Points of View: Ramesses II and the Battle of Kadesh (original) (raw)
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Literature and Politics in the Time of Ramesses II : the Kadesh Inscriptions
1999
GYPTOLOGISTS regard the Kadesh inscriptions mainly as a source shedding light on the history of Egypt -Hittite relations and on the military history of the countries of the ancient East. An exhaustive analysis of the Kadesh inscriptions, however, shows that the latter are also an exceptionally important document on the history and the domestic policy of Ramesses II and on the Egyptian ideology at the beginning of Dynasty XIX. Though they do offer an account of a single historical event (the Kadesh battle which was fought in year five in the reign of Ramesses II), from the point of view of the political ideas underlying them, the inscriptions are by no means homogeneous.
Notes on the Marginal Inscriptions of Ramesses II
Bulletin de la Société d'Égyptologie Genève, 2018
The bandeaux and marginal texts of Ramesses II are often dismissed as stereotypical or meaningless, as they usually consist of repetitions of the king's titularies. Some scholar, however, have postulated that these inscriptions may have fulfilled certain purposes relating to pharaonic ideology. This article demonstrates how a certain category of the marginal textsspecifically those inscribed on Ramesses' own monumentsmay have been intended for the practical function of deterring usurpations. This practice was augmented by the use of large-sized and repetitive texts, which minimised the linguistic expertise required. Other innovations during Ramesses' reign, such as the widespread use of sunken relief, could also have contributed to this objective.
Rameses II and the Battle of Kadesh: A Miraculous Victory?
When presented with the famous scenes and texts of the battle of Kadesh, the questions most frequently asked are 'Why would the Egyptian people swallow a story so obviously fantastic?' and 'How could Rameses expect to get away with so obvious a lie?' An answer to these questions is presented in this paper.
This paper analyses the Kadesh Inscriptions of Ramesses II (ca. 1279-1213 BC) through the sociolinguistic concept “Linguistic Landscapes”. The inscriptions contain an account of the battle of Kadesh (located in modern-day Syria), which, despite the negative long-term consequences it had for the Egyptians, was used as the inspiration for the decoration of five temples. Previous studies have focused little on their purpose, and often interpreted them as being either propagandistic or apotropaic (i.e. meant to ward of evil). This study uses the location of the texts within the temple to reinterpret their possible function. It shows that the inscriptions were placed in different locations within the temples, including on the inside. This influences the potential audience for the texts, since only a limited amount of individuals were allowed within the temple. The spatial distribution brings about a new interpretation of the function of the Kadesh inscriptions: the worshipped god was thought of as being present in the temple, and would have been able to read the text. This leads to the hypothesis that the texts served as a reaffirmation of the bond between the pharaoh and the gods, who worked together to maintain order in Egypt.
2016
While building on previous works by such scholars as Heinz and Spalinger, the article presents a new methodology specifically devised for the analysis of Egyptian war reliefs. The article contends that many historical reconstructions regarding the " Sea-Peoples " have ignored the basic principles of ancient Egyptian iconic art and preferred intuitive interpretations of the reliefs. This has led to historical misconceptions about the battles and aggressors. The new analysis provides a holistic reading of the reliefs within their context and is thereby able to present new insights as to the location of the battles and the nature of the " Sea-Peoples " .
On the Moabite Inscriptions of Ramesses II at Luxor Temple
THE scenes and texts on the northern portion of the east exterior wall of the Ramesses II court at Luxor Temple were first published in detail by K. A. Kitchen in 1964.1 At the corner where the north end of the wall joins the eastern tower of the pylon (Kitchen's section A), the lower courses were covered by debris at the time of his work. The Egyptian authorities have since excavated this area, and the complete text of the two lines of Kitchen's subsection A IV is now visible. In addition, a further inscription was revealed above a row of Asiatic prisoners. Manfred Girg is the first to have commented on this new text, which was, of course, unknown to Kitchen. Following the latter's system, G6rg designated the seven lines of the recently exposed text as A 5 (here A V).
Ramesses III and the Northern Levant: A Reassessment of the Sources
Abstract The royal sources (royal inscriptions, reliefs, topographical lists) of Ramesses III, even though using many literary clichés, the stereotypic depictions of the defeat and subjugation of Egypt's enemies: Kush, Amurru, Libya and against the Peoples of the Sea, as well as royal economic missions mentioned in Papyrus Harris I to Punt (77:8-78:1), Sinai (78:6-8), as well as a minor war against the Shasu of Se‘ir, ( Papyrus Harris I 76:10-11), an expedition to the Timna copper mines in the ‘Arabah (78:1-5), and Arabia, seem to be corroborated by archaeological finds, or at least are feasible to imagine. It is the purpose of this paper to consider the historicity of Ramesses III's claims regarding his military victories against the Northern Levant, i.e. against the Asiatics, Hittites, and even Trans-Euphratene polities (Naharina). It is claimed that the sources of Ramesses III, are not mere unhistorical copies (even though some are clearly based on artistic plagiates from earlier rulers), but depict actual events. If these descriptions can be regarded as authentic, they may shed additional light on Ramesses III achievements in the Northern Levant during his second decade of reign.
(2012) The Development of Ancient Egyptian Royal Inscriptions
JEA: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 98, pp. 269-283, 2012
This article examines the development of Ancient Egyptian royal inscriptions from the Old Kingdom up to the Eighteenth Dynasty. It traces the evolution from royal labels, annals, and decrees of the Old Kingdom to the appearance of royal novels (Königsnovellen) in the Middle Kingdom. The turning point lies in the First Intermediate Period, when various elements of the nomarchal biographical inscriptions began to occur in royal inscriptions. Royal inscriptions are classified according to text type, and their functions discussed.