The History of Egypt

Revisionist history in the age of pharaohs. King Horemheb (“Horus in Celebration”) came to power in unusual circumstances. To justify his rule, the new pharaoh set about “retelling” his origins. In a lengthy story, Horemheb cast himself as one chosen by the gods, and destined to rule…Episode details: Date: c. 1330 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Intro Music & Interludes: Luke Chaos. Intro Music & Interludes: Keith Zizza. Outro Music: Bettina Joy de Guzman. Read "The Reign of Horemheb," PhD Thesis by K.M. Bryson at Johns Hopkins University. Logo image: Horemheb and Horus, in the King's tomb (KV57). Booklet: No booklet for this episode, as it describes text only. Select Bibliography: N. Allon, Writing, Violence, and the Military: Images of Literacy in Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt (1550-1295 BCE) (2019). K. M. Bryson, ‘The Reign of Horemheb: History, Historiography, and the Dawn of the Ramesside Era’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2018). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, 2017). A. Gardiner, ‘The Coronation of King Ḥaremḥab’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 39 (1953), 13–31. G. T. Martin, Tutankhamun’s Regent: Scenes and Texts from the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb (2016). G. T. Martin, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn, 1 (1989). G. T. Martin, The Hidden Tombs of Memphis: New Discoveries from the Time of Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great (1991). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (1995). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Coronation of King Hor-em-heb. A few months after he took power, Egypt's new pharaoh Horemheb ("Horus in Celebration") celebrated his rule. It was a magnificent party... Episode details: Date: c.1330 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo: Horemheb's royal names, from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. MMA. Music interludes by Luke Chaos twitter.com/luke_chaos. Select Bibliography: K. M. Bryson, ‘The Reign of Horemheb: History, Historiography, and the Dawn of the Ramesside Era’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2018). Gardiner, ‘The Coronation of King Ḥaremḥab’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 39 (1953), 13–31. W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Other victims, and some clarifications. In this brief episode, I describe another individual who suffered desecration. Following Ay's death, members of his family/network fell from grace. Did they oppose, or fight, the new King Horemheb?Episode details: Date c.1330 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Luke Chaos. Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, ‘Crown Prince Djhutmose and the Royal Sons of the Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 76 (1990), 87–96. A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2017). M. El-Ghandour, ‘The Anthropoid Coffin of Senqed From Saqqara’, in B. G. Ockinga, A Tomb from the Reign of Tutankhamun at Akhmim, The Australian Centre for Egyptology Reports 10 (1997). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (2015). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). B. G. Ockinga, A Tomb from the Reign of Tutankhamun at Akhmim (1997). A. R. Schulman, ‘The Berlin “Trauerrelief” (No. 12411) and Some Officials of Tutʿankhamūn and Ay’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 4 (1965), 55–68. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inheritance and vengeance. King Ay had his own plans for the succession. He promoted his relative, Nakht-Min, to great power and prominence. But when Ay died, Nakhtmin found himself at odds with Egypt's mighty general, Horemheb. What would happen, to the feuding leaders?Episode details: Date: c.1330 BCE (approximate). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music: Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music interludes: Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, ‘Crown Prince Djhutmose and the Royal Sons of the Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 76 (1990), 87–96. A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). N. Kawai, ‘Ay versus Horemheb: The Political Situation in the Late Eighteenth Dynasty Revisited’, Leiden, The Netherlands Journal of Egyptian History 3 (2010), 261–92. N. Kawai, ‘The Time of Tutankhamun: What New Evidence Reveals’, Scribe: The Magazine of the American Research Center in Egypt Spring 2022 (2022), 44–53. A. R. Schulman, ‘Excursus on the “Military Officer” Nakhtmin’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 3 (1964), 124–6. A. R. Schulman, ‘Some Observations on the Military Background of the Amarna Period’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 3 (1964), 51–69. A. R. Schulman, ‘The Berlin “Trauerrelief” (No. 12411) and Some Officials of Tutʿankhamūn and Ay’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 4 (1965), 55–68. J. Van Dijk, ‘Horemheb and the Struggle for the Throne of Tutankhamen’, Bulletin of the Australian Centre for Egyptology 7 (1996), 29—42. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out Casting Through Ancient Greece, a chronological deep dive on the world of the Aegean. From the earliest ages, through epic tales and archaeological discovery, Casting Greece takes you on a wonderful journey. Enjoy this teaser trailer, from a recent episode. And learn more at https://castingthroughancientgreece.com/ and https://twitter.com/CastingGreece Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Ay suffered badly in the afterlife. His funeral, in 1331 BCE, was poor; and a few decades/centuries later, vandals broke into his tomb. They ransacked the monument, attacked the King's images, and erased his names. The attack was brutal but methodical. Why did this happen?Episode Details Date c.1331 BCE and a few decades / centuries later. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo image: Erasures on the wrists of Nut, Lady of the Sky, as she offers nyny (welcome) to King Ay. Photo by Dominic Perry, 2022. Photos: See photos of the tomb of Ay (KV23) by Dominic Perry, available on Google Drive. Music: “The Mummy’s Tomb,” by Tabletop Audio. Used with permission. Music: Sistrum sound effect by Hathor Systrum www.hathorsystrum.com. Used with permission. Music: Interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos.  Select Bibliography: B. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (Warminster, 1995). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). AUC Press. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). PYGMALION Press. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). O. Schaden, ‘The God’s Father Ay’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Minnesota (1977). O. J. Schaden, ‘Clearance of the Tomb of King Ay (WV-23)’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 21 (1984), 39–64. JSTOR online. R. H. Wilkinson, ‘Controlled Damage: The Mechanics and Micro-History of the Damnatio Memoriae Carried Out in KV-23, the Tomb of Ay’, Journal of Egyptian History 4 (2011), 129–47. BRILL online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Ay Died. The elderly pharaoh, Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, probably died in his fourth or fifth year of power (c. 1331 / 1330 BCE). Officially, his reign was short. But in the big picture, Ay's influence lasted decades. As a courtier, under Akhenaten and Tutankhamun, Ay participated in government and royal affairs for many years. This means we have abundant records for the man and his career, and Ay contributed to Egyptian history in some noteworthy ways. In this episode, we explore the final years of Ay's reign, and consider his legacy as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt...Episode details: Date: c.1331 / 1330 BCE. Kings: Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, “Doer of Ma’at” and “True Ruler.” Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo image: The sarcophagus of Ay, artist’s reconstruction. Prisse D'Avennes, 1878. See photos of Ay’s tomb (WV23) by Kairoinfo4u on Flickr.com. See Ay’s tomb (WV23) by Curtis Ryan Woodside on YouTube. Music: “Memories of Thebes,” by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Used with permission. Music: “Funeral,” by Bettina Joy de Guzman http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Used with permission. Additional music interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Select Bibliography: The royal tomb of Ay (KV23 / WV23): The tomb of Ay (KV23) at Theban Mapping Project. Schematic and plans (TMP). The tomb of Ay (KV23) at Orisis.net. Translation of texts by E. Ramm, 2016. See a 3D reconstruction at Orisis.net. A tour of Ay’s tomb (KV23) by Curtis Ryan Woodside, on YouTube. Photos of Ay’s tomb on Flickr.com. Photos of Ay’s tomb on joomeo.com. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (Warminster, 1995). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Wilson, 2013). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). P. E. Newberry, ‘King Ay, the Successor of Tut’ankhamūn’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 18 (1932), 50–2. O. Schaden, ‘The God’s Father Ay’, PhD. Thesis, University of Minnesota (1977). O. J. Schaden, ‘Clearance of the Tomb of King Ay (WV-23)’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 21 (1984), 39–64. R. H. Wilkinson, ‘Controlled Damage: The Mechanics and Micro-History of the Damnatio Memoriae Carried Out in KV-23, the Tomb of Ay’, Journal of Egyptian History 4 (2011), 129–47. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharaoh's Nephew. A small statue, in the Brooklyn museum, tells a tale. Of a King's nephew (by marriage), and the paths to lucrative work and influence in Egyptian society. A young man, also named Ay, worked as a priest for Mut (the Mother Goddess) and Amun (the Hidden One). Along the way, this young man probably gained wealth and position. His tale gives us an opportunity to explore the "system" by which prominent families jostled for position, and promoted their sons...Episode details: Date: c.1331 BCE. King: Kheper-kheperu-Ra, the God's Father Ay. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo image: The statue of Ay, priest, in the Brooklyn Museum. Music: "Splendors of Egypt," by Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com  Additional music interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos and Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Select Bibliography: B. V. Bothmer, ‘Private Sculpture of Dynasty XVIII in Brooklyn’, The Brooklyn Museum Annual 8 (1966), 55–89. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). Block Statue of Ay, ca. 1332-1322 B.C.E. Limestone, 18 9/16 x 10 x 12 1/4in. (47.1 x 25.4 x 31.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 66.174.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 66.174.1_view1_SL1.jpg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building Legacies. It is easy to overlook Ay, as a minor figure in the history of ancient Egypt. However, when we step back, and view his entire career (including pre-royal achievements), we can see things more clearly. As pharaoh, Ay continued many projects started under Tutankhamun. But since Ay had been a major advisor / courtier for that king, we can recognise these projects as part of a larger, longer trend. After the death of Akhenaten, the royal household radically reshaped many of its priorities. Since he first appeared on the scene, Ay was at the heart of those decisions…Episode details: Date: c.1331 BCE. Kings: Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, “Who Repels the ‘Asiatics.’” Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Episode logo: A colossal statue in Cairo Museum. Often attributed to Tutankhamun but excavated from the Memorial Temple of Ay. Music: “Lament of Isis and Nephythys on the Death of Osiris,” by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com. Additional music interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Select Bibliography: King Ay at the St Louis University website. Colossal statue of Ay (Tutankhamun?) in Berlin. Colossal statue of Ay (Tutankhamun?) in Chicago. B. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (Warminster, 1995). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). U. Hölscher, The Excavation of Medinet Habu II: The Temples of the Eighteenth Dynasty (Chicago, 1939). Free download available from The University of Chicago website. R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Wilson, 2013). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). O. Schaden, ‘The God’s Father Ay’, PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota (1977). O. J. Schaden, ‘Clearance of the Tomb of King Ay (WV-23)’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 21 (1984), 39–64. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Horemheb and Hatti. In the days of King Ay (and Tutankhamun before him) conflicts in Canaan and Syria remained a constant issue. In recent years, scholars have uncovered more information about these events and people. Horemheb, the Overseer of the Overseers of the Troops (aka the General of Generals) seems to have dealt, and fought, with Hittite forces. The records are fragmentary, but the clues are intriguing...Episode details: Date: c.1334 BCE (debated). Kings: Tutankhamun and Ay (debated). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Episode logo: Foreigners praising the cartouche of Ay, from a piece of gold foil discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Image edited for clarity. Music: Ancient rendition of "The Eve of the War," adapted by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Music: "War Song of Horus and Sekhmet," by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com. Additional music interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Select Bibliography: T. Bryce, The Kingdom of the Hittites (New Edition edn, New York, 2005). T. Bryce, The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the Fall of the Persian Empire (London, 2009). T. R. Bryce, ‘The Death of Niphururiya and Its Aftermath’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 76 (1990), 97–105. K. M. Bryson, ‘The Reign of Horemheb: History, Historiography, and the Dawn of the Ramesside Era’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2018). H. Güterbock, ‘The Deeds of Suppiluliuma as Told by His Son, Mursili II’, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 10 (1956), 41–68, 75–98, 107–30. G. T. Martin, Tutankhamun’s Regent: Scenes and Texts from the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb (EES Excavation Memoir 111; London, 2016). G. T. Martin, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn, 1 (London, 1989). G. T. Martin, The Hidden Tombs of Memphis: New Discoveries From the Time of Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great (London, 1991). J. L. Miller, ‘Amarna Age Chronology and the Identity of Nibxururiya in the Light of a Newly Reconstructed Hittite Text’, Altorientalische Forschungen 34 (2007), 252–93. J. L. Miller, ‘The Rebellion of Ḫatti’s Syrian Vassals and Egypt’s Meddling In Amurru’, Studi micenei ed egeo-anatolici (2008), 533—554. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). Z. Simon, ‘Kann Armā mit Haremhab gleichgesetzt werden?’, Altorientalische Forschungen 36 (2009), 340—348. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices