122: Letters from Akhet-Aten

Egyptian-Hittite Diplomacy. In the aftermath of the Treaty, Ramesses II and Hattusili III got down to business establishing their brotherhood. From prospective summits in Canaan, to fabulous gift-exch...

5 Dec 202534min

In November of 2026, I’d like to take you on a tour I’m calling “Roaming with Ramesses.” Themed around the 19th Dynasty, and the days of the Ramessid pharaohs, we’ll explore multiple sites across nort...

28 Nov 202514min

The ultimate pharaoh makes the ultimate agreement. In this interview, Prof. Peter Brand offers us his insights on the cultures of Egypt and Hatti around the time of the Year 21 Treaty. From the backgr...

21 Nov 202552min

The Egyptian-Hittite Treaty. In regnal year 21 (c.1272 BCE), Ramesses II announced a treaty with Hattusili III. The two kings united in "peace and brotherhood, forever," and agreed to a raft of provis...

14 Nov 202536min

The later wars of Ramesses II (Years 8 to 15). Following Kadesh, Ramesses led or despatched further campaigns into Canaan and Syria. These battles are documented on his temple walls, preserving some d...

7 Nov 202526min

Moves and counter-moves. In the aftermath of Kadesh, Muwattalli (King of Hatti) seems to consoldiated hold over Syria. Border territories like Amurru fell to Hittite influence. At home, Ramesses spent...

31 Okt 202524min

Holy mountain. Around 1286 BCE, builders started work at Abu Simbel. Sacred to a local form of Horus, this sandstone mountain would become one of the most famous monuments in the Nile Valley. It was c...

17 Okt 202545min

Daily Life in Ramessid Egypt (Part 1). Starting around 1300 BCE, the (surviving) corpus of written documents from Egypt begins to increase dramatically. It's not clear why, but papyrus and ostraca are...

10 Okt 202529min