Merneptah

New Kingdom (1552–1069 b.c.)

Dynasty XIX (1212–1202 b.c.)

As the thirteenth son of Ramses the Great, Merneptah inherited a stable country but a soon-to-be-troubled dynasty. After the death of so many of Ramses’ heirs and the passing of power to someone so far down the line, there were bound to be conflicts eventually between rivals for the throne.

Active militarily as a prince, Merneptah was in his fifties by the time he succeeded his illustrious father. There was trouble at Egypt’s borders with invasions from the Libyans and others. The king was victorious in these endeavors but the army was not the power it had been decades before. A revolt in Palestine brought Merneptah and his troops into the Levant. A stela commemorating this event is the only monument mentioning the Israelites, and it shows that they were established in their own domain during this reign.

Merneptah lived to be seventy-two, and his mummified remains show the evidence of his age. He was bald and corpulent. The mummy shows signs of calcification of the arteries as well as arthritis. The king’s poor teeth show evidence of dental surgery having been performed during his lifetime. It is apparent that upon his death a struggle for the throne was carried on for a number of years. It would not be until the ascension of Ramses III in 1186 b.c. that Egypt would regain for the last time a measure of influence in the Near East.

Related exhibit piece: Doorjamb (catalog p. 167).

Related exhibit piece: Window (catalog p. 167).