1330 BCE-1304 BCE: Horemheb (19th Dynasty, Part 1)

The Book of Gates (Part 2).From hours 6-12, Ra continues his journey. The great serpent Apep returns, bringing an army of his followers. The sun god deals with those who…

The Book of Gates (Part 1).In the dark of the night, Ra took a journey through the Duat (underworld). His voyage was fraught with danger, but he also made many…

The Death and Legacy of Horemheb.Horemheb prepares for his next journey. The King commissions (or repurposes) a Memorial/Mortuary Temple on the west bank of Waset (Luxor). Then, he faces his…

To Vile Carchemish.In Year 16, King Horemheb may have led a "campaign of victory" to the far north. An artefact identified in the 1970s, but lost for decades, testifies to…

Horemheb’s Favourite God.Throughout his life, Horemheb commissioned monuments and artifacts that honoured Djehuty (Thoth). As a courtier, then a King, Horemheb showed a certain favour towards this god. Why did…

Horemheb’s Great Decree.Sometime during his reign, King Horemheb proclaimed a new set of laws. Taking aim at corruption and abuses-of-power (allegedly happening throughout Egypt), the pharaoh went hard on corrective…

New Kingdom vs the WorldThis week we have an interview with an excellent scholar, Dr. Uroš Matić. Dr. Matić is a member of the Austrian Archaeological Institute, and takes a…

The Mother is Sweet, Born of RaIn the second half of Horemheb’s reign, Egypt’s Queen died in childbirth. Subsequently, pharaoh chose one of his servants, Paramessu (Ramesses) as a successor.…

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.In the Valley of the Kings, Horemheb commissioned a magnificent tomb. Artistically innovative, it has one foot in the past and one in the future. This tomb introduced…

Securing the halls.In the 8th year of Horemheb's reign, a royal official named Maya visited a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. He was there to inspect the burial…