Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Forgotten Son Merneptah
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about Ramses the Great — his monuments, his wives, his sons, his chariots. But there's one son we've only mentioned in passing: Merneptah, the thirteenth son, who actually became pharaoh after Ramses' 66-year reign. Luna: Thirteenth son? That's some serious succession odds. How did he end up on the throne? Lucas: Good question. Merneptah was born to Ramses and his second Great Royal Wife, Isetnofret. For most of Ramses' reign, the crown prince was Amunherkhepeshef, the firstborn son of Nefertari. But Amunherkhepeshef died young, and other elder brothers like Khaemwaset also predeceased their father. By the time Ramses died in his nineties, Merneptah was the last surviving son of the senior line. Luna: So he was basically the heir by default, after decades of waiting. Lucas: Exactly. He must have been at least in his sixties when he became pharaoh. And he faced a tough act to follow. Ramses had left an empire that was — well, it was showing signs of strain. The Hittite peace held, but new threats were emerging from the west and the sea. Lucas: Merneptah's first big challenge came in his fifth year on the throne, around 1208 BCE. A coalition of Libyans and Sea Peoples invaded Egypt from the west. The Libyans were led by a chief named Meryey, and they brought allies from the north — groups like the Sherden, the Shekelesh, the Lukka, and others. Luna: The Sea Peoples are one of those mysterious groups we hear about. Were they really a major threat? Lucas: Absolutely. In fact, Merneptah's campaign against them is one of the earliest recorded encounters with what we call the Sea Peoples — a confederation of maritime raiders who would later bring down the Hittite Empire and other kingdoms. Merneptah fought a major battle at Perire, probably in the western Delta, and claimed a decisive victory. Lucas: He recorded this campaign on a large stela found in his mortuary temple at Thebes — the so-called Merneptah Stele, now in the Cairo Museum. It's a hymn of victory, but it also contains a line that has fascinated scholars for over a century. Luna: The line about Israel, right? Lucas: That's the one. Near the end, the stele says, 'Israel is laid waste, his seed is not.' It's the earliest known mention of Israel in any ancient text — predating the Bible by centuries. And it's significant because it describes Israel as a people, not a nation with a king or a territory, which fits the biblical account of the Exodus period. Luna: So does this prove the Exodus happened? Lucas: Not exactly. The stele tells us that around 1208 BCE, a group called Israel existed in Canaan, and that Merneptah's forces fought them. But it doesn't say when they arrived or if they were enslaved in Egypt. Some scholars argue the Exodus might have occurred earlier, under Ramses II or even earlier pharaohs. The stele is a snapshot, not a full story. Lucas: Merneptah's campaign in Canaan was likely a punitive expedition to suppress rebellions after his victory over the Libyans. He claimed to have conquered Ashkelon, Gezer, and Yanoam, as well as Israel. So his reign saw a reassertion of Egyptian control in the region. Luna: What about his building projects? Was he able to build like his father? Lucas: Not on the same colossal scale. Merneptah built a mortuary temple in Thebes — the ruins of which we've mentioned — but it was much smaller than the Ramesseum. He also added to the temple of Amun at Karnak, including a large inscription of his Libyan war. And at Memphis, he built a palace and a temple to Ptah, complete with a colossal statue of himself. Lucas: But his most famous construction might be his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, KV8. It's one of the longest tombs in the valley, over 160 meters, but it was actually unfinished. The burial chamber was never fully decorated, and his sarcophagus was reused from someone else — possibly from his father's own intended burial. Luna: That seems like a bit of a letdown after Ramses' huge tomb. Was Merneptah's reign considered a success? Lucas: It's mixed. On one hand, he successfully defended Egypt from the Libyan invasion and secured the borders. He maintained the peace with the Hittites and kept the economy running. On the other hand, there are signs of decline — letters from the period mention grain shortages and even raids on Egyptian territory by nomads. And the Sea Peoples would return with a vengeance under later pharaohs. Lucas: Merneptah ruled for about ten years. When he died, he was succeeded by his son Seti II, but that succession was contested. There was a brief reign of a usurper named Amenmesse, possibly another son of Merneptah, before order was restored. That instability hints at the cracks in the empire. Luna: So he kept things together, but the cracks were showing. Lucas: Exactly. And here's a strange detail: when Merneptah's mummy was found in the Deir el-Bahari cache in 1898, it was well-preserved. But when it was examined, scientists discovered that his heart was missing — removed either during mummification or perhaps by tomb robbers. In Egyptian belief, the heart was the seat of the soul, so its absence is unusual. Luna: That's eerie. Without a heart, how would he be judged in the afterlife? Lucas: That's a great question. The Weighing of the Heart ceremony required the heart to be present. Some scholars think the embalmers might have placed a substitute — a stone heart scarab, for example — but no such artifact was found with him. Possibly ancient priests performed a ritual to compensate. It's one of those mysteries that reminds us how much we still don't know. Lucas: Merneptah is often overshadowed by his father's immense legacy, but he faced a very different Egypt — one that needed a steady hand, not a grandiose builder. He gave Egypt a decade of stability, and his stele gives us a priceless glimpse into the world of the early Israelites. Luna: It's interesting how a secondary figure can end up being crucial to our understanding of history. Lucas: Absolutely. Merneptah proves that even a pharaoh who didn't build the biggest temples can leave an indelible mark — sometimes in just a few lines of hieroglyphs.