The Twentieth Dynasty

The Twentieth Dynasty was founded by a pharaoh named Setnakht. Again, it is unclear what his relation to the previous royal family was, and how he became pharaoh if he was not a legitimate descendant of that line. We cannot rule out a usurpation by force. He reigned only a few years, less than five, and then the long dreary series of Ramessides begins. The first, Rameses III, fared well; he reigned some thirty years, and did his best to emulate his “Great” namesake in courage and deeds. Most Egyptologists look upon Rameses as the last great pharaoh of Egypt. He repelled invasions by the Libyans, and he faced the so-called “Sea Peoples” probably a confederation of displaced tribes from Asia Minor. These people devastated Cyprus and Syria and destroyed the Hittite empire on their way to Egypt, but in Rameses III they met their match. Thousands of their warriors were captured or killed; the walls of Rameses’s funerary temple at Medinet Habu, near the Valley, depict huge heaps of severed hands being piled before Rameses by his victorious generals. However, the greatest threat to the king was domestic; a plot to assassinate him was hatched in his own harem, an indication of how far the prestige of Pharaoh was falling. His son, Rameses IV, undertook a massive building program, but died after a short reign, and was succeeded by a series of rulers named Rameses V through VIII—whose reigns were even less noteworthy, none exceeding seven years long and producing no monuments or achievements of significance except their Valley tombs. These kings were probably not a series of fathers and sons, but rather brothers and cousins who took the name upon their coronation. Rameses IX brought some stability to the throne, with a nineteen year reign, and a tomb in the Valley full of strange and beautiful funerary texts, some of which are not known outside its walls. The prestige of the pharaoh decreased throughout this period, particularly in comparison with the priesthood of Amun, which continued to grow richer and more influential, until finally, during the twenty-seven year reign of Rameses XI, the last pharaoh of the dynasty, the high priest of Amun, Amenhotep, was able to have himself represented on the same scale as the pharaoh. Soon thereafter, the country seems to have collapsed into civil war. In Upper Egypt, Amenhotep’s successor as high priest, Herihor, had his name inscribed in a cartouche, as a pharaoh would, while Lower Egypt was taken over by Nesbanebdjed, a native of Mendes in the Delta, whom Manetho called Smendes, perhaps fusing the name of his city with his personal name which must have been quite unmanageable in Greek. Some Egyptologists believe that Nesbanebdjed and Herihor were compatriots, and together overthrew Rameses XI, dividing the country between themselves. And so at last, the magnificent New Kingdom came to an end. Although most of Ramesses III reign was prosperous and the king made many gifts to the temples, toward the end there were problems. First there was a strike because monthly food rations were overdue. 
 
More serious was the discovery that several of his wives and officials in his harem were in a plot to kill him. As punishment, some of the plotters were allowed to kill themselves, while others lived, but got there noses and ears off. The next eight pharohs were all called Ramesses, and under them Egypt lost the what was left of it's empire and became increasingly unstable. This is list of the the dynasty pharaohs: Setnakhte 1185–1182 Ramesses III 1182–1151 Ramesses IV 1151–1145 Ramesses V 1145–1141 Ramesses VI 1141–1133 Ramesses VII 1133–1126 Ramesses VIII 1133–1126 Ramesses IX 1126–1108 Ramesses X 1108–1098 Ramesses XI 1098–1070 The Twentieth Dynasty events: - Internal weakening - Libyan and Nubia resurgence - Invasion of the Sea Peoples - In the Twentieth Dynasty Rameses III (1195-1164 B.C.) pursued the retreating "Sea Peoples," whom he had repulsed in their attempted invasion of the Nile Delta, along the Mediterranean coast into Syria. He seems to have made no attempt, however, to recapture the coastal towns. Gaza alone, so far as his records show, fell into his hands. Before the end of his reign Egypt was compelled to abandon the whole of her Asiatic dependencies. - Rameses III lead the war against the Sea Peoples 1180-1173. His temple at Medinat Habu - Steady decay in Egyptian military power increasing use of foreign mercenaries difficult shift to iron age. - Infiltration of Egypt by Libyans, Nubians, Semitic and Aegean Peoples - Great Iron Age Migration of peoples c. 1230-1100. Conquest of Anatolia (= Trojan war, fall of Hittites). Syria Palestine (= Philistines, Israelites). Italy (= Sicily, Sardina, Etruscans). Greece (= Collapse of Mycenaeans, Greek Dark Ages). Two of the Great Epics of World History = Homer and OT conquests. - Decline in trade, military and social upheaval, general dissaray. Loss of Syrian, Nubia and Oases domains. Egypt survives as Kingdom. - Decline in absolute authority of Pharaoh, Revolt vs. Pharaoh by Herihor establishing 21st Dyansty c. 108 - The Twentieth Dynasty began by looking very favorably on this god, as is shown in the name of its founder Setnakt, "Set is Mighty." There is also considerable evidence that the set cult was favored among artisans of the time (see Romer's Ancient Lives, Henry Holt, 1984, and if you've got as copy of Stephen Quirk's Ancient Egyptian Religion check out the beautiful Stella of Aapehty -- probably the most beautiful surviving example of Setian art). - By the end of the Twentieth Dynasty, as the funerary cult of Osiris became the dominate force in popular Egyptian religion,more and more, Set as the murderer of Osiris became the Evil One. In fact by the Twenty Sixth dynasty it was a common practice to disfigure any representations of Set. He became -- for all practical purposes the Christian devil. Some scholars have even derived the name Satan from Set-Hen, a cult title meaning the Majesty of Set, but I am dubious of this particular derivation. - Soon after the Twentieth Dynasty in Egypt, the Egyptians lost control over Nubia and the land was plunged into a dark age. Around 900 B.C., evidence of a Nubian monarchy begins to emerge…By 770 B.C., these kings were extending their rule to the North. Soon …Egypt [was under] Nubian control. The Kings now wore the crown of the double cobra – signifying the unity of both Egypt and Nubia. After the end of the 20th Dynasty Egypt was divided between the High Preist at Thebes and the Vizier of lower Egypt, Smendes who ruled from Tanis. And as usual, at times when Egypt was in turmoil conquerors came. 
 
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The Nineteenth Dynasty

After the death of Horemheb, the vizier of the former king, took the throne and adopt new name to himself "Rameses I", his old name is "Pramesse". The historians called his age with the nineteenth dynasty. The new pharaoh Rameses I was an old man, so his reign was very short and uncompleted. Although his short reign, Ramses I has the honor of establishment the nineteenth dynasty. Seti I reign after the death of his father Rameses I, his age was building age beacause he reign for along time. Seti I was devoted to the God Osiris and he built especial temple to Osiris in Abydos. In that temple the scholars found complete list of all the pharaohs from the age of Narmer to the nineteenth dynasty, but the pharaohs of the period of Amarna city was not recorded in that list. The tomb of Seti I in the valley of the kings, It is one of the most beautiful tombs in ancient Egypt. His mummy is still one of the wonderful mummies found in Egypt. Rameses II was succeeded by Seti I, his reign was very long, about 75 years. 
 
Ramses II or Ramses the great, was the most famous king in the world. He had wide spread famous in the past and nowadays because he was built more buildings like temples and tombs, also he reached with the borders of the Egyptian empire to Asia minor. He was a great warrior and he put the first treaty in the world between Egypt and the Hittite Empire. More about Ramses II. After the death of Ramses I, his son Merneptah reign for short time, about 10 years only. Seti II (1199–1193 BC) succeed his father Merneptah, in his short age another king Amenmesse appears and asked the throne, perhaps Amenmesse reign in the same time with Seti II. Some historians suggested that Amenmesse divided Egypt with Seti II. In any way Siptah came to the throne after Amenmesse and Seti II, he maybe the son of Seti II, other scholars said that Siptah was the son of Amenmesse. Siptah had a bad deformity in his legs and he died resulted that. After the death of Siptah, the queen Tawosret, maybe the wife of Seti II, came to the throne. The end of nineteenth dynasty was unknown for the scholars, maybe Tawosret was the last pharaoh of that dynasty, but the fact was lost from the history court. After the nineteenth dynasty, the throne turned to Setnakht, the first king in the dynasty 20, but the relations between Setnakht and the end of the nineteenth dynasty was unknown. 
 
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Horemhab 1321–1293

Akhenaten, Who moved the political capital of the country from Akhetaten to Memphis (Why Akhenaten Moved The Capital?), had 6 daughters from his wife Nefertiti. Horemhab followed King Ay (1325-1321) to the throne. Some historians suggest that Horemhab himself order with kill the Hittite prince, and other believed that he also kill king Tut himself. Horemhab was a military general and from the first men of king Ay. He may be still beside the old man (Ay) to die and then he claim to the throne.
Horemheb with AmunHoremhab with Amun
 
 He comes the obliteration of the remained of the Amarna. With that uncivil work, some believed that the mummy of Akhenaten and the mummies of his family also, were destroyed. King Horemheb usurped the majority of the monuments of Tutankhamen. Horemhab also insult the pharaohs of Amarna, and by lie Horemhab dated his own rule to the beginning of Akhenaten reign, Tutankhamen. He perhaps want to effacement Ay, Tut and Akhenaten ages from the page of the history. He married from a certain woman called Mutnodjmet, some believed to be the younger sister of Nefertiti. Rameses I follow Horemhab after his death. Rameses I was the vizier of Horemhab. He was an old commander in army. Rameses I begin a new dynasty in the Egyptian history, that is the nineteenth dynasty (1293-1185BC).
Cartouche of HoremhebCartouche of Horemhab
Horemhab 1321–1293 want to confirm his rule to the throne, so he constructed two tombs for himself, one when he was a small nobleman which founded at Saqqara, and the other tomb founded in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes which have number KV57, as the pharaoh. His Wife was Queen Mutnedjmet, perhaps(the younger sister of Nefertiti). Horemhab didn't have son in his life from Mutnedjmet as successor. Also he didn't have any children from Amenia (his first wife). Amenia died before her wife assumed power of the Egypt throne. In fact, the tomb of is beautiful tomb, but it didn't opened for many years to any one except the researchers. 
 
Haremhab was a royal scribe and generalissimo of the army under King Tutankhamun. He continued to serve during the reign of Aya, and then became king himself. This statue was made before he ascended the throne. That Haremhab chose to be represented as a scribe indicates the importance of literacy in Egypt; it also puts Haremhab in an age-old tradition of depicting a great official as a “wise man” that is, a scribe. The great man sits slightly hunched over, and his eyes look downward, although not as far down as the papyrus scroll on which he is composing a hymn to the god Thoth, patron of scribes. The ink palette is on Haremhab’s left thigh, and his right hand now missing once held the brush. The hieroglyphs on the scroll face the writer, and one can see how Egyptians unrolled a papyrus with the left hand while reading and writing. As a badge of office Haremhab has a strap slung over his left shoulder from which hang two miniature writing kits, one on the chest, the other on the back of the shoulder. To proclaim loyalty to the newly reinstalled traditional religion, Haremhab has a figure of the god Amun incised on his forearm, perhaps indicating a tattoo. The scribe wears a long tunic of fine linen that reveals rolls of fat below his chest, which testify to maturity and the high status of the official. Pleats have been carefully pressed into the edges of the shirt that cover the arms like sleeves. 
 
Haremhab has wrapped a long, wide pleated sash around the lower part of his body. The sash has been tied at the waist and the long ends have been looped back to tuck under the tie. The shawl also has been carefully pleated. The figure’s buttocks, thighs, and knees are covered with the linear pleat pattern, which contrasts with the smooth, round forms of the upper torso, arms, and the lower portion of the legs. A similar contrast is achieved between the delicately modeled facial features and the richly patterned wig. The triangular outline of the figure is opened up at the arms and elbows, and the statue’s overall symmetry is broken by the one-sided diagonal of the lower right leg. By such means the sculptor managed to imbue a basically quiescent pose with tension and vitality. Similar results were obtained in the head and face by contrasting the youthfully rounded facial features and heavy-lidded eyes of a thinker with an angular, almost harshly cut jaw and chin. Despite its elegance and beauty, this is undoubtedly the image of a man of action to be reckoned with. The horseshoe-shaped base forms an integral part of the whole composition, elevating the figure and at the same time contrasting its rich detail with the base’s simple outline and smooth surface. The base is inscribed with additional religious texts: prayers to Thoth, Sakhmet, Ptah Sokar, and Osiris. The latter two gods are connected with death and rebirth, and it has been suggested that the statue was originally created for Haremhab’s civilian tomb at Saqqara. However, a temple may also well have been the original location for this scribe statue of a great Egyptian. 
 
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