86: Doing God's Work

Ramesses II defends his borders. In the early years of his reign, Ramesses focussed on home defence. His army established new forts at remote locations along the western Delta and Mediterranean Coast ...

6 Juni 202530min

Fellow podcaster Scott Chesworth, from The Ancient World has a new season. I’m excited to introduce “The Ancient World – Ages”, a series covering the Early Bronze Age Collapse (c. 2200 BC) and the rem...

3 Juni 202552min

Ramesses goes back to school. Luxor Temple is a magnificent monument, in a city full of them. The sanctuary you visit today is, in large part, the work of Ramesses' early reign. New pylons, colossal s...

30 Maj 202529min

Delta raiders. Decades before their famous migrations, the "Sea Peoples" were already active and visible in the eastern Mediterranean; and Ramesses II had his own dealings with these groups. In year 2...

16 Maj 202524min

The new royal tomb, and how two 18th Dynasty rulers defined the "New Kingdom" as we know it. Prof. Aidan Dodson is a dedicated and prolific scholar, whose research covers many facets of ancient Egypti...

9 Maj 20251h 30min

A death at Karnak, and a lion amongst men. In regnal year 1 (c.1292 BCE), Ramesses II was at Abdju / Abydos. While there, he appointed a new First Priest of Amun (Hem Netjer Tepy en Imen). He chose hi...

2 Maj 202529min

Ramesses had a lot to plan for, in his first year of rule (c.1292 BCE). Staying in Waset / Luxor, the new pharaoh began building work on his tomb (KV7) and his memorial temple (The Ramesseum). Archaeo...

25 Apr 202543min

In the annals of Egyptian history there is no one quite like Ramesses II. He is arguably the most famous, or infamous, of Egypt’s pharaohs. His reign would be long (67 years!) and his influence would ...

18 Apr 202547min