228: Three Funerals and a Sed Festival
Loss and rejuvenation. Ramesses II's third decade in power was a time of death. The King's Great Wife Nefertari passed around year 25. Almost simultaneously, his mother Tuya, his second…
227: The One Where Iset Poisons Ra
Story: Iset and the Secret Name of Ra. Once upon a time, Ra ruled the earth directly. But the great goddess Iset/Isis desired to know his private name, the one…
226: Nefertari’s Tomb & Book of the Dead
The tomb of Queen Nefertari is one of the masterpieces of New Kingdom funerary monuments. The tomb is stunningly preserved, with an array of exquisite images, evocative texts (from the…
225: Nefertari Beloved-of-Mut
Around 1300 BCE, King Sety I selected a group of "beauties" for his son, to marry and produce children. One of these was Nefertari (Nefret-Iry, "She Has Become Beautiful"). A…
Abu Simbel: Temple of Nefertari and Ramesses’ Nubian Empire
Sections from a Livestream in November 2025, about the Small Temple of Nefertari (dedicated to Nefertari and Hat-Hor of Ibshek) and the larger political-religious context of these monuments. Part 1:…
224: Ozymandias (or, Shadow of the Colossus)
Divine intermediaries. Ramesses II commissioned many statues, some of which are among the largest ever quarried. From the halls of the Grand Egyptian Museum, to the bedrock of Aswan, we…
223: Ramesses and Hattusili Best Friends Forever
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-exchanges by Nefertari…
War & Peace with Prof. Peter Brand
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…
222: Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
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…
221: Raiders of Syria
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,…
