Seti II
Preceded by: Merneptah	Pharaoh of Egypt 19th Dynasty	Succeeded by: Siptah
A fragmentary statue depicting the pharaoh Seti II at Heliopolis
Reign	1203 BC - 1197 BC
Praenomen	Userkheperure Setepenre[1]
Nomen	Seti Merenptah
Horus name	Kanakht Werpehti
Nebty name	Nekhtkhepesh-der-pedjut
Consort(s)	Twosret, Tiaa
Died	1197 BC
Burial	KV15[2]

Seti II (or Sethi II), was the fifth ruler of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt and reigned from 1203 BC - 1197 BC. His throne name, Userkheperure Setepenre, meant "Powerful are the Manifestations of Re, Chosen by Re.'^[3] He was the son of Merneptah and wife Isisnofret and sat on the throne during a period known for dynastic intrigue and short reigns, and his rule was no different. Seti II had to deal with many serious plots, most significantly being the accession of a rival king named Amenmesse, most likely his own son, who seized control over Thebes and Nubia during his second to fourth regnal years. Merneptah (occasionally: Merenptah) was pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1213 – 1203 BC), the fourth ruler of the 19th Dynasty. ... For other uses, see Pharaoh (disambiguation). ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Akhenre-setepenre (late form) Nomen Siptah Merenptah[1] Horus name Kanakht Meryhapi Sankhtanebemkafraneb Nebty name Saaiunu Golden Horus Unclear Died 1187 BC Burial KV47, in the Valley of the Kings Akhenre Setepenre Siptah or Merneptah Siptah was the penultimate ruler of the 19th Dynasty and the son of an obscure... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC - 1200s BC - 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC Events and trends 1204 BC - Theseus, legendary King of Athens, is deposed after a reign of 30... (Redirected from 1197 BC) Centuries: 13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC Decades: 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC 1200s BC - 1190s BC - 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC 1140s BC Events and Trends 1197 BC -The beginning of first period (1197 BC - 982... 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. ... nomen or birth name Queen Twosret Sitre Meryamun was a Queen of Egypt and the last Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... (Redirected from 1197 BC) Centuries: 13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC Decades: 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC 1200s BC - 1190s BC - 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC 1140s BC Events and Trends 1197 BC -The beginning of first period (1197 BC - 982... Tomb KV15, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Seti II of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC - 1200s BC - 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC Events and trends 1204 BC - Theseus, legendary King of Athens, is deposed after a reign of 30... (Redirected from 1197 BC) Centuries: 13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC Decades: 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC 1200s BC - 1190s BC - 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC 1140s BC Events and Trends 1197 BC -The beginning of first period (1197 BC - 982... For other uses, see Ra (disambiguation). ... Merneptah (occasionally: Merenptah) was pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1213 – 1203 BC), the fourth ruler of the 19th Dynasty. ... Isetnofret or Isis-nofret (Ancient Egyptian: the beautiful Isis) was the name of several women in Ancient Egyptian history. ... Menmire–setepenre Eternal like Re, Chosen by Re Nomen Amenmesse Born of Amun Horus name Kanakht Merymaat Sementawy Nebty name Werbiaytemipetsut[1] Golden Horus Unclear Consort(s) Baktwerel Father Merneptah Mother Takhat Died 1200 BC Burial KV10[2] Amenmesse (also Amenmesses) was the 5th ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty in...

A contest for the throne

Evidence that Amenmesse was a direct contemporary with Seti II's rule—rather than Seti II's immediate predecessor—includes the reality that Seti II's royal KV 13 tomb at Thebes was deliberately vandalised with many of Seti's royal names were being carefully erased here.^[4] This suggests that Seti II's reign at Thebes was interrupted by the rise of king Amenmesse in Upper Egypt.^[5] Secondly, the German scholar Wolfgang Helck has shown that king Amenmesse is only attested in Upper Egypt by several Year 3 and a single Year 4 ostracas here; Helck also noted that no Year 1 or Year 2 ostracas from Deir El-Medina could legitimately be assigned to Amenmesse's reign.^[6] This conforms well with the clear evidence of Seti II's control over Thebes in his first two years which is documented by various documents and papyri. In contrast, Seti II is absent from Upper Egypt during his third and fourth years which are notably unattested here--presumably because Amenmesse was in control here during this time.^[7] Menmire–setepenre Eternal like Re, Chosen by Re Nomen Amenmesse Born of Amun Horus name Kanakht Merymaat Sementawy Nebty name Werbiaytemipetsut[1] Golden Horus Unclear Consort(s) Baktwerel Father Merneptah Mother Takhat Died 1200 BC Burial KV10[2] Amenmesse (also Amenmesses) was the 5th ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty in...

Finally, and most importantly, it is well known that the chief foreman of Deir el-Medina--a certain Neferhotep--was killed in the reign of king Amenmesse on the orders of a certain 'Msy' who was either Amenmesse himself or one of this king's agents, according to Papyrus Salt 124.^[8] However, the chief workman Neferhotep is attested in office in the work register list of Ostraca MMA 14.6.217 which also recorded Seti II's accession to the throne and was later reused to register worker's absence from work under this king's reign.^[9] If Seti II's 6 year reign did succeed that of the usurper Amenmesse, then the chief foreman would not have been mentioned in a document which dated to the start of Seti II's reign since Neferhotep was already dead.^[10] This indicates that the reigns of Amenmesse and Seti II must have partly overlapped with one another and suggests that both rulers were rivals who were fighting for the throne of Egypt. During the second to fourth years of Amenmesse/Seti II's parallel reigns, Amenmesse gained the upper hand and seized control over Upper Egypt and Nubia; he ordered Seti II's tomb in the Valley of the Kings to be vandalised. Prior to his fifth year, however, Amenmesse was finally defeated by his rival, Seti II who was the legitimate successor to the throne since he was Merneptah's son. Seti II, in turn, launched a damnatio memoriae campaign against inscriptions and monuments belonging to both Amenmesse and this king's chief supporters in Thebes and Nubia which included a certain Khaemtor, a former Viceroy of Kush, who had served as Amenmesse's Vizier.

Reign

Seti II promoted Chancellor Bay to become his most important state official and built 3 tombs – KV13, KV14, and KV15 – for himself, his Senior Queen Twosret and Bay in the Valley of the Kings. This was an unprecedented act on his part for Bay, who was of Syrian descent and was not connected by marriage or blood ties to the royal family. Due to the relative brevity of his reign, Seti's tomb was unfinished at the time of his death. Twosret later rose to power herself after the death of Siptah, Seti II's successor. According to a graffito written in the first corridor of Twosret's KV14 tomb, Seti II was buried in his KV15 tomb on "Year 1, IV Peret day 11" of Siptah.^[11] Chancellor Bay on the door jamb of the Amada temple, Nubia, shown adoring the cartouch of Siptah Chancellor Bay was an important non-Egyptian official who rose to prominence and high office under Seti II Userkheperure Setepenre and later became an influential powerbroker in the closing stages of the 19th... Tomb KV13, located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt was used for the burial of the noble Bay of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Tomb KV14 is a joint tomb, used originally by Twosret and then reused and extended by Setnakhte. ... Tomb KV15, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Seti II of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... nomen or birth name Queen Twosret Sitre Meryamun was a Queen of Egypt and the last Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Location of the valley in the Theban Hills, West of the Nile, October 1988 (red arrow shows location) The Valley of the Kings (Arabic: وادي الملوك Wadi Biban el-Muluk; Gates of the King)[1] is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to... Akhenre-setepenre (late form) Nomen Siptah Merenptah[1] Horus name Kanakht Meryhapi Sankhtanebemkafraneb Nebty name Saaiunu Golden Horus Unclear Died 1187 BC Burial KV47, in the Valley of the Kings Akhenre Setepenre Siptah or Merneptah Siptah was the penultimate ruler of the 19th Dynasty and the son of an obscure... Tomb KV14 is a joint tomb, used originally by Twosret and then reused and extended by Setnakhte. ... Tomb KV15, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Seti II of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Akhenre-setepenre (late form) Nomen Siptah Merenptah[1] Horus name Kanakht Meryhapi Sankhtanebemkafraneb Nebty name Saaiunu Golden Horus Unclear Died 1187 BC Burial KV47, in the Valley of the Kings Akhenre Setepenre Siptah or Merneptah Siptah was the penultimate ruler of the 19th Dynasty and the son of an obscure...

Seti II's earliest prenomen in his First Year was 'Userkheperure Setepenre'^[12] which is written above an inscription of Messuwy, a Viceroy of Nubia under Merneptah, on a rock outcropping at Bigeh Island. However, Messuwy's burial in Tomb S90 in Nubia has been discovered to contain only funerary objects naming Merneptah which suggests that 1) Messuwy may have died during Merneptah's reign and 2) Seti II merely associated himself with an official who had actively served his father as Viceroy of Kush. Seti II soon changed his royal name to 'Userkheperure Meryamun', which was the most common form of his prenomen. A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ...

Two important papyri date from the reign of Seti II. The first of these is the Tale of Two Brothers, a fabulous story of troubles within a family on the death of their father, which may have been intended in part as political satire on the situation of the two half brothers. The second is the records of the trial of Paneb. Neferhotep, one of the two chief workmen of the Deir el Medina necropolis, had been replaced by Paneb, his troublesome son-in-law. Many crimes were alleged by Neferhotep's brother--Amennakhte--against Paneb in a violently worded indictment preserved in papyrus now in the British Museum. If Amennakhte's testimony can be trusted, Paneb had allegedly stolen stone from the tomb of Seti II while still working on its completion--for the embellishment of his own tomb--besides purloining or damaging other property belonging to that monarch. Paneb was also accused of trying to kill Neferhotep, his adopted father-in-law, despite being educated by the latter and after the muder of Neferhotep by 'the enemy,' Paneb had reportedly bribed the Vizier Pra'emhab in order to usurp his father's office. Whatever the truth of these accusations, it is clear that Thebes was going through very troubled times. There are references elsewhere to a 'war' that had occurred during these years, but it is obscure to what this word alludes, perhaps to no more than internal disturbances and discontent. Neferhotep had complained of Paneb's attacks on himself to the vizier Amenmose, presumably a predecessor of Pra'emhab, whereupon Amenmose had punished Paneb. This trouble-maker had then brought a complaint before 'Mose' (ie: 'Msy'), who then acted to remove Pra'emhab from his office. Evidently this 'Mose' must have been a person of the highest importance but it is unknown and was either king Amenmesse himself or a senior ally of the king. The Tale of Two Brothers - Anpu and Bata This story was written during the reign of Pharaoh Seti II (1209-1205 B.C.) of the nineteenth Egyptian dybasty, and may have been a political satire based in part on his own difficulties with his half brother, the usurper Amenmesse. ... Deir al-Madinah is the Arabic name of an Ancient Egyptian village that was home to the artisans who built the temples and tombs ordered by the pharaohs and other dignitaries during the New Kingdom period (18th to 20th dynasties). ... Menmire–setepenre Eternal like Re, Chosen by Re Nomen Amenmesse Born of Amun Horus name Kanakht Merymaat Sementawy Nebty name Werbiaytemipetsut[1] Golden Horus Unclear Consort(s) Baktwerel Father Merneptah Mother Takhat Died 1200 BC Burial KV10[2] Amenmesse (also Amenmesses) was the 5th ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty in...

Seti II also expanded the copper mining at Timna in Edom, building an important temple to Hathor the cow goddess in the region. Abandoned in the late Bronze Age collapse, where a part of the temple seems to have been used by Midianite nomads, linked to the worship of a bronze serpent discovered in the area^[13]. Seti II also founded a station for a barge on the courtyard in front of the pylon II at Karnak, and chapels of Theban triad – Amun, Mut and Chonsu. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Edom (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian  ; red) is a name given to Esau in the Hebrew Bible, as well as to the nation purportedly descended from him. ... For other uses, see Hathor (disambiguation). ... According to the Bible, Midian (מִדְיָן Strife; judgment, Standard Hebrew Midyan, Tiberian Hebrew Miḏyān) was a son of Abraham and his concubine Keturah (Genesis 25:1-6). ... Moses lifts up the brass snake, curing the Isrealites from Snake Bites. ... Map of Karnak, showing major temple complexes Interior of Temple First pylon of precinct of Amun viewed from the west Al-Karnak (Arabic الكرنك, in Ancient Egypt was named Ipet Sut, the most venerated place) is a small village in Egypt, located on the banks of the River Nile some 2. ... Amun (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imen, Greek Ἄμμων Ammon, and Ἅμμων Hammon, Egyptian Yamanu) was the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who gradually rose to become one of the most important deities in Ancient Egypt, before fading into obscurity. ... For other uses, see Mut (disambiguation). ... Chons In Egyptian mythology, Chons (alternately Chonsu, Khensu, Khons, Khonsu or Khonshu) is an ancient lunar deity, from before formal structure was given to a pantheon. ...

Wives

Seti II had three Queens in all: Twosret, Takhat and Tiaa, his third wife. Twosret is known to have survived him since she later served as Siptah's queen regent before succeding to the throne in her own right. Her name is recorded in Manetho's Epitome as a certain 'Thuoris' who is assigned a reign of 7 years. nomen or birth name Queen Twosret Sitre Meryamun was a Queen of Egypt and the last Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... The word Takhat literally means seat of power or throne of authority and refers to one of the five bodies of authority for the Sikhs. ... Tiaa was the third wife of Pharaoh Seti II, after Takhat II and Twosret. ... Akhenre-setepenre (late form) Nomen Siptah Merenptah[1] Horus name Kanakht Meryhapi Sankhtanebemkafraneb Nebty name Saaiunu Golden Horus Unclear Died 1187 BC Burial KV47, in the Valley of the Kings Akhenre Setepenre Siptah or Merneptah Siptah was the penultimate ruler of the 19th Dynasty and the son of an obscure...

References

1. ^ Peter Clayton, Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1994. p.158
2. ^ Seti II. Retrieved on 2007-03-17.
3. ^ Clayton, op. cit., p.158
4. ^ Aidan Dodson, The Decorative Phases of the Tomb of Sethos II and their Historical Implications, JEA 85 (1999), pp.136-38
5. ^ Dodson, op. cit., p.131
6. ^ Erik Hornung, Rolf Krauss & David Warburton (editors), Handbook of Ancient Egyptian Chronology (Handbook of Oriental Studies), Brill: 2006, p.213
7. ^ E.F. Wente & C.C. Van Siclen, A Chronology of the New Kingdom, Studies in Honor of George R. Hughes, January 12, 1977, SAOC 39, Chicago: Oriental Institute, p.252
8. ^ Jac Janssen, "Amenmesse and After: The chronology of the late Nineteenth Dynasty Ostraca" in 'Village Varia. Ten Studies on the History and Administration of Deir el-Medina,' (Egyptologische Utigaven 11), Leiden; 1997, pp.99-109
9. ^ Janssen, op. cit., p.104
10. ^ Janssen, op. cit., p.100
11. ^ Dodson, op. cit., p.139
12. ^ Frank Joseph Yurco, Was Amenmesse the Viceroy of Kush, Messuwy? JARCE 39 (1997), pp.49-56
13. ^ Magnusson, Magnus, "Archaeology of the Bible Lands" (BBC Books)