Ramses The Great Essay, Research Paper

RAMSES THE GREAT

Pharaohs of ancient Egypt came and went. Around 170 of them passed through the pages of Egyptian history. Some left great monuments of their magnificence behind in their wake. Others left treasures of gold and jewels, displayed vibrantly to boast each one?s claim to history. It goes without much disagreement among historians to say that only one of these Egyptian kings can rightfully be deemed the best. Ramses II is this king who?s legacy reaches out beyond the stretch of our books and into the power of our minds. From several triumphant victories in the middle east to ties directly into the most famous book of all time, The Old Testament, Ramses the Great was a king with more than just a mummified corpse to leave behind. He left his legend.

The word ?Pharaoh? carried the meaning of royal palace until 1580 B.C.E. It was then changed to fit the title of a strong and capable ruler on high of Egypt. Each Pharaoh was thought of as a direct descendant of the gods, particularly that of Rah, the sun god who was more powerful than any other god or being.

Ramses was born in 1304 to his father Seti I. Seti set up Ramses? role in Egypt to be a great warrior. He set military campaigns into Syria and Lebanon to fight the ever troublesome Hittites. This was the background Ramses needed to strongly rule during a time of such warfare and chaos. Seti also set Ramses up for his other half of a great legacy in his passion for monuments. During Seti?s last year as Pharaoh he shocked the young Ramses by promoting his title to that of a co-regent, ruling along side his father. During this time Ramses had the power and effort put into several great monuments dedicated to his father as well as himself. In 1269 B.C.E. Ramses united the two parts of Egypt as on and carried both crowns. The Red Crown of Lower Egypt was worn simultaneously with the White Crown of Upper Egypt for all to see a great step in the golden age of Egypt?s history. Ten years later, Ramses succeeds Seti to the throne and takes full command.

Ramses II was most acclaimed for being a great warrior king. One of his most prized battles took place against the Hittites outside of a city called Kadesh. In 1275 B.C.E. Ramses II led a force of Egyptian warriors mercenaries to resolve the conflict with the Hittites up the Gaza Strip. The information he was given was incorrect and led him right into an ambush of the Hittite army. Although Ramses had a slight edge, the battle was very tough. In the middle of all the fighting, Ramses finds himself in trouble and drops his weapons and prays to the god Amon for help and prays in subordination to end this battle. It is only for another branch of Ramses? forces that come up to save him that he made it out alive. The Hittite chariots fall into the river and the horses stumble as the Egyptian forces finish them off as the Hittite soldiers drown a painful death. In recently discovered Hittite record, they claim to have won that battle, but from Ramses? perspective there were two great forces and the Pharaoh was just fortunate to exit the conflict with his life. In 1259 B.C.E., a historic treaty of peace was signed by Ramses and Syria. This was the first known record of a treaty between countries.

The family life of Ramses II was also significant and dynamic. He had what is believed to be over 100 children, most of which sons who he took great pride in. He outlived 11 of them and placed their bodies in a separate tomb that was named in their honor (Now Tomb #5). He didn?t care too much about his many daughters, but he had an amazing love for his favorite wife Nefretiri. He erected several great monuments in her honor and name. It is the queens that often get overlooked in this period, but it hold true that they are what carry the bloodline of the pharaohs and hold the future rulers to power. King Ramses II wasn?t the average family man, but he did present a devout passion for his family.

The Old Testament speaks of an Exodus of the Israelites from the overpowering of an Egyptian Pharaoh. It is widely accepted that Ramses was this pharaoh simply because a lot of the pieces of the story fit this time period, even though it never explicitly names Ramses. After all, he had enslaved many people to construct his great temples, including that of Abu-Simbel in Nubia. This construction required much manpower as it was engineered so precisely that on the equinox of the 22nd of October and the 22nd of February, sunlight would flood the inside cavity of the temple brightly lighting up three of the four gods statues deep inside the building. Three out of Four was no mistake in their calculations, the fourth god that stood forever in darkness was Tah, god of the underworld. Explicitly designed to remain in the shadows of the temple. Although the Bible doesn?t display a very flattering image of this Egyptian pharaoh, he was great to himself and to his people long after his passing. It was Ramses that Moses fought with and begged to let his people go.

Ramses the great lived a long and noteworthy life. He lived well into his ninety?s and the years for his death range all the way from 1212 to 1237. He was a living god to the Egyptians, but more so was he a god after his death. He underwent the usual mummification process for great pharaohs. His brains were extracted through his nostrils, leaving his skull to be cleansed with palm wine and resin. Then his vital organs were removed and his body was rinsed and filled with mur and spices. Covered in salts and resin, this completed the bandages wrapped around his entire corpse. His organs were placed in jars around his tomb to take to the after life with him, as well as rich and beautiful ornaments of affection and devotion from his people. The mummification process took around 70 days to complete. It lies a lot in the monuments that he sponsored that cast his name far and wide, and also part of being such a great warrior that made this pharaoh a hero among his people. But, his most important title was gained as he was historically transformed from Ramses II into Ramses the Great by his living legacy today.