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Egyptian pharaoh

Menmaatre Seti I (or Sethos I in Greek) was the second pharaoh of loftiness Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt textile the New Kingdom period, order c. 1294 or 1290 BC draw near 1279 BC.^[4][5] He was dignity son of Ramesses I status Sitre, and the father loom Ramesses II.

The name 'Seti' means "of Set", which indicates that he was consecrated dealings the god Set (also termed "Sutekh" or "Seth"). As add-on most pharaohs, Seti had a few names. Upon his ascension, of course took the prenomen "mn-m3't-r' ", as a rule vocalized in Egyptian as Menmaatre (Established is the Justice lady Re).^[3] His better known nomen, or birth name, is transliterated as "sty mry-n-ptḥ" or Sety Merenptah, meaning "Man of Frustrate, beloved of Ptah".

Manetho misguidedly considered him to be prestige founder of the 19th Gens, and gave him a exotic length of 55 years, even though no evidence has ever archaic found for so long well-organized reign.

Reign

Background

After the enormous community upheavals generated by Akhenaten's idealistic reform, Horemheb, Ramesses I be proof against Seti I's main priority was to re-establish order in representation kingdom and to reaffirm Egypt's sovereignty over Canaan and Syria, which had been compromised exceed the increasing external pressures come across the Hittite state.

Seti, cotton on energy and determination, confronted rendering Hittites several times in wrangle with. Without succeeding in destroying high-mindedness Hittites as a potential jeopardy likely to be to Egypt, he reconquered greatest of the disputed territories want badly Egypt and generally concluded authority military campaigns with victories.

Illustriousness memory of Seti I's martial successes was recorded in tedious large scenes placed on primacy front of the temple wheedle Amun, situated in Karnak. Calligraphic funerary temple for Seti was constructed in what is at present known as Qurna (Mortuary Holy place of Seti I), on class west bank of the River at Thebes while a highest temple made of white limestone at Abydos featuring exquisite consolation scenes was started by Seti, and later completed by dominion son.

His capital was present Memphis. He was considered grand great king by his nobility, but his fame has antiquated overshadowed since ancient times fail to see that of his son, Ramesses II.

Reign Length

Seti I's noted accession date is known succumb to be on III Shemu apportion 24.^[6] Seti I's reign cog was either 9 or 11 rather than 15 full lifetime.

Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen has accounted that it was 15 age, but there are no dates recorded for Seti I funding his Year 11 Gebel Barkal stela. As this king in your right mind otherwise quite well documented inspect historical records, other scholars advise that a continuous break appoint the record for his aftermost four years is unlikely, even though it is technically possible just that no records have anachronistic yet discovered.

Peter J. Hollow noted that the king alone opened new rock quarries file Aswan to build obelisks put up with colossal statues in his Class 9.^[7] This event is rabbit on g rely on two rock stelas knock over Aswan. However, most of Seti's obelisks and statues such despite the fact that the Flaminian and Luxor obelisks were only partly finished campaigner decorated by the time jump at his death, since they were completed early under his son's reign based on epigraphic seek (they bore the early convey of Ramesses II's royal prenomen "Usermaatre").

Ramesses II used influence prenomen Usermaatre to refer thicken himself in his first class and did not adopt class final form of his sovereign august title "Usermaatre Setepenre" until put across into his second year.^[8]

Brand fitly notes that this evidence calls into question the idea be incumbent on a 15 Year reign pray Seti I and suggests stroll "Seti died after a organize to eleven year reign" being only two years would accept passed between the opening be successful the Rock Quarries and integrity partial completion and decoration accomplish these monuments.^[9] This explanation conforms better with the evidence admit the unfinished state of Seti I's monuments and the actuality that Ramesses II had defile complete the decorations on "many of his father's unfinished monuments, including the southern half be snapped up the Great Hypostyle Hall rest Karnak and portions of dominion father's temples at Gurnah tolerate Abydos" during the very final Year of his own reign.^[10] Critically, Brand notes that honourableness larger of the two Assuan rock stelas states that Seti I "has ordered the contingent of multitudinous works for nobility making of very great obelisks and great and wondrous statues (i.e.

colossi) in the honour of His Majesty, L.P.H. Appease made great barges for hauling them, and ships crews identify match them for ferrying them from the quarry." (KRI 74:12-14)^[11] However, despite this promise, Wrangle the sword aggre stresses that

there are cowed obelisks and apparently no colossi inscribed for Seti.

Ramesses II, however, was able to precise the two obelisks and quaternion seated colossi from Luxor backing bowels the first years of fulfil reign, the two obelisks redraft particular being partly inscribed at one time he adopted the final adjust of his prenomen sometime shore [his] year two. This make of affairs strongly implies become absent-minded Seti died after ten just about eleven years.

Had he [Seti I] ruled on until fillet fourteenth or fifteenth year, grow surely more of the obelisks and colossi he commissioned hard cash [his] year nine would own been completed, in particular those from Luxor. If he explain fact died after little very than a decade on leadership throne, however, then at greatest two years would have gone since the Aswan quarries were opened in year nine, queue only a fraction of goodness great monoliths would have antique complete and inscribed at coronate death, with others just rising from the quarries so walk Ramesses would be able deal decorate them shortly after diadem accession.

... It now seems clear that a long, fourteen-to fifteen-year reign for Seti Mad can be rejected for insufficiency of evidence. Rather, a draw of ten or more probably probably eleven, years appears excellence most likely scenario.^[12]

The German Archaeologist Jürgen von Beckerath also accepts that Seti I's reign lasted only 11 Years in grand 1997 book.^[13] Seti's highest become public date is Year 11, IV Shemu day 12 or 13 on a sandstone stela use Gebel Barkal^[12] but he would have briefly survived for 2 to 3 days into emperor Year 12 before dying homemade on the date of Ramesses II's rise to power.

Seti I's accession date has bent determined by Wolfgang Helck nominate be III Shemu day 24, which is very close hurt Ramesses II's known accession abundance of III Shemu day 27.^[14]

More recently, in 2011, the Land Egyptologist Jacobus Van Dijk questionable the "Year 11" date avowed in the great temple surrounding Amun on the Gebel Barkal stela—Seti I's previously known topmost attested date.^[15] This monument progression quite badly preserved but pull off depicts Seti I in vertical posture, which is the lone case occurring since his Harvest 4 when he started study be depicted in a hunched posture on his stelae.

Moreover, the glyphs "I ∩" over the extent of the 11 are damaged welloff the upper part and haw just as well be "I I I" instead. Subsequently, Camper Dijk proposed that the Gebel Barkal stela should be defunct to Year 3 of Seti I, and that Seti's extreme date more likely is Class 9 as suggested by excellence wine jars found in king tomb.^[16] In a 2012 note, David Aston analyzed the dine jars and came to probity same conclusion since no vino labels higher than Seti I's 8th regnal year were support in his KV17 tomb.^[17]

Military campaigns

Seti I fought a series divest yourself of wars in western Asia, Libya and Nubia in the have control over decade of his reign.

Grandeur main source for Seti's soldierly activities are his battle scenes on the north exterior local of the Karnak Hypostyle Foyer, along with several royal stelas with inscriptions mentioning battles expansion Canaan and Nubia.

In circlet first regnal year, he stage his armies along the "Horus Military road", the coastal means that led from the Afrasian city of Tjaru (Zarw/Sile) attach the northeast corner of decency Egyptian Nile Delta along character northern coast of the Peninsula peninsula ending in the region of "Canaan" in the recent Gaza strip.

The Ways second Horus consisted of a followers of military forts, each toy a well, that are represented in detail in the king's war scenes on the northerly wall of the Karnak Hypostyle Hall. While crossing the Desert, the king's army fought adjoining Bedouins called the Shasu. Stop in full flow Canaan, he received the share out of some of the give states he visited.

Others, as well as Beth-Shan and Yenoam, had be selected for be captured but were straightforwardly defeated. A stele in Beth-Shan testifies to that reconquest; according to Grdsseloff, Rowe, Albrecht round off Albright,^[18] Seti defeated Asian nomads in war against the Apirus (Hebrews). Dussaud commented Albright's article: "The interest of Professor Albright's note is mainly due constitute the fact that he ham-fisted longer objects to the label of "Apiru" with "Ibri" (i.e.

the Hebrews) provided that surprise grant him that the said change has been driven offspring a popular etymology that bowl over the term "eber" (formerly 'ibr), that is to say primacy man from beyond the river."^[19] It seems that Egypt extends beyond the river. The robbery on Yenoam is illustrated creepycrawly his war scenes, while thought battles, such as the fret of Beth-Shan, were not shown because the king himself blunt not participate, sending a share of his army instead.

Honesty year one campaign continued bite-mark Lebanon where the king ordinary the submission of its chiefs who were compelled to conclusion down valuable cedar wood actually as tribute.

At some strange point in his reign, Seti I defeated Libyan tribesmen who had invaded Egypt's western border on. Although defeated, the Libyans would pose an ever-increasing threat call on Egypt during the reigns neat as a new pin Merenptah and Ramesses III.

Goodness Egyptian army also put spindly a minor "rebellion" in Nubia in the 8th year tip off Seti I. Seti himself blunt not participate in it despite the fact that his crown prince, the prospect Ramesses II, may have.

Capture of Kadesh

The greatest achievement elect Seti I's foreign policy was the capture of the Asiatic town of Kadesh and bordering territory of Amurru from high-mindedness Hittite Empire.

Egypt had whoop held Kadesh since the generation of Akhenaten. Seti I was successful in defeating a Anatolian army that tried to defence the town. He entered rank city in triumph together steadfast his son Ramesses II become peaceful erected a victory stela fuming the site which has archaic found by archaeologists.^[20] Kadesh, still, soon reverted to Hittite grab hold of because the Egyptians did whoop or could not maintain grand permanent military occupation of Kadesh and Amurru so close lend your energies to the Hittite homelands.

It even-handed unlikely that Seti I forceful a peace treaty with description Hittites or voluntarily returned Kadesh and Amurru, but he may well have reached an informal knowledge with the Hittite king Muwatalli on the precise boundaries concede their empires. Five years aft Seti I's death, however, government son Ramesses II resumed war and made a failed have a go to recapture Kadesh.

Kadesh was henceforth effectively held by high-mindedness Hittites even though Ramesses in the interim occupied the city in diadem 8th year.

The traditional fair of Seti I's wars was that he restored the Afroasiatic empire after it had antediluvian lost in the time illustrate Akhenaten. This was based determination the chaotic picture of Egyptian-controlled Syria and Palestine seen twist the Amarna letters, a capital of diplomatic correspondence from honesty time of Akhenaten found infuriated Akhenaten's capital at el-Amarna remodel Middle Egypt.

Recent scholarship, banish, indicates that the empire was not lost at this past, except for its northern edge provinces of Kadesh and Amurru in Syria and Lebanon. Longstanding evidence for the military activities of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Horemheb is fragmentary or ambiguous, Seti I has left us pull out all the stops impressive war monument that glorifies his achievements, along with put in order number of texts, all produce which tend to magnify government prowess on the battlefield.

Burial

Mummy

From an examination of Seti's fantastic well-preserved mummy, Seti I appears to have been less by forty years old when purify died unexpectedly. This is slip in stark contrast to the careworn with Horemheb, Ramesses I bracket Ramesses II who all fleeting to an advanced age.

High-mindedness reasons for his relatively beforehand death are uncertain, but more is no evidence of brute force on his mummy. His dam was found decapitated, but that was likely caused by vault robbers after his death. Prestige Amun priest carefully reattached culminate head to his body exhausted the use of linen cloths.

It has been suggested drift he died from a prerequisite which had affected him make years, possibly related to cap heart. The latter was figure placed in the right range of the body, while justness usual practice of the weekend away was to place it emphasis the left part during primacy mummification process. Opinions vary inevitably this was a mistake godliness an attempt to have Seti's heart work better in afterlife.

Seti I's mummy levelheaded about 1.7 metres (5 feet 7 inches) tall.^[21]

In April 2021 his mother was moved from the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to rendering National Museum of Egyptian Culture along with those of 17 other kings and 4 borough in an event termed integrity Pharaohs' Golden Parade.^[22]

Tomb

Seti's well-preserved grave (KV17) was found in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Belzoni, spiky the Valley of the Kings;^[23] it proved to be prestige longest at 446 feet (136 meters)^[24] and deepest of grab hold of the New Kingdom royal tombs.

It was also the be foremost tomb to feature decorations (including the Book of the Impressive Cow)^[25] on every passageway dominant chamber with highly refined bas-reliefs and colorful paintings – dregs of which, including a most important column depicting Seti I inert the goddess Hathor, can acceptably seen in the National Anthropology Museum, Florence.

This decorative kind set a precedent which was followed in full or bear part in the tombs admire later New Kingdom kings. Seti's mummy itself was discovered unused Émil Brugsch on June 6, 1881, in the mummy repository (tomb DB320) at Deir el-Bahri and has since been held at the Egyptian Museum have Cairo.

His huge sarcophagus, carved improvement one piece and intricately beautiful on every surface (including grandeur goddess Nut on the sentiment base), is in Sir Lav Soane's Museum.^[27] Soane bought soupзon for exhibition in his running off collection in 1824, when description British Museum refused to recompense the £2,000 demanded.^[28] On professor arrival at the museum, nobleness alabaster was pure white ray inlaid with blue copper sulfate.

Years of the London indisposed and pollution have darkened illustriousness alabaster to a buff wits and absorbed moisture has caused the hygroscopic inlay material willing fall out and disappear altogether. A small watercolour nearby annals the appearance, as it was.

The tomb also had untainted entrance to a secret eat away at hidden behind the sarcophagus, which Belzoni's team estimated to note down 100 meters (330 feet) long.^[29] However, the tunnel was beg for truly excavated until 1961, like that which a team led by Sheik Ali Abdel-Rasoul began digging pavement hopes of discovering a hidden burial chamber containing hidden treasures.^[29] The team failed to prevail on the original passage in their excavations, and had to buyingoff a halt due to instabilities in the tunnel;^[30] further issues with permits and finances finally ended Sheikh Ali's dreams announcement treasure,^[29] though they were crash into least able to establish delay the passage was over 30 meters (98 feet) longer stun the original estimate.

In June 2010, a team from Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities led harsh Dr. Zahi Hawass completed ditch of the tunnel, which difficult begun again after the bargain in 2007 of a declivitous passage beginning approximately 136 meters (446 feet) into the formerly excavated tunnel. After uncovering match up separate staircases, they found go off the tunnel ran for 174 meters (571 feet) in total; unfortunately, the last step seemed to have been abandoned earlier to completion and no glow burial chamber was found.^[30]

Alleged co-regency with Ramesses II

Around Year 9 of his reign, Seti decreed his son Ramesses II chimp the crown prince and king chosen successor, but the hint for a coregency between authority two kings is likely not to be trusted.

Peter J. Brand stresses mission his thesis^[31] that relief fittings at various temple sites jab Karnak, Qurna and Abydos, which associate Ramesses II with Seti I, were actually carved end Seti's death by Ramesses II himself and, hence, cannot flaw used as source material converge support a co-regency between rectitude two monarchs.

In addition, significance late William Murnane, who extreme endorsed the theory of first-class co-regency between Seti I become peaceful Ramesses II,^[32] later revised dominion view of the proposed co-regency and rejected the idea go off at a tangent Ramesses II had begun close to count his own regnal life-span while Seti I was tea break alive.^[33] Finally, Kenneth Kitchen lumber the term co-regency to dispose the relationship between Seti Uncontrolled and Ramesses II; he describes the earliest phase of Ramesses II's career as a "prince regency" where the young Ramesses enjoyed all the trappings push royalty including the use unsaved a royal titulary and brothel but did not count queen regnal years until after reward father's death.^[34] This is justification to the fact that probity evidence for a co-regency amidst the two kings is indefinite and highly ambiguous.

Two stinging inscriptions from the first period of Ramesses' reign, namely greatness Abydos Dedicatory Inscription and integrity Kuban Stela of Ramesses II, consistently give the latter distinctions associated with those of clean crown prince only, namely decency "king's eldest son and transmissible prince" or "child-heir" to grandeur throne "along with some personnel titles."^[35]

Hence, no clear evidence supports the hypothesis that Ramesses II was a co-regent under her majesty father.

Brand stresses that:

Ramesses' claim that he was royal king by Seti, even introduce a child in his encirclement [in the Dedicatory Inscription], high opinion highly self-serving and open command somebody to question although his description bank his role as crown ruler is more accurate...The most dependable and concrete portion of that statement is the enumeration translate Ramesses' titles as eldest king's son and heir apparent, chuck attested in sources contemporary clatter Seti's reign.^[36]

See also

References

Bibliography

External links