In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the aftermath of the Battle of Kadesh and the world's first recorded peace treaty, signed between Ramses II and Hittite king Hattusili III. They discuss the diplomatic negotiations, the silver tablet treaty, the marriage alliance with Maathorneferure, and how this agreement shaped the ancient Near East for decades. Lucas explains the terms of the treaty, including extradition clauses and mutual defense, and reflects on its legacy as a model for modern diplomacy. Luna asks about the role of the Hittite queen Puduhepa and the discovery of the treaty's cuneiform version at Hattusa. The episode ends with a question about what the treaty tells us about Ramses as a ruler.

#RamsesII #Hittites #Kadesh #PeaceTreaty #HattusiliIII #Puduhepa #Maathorneferure #Diplomacy #AncientEgypt #Hattusa #BronzeAge #Cuneiform #SilverTablet #NewKingdom #InternationalRelations #History #FexingoHistory #Treaty #RamsesTheGreat #Pharaoh

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Great Dedicatory Inscription at Abu Simbel—a monumental text that records Ramses II's consecration of the temple in Year 24 of his reign. This inscription is not just a religious document; it is a sophisticated piece of political theology that intertwines the pharaoh's authority, the gods' favor, and the kingdom's prosperity. Lucas explains how the inscription describes Ramses as 'beloved of Amun-Ra' and details the extensive offerings, including gold, silver, and precious oils, made to the gods. They discuss the historical context: the recent peace with the Hittites after the Battle of Kadesh (mentioned on the nearby Kadesh inscriptions) and the need to consolidate power at home. The episode delves into the specifics of the temple's dedication: the alignment of the sanctuary with the sun on February 22 and October 22, Ramses' birthday and coronation, and the 21-year reign statue at the rear. Luna asks about the priesthood's role, leading to a discussion of how the temple's endowment supported thousands of priests and laborers, creating an economic engine. The conversation touches on the relationship between state and religion, and how Ramses used the inscription to project an image of divine election and just rule. The episode concludes by reflecting on how such inscriptions serve as both historical records and propaganda, shaping our understanding of Ramses' reign thousands of years later.

#RamsesII #AbuSimbel #GreatDedicatoryInscription #AmunRa #Kadesh #Hittites #Nefertari #Ptah #RaHorakhty #AncientEgypt #Hieroglyphs #TempleDedication #DivineKingship #EgyptianReligion #NewKingdom #Pharaoh #History #FexingoHistory #RamsesTheGreat #19thDynasty

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Ramesseum, Ramses II's magnificent mortuary temple on the west bank of Thebes. They discuss its colossal architecture, including the fallen statue of Ramses that inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem 'Ozymandias,' the intricate reliefs depicting the Battle of Kadesh and the Festival of Opet, and the temple's role as a center for the cult of the deified king. They delve into the temple's construction under the supervision of the vizier Paser, its lavish decorations, and its economic functions as a redistribution hub for offerings. The conversation also touches on the temple's decline, its use as a quarry in later periods, and the modern efforts to preserve its remains. Along the way, they cover the hieroglyphic inscriptions, the significance of the 'Mansion of Millions of Years' concept, and the enduring legacy of Ramses's architectural ambition.

#Ramesseum #RamsesII #MortuaryTemple #Ozymandias #PercyByssheShelley #BattleOfKadesh #FestivalOfOpet #VizierPaser #Thebes #WestBank #Hieroglyphs #NewKingdom #Egyptology #AncientArchitecture #ColossalStatues #DeifiedPharaoh #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt

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Imagine feeding a city of 300,000 people in the heart of the Nile Delta, three thousand years ago. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the logistics of food and feasting during the reign of Ramses the Great. They walk through the granaries of Per-Ramesses, where boatloads of grain from Egypt's breadbasket were stored. They discuss the massive brewing industry—beer was a dietary staple, not just a luxury—and the state-run bakeries that churned out thousands of loaves daily. Lucas reveals the menu of a royal feast: roasted oxen, goose, fish from the Nile, fresh vegetables, and sweet treats like dates and honey cakes, all washed down with wine from the Delta's vineyards. They also touch on the religious dimension: the offerings at the temple of Amun, which could feed thousands of priests and workers. Finally, they consider the darker side—famine years and the state's careful management of surplus to avoid revolt. This episode paints a vivid picture of everyday sustenance in the world's first great metropolis.

#PerRamesses #AncientEgyptianFood #RamsesTheGreat #Feasts #Brewing #Granaries #NileDelta #Bread #Beer #Wine #TempleEconomy #Famine #AncientLogistics #History #FexingoHistory #Egyptology #NewKingdom #FoodHistory #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the sacred Apis bull cult during the reign of Ramses the Great. They discuss how the bull was chosen, venerated at Memphis, and mummified in the Serapeum. Khaemwaset, Ramses's son and high priest of Ptah, oversaw the burial of Apis bulls in massive stone sarcophagi. The episode delves into the bulls' role in reaffirming royal power, the elaborate funeral rituals, and their connection to the god Ptah and the afterlife. It also touches on the spread of the cult into the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.

#ApisBull #Serapeum #Memphis #Ptah #Khaemwaset #RamsesII #AncientEgypt #NewKingdom #AnimalCults #Mummification #Saqqara #SacredAnimals #EgyptianReligion #PharaonicRituals #Maat #Afterlife #History #FexingoHistory #RamsesTheGreat #Pharaoh

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In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna delve into the economic and religious world of Ramses III, the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom, through the lens of the Great Harris Papyrus. This remarkable document, over 40 meters long, details the massive donations Ramses III made to the temples of Egypt—especially to the god Amun at Karnak. Lucas explains how this papyrus, discovered in a tomb near Medinet Habu, reveals the staggering wealth of the priesthood and the temple economy that rivaled the pharaoh's own treasury. They discuss how Ramses III, after repelling the Sea Peoples, used temple endowments to secure divine favor and political stability. The conversation explores the implications of this economic shift: the temples became landowners, employers, and bankers, controlling vast estates, herds, and workshops. Luna asks about the role of the god's wife and the power of the Amun priesthood, which would eventually eclipse the pharaoh. They also touch on the papyrus's mention of foreign tribute and trade with Punt. This episode offers a fresh perspective on how religious institutions reshaped the Egyptian economy and set the stage for the decline of the New Kingdom.

#GreatHarrisPapyrus #RamsesIII #Amun #Karnak #MedinetHabu #NewKingdom #TempleEconomy #SeaPeoples #Punt #GodsWifeOfAmun #Priesthood #AncientEgypt #EgyptianEconomy #Pharaoh #Papyrus #Thebes #Egyptology #FexingoHistory #RamsesTheGreat #19thDynasty

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This episode explores the world of royal scribes under Ramses the Great—the literate elite who ran the empire's bureaucracy, recorded its history, and shaped its legacy. Lucas and Luna dive into the training of scribes at the Per-Ankh (House of Life), the tools they used (papyrus, reed pens, palettes), and their critical role in everything from tax collection to temple administration. They discuss famous scribes like Amenemope, author of wisdom literature, and the satirical 'Satire of the Trades' that urged boys to become scribes rather than soldiers or farmers. The episode also covers the use of hieratic script for daily record-keeping, the massive bureaucracy of Per-Ramesses, and how scribes preserved Ramses's achievements for posterity. A fresh angle on the infrastructure of power in the New Kingdom.

#RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt #Scribes #Hieratic #PerAnkh #Amenemope #SatireOfTheTrades #EgyptianBureaucracy #NewKingdom #Papyrus #LucasAndLuna #FexingoHistory #Egyptology #Literacy #PerRamesses #WisdomLiterature #History #Pharaoh #19thDynasty #BattleOfKadesh

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the enormous power of the priesthood of Amun at Thebes during the reign of Ramses II. They discuss how the cult of Amun, based at the Karnak temple complex, rivaled the pharaoh's own authority through its control of land, gold from Nubia, and tribute from conquered territories. Lucas explains the role of the High Priest of Amun—often a royal appointee but sometimes a hereditary position—and how figures like Nebwenenef, whom Ramses appointed, managed this delicate balance. The conversation touches on the Festival of Opet, where Amun's statue traveled from Karnak to Luxor, reinforcing the god's central role in kingship. They also consider the controversy around the Amun priesthood's wealth and its potential threat to pharaonic power, a tension that would explode in later centuries—though under Ramses, the system held. Listeners learn about the political and religious machinery that sustained Egypt's empire and how the priests of Amun were both servants and silent partners of the throne.

#Amun #HighPriestOfAmun #Karnak #Thebes #Nebwenenef #FestivalOfOpet #Luxor #AncientEgypt #RamsesII #Priesthood #NewKingdom #EgyptianReligion #Nubia #Gold #Kingship #Maat #History #FexingoHistory #RamsesTheGreat #Pharaoh

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly advanced world of medicine during the reign of Ramses II. They discuss the Edwin Smith Papyrus, a surgical text from around 1600 BCE that describes 48 cases of trauma with remarkable anatomical accuracy, and the Ebers Papyrus, a vast compendium of herbal remedies and incantations. Lucas explains how Egyptian physicians—known as sunu—specialized in fields like ophthalmology, dentistry, and even veterinary medicine, with the Per-Ankh (House of Life) serving as a center of learning. He shares the story of a royal physician named Hesy-Ra from the Third Dynasty, who was also an early dentist, and the case of a trepanation performed on a commoner, whose healed skull shows the patient survived. The conversation touches on the role of magic alongside empirical treatments, the use of honey as an antibiotic, and the ethical codes hinted at in papyri. Luna asks about the famous case of Ramses II's own health, and Lucas describes the evidence from his mummy: arthritis, dental abscesses, and the likely cause of death. They end by reflecting on how Egyptian medicine influenced Greek and later Islamic traditions, and what we can learn from their holistic approach to healing.

#EdwinSmithPapyrus #EbersPapyrus #AncientEgyptianMedicine #RamsesII #Sunu #PerAnkh #EgyptianPhysicians #Trepanation #HesyRa #Ophthalmology #Dentistry #HoneyAntibiotic #MummyStudies #HistoryOfMedicine #NewKingdom #Egyptology #History #FexingoHistory #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Merneptah, the thirteenth son of Ramses II who unexpectedly became pharaoh after decades in the shadows. They delve into his military campaigns against the Libyans and the Sea Peoples, recorded on the Merneptah Stele and the Karnak reliefs. Lucas explains how Merneptah's famous stele contains the earliest known mention of 'Israel' in ancient history, sparking debates about the Exodus narrative. The conversation also covers his building projects at Memphis and Thebes, his tomb KV8 in the Valley of the Kings, and the challenges he faced maintaining Ramses's empire amid drought and invasions. Luna asks about Merneptah's relationship with his father, the mystery of his mummy's separate heart, and his controversial legacy as a pharaoh who fought to preserve what Ramses built. Tune in for a nuanced look at a ruler often overshadowed by his legendary father.

#Merneptah #RamsesII #Pharaoh #AncientEgypt #MerneptahStele #SeaPeoples #LibyanCampaign #Israel #Exodus #Karnak #ValleyOfTheKings #KV8 #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #EgyptianHistory #FexingoHistory #History #NorthAfrica #RamsesTheGreat #BattleOfKadesh

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