Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Khaemwaset The First Egyptologist
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Ramses the Great as a builder, a warrior, a diplomat. But one of his sons had a very different kind of legacy — he's often called the world's first Egyptologist. Luna: The first Egyptologist? That's a hell of a title. Lucas: His name was Khaemwaset — the fourth son of Ramses, and a high priest of Ptah in Memphis. He lived around 1250 BCE, which means the pyramids of Giza were already more than a thousand years old when he started studying them. Lucas: He didn't just admire them. Khaemwaset actively restored Old Kingdom monuments, especially around Saqqara. He even left inscriptions on buildings he repaired, essentially tagging them like a modern restoration plaque. Luna: So he was basically walking around with a chisel and a restoration kit. Lucas: Exactly. One famous example is the mastaba tomb of Shepseskaf, the last pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. Khaemwaset had it repaired and added a text saying he 'renewed the name' of the tomb owner. It's one of the earliest recorded acts of archaeological preservation. Lucas: But it wasn't just about preserving stones. For Ramses, having his son restore ancient monuments was a powerful political move. It connected the current dynasty to the golden age of the pyramid builders, reinforcing Ramses' legitimacy. Lucas: And Khaemwaset was deeply involved with the Apis bull cult. He oversaw the burials of the sacred bulls in the Serapeum — a massive underground gallery at Saqqara. He even composed the inscriptions for the bull's burial chambers. Luna: Right, we talked about the Apis bull in a previous episode. So Khaemwaset was the guy actually running that whole operation. Lucas: He was. And he didn't just perform rituals — he wrote about them. The inscriptions he left in the Serapeum are some of the most detailed records we have of the cult. He names the bulls, their birth dates, their death dates, and how long they lived. Lucas: He also played a major role in the Heb Sed festival, the royal jubilee that Ramses celebrated multiple times. Khaemwaset helped organize at least one of those festivals, which involved processions, offerings, and rituals that reasserted the king's divine power. Luna: So he was a priest, a restorer, a scribe, and an event planner. Talk about a multitasker. Lucas: But here's where it gets even more interesting. After his death, Khaemwaset became a legendary figure in Egyptian folklore. He was remembered as a wise magician and a scholar who could unlock the secrets of the ancient world. Stories about him were still being written hundreds of years later, in the Ptolemaic period. Lucas: One famous tale, the 'Demotic Chronicle,' describes him as a prince who could read hieroglyphs and command supernatural forces. He even finds a magical book hidden in a tomb — a story that sounds like a prototype of mummy curses and adventure fiction. Luna: Wait — so he became a folk hero like a wizard Indiana Jones centuries before the common era? Lucas: Exactly. And the fact that he was remembered that way shows how much his contemporaries and later generations valued his work. He wasn't just a prince — he was seen as a guardian of Egypt's deep past. Lucas: Now, all of this raises an interesting question. If Khaemwaset's restoration work was so important to Ramses' image, why isn't he more famous today? Most people know Nefertari or even some of Ramses' other sons like Merenptah, but Khaemwaset is often overlooked. Luna: Maybe because he wasn't a warrior or a king. He was a scholar — and history doesn't always remember the bookworms. Lucas: Especially when the books are stone tablets. But I think his story is a perfect example of how history itself can be a tool of power. By literally digging up the past and putting it on display, Ramses and his son were shaping how people saw their own time. Lucas: And honestly, that connection to the past — the idea that we can reach back and touch something ancient — that's what drew so many of us to history in the first place. Luna: That's true. And it's what keeps me coming back to these conversations. Lucas: Speaking of which, if today's episode felt like a coffee-worthy moment to you, you know where to find us — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's how we keep this show ad-free and focused on the stories that matter. Luna: Absolutely. No pressure, but a little support goes a long way. Lucas: So, back to Khaemwaset. One of the most fascinating details about him is that he was actually buried in the Serapeum itself — not in a royal tomb, but among the Apis bulls he had served. Luna: Wait, really? He chose to be buried with the bulls? Lucas: That's what the evidence suggests. His burial chamber has been identified near the galleries, though it was later robbed. It's a testament to how deeply he identified with his priestly role — he literally wanted to spend eternity with the sacred animals he had cared for. Lucas: And that decision tells us something about his character. He wasn't trying to be a pharaoh — he was devoted to a different kind of legacy, one rooted in knowledge and reverence for the past. Lucas: There's also an inscription from the Serapeum where Khaemwaset describes himself as 'the one who loves the ancestors.' That phrase sums up his entire life's work. Luna: He loved the ancestors. That's a beautiful way to put it. Lucas: It really is. And in a way, he's been rewarded for that love. His name has survived for over three thousand years — not because he built a massive temple or won a battle, but because he cared enough to preserve what came before. Luna: I think that's a pretty powerful lesson for anyone who cares about history. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's a reminder that the past isn't just something to study — it's something we can protect, and in protecting it, we define who we are.