King Ramses II, the son of King Seti I. He was the third king to rule Egypt during the 19th Dynasty (1292-1191 BC). His reign was the second longest in the history of ancient Egypt (1279-1213). The thirteenth century was called the century of prosperity because of the prosperity that Ramesses II caused. He entered many wars with the Hittites and the Libyans. He built many huge temples and magnificent statues all over Egypt.

Who was King Ramses II?

Unveiling Ramses II

king Ramses II was from a family without royal origins and came to rule Egypt several decades after the previous religious ruler, King Akhenaten. Ramesses II worked hard to restore Egypt’s power in Asia after it had diminished during the rule of the previous king, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV 1353-1336), and his successor, Tutankhamun, and he was Ramesses’ father. He is King Seti I, who waged many wars and defeated several disobedient princes in Palestine and southern Syria.

He waged several wars against the Hittites in Anatolia to regain some of the provinces that Egypt had completely lost control of during the wars it went through against the Hittites; despite One of the many victories achieved by King Seti throughout his reign, those victories were not permanent because in the end, the Hittites were able to establish a safe shield for themselves in Kadesh, on the Qrontes River, in a strong castle and an impenetrable fortress. Thus, they were able to impose complete control over their southern borders. King Seti, during his reign, was aiming for his son Ramses to rule Egypt after him. Therefore, he was preparing him from a young age to be a king one day. He would give him exceptional status as a guardian, and he would provide him with royal life in all its meanings. He provides him with a family, concubines, and Other forms of royal life.

He also always accompanied him in wars and military campaigns. Therefore, when Ramesses assumed power and waged wars, he was fully aware, knowledgeable, and experienced in matters of war and how to manage them. King Seti wanted to make sure that Ramesses would be able to reach the throne and rule. Egypt, at the age of ten, King Ramses II obtained the rank of captain in the army, but at this young age, such a rank is an honorary one, as Ramesses would certainly have needed more strong military training. Ramesses was born in a house in the Nile River Delta, and in order to have a basic base prepared for his war campaigns, He built for himself a large-scale, complete city known as Per Ramesses (‘House of Ramesses’; ‘biblical Raamses’).

It was famous for its distinguished location, its vast gardens, its picturesque flowers, and its overwhelming waters, and in its four corners, Ramesses placed the god. He presides over every corner where: Amon in the west, The Syrian goddess Astarte in the east, The royal cobra goddess, Wadjet in the north, and Seth in the south. Ramesses was inclined towards spiritual and divinity matters, and because of that, a group of Asian gods grew here in Egypt.

We have previously mentioned that Ramesses had religious, spiritual, and divinatory inclinations. Therefore, the first thing Ramesses did when he assumed power was to visit the city of Thebes, the capital of the south, in order to attend the wonderful religious celebration of Opet, as the god of Karnak, Lord Amun, visited the Temple of Luxor. During his return to his home in the north, King Ramses II stopped in Abydos to worship Osiris and to arrange for the completion of the construction of the great temple there, as its construction had been halted due to the death of his father, King Seti.

 

When was King Ramses II born? 

King Ramses II was born around 1303 BCE, during the 19th Dynasty and the New Kingdom era.

Ramses II’s Birth

How long did Ramses II rule?

King Ramses II ruled for about 66 years, from 1279 to 1213 BCE. He was given the title “ruler of rulers”.

The Reign of Ramses II

King Ramses II and his wife Nefertari

Nefertari is famous for her wonderful tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Her tomb was stolen long ago, But some of her artifacts were discovered in the destruction when the tomb was unearthed.

Ramses II and Queen Nefertari

 

King Ramses II and his Family

There are about 162 children for Ramesses, some of their names are  Amun-her-khepeshef (Nefertari’s firsborn), Ramesses, Meritamen, Merneptah, Nebettawy, Khaemweset, and other numerous children.

The Battle of Kadesh

Epic Battle of Kadesh

Battle of Kadesh (1275 BC) King Ramses II wanted to seize Syria from the Hittites and recover the city of Kadesh, which they had controlled, so the Great Battle of Kadesh took place, which was the largest chariot battle in history. It took place between the Egyptians under the leadership of Ramesses II and the Hittites under the leadership of Muwatallis in Syria, southwest of Homs. On the banks of the Orontes River, more than 5,000 chariots rushed into battle, but there was no clear victor or clear defeat, but it ended with the registration of the first peace treaty in the world. King Ramses wanted to continue the victories and conquests that his father, King Seti, had begun, so he invaded the Hittite lands in Palestine and entered Syria. But what happened near the Orontes River was truly a very violent massacre. The Hittites were able at first to deceive Ramesses II, so they placed two of their soldiers on the road and told them that they were fleeing from the Hittites and that the Hittites were now a long way outside Aleppo.

 

Ramesses II was deceived and reassured and advanced of his army by a margin. Large and with a large guard of about 20,000 soldiers, infantry, and 2,000 vehicles. At that time, the Hittites, led by Prince Muwatallis, were present with them, along with 40,000 soldiers, infantry, and 3,000 vehicles. They attacked the Egyptians quickly and forcefully, and their heavy vehicles, each pulling three horses, collided, causing the vehicles to scatter. The Egyptians and the ranks behind them, but the Hittites felt that victory was inevitable, so they abandoned their caution and began to plunder the enemy, which made Ramesses seize the opportunity, reorganize his soldiers, and attack the Hittites again forcefully.

The Hittites were shocked by what happened, and after they recovered from their astonishment, their chariots began to attack, but slowly and with great difficulty. The lighter Egyptian chariots outperformed them in combat and movement, and Ramesses succeeded in erasing the defeat, and even if it was not an outright victory, it was an honorable draw. After the end of the battle, both sides claimed that they had won the battle, and both began to celebrate, so Ramesses decorated the temples with inscriptions and drawings indicating victory, but in reality, the result was not decisive to the point that after fifteen years of the battle, they returned to the battlefield and agreed not to attack. It is the first agreement of this kind known in history. Near the conclusion of the fourth year of his rule, in May 1274 BC, Ramses began a military effort to retake the lost provinces in the north. At this point, the King rushed the 50,000-man Hittite army alongside a tiny band of 20,000 warriors. It is still regarded as one of the earliest fights in history to have been documented.

 

The First Peace Treaty in History

King Ramses offered to sign and uphold one of the first peace agreements with the Hittites in 1258 BC. As a result, He became the first king in history to sign a peace treaty.

Historic Peace Treaty

The Heb-Sed Festivals

Heb-Sed Festivals

After thirty years of King Ramses II on the throne, He joined a group of Egypt’s monarchs. In his thirty-first year, he celebrated the Heb-Sed festival. A jubilee took place to honor the pharaoh’s power and vitality.

Ramses II’s Legacy

Ramses II Legacy

King Ramses II wanted to show his Greatness as a pharaoh who built the wonderful temple of Abu Simbel, so he put four statues of himself sitting at the entrance to the temple. Each of them is more than 60 feet tall, and He put them to be a protection and guard for the temple.

The huge temple consists of a series of three statues. High-rise halls extending about 185 feet into its slope and containing engravings and scenes depicting Ramesses II in the Battle of Kadesh. It also shows Ramesses II with his wife Nefertari, for whom he ordered a smaller temple to be built near it.

Ramesses II restored Luxor Temple and added sculptures and reliefs detailing his adventures. To claim them as part of his inheritance, he also placed his cartouche on many other monuments and donated the Karnak temple complex. Along with the enormous statue of him erected in Memphis, close to Cairo, there is the exquisite tomb of his wife, Queen Nefertiti, in the Valley of the Queens.

 

What were Ramses II’s accomplishments and achievements? 

Ramses II’s reign was characterized by numerous accomplishments, including:

• He had Successful military operations against a variety of enemies, including the Nubians and Hittites.
• He built amazing temples such as the Abu Simbel temples, the Ramesseum, and his mortuary temple in Thebes.
• Restored Luxor Temple and added sculptures and reliefs detailing his adventures.

What is the connection between Ramses II and Moses? 

The story of the Exodus, where Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, is often associated with King Ramses II. However, experts aren’t sure about the exact link between Moses and Ramses II. According to the Bible, the Exodus happened under an unnamed pharaoh. Yet, Ramses II is commonly suggested as a possible pharaoh during this time because of his prominent rule in the thirteenth century BCE.

Ramses II and Moses

Did Ramses II die in the Red Sea? 

No, King Ramses II hasn’t died in the Red Sea.
This is a popular misunderstanding based on the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites escape via the Red Sea’s divided waters, and the pharaoh and his army perish in the process.

Rameses II Death

The Egyptian scholar Manetho (third century BC) said that Ramesses II ruled for 66 years and two months. At the age of 90, Ramesses II, the greatest king of all time, died as he was suffering from dental problems, nerve inflammation, and atherosclerosis.

Ramses II’s Passing

Where was King Rameses II buried?

The initial burial place for King Ramses II was the tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings. Ramses had an amazing burial chamber in Queen Nefertari’s tomb, but the mummy was moved to an unidentified location to protect it from the robbers.

Later, It was found again in a covert royal cachet at Deir el-Bahri in 1881. The great King’s mummy was later moved to the National Museum of Egypt Civilization after being housed in Cairo Egyptian Museum in 1885.

Ramses II’s Final Resting Place