The History of Egypt Podcast

Hybrid episode (narrative & interivew). The Hittite Queen, Maat-Hor-Neferura, may have been surprised to find she wasn't the only King's Great Wife. In fact, Ramesses had already turned to other women to be his Queens. Notably, his eldest daughter Bint-Anat ("Daughter of Anat") became King's Great Wife, along with several of her younger siblings. Why did Ramesses "marry" his own offspring, and what does that mean for the royal family?

Also, we meet Ramesses' oft-forgotten sister, Tia.

In Part 2, we are joined by Prof. Peter Brand to discuss life in the pharaonic palaces. How did they organise their royal households, what terms survive to illuminate this world? And how can Egyptologists understand life in Ramesses' great family?

Music by Luke Chaos & Keith Zizza, used with permission.

Logo image: Bint-Anat as King's Great Wife, from Ramesses' colossal statue now in the Grand Egyptian Museum.
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Married before first sight. In regnal year 34 (1259 BCE) Ramesses welcomed a princess of Hatti. Sent by her father Hattusili and mother Puduhepa, the (anonymous) princess came to Egypt and took up the rank of King's Great Wife. Today, she is known by her Egyptian name, MAAT-HOR-NEFERURA "She Who Sees Horus, the Perfection of Ra." This enigmatic woman sits at the centre of a fascinating letter archive and commemorative text. Ramesses celebrated his new bride in grand style...

Music by Luke Chaos

Extended version of this episode available at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast

Sources
Beckman, G. (1999). Hittite Diplomatic Texts (2nd ed.).

Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh.

Bryce, T. (2003). Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age. Archive.org.

Edel, E. (1994). Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz aus Boghazköi in babylonischer und hethitischer Sprache I:  Umschriften und Übersetzungen.

Fisher, M. M. (2013). A Diplomatic Marriage in the Ramesside Period: Maathorneferure, Daughter of the Great Ruler of Hatti. In B. J. Collins & P. Michalowski (Eds.), Beyond Hatti: A Tribute to Gary Beckman (pp. 75—119).

Jung, C. (2007). Rain in ancient Egypt: A linguistic approach. In H.-P. Wotzka, O. Bubenzer, M. Bollig, & R. Vogelsang (Eds.), Aridity, change and conflict in Africa (pp. 331–344). Available in Open Access pdf at Koeln.

Kitchen, K. A. (1975). Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1996). Ramesside Inscriptions : Translations (Vol. 2).

Kitchen, K. A. (1999). Ramesside Inscriptions: Notes and Comments (Vol. 2).

Mieroop, M. van de. (2016). A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC.

Polo, S. S. (2016, January 11). Inside One of Egypt’s Biggest Royal Weddings. National Geographic History.

Wong, J. (2020). Have you ever seen the rain? Comments on an underrepresented phenomenon. Nile Magazine, 28, 24—35. Available at Academia.edu.
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New Egyptology podcast! Voices of Ancient Egypt is "the podcast for people who don’t just want to learn about ancient Egypt, but want to understand it at a deeper, more meaningful level. With a blend of solo deep-dives and conversations with experts and everyday Egyptophiles, this podcast brings ancient Egyptian history, beliefs, and language to life — and shows you how learning hieroglyphs is possible, no matter your age, background, or schedule. Whether you want to read hieroglyphs in museums, on social media, or on your next trip to Egypt, you’ll find the tools, stories, and encouragement to make it real."

Voices of Ancient Egypt:

https://podcast.voicesofancientegypt.com/

https://open.spotify.com/show/1k1kqGenm15EJttupCKE4S

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-of-ancient-egypt/id1834639742
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In this mini episode, I explain the history and significance of the new complex (why does Egypt need a billion-dollar museum?) and discuss what will happen to Cairo's other major institutions.

We also have an episode about the lesser-known "gems" of the GEM. See that and the video version of this episode at my YouTube channel: Dominic Perry Ancient Egypt https://www.youtube.com/@dominicperryae

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Campbell Price is Curator of Egypt & Sudan at Manchester Museum. Enthusiasts will know him from the books Ancient Egypt in 50 Discoveries and Golden Mummies of Egypt. Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period. You may have seen or heard him on History Hit’s The Ancients, a variety of documentaries, and this podcast!

Today, Campbell joins the show once more to talk about KHA-EM-WASET. The fourth son of Ramesses II, renowned priest and conservator of ancient monuments... and fairytale hero in later ages.

Campbell Price:

Academia.edu.

Liverpool University.

Ancient Egypt in 50 Discoveries (2025) via Egypt Exploration Society.

Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the
Graeco-Roman Period (2023) via Google Books.

Dr. Price’s non-Egyptology reading recommendation: Lucy Fulford, The Exiled (2024) https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/lucy-fulford/the-exiled/9781399711210

Music by Keith Zizza, used with artist's permission.
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