Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / The Great Harris Papyrus: Ramses III's Final Confession
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- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about Ramses the Great, but today I want to zoom in on a document that gives us a last, sweeping look at the entire Ramesside era—the Great Harris Papyrus. It's this massive scroll, over forty meters long, commissioned by Ramses III, who was actually the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom. And it's basically his final word to the gods and to history. Luna: Wait, Ramses III—he's not the same as Ramses the Great, right? Lucas: Right, different guy. Ramses the Great is Ramses II, but Ramses III came about a century later, and he's often seen as the last of the great warrior pharaohs. The Great Harris Papyrus is named after Anthony Harris, a British collector who acquired it in the 19th century. It's one of the longest surviving papyri from ancient Egypt, and it's essentially a royal confession of what Ramses III did for the gods, especially Amun-Re. Luna: A confession? That sounds almost religious. Lucas: It's a mix. It's part royal propaganda, part religious devotion. He lists all his donations to the temples, his military campaigns, his building projects. It's like a grand summary of his reign, but it's also deeply political. He's trying to secure his legacy and maybe his place in the afterlife. And, funnily enough, if from all these episodes you've been getting a sense of how Egypt worked, you know that keeping the priests happy was crucial. So this papyrus is him saying, 'Look at all I've done for you' — to both the gods and the priesthood. Luna: So it's like a royal resume to the divine. Lucas: Exactly. And, you know, this show is part of a wider family of history podcasts, and we're able to keep making them without ads because of listeners who chip in a little something. If today's episode was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It really helps us keep going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that adds up. So, what's the story behind how the papyrus was found? Lucas: It was found in a tomb near Medinet Habu, which is Ramses III's mortuary temple on the west bank of Thebes. The tomb belonged to a scribe or a priest, and the papyrus was probably buried with him as a valuable text. When it was discovered in the 19th century, it was in pieces, but scholars managed to put it together. Now it's in the British Museum, and it's a treasure trove for historians because it gives us a snapshot of Egypt's economy and society at the end of the New Kingdom. Luna: So what does it actually say about his reign? Did he really do all those things? Lucas: Well, that's the tricky part. Ramses III did have real military victories — like repelling the Sea Peoples, which was a huge deal. But the papyrus is also full of propaganda. He claims to have given vast amounts of gold, land, and cattle to the temples, and some of that is probably exaggerated. But even the exaggerations tell us something — they show what he wanted people to believe, and they reflect the economic realities of the time. For example, he mentions specific amounts of grain and bread that were distributed to the temple workers, which gives us clues about the economy. Luna: So it's a primary source, but we have to read it with a critical eye. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's where it gets interesting, because we also have other documents from his reign, like the judicial papyri, that tell a different story. They talk about the harem conspiracy — a plot to assassinate Ramses III, involving one of his minor wives and a group of officials. He probably survived the initial attempt, but it seems he died later from the wounds or from something else. And the Great Harris Papyrus was written right after his death, so it's also a way to sort of paper over that chaos. Luna: Wait, so the papyrus was written by him or after he died? Lucas: It's a bit of both. The text is written as if Ramses III is speaking, but it was likely composed after his death, probably by his son and successor, Ramses IV. So it's a posthumous testament, but it's in his voice. It's a way for the new king to legitimize his succession and to honor his father's memory. And it also served a practical purpose: it recorded all the endowments to the temples, so they had a legal record of what was promised. Luna: That makes sense. So it's like a legal document and a eulogy at the same time. Lucas: Exactly. And the harem conspiracy is a fascinating subplot. We have detailed records from the trials, and they show a web of intrigue involving the royal harem, corrupt officials, and even magic spells. Some of the conspirators were tried and executed, while others were allowed to commit suicide. It's one of the few cases where we get a glimpse into the darker side of pharaonic court life. Luna: And yet the papyrus doesn't mention any of that, right? Lucas: Not at all. It's all about his generosity and victories. So we see the public face, while other documents reveal the private turmoil. That contrast is what makes the Great Harris Papyrus so valuable — it shows us how the king wanted to be remembered, not necessarily how it actually was. Luna: So what does it say about the economy? Like, was Egypt still rich at that point? Lucas: Good question. The papyrus lists enormous resources — over a million acres of land, hundreds of thousands of cattle, and tons of gold and silver donated to temples. But scholars think these numbers may be inflated, and they might reflect the wealth that was actually transferred to the priesthood, which was growing in power. The reality was that Egypt was facing economic strain, partly due to the costs of wars and the influx of foreign workers. The papyrus gives us a sense of the scale of the temple economy, but it also hints at the strains that would eventually lead to the decline of the New Kingdom. Luna: So it's a kind of a snapshot of the beginning of the end. Lucas: Exactly. After Ramses III, Egypt's power waned. His successors had shorter reigns, and the central authority weakened. The Great Harris Papyrus is like a last glorious declaration before the empire started to fray. And it's also one of the best examples we have of the hieratic script, which was the cursive writing used for everyday documents. It's beautifully written, and it's a testament to the skill of the scribes who composed it. Luna: And this papyrus is like a time capsule. We're so lucky to have it. Lucas: Absolutely. It's one of those rare documents that gives us a direct voice from the past, even if it's filtered through royal ideology. And it reminds us that history is never just one story — it's a clash of perspectives, and we have to piece together the truth from fragments. Luna: So, what's your favorite detail from the papyrus? Lucas: I think it's the list of daily offerings to Amun-Re. It's so specific — like, so many loaves of bread, so many jars of beer, so many geese. It gives you this tangible sense of the temple rituals and the administrative machinery behind them. You can almost see the priests going about their day, counting out the offerings. It's a small, mundane detail, but it brings the ancient world to life. Luna: That's really cool. So, did the papyrus have any impact on how we see Ramses III today? Lucas: Definitely. Without the Great Harris Papyrus, we'd know much less about his reign. It's the most detailed record we have of a pharaoh's achievements, and it sets a standard for how we study royal propaganda. But it also raises questions — like, why did he feel the need to write such a grand summary? Maybe because he knew the empire was fragile. It's a fascinating mix of confidence and anxiety. Luna: Anxiety? That's an interesting way to put it. Lucas: Well, think about it. Ramses III was constantly defending Egypt against invasions, like the Sea Peoples. He had to deal with internal unrest, like tomb robberies and strikes by the workers at Deir el-Medina. So the papyrus might be his way of asserting control, of saying, 'I am the great king, and I have done all this.' It's a powerful statement in the face of uncertainty. Luna: So it's like a shield made of words. Lucas: Exactly. And it worked, in a sense — his name lives on, and we're still talking about him thousands of years later. The Great Harris Papyrus is a testament to the enduring power of writing and memory.