Ramses the Great's Prince Khaemwaset: Scholar, Magician, Archaeologist

Ramses the Great's Prince Khaemwaset: Scholar, Magician, Archaeologist

By the time Ramses the Great was in his forties, he had a son who was far more interested in temples than battles. Prince Khaemwaset, the fourth son of the king, became the High Priest of Ptah in Memphis and used that position to restore the pyramids and tombs of Egypt’s ancient past—monuments already over a thousand years old. He earned the title "The First Egyptologist" from modern historians. But in his own time, he was known as a magician, a healer, and the author of the Serapeum inscriptions. This episode explores his restoration projects at Giza and Saqqara, his role in the Heb Sed festival, and the legends that grew around him after his death—including tales of him outsmarting Nubian sorcerers in the Ptolemaic-era "Setne Khamwas" stories. We also look at his rivalry with his brother Merenptah and how Khaemwaset's death before his father changed the succession. Lucas and Luna dig into the real man behind the myth: a prince who chose scribal palette over chariot. #Khaemwaset #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt #Kemet #Ptah #Memphis #Serapeum #Saqqara #Giza #Pyramids #HebSed #SetneKhamwas #Merenptah #FirstEgyptologist #Archaeology #PerRamesses #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Greats Libyans: Migrants, Mercenaries, and the War for the Delta

Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's long-running campaign against the Libyans, a threat that haunted Egypt's western border for decades. In this episode, they uncover who the Tjehenu and Tjemehu peoples really were — not a single nation, but a shifting coalition of tribes driven by drought and ambition. Lucas explains how Ramses turned the delta into a military zone, building a chain of forts and watchtowers that stretched from the Mediterranean to the Fayum. They discuss the Great Libyan War, a massive invasion that nearly broke through in Ramses's later years, and how the pharaoh's response — deportations, resettlement, and the creation of a Libyan mercenary corps — changed Egypt forever. Along the way, they touch on the archaeological evidence: the vivid battle reliefs at Medinet Habu, the inscribed 'year 11' stelae, and the surprising role of the Sherden sea peoples as Egyptian allies against the Libyans. This episode offers a fresh look at a frontier war that shaped the fate of the New Kingdom and foreshadowed the 'Sea Peoples' invasions yet to come. #RamsesII #LibyanWar #Tjehenu #Tjemehu #MedinetHabu #AncientEgypt #NorthAfrica #NewKingdom #Merenptah #Sherden #DeltaFortresses #LibyanTribes #BattleReliefs #Pharaoh #Warfare #History #FexingoHistory #AncientWarfare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Priesthood: Power Behind the Throne

Lucas and Luna explore the immense political and economic power wielded by the high priests of Amun-Re during Ramses the Great's reign. They delve into the career of Bekenkhons, who served as High Priest of Amun for over 27 years, and his predecessor Nebwenenef. The conversation covers the priesthood's control over vast temple estates, their role as power brokers in Thebes, and how Ramses managed this influential institution through strategic appointments and by elevating other cults like that of Ptah. Listeners will learn about the daily rituals performed in Karnak, the temple's role as an economic engine, and the delicate balance between pharaoh and clergy that shaped Ramses's rule. #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt #HighPriest #AmunRe #Bekenkhons #Nebwenenef #Karnak #Thebes #TempleEconomy #Priesthood #Pharaoh #EgyptianReligion #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Ptah #PerRamesses #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Hittite Peace Treaty: The World's First

In Episode 170, Lucas and Luna explore the diplomatic masterpiece that ended decades of war between Egypt and the Hittite Empire: the Treaty of Kadesh, often called the world's first surviving peace treaty. They walk through the crumbling political landscape after the famous battle—neither side had won decisively, and both empires were exhausted. Lucas unpacks the years of back-channel negotiations, the exchange of letters in Akkadian cuneiform, and the key players: Hattusili III, who seized the Hittite throne, and Ramses, who saw a chance for stability. They discuss the treaty's terms—extradition clauses, mutual defense pacts, and the marriage alliance that sealed it—all inscribed on silver tablets and copied onto temple walls at Karnak and Ramesseum. Luna wonders about enforcement, and Lucas explains how the treaty was reinforced by the arrival of a Hittite princess, Maathorneferure, who became Ramses's queen. They also touch on the treaty's legacy: a copy hangs in the United Nations today. The episode ends with a reflection on what peace meant for two ancient superpowers—and what it cost. #RamsesTheGreat #TreatyOfKadesh #HittiteEmpire #HattusiliIII #Maathorneferure #Karnak #Ramesseum #Akkadian #EgyptianHittitePeace #AncientDiplomacy #WorldsFirstPeaceTreaty #SilverTablet #Puduhepa #Kemet #BronzeAge #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Nubian Viceroy Setau: Governor of Gold

From the gold mines of Nubia to the temples of Abu Simbel, Ramses the Great's reign depended on one man: Setau, the Viceroy of Kush. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how this former military officer became the second-most powerful figure in Egypt, overseeing the extraction of Nubian gold that financed Ramses's building projects and diplomatic outreach. They discuss Setau's rise under the shadow of earlier viceroys like Amenemope, his role in constructing the temples of Gerf Hussein and Wadi es-Sebua, and how he navigated the tension between Egyptian pharaohs and Nubian chiefs. The conversation also touches on the hieroglyphic inscriptions Setau left behind, the logistics of gold mining, and the legacy of Nubian gold in Egyptian history—including the economic pressures that ultimately destabilized the empire. A deep dive into a figure who managed the wealth of an empire. #Setau #ViceroyOfKush #NubianGold #RamsesTheGreat #AbuSimbel #GerfHussein #WadiEsSebua #Kush #EgyptianGoldMines #Amenemope #LowerNubia #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #AncientEgypt #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #History #AncientHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]