The History of Egypt

The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women…Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian. Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile. The Pyramid Texts publications: J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org. J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers. R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We leave the Duat and enter the horizon. On the walls of the antechamber, Unas’ Pyramid Texts describe the king’s entry to the sky. The ruler establishes and affirms his power. And, in a famous passage, Unas engages in some ritual cannibalism…Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian. Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the Pyramid Texts of King Unas and their protections against serpents. Learn about offerings to sustain the King's soul and nourish the gods. Delve into ancient Egyptian beliefs surrounding serpents and magical incantations for safeguarding the journey to the afterlife. Discover the intricate offering rituals and divine magic activation in the Pyramid Texts. Witness the invocation of deities like Horus, Seth, and Thoth for purification and renewal of King Unas, with offerings like cakes, bread, beer, and the eye of Horus. Experience the transition of duties to the gods in the East Gable texts and the divine blessings bestowed upon Unas as he embarks on his celestial journey.

Explore the ancient significance of Pyramid Texts in King Unas' tomb, his transition to a divine entity, the journey to imperishable stars, and the intricate relationships among Egyptian gods. Dive into rituals, transformation into a divine being, and the symbolic representation of body parts for immortality in this intriguing episode.

The Pyramid Texts appear. Around 2410 BCE, a new trend began in royal pyramid building. King Unas initiated something unusual when he introduced hieroglyph texts to the burial chamber of his pyramid. These "Pyramid Texts" are a vast and fascinating body of work. In this episode, we dip our toes into this material, and even see evidence for divine cannibalism... The Cannibal Hymn: Spoken reconstruction by Orlando Mezzabotta on YouTube. The Pyramid Texts of Unas in English translation and hieroglyph transcription via Pyramid Texts Online. Date c.2410 - 2380 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Select Bibliography: Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, 1973 (2006 paperback edition). Nigel Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age, 2005 (Google Books). Vincent Brown – Pyramid Texts Online. Gaston Maspero, The History of Egypt (Gutenberg.org). Ancient Egypt Online – Unas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interview recorded 2021. Dr. Martin Odler is a researcher at the Czech Institute of Egyptology, at Charles University in Prague. He studies the tools and objects that Egyptians used to build their famous monuments. Martin has worked on many excavations, and his research has added greatly to our knowledge of technology. He sat down with me to discuss this work, and the insights we can gain from ancient tools and metals. Learn more about Dr. Odler on Academia.edu, on Twitter, and buy his book Old Kingdom Copper Tools and Model Tools (2016) available from Archaeopress and all good booksellers. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dynasty 6 and new ideas. Around 2440 BCE, a new king came to power. King Djed-ka-Re ("The Spirit of Re Endures") was an effective ruler, who reformed the government and left a rich artistic and written record... Date c. 2440 - 2410 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Logo: the caroutche of Djed-ka-Re, by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0. Select Bibliography: Nigel Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age, 2005 (Google Books). Mark Lehner, The Complete Pyramids, 2008. Ancient Egypt Online – Djedkare Izezi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Uphill Battle. The reign of King Ny-user-Re was not a bed of lotuses. After a rocky start, the young ruler worked to make his household and kingdom prosperous. We see this trend in a flowering of artistic and written culture... Date c.2445 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Logo image: The pyramid of Niuserre, by Neithsabes CC-BY 3.0 via Wikimedia. Select Bibliography: Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, 2002. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, 1973 (2006 paperback edition). Harold M. Hays, “The Death of the Democratization of the Afterlife” in Old Kingdom, New Perspectives, 2011 (Free Download). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I Got You, Fam. After a series of short reigns, King Ny-User-Re came to power and brought some much-needed stability. In his long reign, Niuserre strengthened the power of his government and household. Many records survive from this period, like fascinating tales of the King's hairdressers Nyankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. These two men might be the earliest recorded homosexual couple in ancient Egyptian history...Ny-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep:Photos of the tomb by Chris Irie and Kairoinfo4u.Episode details: Date c.2455 - 2440 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Select Bibliography: Linda Evans and Alexandra Woods, “Further Evidence that Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were Twins,” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology (2016). Greg Reeder, ‘Queer Egyptologies of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep‘ (2008). Vera Vasiljevic, ‘Embracing his double: Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 37 (2008). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick Successions. After the death of Sahure, multiple kings came and went in a short span of time. In this episode, we follow the reigns of Nefer-ir-ka-Re ("Making the Soul of Re Beautiful") and Ra-nefer-ef. This period is murky, but we will get through it. Oh, and another powerful queen shows up to manage affairs... Date c.2570 - 2555 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Select Bibliography: Miroslav Verner, Abusir III: the Pyramid Complex of Khentkaus, 2001. Paule Posener-Kriéger, Les Archives du Temple Funéraire de Neferirkare Kakai – Les Papyrous d’Abousir, 1976. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices