The History of Egypt Podcast

Kha and Merit, an Intact Tomb. In 1906, a remarkable discovery came to light: the tomb of a middle-class couple, who lived in the town of Deir el-Medina. Here, amid the craftsmen and specialists who made tombs, a man named Kha and a woman named Merit enjoyed an affluent lifestyle. When they died, they were interred with all their worldly possessions and slept undisturbed for 3300 years. Then, a wo...

Amunhotep III (Part 11): The Royal Palace and a King's Life. By 1370 BCE, King Amunhotep III was living in a sumptuous palace at Thebes. Built for the first sed-festival (ep.100), the "House of Rejoicing" was a magnificent structure with many beautiful elements. Today, we start to explore how a pharaoh lived and the lifestyle they enjoyed... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the sho...

The Minoans Fade Away. In 1370 BCE, an Egyptian embassy visited the Aegean. As part of their journey, they came to Crete, visiting the Keftiu (Minoans) who had ruled the island for 1000 years. Until now.... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Michael Levy www.ancientlyre.com Music...

A Passage to Greece. It's time to set sail! We journey far from Egypt to visit lands only whispered about until now. We are visiting Greece and the lands of Mycenae, who in 1370 BCE were beginning to make their mark on the international scene. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Outro musi...

Successful Statues, Private Worship, and Faith in New Kingdom Egypt. Dr. Campbell Price, is the Curator of Egypt and Sudan at the Manchester Museum, University of Manchester. Dr. Price is an expert on non-royal statues and religion and he generously agreed to discuss these topics with me. The result was a wonderful interview, that I think you'll really enjoy! Discussion topics: 00:00 - 32:00 Non-R...

Success After Fifty. In 1470 BCE, King Amunhotep III's closest advisor was already eighty years old. The scribe, overseer and wise man Amunhotep Son of Hapu achieved prominence quite late in life, but he did not waste the opportunity. From a small town in the Delta, to the vast construction sites of Thebes, a royal scribe went to work for his pharaoh, and gained immortality... Website: www.egyptia...

A Father Begs His Son to Return Home. Late in the New Kingdom (c.1250 BCE), an Egyptian father wrote a letter to his son. The son had gone to sea, sailing on a ship; he had not sent any word of his wellbeing. Worried, the father writes a letter, begging his son to return home. The letter is possibly based off real events, for it involves people who were genuine figures in their community. The fath...

A former pupil goes off the rails and gets lost in drink; his teacher tries to bring him back. After completing his education, a young scribe might take a job in a temple, government office, or work team. But this time, the student went off into some wayward behaviours. Writing a stern letter, a schoolmaster tries to bring his former pupil back to sobriety and good living. Translations by John L....

A Princess Becomes Queen, a Prince Becomes Heir. In 1370 BCE, the same year as the Sed-Festival, pharaoh Amunhotep III made two interesting decisions. He made his eldest daughter his wife, and named his eldest (surviving) son as heir to the throne. In a short side-episode, we explore these events and their significance... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.pa...

Amunhotep III (Part 10): The Sed Festival, As Told by Kheruef Who Witnessed It. In regnal year 30, Amunhotep III celebrated the first of his sed-festivals. This was a spectacular event, with a number of rituals and performances celebrating the King's reign, and renewing his authority on earth. Some of these rites were truly arcane, hearkening back to the very earliest days of the Egyptian kingdom....

Amunhotep III (Part 9): The Dark Years. Between 1380 and 1370 BCE, Egypt may have suffered an outbreak of disease. In this decade, at least four royal family members died, and the political situation was irrevocably changed. It wasn't all bad, though: around 1380, Queen Tiy went through the difficulties of childbirth and offered a new son to the lineage... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com....

Royal Children On the Rise. From 1385 to 1380, the prince of Egypt Thutmose was climbing up the ranks. From a lowly sem-priest to the chief of a great temple, Thutmose was a quickly rising star. His sister, Sit-Amun, also leaves a tantalizing trace of her life. We explore a non-royal funeral, the cult of the Apis Bull, and see how a prince of Egypt left some wonderful personal records, including t...

Jeffrey Goodman has composed some wonderful pieces evoking the world of ancient Egypt. Taking inspiration from mythology, art and literature, he crafts lovely songs with a focus on authenticity in instrumentation. As part of the larger investigation of music, I invited him onto the show for a discussion about composition, ancient musicality, and how to evoke the past when we have no written notati...

Instruments, Musicians, and Songs. In this mini episode, we explore the traces of ancient Egyptian songs and music. Although the melodies and rhythms are lost, we still have lyrics, instruments and artwork detailing some of these arts. From this, we can understand how certain instruments were played, and what different artists tried to achieve. Plus, modern reconstructions can give us a hint at th...

The most lavish tomb (before Tutankhamun). The family of Queen Tiy came from an interesting place, and led a fascinating life. Her mother and father - Tjuyu and Yuya - and her brother Anen enjoyed great privileges thanks to their family connections. In life, and in death, they left an enduring legacy... Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the sh...

Amunhotep III (Part 8): What Does The Scarab Say? From 1392 to 1390 BCE, Amunhotep III experienced an interesting few years. He hunted his 100th lion, and welcomed a new bride to his court. The princess Gilu-khepa came from Mitanni, for a diplomatic marriage to the king. Then, Amunhotep commissioned an artificial lake, built for the glory of his main wife, Tiye. Interesting times, all round... Web...

Amunhotep III (Part 7): Everything Bigger Than Everything Else. For 2000+ years, the Colossi of Memnon have dazzled visitors to Thebes. What are the statues doing there? In this episode, we explore the lost Mortuary Temple of Amunhotep III, in particular the immense statues which are his enduring legacy. From the work of Egyptian builders to the heroes of Greek myth, the Colossi of Memnon have a u...

Amunhotep III (Part 6): City of a Hundred Pylons. In 1397 BCE, King Amunhotep III began a massive series of building projects in Thebes. At Karnak, Luxor Temple, and the new "Maru" viewing place, the King inaugurated sanctuaries and gardens for the god Amun. We explore these monuments, and how they created a reputation that still resonated in the sagas of Greek myth... Website: www.egyptianhistory...

Amunhotep III (Part 5): Exploring the Southlands. In late 1397 BCE, King Amunhotep III took a band of warriors deep into Nubia (Sudan). They traversed deserts, explored hidden pools, and came to mysterious lands. It was a trip into strange new places... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. ...

Amunhotep III (Part 4): Pharaoh's First War. At the start of regnal year 5 (around August 1397 BCE), Amunhotep III led his first and only military campaign. Responding to a revolt in Nubia, the King gathered an army and began an expedition. We follow the king on campaign, and explore a slightly unusual situation... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.c...

Amunhotep III (Part 3): Introducing Queen Tiye. In 1399 BCE, the pharaoh Amunhotep III married his first and most important wife: Tiye, Royal Wife, Great of Praises, Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt. Just twelve years old, the young queen would go on to be the most powerful woman in the world... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Ma...

Amunhotep III (Part 2): A Busy Start. From May 1400 to April 1399, King Amunhotep finished his first year (just 4 months long) and began his second. In this 12-month period, he began a flurry of new projects. From donations to Thoth, to a mighty hunt, the King set himself as a vigorous and dynamic youth. His mother, Mutemwia, helped drive much of this... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Su...

The Birth of a God. Amunhotep III (Neb-maat-Re) came to power in mid-1400 BCE. He was twelve-years old, but already he had spent years being groomed for power. Today we explore the birthing myth and the childhood of one of the greatest pharaohs in history. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payment...

Nebi and the Guardians of the Sinai. Around 1414 BCE, a man and his comrades were marching into the unrelenting heat of the Sinai Peninsula. We follow Nebi of Tjaru and his men, as they undertake the grueling work of protecting Egypt's frontiers... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music...

Ladies of the Lake. Before she became queen of Egypt, the lady Tia'a spent her days at the royal harem of the Faiyum. This was a mysterious institution, devoted to serving queens, concubines and all the children of a pharaoh. We explore the Queen's background, the harem as an institution and the people who led the Faiyum's communities... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show vi...