Ramses II the Great

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Ramses II the Great

• Egypt versus the Bible

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Outline

• Introduction
• Part I. Ramses II
• a. His reign
• b. His life and his family
• Part II. Moses and the Bible?
• a. Moses
• b. The Jews in Egypt
• c. The Red Sea
• Conclusion
• References

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Introduction

• Ramses II (r. 1290-1224 B.C.), one of the longest
  reigns of any Egyptian pharaoh
• Third ruler of the 19th Dynasty, son of Seti I
• Reign marked last peak of Egyptian imperial
  power famed for his massive building programs
  and many colossal statues
• Ramses is thought to be the pharaoh referred to
  in the biblical book of Exodus

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Part I. Ramses II
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a. His reign

• The son of Seti I and Queen Tuya was the third
  king of the 19th Dynasty. Called Ramesses the
  Great, he lived to be 96 years old
• Ramses assumed the throne and began a series of
  wars against the Syrians. The famous Battle of
  Kadesh is inscribed on the walls of his temple
• Ramesses' building accomplishments are two
  temples at Abu Simbel, the hypostyle hall at
  Karnak, a mortuary complex at Abydos, the
  Colossus of Ramses at Memphis, a vast tomb at
  Thebes, additions at the Luxor Temple, and the
  famous Ramesseum

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Abu Simbel
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b. His life and his family

• Ramses had 200 wives and concubines, 96 sons and
  60 daughters Among his wives were Nefertari,
  Queen Istnofret, and a Hittite princess
• Nefertari, daughter of King Seti I, and thus
  sister or half sister of Ramses II, was his
  favorite Queen
• Her participation in the affairs of the state is
  unparalleled referred as the "Great King's Wife
• A political role is also reflected by the
  recurrent designation "Lady of Upper and Lower
  Egypt" and "Lady of the Two Lands"

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Part II.Moses and the Bible
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a. Moses

• Born in Goshen, a part of ancient Egypt
• His mother placed him in a basket made of papyrus
  and set it floating on the Nile River
• Rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh, who brought
  the infant up as her own child
• Moses went to Pharaoh, but in spite of the
  miracles he worked, Pharaoh would not release the
  Hebrew people
• At last, he consented, and Moses led the Hebrews
  out of Egypt (Exodus)
• Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on
  Mount Sinai, but smashed the tablets when he
  found the Israelites worshiping a golden calf

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b. The Jews in Egypt

• The Hebrews lived in Egypt and were oppressed by
  the Egyptian ruler
• After the Israelites spend two centuries enslaved
  in Egypt, God chooses Moses, an Israelite who has
  fled from Egypt, to lead the children of Israel
  out of slavery
• Historians can verify none of this narrative
  Jews honor the story of the miraculous departure
  from Egypt, called the Exodus, as the
  transforming event in Jewish history

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c. The Red Sea

• Narrow, inland sea, separating the Arabian
  peninsula, western Asia, from northeastern Africa
  (1,900 km long)
• The site of the safe passage of the Israelites
  through the Red Sea is said to be the Gulf of
  Suez
• The Red Seas high salt content is a result of
  the regions extreme heat, which makes its waters
  evaporate quickly

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Red Sea
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Conclusion

• Ramses II probably had about 100 children by his
  principle wives and consorts
• Unlike many pharaohs, his family is attested to
  with numerous monuments including Nefertari's
  small temple at Abu Simbel and her great tomb in
  the Valley of the Queens
• He also built a tomb for a number of his sons in
  the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank at Luxor
  (ancient Thebes) very near his own tomb
• Interesting to note that Pharaoh released the
  Hebrew people only when his son died

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References

• http//www.touregypt.net/19dyn03.htm
• http//touregypt.net/historicalessays/nefertari.ht
  m
• http//www.sis.gov.eg/egyptinf/history/html/ramses
  .htm
• http//www.eyelid.co.uk/k-q4.htm
• http//www.bibleplaces.com/abusimbel.htm
• http//www.touregypt.net/featurestories/abusimbel.
  htm
• http//www.kfki.hu/arthp/bio/s/sluter/biograph.ht
  ml
• http//touregypt.net/historicalessays/nefertari.ht
  m