiacca Moses or Moshe (Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה, Standard Tiberian ; Arabic: موسى, ; Geez: ሙሴ Musse) is a legendary Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The identification is sometimes disputed for several reasons:

• Ramesses II was not drowned in the Sea, although the biblical account makes no specific claim that the pharaoh was with his army when they were "swept ... into the sea." In fact, upon first glance, Jewish tradition appears to indicate that Pharaoh was the only Egyptian to survive the Red Sea, and later became the King of Nineveh in the Book of Jonah. However, upon further analysis, the actual text of the Haggada says that Pharaoh was in fact killed, and a successor took his place as the King of Nineveh.

• There is nothing in the archaeological records from the time of his reign to confirm the existence of the Plagues of Egypt. This is not surprising since few pharaohs wished to record natural disasters or military defeats (as documented in the Biblical narratives) in the same manner that their rivals documented these events. In addition, no reference to any setbacks were made in royal Egyptian textual records or within the large number of informal Egyptian texts still in existence. For instance, after the serious Egyptian setback at the Battle of Kadesh, Hittites archives uncovered in Boghazkoy, the capital of Hatti, reveal that "a humiliated Ramesses [was] forced to retreat from Kadesh in ignominious defeat" and abandon the border provinces of Amurru and Upi to the control of his Hittite rival without the benefit of a formal truce.^[16] Benteshina, the ruler of Amurru who had been Ramesses' ally at Kadesh was swiftly deposed and marched off to Boghazkoy to face an uncertain fate while the Hittite hold over Kadesh was reinforced. By contrast, in Ramesses II's fictitious version of events, the Pharaoh states--a day after his narrow escape from death in battle--that "the cowardly Hittite king sent a letter to the Egyptian camp pleading for peace. Negotiators were summoned and a truce was agreed, although Ramesses, still claiming an Egyptian victory...refused to sign a formal treaty. Ramesses returned home to enjoy his personal triumph, which was to be retold many times in prose, as an epic poem and in relief carving[s]."^[17] No inconvenient references to Ramesses' loss of Amurru or Upi are preserved in the Egyptian records.

• The dates now ascribed to Ramesses's reign by most modern scholars might not match the dates when Moses was believed to be in Egypt.

A few scholars such as George Mendenhall^[18] associate the Israelite's arrival in Palestine more closely with the Hapiru mentioned in the Amarna letters and Hittite treaties of that time than with Ramesses II. Most scholars today, however, view the Hapiru rather as bandits who attacked trade and royal caravans that travelled along the coastal roads of Canaan. , For other uses, see Nineveh (disambiguation). ... In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Jonah is the fifth book in a series of books called the Minor Prophets (itself a subsection of the Nevi’im or Prophets). ... The Haggadah (הגדה) is a Hebrew language text used at the Passover service containing the Seder. ... Combatants New Kingdom of Egypt Hittite empire Commanders Ramesses II Muwatalli Strength ca. ... Boghazkoy is the site of a major Hittite capital called Hattusas, in what is now Turkey, some 100 kilometers from the Black Sea and 150 miles from Ankara. ... Amorite (Hebrew ’emōrî, Egyptian Amar, Akkadian Amurrū (corresponding to Sumerian MAR.TU or Martu) refers to a Semitic people who occupied the middle Euphrates area from the second half of the third millennium BC and also appear in the Tanakh. ...

On the other hand, Ramesses' own stele erected in the late 13th century BC in the city known to the Bible as Bet-Shan mentions two conquered peoples who came to "make obeisance to him" in his city of Ramses but mentions neither the building of the city nor, as some have written, the Israelites or Hapiru ^[19].

The Bible states that the Israelites toiled in slavery and built "for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Ra'amses" in the Egyptian Delta. ^[20] The latter is probably a reference to the city of Pi-Ramesse Aa-nakhtu or the "House of Ramesses, Great-of-Victories" (modern day Qantir) which had been Seti I's summer retreat.^[21] Ramesses II greatly enlarged this city both as his principal northern capital and as an important forward base for his military campaigns into the Levant and his control over Canaan. According to Kenneth Kitchen, Pi-Ramesses was largely abandoned from c.1130 BC onwards; as was often the practice, later rulers removed much of the stone from the city to build the temples of their new capital: Tanis. ^[22] Therefore if the identification of the city is correct, it strengthens the case for identifying Ramesses II as the Pharaoh who reigned Egypt during Moses' lifetime, but if Ramesses II was not the original builder, it also makes it possible that the described Pharaoh was Horemheb (who is favored by a very small minority of scholars), during whose reign the city was originally built. The fact that his son and successor Merneptah mentions in the so-called Merneptah Stele that the Ancient Israelites already lived in Canaan during his reign (indeed the Stele makes a point of declaring the supposed utter destruction of that people) may support the identification as Rameses II as the Pharaoh of the Exodus, though not allowing enough time for the 40 years in the desert. Pithom (Hebrew: פתם) is one of the cities which, according to Exodus 1:11, was built for the Pharaoh of the oppression by the forced labor of the Israelites. ... Avaris, thought to be located at Tell el-Daba (some still argue for different locations), was the ancient capital of the Hyksos dynasties in Egypt. ... Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (born 1932) is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies, University of Liverpool, England. ... Centuries: 13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC Decades: 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC 1140s BC - 1130s BC - 1120s BC 1110s BC 1100s BC 1090s BC 1080s BC Events and Trends 1135 BC - Oxyntes, legendary King of Athens dies after a reign of 12 years... The word Tanis has a number of meanings: Tanis Diena - A Latvian pig festival Tanis, Egypt - An archaeological temple site and capital of Egypts 21st and 22nd Dynasty Tanis Half-Elven - A character in the Dragonlance novels & game products Tanis, Manche, a commune of the Manche département, in... nomen or birth name Djeserkheperure Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypts 18th Dynasty from 1321 BC to early 1292 BC. Horemheb came from Herakleopolis Magna near the entrance to the Fayum. ... The Merneptah Stele is the reverse of a stela erected by Amenhotep III written by Merneptah. ...

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 both Ramesses II and his 19th Dynasty successors (ie: Merneptah, Seti II, Siptah & Twosret) retained firm control over Canaan during their reigns. Neither Israel nor Judah could have existed as independent states during this time. nomen or birth name Shoshenq I [alt. ... Rehoboam was king of Judah, succeeding his father Solomon. ...

Fiction

• The life of Ramesses II has also inspired a large number of historical novels, including the five volume series, Ramsès, by the French writer Christian Jacq. (Translated editions are available for non-French readers.)
• Ramesses was the main character in the Anne Rice book The Mummy or Ramses the Damned.
• Ramesses was portrayed by Yul Brynner in the classic film The Ten Commandments (1956).
• In the film "The Prince of Egypt" Ramesses (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) is portrayed as Moses' adoptive brother.
• The song "User-Maat-Re" by death metal band Nile is about Ramesses II.
• Ramesses was the inspiration for the character Ozymandias in the award-winning graphic novel Watchmen.

A 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. ... Anne Rice. ... The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned, is a stand-alone historical-horror novel by Anne Rice, first published in 1989. ... Yul Brynner Yul Brynner (July 7, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... The Ten Commandments is a 1956 epic film from Paramount Studios in VistaVision directed by Cecil B. DeMille, which tells in the broadest Hollywood style the Bible story of Moses (Charlton Heston) as he struggles to get Pharaoh Ramesses II (Yul Brynner) to let the Israelites leave Egypt. ... The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated film, the first animated film produced and released by DreamWorks SKG. It is loosely based on the life of Moses in Exodus (Chapters 1 to 20). ... Ralph Fiennes in Spider. ... Nile is a death metal band from South Carolina, USA assembled in 1993. ... Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. ...

See also

• Abu Simbel
• Battle of Kadesh
• Ramesseum
• Ozymandias
• Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt Family Tree
• TourEgypt.net site devoted to the Pharaohs, with many pages on Ramesses II and his family

Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation Categories: Ancient Egypt stubs | Wonders of the World ... Combatants New Kingdom of Egypt Hittite empire Commanders Ramesses II Muwatalli Strength ca. ... The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramses II (Ramses the Great). ... OZYMANDIAS of EGYPT I met a traveller from an antique land Who said:—Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. ... The family tree of the Egyptian Nineteenth dynasty is the usual mixture of conjecture and interpretation. ...

References

Further reading

• James, T. G. H. 2000. Ramesses II. New York: Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. A large-format volume by the former Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, filled with colour illustrations of buildings, art, etc. related to Ramesses II
• Von Beckerath, Jürgen. 1997. Chronologie des Pharaonischen Ägypten, Mainz, Philipp von Zabern.
• Kitchen, Kenneth Anderson. 1982. Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, King of Egypt. Monumenta Hannah Sheen Dedicata 2. Mississauga: Benben Publications. ISBN 0-85668-215-2. This is an English language treatment of the life of Ramesses II at a semi-popular level
• Kitchen, Kenneth Anderson. 1996. Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations. Volume 2: Ramesses II; Royal Inscriptions. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 0-631-18427-9. Translations and (in the 1999 volume below) notes on all contemporary royal inscriptions naming the king.
• Kitchen, Kenneth Anderson. 1999. Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments. Volume 2: Ramesses II; Royal Inscriptions. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers
• Kitchen, Kenneth Anderson. 2003. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8028-4960-1.
• Tyldesley, Joyce. 2000. Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh. London: Viking/Penguin Books

The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, with a tessellated glass roof by Foster and Partners surrounding the original Reading Room. ... Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (born 1932) is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies, University of Liverpool, England. ... The following is a list of Ancient Egyptian people. ... The Early Dynastic Period of Egypt is taken to include the First and Second Dynasties, lasting from 2920 BC, following the Protodynastic Period of Egypt, until 2575 BC, or the beginning of the Old Kingdom. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hor-Aha was the 2nd Pharaoh of the 1st dynasty of Ancient Egypt. ... The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization complexity and achievement - this was the first of three so-called Kingdom periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the Nile Valley (the... Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, Egypt Netjerikhet Djoser (Turin King List Dsr-it; Manetho Tosarthros) is the best-known pharaoh of the Third dynasty of Egypt, for commissioning his vizier Imhotep to build his Step Pyramid at Saqqara. ... Sneferu, Egyptian Museum The Red Pyramid of Sneferu Sneferu, also spelt as Snefru or Snofru (in Greek known as Soris), was the founder of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt, reigning from around 2613 BC to 2589 BC. His name, Snefer, means To make beautiful in Egyptian. ... Cheops redirects here, for other usages see Cheops (disambiguation). ... Khafre also refers to a block cipher. ... Sketch of a statue of Menkaura and his queen The Pyramid of Menkaure, Giza Menkaura (or Men-Kau-Re; Mycerinus in Latin; Mykerinos in Greek) was a pharaoh of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt (ca. ... nomen or birth name Pepi II (c. ... The Middle Kingdom is a period in the history of ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty, roughly between 1991 BC and 1648 BC. The Eleventh Dynasty Information needed. ... nomen or birth name Nebhotepre Mentuhotep II (2046-1995 BCE) was a Pharaoh of the 11th dynasty, the son of Intef III of Egypt and a minor queen called Iah. ... nomen or birth name Nebtawyre Mentuhotep IV was the last king of the 11th Dynasty. ... nomen or birth name Senusret III was a pharaoh of Egypt. ... nomen or birth name Amenemhat III (ca. ... nomen or birth name Queen Sobekneferu (sometimes written as Nefrusobek) was the Egyptian queen of the Twelfth dynasty, who ruled without a king. ... The New Kingdom is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BCE and the 11th century BCE, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt. ... Maat-ka-re[1] Truth is the Soul of Re Nomen Hatshepsut[1] Who Loved Amun, Foremost of Noble Ladies Horus name Wesetkau [1] Nebty name Wadjrenput[1] Golden Horus Netjeretkhau [1] Consort(s) Thutmose II Issues Neferure Father Thutmose I Mother Queen Ahmose Died 1458 BC Burial KV20 Major... Thutmose Neferkheperu Son of Ra, Thutmose, beautiful of forms Praenomen Menkheperre Lasting is the Manifestation of Re Golden Horus Sekhempahtydsejerkhaw Horus of Gold Powerful of strength, holy of diadems Nebty name Wahnesytmireempet He of the Two Ladies, Enduring in kingship like Re in heaven Horus name Kanakht Khaemwaset Horus Mighty... nomen or birth name Nebmaatre Amenhotep III (called Nibmu(`w)areya in the Amarna letters) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. ... Akhenaten He who is benificial to the Aten (after year 6 of his reign) Amenhotep Pronomen Neferkheperre-waenre Golden Horus Wetjesrenenaten[1] Nebty name Wernesytemakhetaten Horus name Meryaten Reign See Egyptian chronology 1352 BC – 1336 BC[2] Predecessor Amenhotep III Successor Smenkhkare Spouse(s) Nefertiti, Kiya Meritaten, Ankhesenpaaten, Ankhesenpaaten-ta... Tutankhaten Living Image of the Aten Tutankhamun Hekaiunushema Living Image of Amun, ruler of Upper Heliopolis Praenomen Nebkheperure Lord of the forms of Re Golden Horus Wetjeskhausehetepnetjeru Who wears crowns and pleases the gods Nebty name Neferhepusegerehtawy One of perfect laws, who pacifies the two lands [1] Horus name Kanakht... nomen or birth name Menpehtyre Ramesses I (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the founding Pharaoh of Ancient Egypts 19th dynasty. ... nomen or birth name Menmaatre, or Seti I was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt), the son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. According to some historians, he reigned between either 1294 BC or 1290 BC to 1279 BC or 1305... Ramesses (meryamun) Born of Re, (Beloved of Amun) Praenomen Usermaatre-setepenre The Justice of Re is Powerful, Chosen of Re Golden Horus Userrenput-aanehktu Nebty name Mekkemetwafkhasut Horus name Kanakht Merymaa Consort(s) Isetnofret, Nefertari Maathorneferure Issues Bintanath, Khaemweset, Merneptah, Amun-her-khepsef Meritamen Father Seti I Mother Queen Tuya... nomen or birth name Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I (Egyptian ššnq), also known as Sheshonk or Sheshonq I (for discussion of the spelling, see Shoshenq), was a Meshwesh Libyan king of Egypt and founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty. ... Piye, whose name was once transliterated as Pi(ankh)y. ... Taharqa (also spelled Tirhakah, Taharka, Manethos Tarakos) was king of Egypt, and a member of the Nubian or Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, whose reign is usually dated 690 BC to 664 BC. He was also the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered... praenomen or throne name nomen or birth name Psammetichus, or Psamtik I, was the first of three kings of the Saite, or Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt. ... Ptolemy I Soter (367 BC–283 BC) was the ruler of Egypt (323 BC - 283 BC) and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty. ... Cleopatra was a co-ruler of Egypt with her father (Ptolemy XII Auletes), her brothers/husbands Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, and later her son Ptolemy XV Caesarion. ... Tetisheri was the matriarch of the Egyptian royal family of the late 17th Dynasty and early 18th Dynasty. ... Queen Ahmose-Nefertari of Egypt was the sister-wife of Egypts Pharaoh King Ahmose I. She had two children-Amenhotep I and Aahhotep II, who wed each other and had the Princess Aahmes. ... Queen Ahmose was the mother of Hatshepsut of Egypt. ... Tiye (c. ... Bust of Nefertiti from Berlins Altes Museum. ... Ankhesenpaaten, a. ... A picture of Nefertari taken in her Abu Simbel temple. ... For his relatives, see Marcus Antonius (disambiguation). ... Imhotep, the one who comes in peace Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Imhotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, Egyptian ii-m-ḥtp) was a wizard, and the first architect and physician known by name to written history. ... Weni was a court official of the 6th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. ... Ahmose, son of Ebana served in the Egyptian military under the pharaohs Tao II Seqenenre, Ahmose, Amenhotep I, and Thutmose I. His autobiography has survived intact on the wall of his tomb and has proven a valuable source of information on the late 17th Dynasty and the early 18th Dynasty... Ineofficial of the 18th Dynasty, responsible for major constructions un Egypt| Thutmose II]], Hatshepsut, and Thutmose III. Ineni came from an aristocratic family and likely began his career as an architect under Amenhotep I. Amenhotep I commissioned Ineni to expand the Temple of Karnak. ... Senemut was an 18th dynasty Ancient Egyptian architect and government official. ... Rekhmire was chief advisor to Djehutymes III[1] and Amenhotep II[2]. He was also High Priest of Annu. ... Yuya (left), suspected of being foreign, compared with his Egyptian wife Tuya (right). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Maya (Egyptian official). ... Yuny was an official through the reign of Ramesses II, in the 19th Dynasty, serving as chief scribe of the court, the overseer of priests, and royal steward. ... Manetho, also known as Manethon of Sebennytos, was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolematic era, circa 3rd century BC. Manetho recorded Aegyptiaca (History of Egypt). ... Pothinus (early 1st Century BC - 48 or 47 BC) was regent for Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt. ...