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

Ramses the Great's Embassies and the Birth of International Diplomacy

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses II's pioneering diplomatic missions: the embassies that shuttled between Kemet and Hatti after the Battle of Kadesh. They follow the journey of Egyptian envoys along the Ways of Horus, through Canaan and into Anatolia, bearing gold and silver, accompanied by scribes and interpreters. The dialogue unpacks the first peace treaty in history—the Treaty of Kadesh—and the letters exchanged with Hattusili III and Queen Puduhepa that reveal a surprisingly modern world of statecraft. Lucas explains how these embassies weren't just about politics but also intelligence gathering, gift exchange, and even marriage negotiations, culminating in the arrival of the Hittite princess Maathorneferure at Per-Ramesses. The episode touches on the daily life of an Egyptian diplomat, the languages spoken (Egyptian, Hittite, Akkadian), and how Ramses used diplomacy to bolster his image at home. A fresh angle that draws on the Amarna Letters tradition and recent scholarship on Hittite-Egyptian relations. #RamsesII #EgyptianDiplomacy #HittiteEmpire #TreatyOfKadesh #HattusiliIII #Puduhepa #Maathorneferure #PerRamesses #BronzeAge #AncientEgypt #Kemet #Hatti #Anatolia #WaysOfHorus #AmarnaLetters #PeaceTreaty #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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

He was Ramses II's fourth son, but instead of commanding armies or building monuments of his own, Khaemwaset chose the path of the priest and the scholar, becoming one of ancient Egypt's most intriguing figures. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Prince Khaemwaset served as High Priest of Ptah in Memphis, restored long-neglected pyramids and tombs of Old Kingdom pharaohs, and earned a reputation as a magician that persisted in Egyptian folklore for centuries. They discuss his library of medical and magical texts, his restoration of the Serapeum's Apis bull burials, and the famous 'Stories of Setne Khaemwaset' — Demotic tales that turned him into a legendary sorcerer. Along the way, they touch on his rivalry with his half-brother Merenptah, his role in Ramses's Sed festival, and how his careful preservation of Egypt's past shaped our own understanding of the ancient world. From the Apis bulls to the Pyramid Texts, from Memphis to Saqqara, this is the story of a prince who looked backward to save the future. #RamsesII #Khaemwaset #PrinceKhaemwaset #SetneKhaemwaset #HighPriestOfPtah #Memphis #Saqqara #Serapeum #ApisBull #AncientEgypt #Egyptology #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #PyramidTexts #Merenptah #DemoticLiterature #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses II's Homecoming: The Colossus of Tanis

In the waning years of his 67-year reign, Ramses II ordered the construction of a colossal statue of himself at Tanis, a city in the Nile Delta. This episode traces the journey of that 100-ton quartzite colossus from the quarry at Gebel el-Ahmar near modern Cairo to its final home at the temple of Amun-Re in Tanis. We follow the logistics—the sledges, the thousands of workers, the seasonal flooding that allowed transport along the Pelusiac branch of the Nile. We also explore why Tanis, a relatively minor settlement, became the pharaoh's second northern capital and the site of his most audacious monumental statement. Lucas and Luna discuss the political motives behind Ramses's northern push, the role of the goddess Mut, and how the colossus survived into the Third Intermediate Period as a symbol of enduring royal power. Along the way, we touch on the workmen's village at Deir el-Medina, the use of water channels to move stone, and the theological rivalry between the cults of Amun-Re and Seth. #RamsesII #Tanis #Colossus #GebelElAhmar #PelusiacBranch #AmunRe #EgyptianQuarrying #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #DeirElMedina #SledgeTransport #NileDelta #Mut #Seth #ThirdIntermediatePeriod #AncientEngineering #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Nubian Viceroy Setau The Power Behind the Throne

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable career of Setau, Ramses the Great's most trusted Viceroy of Kush. Setau wasn't just an administrator — he was a priest, a military commander, and the driving force behind Ramses's massive building projects in Nubia. We trace Setau's rise from a humble scribe to the second most powerful man in Egypt, overseeing gold mines, temples like Wadi es-Sebua, and the brutal suppression of a Kushite rebellion. Along the way, we uncover how Ramses rewarded Setau with unprecedented privileges, including a rock-cut temple and a tomb in the Valley of the Kings — honors normally reserved for pharaohs. Setau's story reveals the human machinery behind Ramses's golden age, and raises questions about loyalty, power, and the cost of empire. Join us for a deep dive into the life of a man who helped build an Egyptian superpower. #Setau #ViceroyOfKush #RamsesTheGreat #Nubia #WadiEsSebua #AbuSimbel #KushiteRebellion #GoldMines #EgyptianEmpire #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #ValleyOfTheKings #Kemet #AncientEgypt #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica #Pharaoh Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Hittite Peace Treaty The First in History

This episode explores one of the most remarkable diplomatic achievements of the ancient world: the peace treaty between Ramses II of Egypt and Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire, concluded around 1259 BCE. Lucas and Luna examine the brutal war of attrition that led to the treaty, the silver tablet on which the accord was inscribed, and the parallel copies found at Karnak and in the Hittite capital Hattusa. They discuss the treaty's terms—extradition clauses, mutual defense, and the promise of brotherhood—and how it reshaped the geopolitics of the Late Bronze Age. The conversation also touches on the treaty's surprising legacy: it is often called the first recorded peace treaty in history, a model for later diplomacy, and its text is even displayed at the United Nations. Lucas explains the role of Queen Puduhepa in the negotiations, the marriage alliance that sealed the deal, and how the treaty held for the rest of Ramses's reign. A fresh angle building on prior episodes about Kadesh, the Sea Peoples, and Ramses's wives. #RamsesII #HittitePeaceTreaty #HattusiliIII #Puduhepa #Kadesh #LateBronzeAge #AncientDiplomacy #Karnak #Hattusa #SilverTablet #Maathorneferure #Brotherhood #Extradition #MutualDefense #UnitedNations #FexingoHistory #History #AncientEgypt Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]