NEW KINGDOM EGYPT FROM AMENHOTEP III
TO THE DEATH OF RAMESSES II
AMENHOTEP III
Setting the Scene
 Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for almost 40 years (C. 1417 BC – 1379 BC)
 Amenhotep inherited an empire which was unbelievable wealthy, and
politically secure.
 Politically, Egyptian influence extended from the Euphrates River in the
north to the Fourth Cataract in the south.
 Economically, Egypt exploited vast resources of gold and precious stones.
 Incredible riches came in the form of gifts and tribute from vassal kings.
 Egyptians enjoyed the material benefits of earlier conquests – tribute and
taxes, slaves and resources from other lands.
Personal Background
 Amenhotep III was the son of Thutmose IV and a minor wife, Mutemwia.
 He had many brothers and sisters, but from an early age he was identified as
the next pharaoh.
 In about the 13th year of his reign, Amenhotep promoted his daughter,
Sitamun, to the same status as her mother, Great Royal Wife.
 Thutmose IV died when Amenhotep was around 12 years old. In his early
years as pharaoh he was advised by his mother, Mutemwia and a group of
administrators.
Queen Tiy
 By the second year of his reign, Amenhotep was married to Queen Tiy, a
young woman of non-royal birth.
 Tiy had at least seven children to Amenhotep III, 5 daughters and 2 sons.
 Although Amenhotep III had many other wives, Tiy always retained her
status. In all commemorative scarabs she is named the Great Royal Wife.
 She is frequently shown beside the pharaoh as the same size.
 The Amarna letters suggest that Tiy played an active role in diplomatic
affairs. Foreign rulers wrote directly to her, sometimes simply to ask her to
support their requests for gold and other treasures.
 When Amenhotep died, King Tushratta of Mitanni wrote to Tiy. His letters
show his respect for her and indicate the important role she played in
relations between the two kings.
 Tiy outlived her husband and lived well into the reign of her son Akhenaten.
Building Program
 He began his building program very early in his reign.
 Amenhotep III’s building program surpassed that of any of his predecessors
 His palace at Thebes, his mortuary temple and his colossal statues were all
bigger than anything that had ever been built before.
 He emphasized his relationship with the gods and in order to ensure their
benevolence and protection in this life and the next, he honoured them
through various monuments and benefactions.

The nature and scale of some of his projects have prompted the suggestion
that he also used his countries resources to glorify himself.
 Inscriptions from the first two years record the opening of new chambers in
quarries.
The Temple of Amen at Luxor
 The most significant of Amenhotep III’s temples
 A progression from an open court through a series of halls, diminishing in
size, to the sanctuary.
 The colonnade and forecourt of this temple has been acclaimed by art
historians as being the most impressive achievement of Egyptians temple
architecture.
The Pylons at Karnak
 He demolished the shrines and monuments of earlier pharaohs, including
some of his father’s, and used the rubble to fill his new pylon. This carried a
lengthy inscription praising himself and Amen.
 On the southern side of the temple he built a smaller pylon and set in front of
it two colossal statues of himself.
Malkata Palace
 He built a new palace on the west bank of the Nile. It was part of a vast
complex covering over 32 hectares
 It consisted of 4 loosely connected palaces, residential apartments,
courtyards and gardens, a small temple of Amen and villages for palace
workers.
 Buildings were one to three storeys, made from mud brick with timber
columns and roof beams.
Mortuary Temple
 About 1 km north of the Palace complex, Amenhotep built his huge
mortuary temple which appears to be the largest of its kind ever constructed.
 Although the temple was built to house the funeral service of the Pharaoh’s
spirit, it was dedicated to the Aten.
 In front of the temple, Amenhotep III constructed two huge statues of
himself over 16 metres tall, known as the Colossi of Memnon.
Religion
 Amen was the main god of the new kingdom, and wars of conquest were
fought in his name. The victory spoils were dedicated to his temples, which
were administered by the powerful Amen priesthood.
 Amenhotep made a record of buildings that he had erected to honour Amen.
 Amun-Re was given equal credit with the pharaoh for success in battle.
 Amun-Re received a share of the wealth and prestige in the temple and
became part of the religion of the defeated enemies.
 In the last decade of his reign, Amenhotep III was depicted as a god. It was
customary for pharaoh’s to be shown as gods in the afterlife, it was unusual
that Amenhotep was shown as a god when he was still alive.
Heb-Sed Festivals
 Amenhotep’s Heb-Sed festivals were one of the highlights of his rule.
 Preparations were extensive, with solar courts being added to many of
Amenhotep’s major temples.
 His first Heb-Sed festival marked a change in the way he was represented in
reliefs and sculptures. He was now being depicted as youthful and idealized
in order to emphasise his divine status.
Foreign Policy
 The battles had been won, the treaties and alliances made and the
administration of the empire established before he came to the throne.
Amenhotep’s role was to maintain and protect was already existed. He did
this largely by continuing the policies of his predecessors, and by taking a
personal interest in the affairs of state instead of leaving everything to
subordinates.
 Amenhotep strengthened his alliances with other countries by marrying the
sisters or daughters of kings from Babylon, Mitanni, Syria and Arzawa.
 In letters between the kings, reference is often made to the brotherhood and
friendship between them and the fact that marriage between the families
makes them more closely related.
 Amenhotep III maintained an army throughout the empire.
 He maintained a good system of communication. Reports from civil and
military officials kept the pharaoh informed of what was happening within
the empire.
 Tribute continued to flow into Egypt from all parts of the empire.
Military Campaigns
 While there is evidence of the campaign in Nubia, there is no evidence of any
similar campaigns in the north.
 It is unlikely that Amenhotep’s campaign in Nubia added any new territory
to the Egyptian empire.
 The Amarna Letters suggest that relations between Amenhotep and northern
rulers was amicable. The only trouble spot was in Northern Syria, where
Egypt had never established firm control.
 Letters from Babylos show increasing disturbances in Syria and a reluctance
on the part of Egypt to become involved in disputes in this area, especially
against the Hittites.
 A stela cut into the rock near the first cataract records that there had been a
revolt in Nubia during the 5th year of his reign and that he had invaded the
country to crush the rebels.
TUTANKHAMUN
Personal Background
 Reigned from C. 1361 BC – 1352 BC
 The origins of Tutankhaten are not clear. He was chosen to marry,
Ankhesenpaaten, one of Akhenaten’s six daughters.
 Tutankhamun died when he was around 19 years old
Military Campaigns
 Horemheb, an army commander, led the counter-revolution against Amarna
and restored Egyptian power with military victories against the Hittites,
during Tutankhamun’s reign.
Religion
 Tutankhamun pledged to make reparations to Amun-Re and the temples.
The old nobles were restored in the civil service, and all losses were made
good to the temple priests.
AYE
Personal Background
 After the premature death of Tutankhamen, the aging Aye, perhaps in his
60’s became king.
 Ruled from C. 1352 BC – 1348 BC
Building Program
 Aye, in his four short years as King, added to the temple complexes at
Karnak and Luxor and built a rock cut chapel at Akhmim.
 At both Karnak and Luxor, he added his name to many of Tutankhamen’s
monuments.
 Aye also built his own mortuary temple at Medinet Habu
Religion
 Aye wished to support the traditional gods of Egypt and carried on
Tutankhamen’s restoration of temples.
HOREMHEB
Personal Background
 Reigned from C. 1348 BC – 1320 BC
 As an experienced army commander, Horemheb was a sound choice as heir,
particularly as Aye left no offspring.
 Horemheb had played a major role in both the reign of Tutankhamen and
Aye.
Administration
 He brought in the Edict of Horemheb which states that a poor person who
has been robbed is exempt from paying taxes, soldiers cannot steal cattle
hides, and capital punishment is to be introduced for priests who took bribes.
 It appears that Horemheb found much corruption in official and
administrative circles and introduced laws to protect the common people.
 The edict of Horemheb restored local authority. The local chiefs became
responsible for proper administration of the pharaoh’s law and local justice.
Military Campaigns
 At Karnak, traditional scenes are depicted with 11 defeated lands listed.
 A campaign in Nubia was recorded in a rock-cut temple at Silsileh
 There is no record of Horemheb attempting to regain lost territory
 He secured a treaty with the Hittites. This, the Hittites were eager to have so
as to pursue expansion northwards.
Religion
 Horemheb worked to re-establish the importance of Amen and the
traditional gods.
 He had himself crowned by Amen, and attributed military success to Amen.
 He emphasized that he restored temples, priesthoods and the overall wealth
of the temple in general.
 Horemheb finally closed the Aten temples.
Building Program
 One of the major aspects of his building program was that Horemheb
emphasized that he restored many traditional temples.
 Horemheb usurped many buildings from the time of Tutankhamen and Aye
and continued the demolition of major monuments of Akhenaten.
 He usurped Tutankhamen’s hall at Luxor, several of his statues and also his
restoration stela.
 Horemheb appears to have wanted to obliterate the memory of Aye –
removing his cartouches, usurping his monuments at Luxor and mortuary
temples and was probably responsible for defacing Aye’s tomb.
 He claimed the monuments of Akhenaten and Tutankhamen as his own.
 The coronation stela emphasized that he restored temples throughout Egypt,
adding to their wealth and restored royal tombs that had been robbed.
 He began construction on the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of AmunRe
 He built tombs at Thebes and Memphis.
 He expanded the building program on the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak
and the temple of Amun-Re at Luxor.
 Pylons were constructed, using the stones from the temples to the Aten.
 Horemheb constructed his tomb near that of Thutmosid Kings and seemed to
wish to align himself with the kings that preceded Akhenaten.
RAMESSES I
Personal Background
 Ramesses I ruled from C. 1320 BC – 1318 BC
 Sometime during his reign he established a co-regency with his son Seti
Administration
 Strategically, the centre of government returned to Memphis. This was better
suited for regaining the empire than Thebes, although Thebes remained a
religious capital.
Military Campaign
 Ramesses continued the traditional role of defender of Egypt, sending Seti
north on a campaign
 Ramesses used traditional warlike language to proclaim dominance and
victory over Egypt’s traditional enemies
Building Program
 He had little time for major building projects
 He dedicated a temple to Min-Amen at Buhen, providing the temple with
loaves, beer, vegetables, priest and slaves.
 He made a new working site at Tanis
Religion
 He began a religious policy which was followed by his son and grandson
 He made offerings to several gods of Egypt, not concentrating so heavily on
Amen.
 Despite re-establishing the name and images of the Amen, the 19th dynasty
pharaohs appear to have learnt from the experience of Akhenaten and did
not elevate Amen to his previous position of supreme religious power.
 The pharaohs themselves were often placed on the same level as the gods.
 There was the replacement of southern gods by the northern Re, Seth, and
Ptah, which led to personal-styled religion.
 There was a return to prominence of the after-life in tomb paintings.
SETI I
Personal Background
 Seti ruled from C. 1318 BC – 1304 BC
 Seti was married to Tuya, and they produced 3 children.
 Without a link to a long line of kings, Set had to strengthen and legitimize his
reign.
Military Campaign
 Seti pursued an active military program, following similar strategies to
Thutmose III
 Over the past few decades, the situation in the north had changed, with
increasing pressure from the northern power of the Hittites, the collapse of
the Mitannians and the general unrest in Palestinian cities.
 The major source we have for his campaigns is a series of reliefs on the entire
northern and partial eastern side of the outer wall of the hypostyle hall in the
Karnak temple.
First Campaign
 Seti led his army into Palestine traveling approximately 150km to the
Palestine border region.
 They then went into Canaan, an area bordering Palestine, and captured an
unknown town there.
 Meanwhile, the towns of Bethshan and Rehob, previously under Egyptian
control, were under attack from the armies of Hamath and Pella.

The Egyptian army relieved both towns and moved west to the coastline and
captured the nearby town of Yenoam.
 Having secured the coast, Seti entered Jordan and punished Pella for its role
in attacking Bethshan.
 He returned in triumph to Egypt, presenting captives and booty to Amen.
 He secured the sea ports for later supplies and to provide links to Egypt
before an invasion of Syria.
Second Campaign
 Seti repulsed an attack from the Libyans in the west.
 He spent most of year 2 either in Delta, Memphis or Heliopolis, obvious bases
from which to launch a campaign against the Libyans.
Third Campaign
 Attack on the northern Asiatic town of Kadesh
 At least some of the territory was conquered.
Fourth Campaign
 Important campaign waged against the Hittites somewhere north of Kadesh.
 He claims there was a great slaughter.
 Under Seti, Egypt could claim part of Northern Syria.
Fifth Campaign
 Year 8, campaign waged against Nubia
 Seti celebrates dominance of the south.
 By the end of his reign, Seti had re-established an Egyptian presence in
Palestine, along the Lebanese coast and probably in Syria.
 Nubia was also firmly under Egyptian control and was exploited for mining
and trade.
Building Program
 During his reign, Set embarked on an active building campaign
 He added to the temple of Amen at Karnak, built a mortuary temple at
Qurna, a great tomb in the valley of the kings, another temple at Abydos and
local temples at Heliopolis and Elephantine (also erecting obelisks and huge
statues there)
Temple of Amen at Karnak
 He placed his war reliefs on the outer northern and part of the eastern walls.
 The main decorative focus of his Amen complex was to emphasise his close
link to the Amen, who was responsible for his military victories and who
benefited from the booty.
Mortuary Temple at Qurna, Thebes
 Seti set up an area within his mortuary complex for his fathers (Amen) rites.
 He dedicated the temple 6 times to himself alone and to Amen.
 Not completed at the time of death and completed by his son, Ramesses II.
Temple of Seti at Abydos
 One of the finest decorated temples in Egypt
 Seti’s own mortuary temple to himself, sacred to all gods of Egypt, linking
himself with the earlier dynasties of Egypt.
 Died before completion, completed by Ramesses II.
The Tomb of Seti
 Seti’s tomb is magnificent in sheer size and in the quality of tomb paintings
 It is the largest of royal tombs
 His tomb shows Seti progressing through the underworld, guarded by Isis.
 Thus Seti is protected by gods as he safely passes through the danger of the
underworld to join the gods.
Restorations
 Seti restored damage caused to some temples during the Amarna era,
particularly where the name Amen had been vandalized.
Administration
 He headed an extensive bureaucracy and dealing with his officials must have
taken up a large part of his time.
 Memphis continued as the administrative capital and Seti also had a palace
at Qantir, on the eastern tributary of the Nile Delta.
 Thebes also continued to be important as a religious and administrative
center.
 He linked himself to previous pharaohs by inscribing the ‘list of kings’ at
Abydos.
 He used the Prenomen ‘Repeater of births’ to emphasis that his reign was a
new beginning for Egypt
 Seti issued an edict indicating official corruption. Seti’s edict brought the
new temple of Abydos under government protection.
Religion
 The reliefs at Karnak temple fulfill a religious role in that Seti emphasizes his
close link to the Amen, who assures his of victory. In turn, Seti presents
Amen with booty and prisoners of war on his return.
 He refers to Amen-Re as his ‘father’ in temple inscriptions
 Seti also honours other established gods of Egypt and does not elevate Amen
to the supreme position
 Within his tomb, Seti depicted the usual mortuary gods.
 An unusual aspect of his reign was his emphasis of his father (Ramesses I) as
a god and his decision to elevate himself to the same level as the gods in his
Abydos temple.
 This action was essential in justifying his family’s establishment of a new
dynasty, unrelated to former kings.
 He provided a tradition for the pharaohs to e regarded as equals of the gods.
RAMESSES II
Personal Background
 Ramesses II ruled from C. 1304 BC – 1236 BC
 It appears that Ramesses II held a co-regency with his father Seti I and
gained military experience when young.
 Ramesses had a chief wife, Nefertari, who appears with the king on his
monuments from the first year of his reign.
 Ramesses fathered over 150 children
 Ramesses celebrated 11 heb-sed festivals in all
Military Campaign
 In his 4th year he took part in his first Syrian campaign
 In his 5th year his most important campaign took place – that against the new
near eastern power – The Hittites (battle of Kadesh)
 During the next 5 years Ramesses put down 3 revolts in areas previously
controlled by Egypt and other campaigns were waged in Syria.
 There was a threat from the Libyans in the west, who were probably trying
to settle in the rich Delta region.
The Battle of Kadesh
 Kadesh was a city-state allied to the Hittites, located in Northern Syria.
 In year 5 Ramesses launched a campaign against the Hittites in this region.
This seemed to violate an earlier treaty of his father’s.
 The Hittite king, Mutawallish, led a confederacy of approximately 17 000
men, made up of infantry and chariotry.
 The Egyptians, led by Ramesses, were made up of 4 divisions of infantry,
archers, and chariotry.
 The leading division, called Amun, was led by Ramesses himself.
 Some foreigners, probably prisoners of war, made up part of the army.
 His army was unsound and had been divided and spread over a considerable
distance, allowing the Hittites to attack individual divisions.
 They showed lack of discipline and courage when attacked by the enemy and
Ramesses had fallen into an ambush set up by the Hittite king.
 In year 21, Ramesses and the Hittite king signed a treaty to end their
hostilities.
Building Program
 Ramesses built himself a new capital in the northern Delta region that he
referred to as Per-Ramesses. Foreign gods were worshipped there as well as
traditional Egyptian ones.
 His capital was ideally suited for forming closer links with the SyriaPalestine region, and we see signs of foreign gods being recognized and
worshipped in Egypt.
 Great additions were made to the Amun temple at Karnak
 The great Hypostyle hall began by Seti I was completed
 At Luxor, Ramesses added a front court, front pylon and obelisks
 At Abydos he completed a temple begun by his father.

Several temples were built in Nubia, including two cut into cliff at Abu
Simbel.
 Most of Ramesses work and inscriptions are full of self-praise, even
glorification
The Ramesseum
 His huge mortuary temple, The Ramesseum, was located on the western
bank at Thebes.
 Its main shrine was dedicated to the Amun.
 The battle of Kadesh was inscribed on the second pylon.
 The whole area was 265 x 177 metres, with several courts, pillars, columned
terraces and statues of the King as Osiris. The area was surrounded by a low
wall.
 4 colossal seated statues of Ramesses, each 20 metres high, form the façade of
the main temple.
 On the northern interior wall is the most complete pictorial of Kadesh.
 The smaller temple was dedicated to Ramesses wife, Nefertari.
THE SOCIO-POLITICAL LADDER
 The New kingdom was a perfect time for eager, career minded young men to
make their mark on the world
 Career opportunities grew for able scribes who could accurately keep
records and fill official posts in the civil service; for professional soldiers who
could keep Egypt’s army and navy victorious; and for priests who could
efficiently maintain and serve the gods
 Most nobles experienced all 3 professions
 Nobles, tradesmen, merchants, artisans and a growing number of lesser
officials formed a ‘middle class’ which narrowed the gap that had long
existed between the powerful rich and the poor
THE CIVIL SERVICE
 Scribes could become officials by progressing through the strict ranks of
central administration, or in the local administration, or in the government
of conquered lands. Officials were often minor priests.
 Overseer of two granaries (supervised food supply) 
Overseer of the treasury (kept record of tax and tribute) 
Chief stewards (supervised estates of pharaohs) 
Scribe of recruits (organized states labour force) 
Chancellor (supervised mining expeditions) 
Nth and Sth Vizier (head of civil service, collected tax)
PRIESTHOOD
 Temples enjoyed numerous staff, leased temple land to farmers and managed
pharaoh’s own agricultural land
 Most priests worked part time, only those who were the highest priests
worked full time

The temple of the state god, Amun, gained vast wealth and prestige and its
priests rose high in the civil administration
 Had status and prestige but little independence. No priesthood could exist
without the pharaohs permission
 Priests paid taxes to central administration, rent for land and wages for staff
 Priesthoods were frequently jealous of each other and often there was
poaching and stealing from each others temples
 Steward of Amun (responsible for gods estates) 
2nd – 4th profits of Amun (responsible for daily temple provisions) 
1st profit of Amun (High priest, leader of entire cult)
MILITARY
 This profession offered most career opportunities
 2 army departments existed. The external corps, which included the navy,
and the internal corps which included the pharaoh’s bodyguards which was
changed every 10 days
 Land grants were frequently given to veterans on condition that their sons
joined the army
 General officers 
Chief deputy of Northern and Southern corps 
Commander in chief of Egyptian army (pharaoh)
The Vizier and Urban Nobility
 Rekhmire is probably the best known vizier in all of the new kingdom. The
walls of his great tomb describe the role and duties the king expected him to
carry out
 He reported to the king every morning. He was responsible for running
government, including appointment and supervision of all magistrates, the
collection of taxes, supervising the kings building projects, mobilization of
troops and the supervision of southern fortresses