Ramesses I

Founding pharaoh of 19th dynasty of Egypt

Ramesses I

Menophres

Portrait of Ramesses I from his tomb in KV16.

Pharaoh
Reign| 2 regnal years
1292–1290 BC
1295–1294 BC
Predecessor| Horemheb
Successor| Seti I

Royal titulary

| Horus name

| Kanakht Wadj neswt
Mighty bull, he who rejuvenates the royalty

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Nebty name
| Kha m neswt mj jtm
He who appears as a king, like Atum

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Golden Horus
| Smn m3't khetawy
He who firms Maat throughout the land of the two banks

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Praenomen
| Menpehtyre
Eternal is the Strength of Re[1]

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Nomen
| Ra-messes
Ra is the one who bore him[1]

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Consort| Sitre
Children| Seti I
Father| Seti
Died| 1290 BC or 1294 BC
(aged c. 50s)[2]
Burial| KV16; Mummy found in the Deir el-Bahri royal cache (Theban Necropolis)
Dynasty| 19th Dynasty
Stone head carving of Paramessu (Ramesses I), originally part of a statue depicting him as a scribe; on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Cartouche of Ramesses I on the Abydos King List.

Menpehtyre Ramesses I (or Ramses) was the founding pharaoh of ancient Egypt's 19th Dynasty. The dates for his short reign are not completely known but the timeline of late 1292–1290 BC is frequently cited[3] as well as 1295–1294 BC.[4] While Ramesses I was the founder of the 19th Dynasty, his brief reign mainly serves to mark the transition between the reign of Horemheb, who had stabilized Egypt in the late 18th Dynasty, and the rule of the powerful pharaohs of his own dynasty, in particular his son Seti I, and grandson Ramesses II.

## Origins

[edit]

See also: Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt family tree

Stela of Ramesses I with the god Set, for whom he was once the High Priest of under Amenhotep III.

Originally called Paramessu, Ramesses I was of non-royal birth, being born into a noble military family from the Nile Delta region, perhaps near the former Hyksos capital of Avaris. He was a son of a troop commander called Seti. His uncle Khaemwaset, an army officer, married Tamwadjesy, the matron of Tutankhamun's[5] Harem of Amun, who was a relative of Huy, the viceroy of Kush, an important state post.[6] This shows the high status of Ramesses' family. Ramesses I found favor with Horemheb, the last pharaoh of the tumultuous Eighteenth Dynasty, who appointed the former as his vizier. As Paramessu, Ramesses also served as the High Priest of Seth under Amenhotep III[7]—as such, he would have played an important role in the restoration of the old religion following the Amarna heresy of a generation earlier, under Akhenaten. Horemheb himself had been a nobleman from outside the immediate royal family, who rose through the ranks of the Egyptian army to serve as the royal advisor to Tutankhamun and Ay and, ultimately, pharaoh. Since Horemheb had no surviving children, he ultimately chose Ramesses to be his heir in the final years of his reign presumably because Ramesses I was both an able administrator and had a son (Seti I) and a grandson (the future Ramesses II) to succeed him and thus avoid any succession difficulties.

## Reign

[edit]

Ramesses I making an offering before Osiris, Allard Pierson Museum

Upon his accession, Paramessu changed his nomen, or personal name to Ramesses. This is transliterated as rʿ-ms-sw, and is usually realised as Ramessu or Ramesses, meaning 'Ra bore him'. Ramesses also assumed a prenomen, or royal name. When transliterated, the prenomen is mn-pḥty-rʿ, which is usually interpreted as Menpehtyre, meaning "Established by the strength of Ra". However, he is better known by his nomen of Ramesses. Already an old man when he was crowned, Ramesses appointed his son, the later pharaoh Seti I, to serve as the Crown Prince and chosen successor. Seti was charged with undertaking several military operations during this time—in particular, an attempt to recoup some of Egypt's lost possessions in Syria. Ramesses appears to have taken charge of domestic matters: most memorably, he completed the second pylon at Karnak Temple, begun under Horemheb.

Ramesses I reigned briefly, as evidenced by the lack of contemporary monuments mentioning him: the king had little time to build any major buildings in his reign and was hurriedly buried in a small and hastily finished tomb.[8] According to the Jewish historian Josephus, in his book Contra Apionem which translated Manetho's Aegyptiaca, Manetho assigns this king a reign of 16 months, but this pharaoh certainly ruled Egypt for a minimum of 17 months based on his highest-known[clarification needed] date which is a Year 2 II Peret day 20 (Louvre C57) stela which ordered the provision of new endowments of food and priests for the temple of Ptah within the Egyptian fortress of Buhen.[9] In contrast, Ramesses I's son and successor, Seti I, assumed the throne five months later after the erection of this stela on III Shemu day 24 which means that Ramesses I had a minimum reign of 17 months (or one year and five months).[3] However, based on a papyrus document published by Robert J. Demarée in a 2023 publication, Demarée argues that Ramesses I's predecessor, Horemheb, died on III Shemu 22 based on evidence in Papyrus Turin Cat. 1898 + Cat. 1937 + Cat. 2094/244, which is a journal diary.[10] If confirmed, this would mean that Ramesses I actually had a reign of approximately two full years since he would have ascended to the throne around III Shemu 23 soon after Horemheb's death on III Shemu 22 and died about two years later around the very same day since Ramesses I's son, Seti I, succeeded his father on III Shemu 24.[11]

Reliefs from the Abydos chapel of Ramesses I. The chapel was specifically built and dedicated by Seti I in memory of his late father.

Ramesses I's only known action was to order the provision of endowments for the aforementioned Nubian temple at Buhen and "the construction of a chapel and a temple (which was to be finished by his son) at Abydos."[12]

## Death

[edit]

Depiction of Ramesses I (middle) being accompanied by Horus (left) and Anubis (right) in KV16.

Ramesses was buried in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb, discovered by Giovanni Belzoni in 1817 and designated KV16, is small in size and gives the impression of having been completed with haste. Joyce Tyldesley states that Ramesses I's tomb consisted of a single corridor and one unfinished room whose walls, after a hurried coat of plaster, were painted to show the king with his gods, with Osiris allowed a prominent position. The red granite sarcophagus too was painted rather than carved with inscriptions which, due to their hasty preparation, included a number of unfortunate errors.[8]

Seti I, his son and successor, later built a small chapel with fine reliefs in memory of his deceased father Ramesses I at Abydos. In 1911, John Pierpont Morgan donated several exquisite reliefs from this chapel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.[13]

### Rediscovery and repatriation

[edit]

Mummy of Ramesses I Relief of Ramesses I from the Abydos Chapel

A mummy currently believed to be that of Ramesses I was displayed in a private Canadian museum for many years before being repatriated. The mummy's identity cannot be conclusively determined, but is most likely to be that of Ramesses I based on CT scans, X-rays, skull measurements and radio-carbon dating tests by researchers at Emory University, as well as aesthetic interpretations of family resemblance. Moreover, the mummy's arms were found crossed high across his chest which was a position reserved solely for Egyptian royalty until 600 BC.[14]

The mummy had been stolen from the Royal Cache in Deir el-Bahari by the Abd el-Rassul family of grave robbers and sold by Turkish vice-consular agent Mustapha Aga Ayat at Luxor[15][16] to Dr. James Douglas who brought it to North America around 1860. Douglas used to purchase Egyptian antiquities for his friend Sydney Barnett who then placed it in the Niagara Falls Museum. At the time, the identity of the mummified man was unknown.[17] The mummy remained in the museum through moves to Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario next to other curiosities for more than 130 years.[17] The mummy was displayed as a "A Prince of Egypt" but despite occasional speculation from visitors that he might be exactly that nothing further was done.[17]

When the owner of the museum decided to sell his property, Canadian businessman William Jamieson purchased the contents of the museum and, with the help of Canadian egyptologist Gayle Gibson, identified their great value.[18] In 1999, Jamieson sold the Egyptian artifacts in the collection, including the various mummies, to the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for US$2 million.[17] The mummy was returned to Egypt on October 24, 2003, with full official honors and is on display at the Luxor Museum.[19]

## Portrayals in fiction

[edit]

* In the film The Ten Commandments, he was played by Ian Keith, as the Pharaoh of the Oppression.
* In the miniseries In the Beginning, he was portrayed by Christopher Lee, as the Pharaoh encountered by Joseph. Lee had previously played Ramses' grandson Ramesses II in the miniseries Moses.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Clayton, Peter A (2012). Chronicle of the Pharaohs the reign-by-reign record of the rulers and dynasties of ancient Egypt. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 140\. ISBN 978-0500286289. OCLC 869729880.
2. ^ https://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ramses-I.html
3. ^ a b Beckerath, Jürgen von; Zabern, Verlag Philipp von (1997). Chronologie des pharaonischen Ägypten : die Zeitbestimmung der ägyptischen Geschichte von der Vorzeit bis 332 v. Chr. Mainz am Rhein. p. 190\. ISBN 3805323107. OCLC 932193922.
4. ^ Rice, Michael (1999). Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 165.
5. ^ Kawai, N., 2015: The Administrators and Notables in Nubia under Tutankhamun. In: R. Jasnow and K.M. Cooney (Ed.) with the assistance of K.E. Davis, Joyful in Thebes Egyptological Studies in Honor of Betsy M. Bryan (Material and Visual Culture of Ancient Egypt 1), Atlanta.
6. ^ Cruz-Uribe, Eugene (1978). "The Father of Ramses I: OI 11456". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 37 (3): 237–244\. doi:10.1086/372654. JSTOR 544684. S2CID 162197658.
7. ^ P. Montert, Everyday Life in Egypt in the Days of Ramesses The Great, 1974, p. 197.
8. ^ a b Tyldesley, Joyce (2001). Ramesses: Egypt's greatest pharaoh. Penguin Books. pp. 37–38\. ISBN 9780140280975. OCLC 932221233.
9. ^ Brand, Peter J (2000). The monuments of Seti I: epigraphic, historical and art historical analysis. Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill. pp. 289, 300 and 311. ISBN 9004117709. OCLC 247341737.
10. ^ Demarée, Robert J. (2023). "Two Papyrus Fragments with Historically Relevant Data". Rivista del Museo Egizio. 7. doi:10.29353/rime.2023.5078. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
11. ^ The Monuments of Seti I and their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Art and Historical Analysis (PDF) 1998 pp.339-341 by Peter Brand
12. ^ Grimal, Nicolas-Christophe (1992). A history of ancient Egypt. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell. p. 245\. ISBN 0631174729. OCLC 872585819.
13. ^ Ranke, Hermann (1939). "Review of The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 59 (2): 272–274\. doi:10.2307/594071. JSTOR 594071.
14. ^ "U.S. Museum to Return Ramses I Mummy to Egypt". National Geographic. April 30, 2003. Archived from the original on May 2, 2003. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
15. ^ Hawass & Saleem 2016, p. 32.
16. ^ Wilson 1964, p. 74.
17. ^ a b c d Gorr, Robbie (Winter 2022–23). "The Pharaoh of Niagara Falls". History Magazine. pp. 28–32.
18. ^ "Canada's favourite mummy hunter returns". Niagara Falls Review. Archived from the original on 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
19. ^ "Egypt's 'Ramses' mummy returned". BBC. October 26, 2003. Retrieved 2008-04-13.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Hawass, Zahi A.; Saleem, Sahar (2016). Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9789774166730.
* Wilson, John A. (1964). "Signs & Wonders upon Pharaoh" (PDF). The University of Chicago Press.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ramses I.

## External links

[edit]

* Ramesses I: The search for the Lost Pharaoh

* v
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Pharaohs

Protodynastic to First Intermediate Period  (<3150–2040 BC)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs
* male
* female♀
* uncertain

|

Protodynastic
(pre-3150 BC)|

| Lower|

* Hedju Hor
* Ny-Hor
* Ni-Neith
* Hat-Hor
* Pu
* Hsekiu
* Khayu
* Tiu
* Thesh
* Neheb
* Wazner
* Mekh
* Double Falcon
* Wash

|

Upper|

* A
* Finger Snail
* Fish
* Elephant
* Stork
* Bull
* Scorpion I
* Crocodile
* Iry-Hor
* Ka
* Scorpion II
* Narmer / Menes

Early Dynastic
(3150–2686 BC)|

| I|

* Narmer / Menes
* Hor-Aha
* Djer
* Djet
* Den
* Anedjib
* Semerkhet
* Qa'a
* Sneferka
* Horus Bird

|

II|

* Hotepsekhemwy
* Nebra
* Nynetjer
* Ba
* Nubnefer
* Horus Sa
* Weneg-Nebty
* Wadjenes
* Senedj
* Seth-Peribsen
* Sekhemib-Perenmaat
* Neferkara I
* Neferkasokar
* Hudjefa I
* Khasekhemwy

Old Kingdom
(2686–2181 BC)|

| III|

* Djoser
* Sekhemkhet
* Sanakht
* Nebka
* Khaba
* Sedjes
* Qahedjet
* Huni

|

IV|

* Snefru
* Khufu
* Djedefre
* Khafre
* Bikheris
* Menkaure
* Shepseskaf
* Thamphthis

* Userkaf
* Sahure
* Neferirkare Kakai
* Neferefre
* Shepseskare
* Nyuserre Ini
* Menkauhor Kaiu
* Djedkare Isesi
* Unas

VI|

* Teti
* Userkare
* Pepi I
* Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
* Pepi II
* Merenre Nemtyemsaf II
* Netjerkare Siptah
* Neferka
* Nefer

1st Intermediate
(2181–2040 BC)|

| VII/VIII|

* Menkare
* Neferkare II
* Neferkare III Neby
* Djedkare Shemai
* Neferkare IV Khendu
* Merenhor
* Neferkamin
* Nikare
* Neferkare V Tereru
* Neferkahor
* Neferkare VI Pepiseneb
* Neferkamin Anu
* Qakare Iby
* Neferkaure
* Neferkauhor
* Neferirkare
* Wadjkare
* Khuiqer
* Khui
* Iytjenu

|

IX|

* Meryibre Khety
* Neferkare VII
* Nebkaure Khety
* Setut
* Imhotep

* Meryhathor
* Neferkare VIII
* Wahkare Khety
* Merykare

Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period  (2040–1550 BC)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs
* male
* female♀
* uncertain

|

Middle Kingdom
(2040–1802 BC)|

| XI|

* Mentuhotep I
* Intef I
* Intef II
* Intef III
* Mentuhotep II
* Mentuhotep III
* Mentuhotep IV

|

Nubia|

* Segerseni
* Qakare Ini
* Iyibkhentre

XII|

* Amenemhat I
* Senusret I
* Amenemhat II
* Senusret II
* Senusret III
* Amenemhat III
* Amenemhat IV
* Sobekneferu♀
* Seankhibtawy Seankhibra

2nd Intermediate
(1802–1550 BC)|

| XIII|

* Sekhemrekhutawy Sobekhotep
* Sonbef
* Nerikare
* Sekhemkare Amenemhat V
* Ameny Qemau
* Hotepibre
* Iufni
* Ameny Antef Amenemhet VI
* Semenkare Nebnuni
* Sehetepibre
* Sewadjkare
* Nedjemibre
* Khaankhre Sobekhotep
* Renseneb
* Hor
* Sekhemrekhutawy Khabaw
* Djedkheperew
* Sebkay
* Sedjefakare
* Wegaf
* Khendjer
* Imyremeshaw
* Sehetepkare Intef
* Seth Meribre
* Sobekhotep III
* Neferhotep I
* Sihathor
* Sobekhotep IV
* Merhotepre Sobekhotep
* Khahotepre Sobekhotep
* Wahibre Ibiau
* Merneferre Ay
* Merhotepre Ini
* Sankhenre Sewadjtu
* Mersekhemre Ined
* Sewadjkare Hori
* Merkawre Sobekhotep
* Mershepsesre Ini II
* Sewahenre Senebmiu
* Merkheperre
* Merkare
* Sewadjare Mentuhotep
* Seheqenre Sankhptahi

|

XIV|

* Yakbim Sekhaenre
* Ya'ammu Nubwoserre
* Qareh Khawoserre
* 'Ammu Ahotepre
* Maaibre Sheshi
* Nehesy
* Khakherewre
* Nebefawre
* Sehebre
* Merdjefare
* Sewadjkare III
* Nebdjefare
* Nebsenre
* Sekheperenre
* Bebnum
* 'Apepi
* Nuya
* Wazad
* Sheneh
* Shenshek
* Khamure
* Yakareb
* Yaqub-Har

XV|

* Sharek
* Semqen
* 'Aper-'Anati
* Salitis
* Sakir-Har
* Khyan
* Yanassi
* Apepi
* Khamudi

XVI|

* Djehuti
* Sobekhotep VIII
* Neferhotep III
* Mentuhotepi
* Nebiryraw I
* Nebiriau II
* Semenre
* Bebiankh
* Sekhemre Shedwast
* Dedumose I
* Dedumose II
* Montuemsaf
* Merankhre Mentuhotep
* Senusret IV
* Pepi III

Abydos|

* Senebkay
* Wepwawetemsaf
* Pantjeny
* Snaaib

XVII|

* Rahotep
* Nebmaatre
* Sobekemsaf I
* Sobekemsaf II
* Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef
* Nubkheperre Intef
* Sekhemre-Heruhirmaat Intef
* Senakhtenre Ahmose
* Seqenenre Tao
* Kamose

New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period  (1550–664 BC)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs  (male
* female♀)
* uncertain

|

New Kingdom
(1550–1070 BC)|

| XVIII|

* Ahmose I
* Amenhotep I
* Thutmose I
* Thutmose II
* Hatshepsut♀
* Thutmose III
* Amenhotep II
* Thutmose IV
* Amenhotep III
* Akhenaten
* Smenkhkare
* Neferneferuaten♀
* Tutankhamun
* Ay
* Horemheb

|

XIX|

* Ramesses I
* Seti I
* Ramesses II
* Merneptah
* Amenmesses
* Seti II
* Siptah
* Tausret♀

XX|

* Setnakhte
* Ramesses III
* Ramesses IV
* Ramesses V
* Ramesses VI
* Ramesses VII
* Ramesses VIII
* Ramesses IX
* Ramesses X
* Ramesses XI
* Ramesses XII

3rd Intermediate
(1069–664 BC)|

| XXI|

* Smendes
* Amenemnisu
* Psusennes I
* Amenemope
* Osorkon the Elder
* Siamun
* Psusennes II

|

High Priests of Amun|

* Herihor
* Pinedjem I

XXII|

* Shoshenq I
* Osorkon I
* Heqakheperre Shoshenq IIa
* Tutkheperre Shoshenq IIb
* Maatkheperre Shoshenq IIc
* Takelot I
* Osorkon II
* Shoshenq III
* Shoshenq IV
* Pami I
* Shoshenq V

Lines of XXII/XXIII|

* Harsiese
* Takelot II
* Pedubast I
* Iuput I
* Shoshenq VI
* Osorkon III
* Takelot III
* Rudamun
* Shoshenq VII
* Menkheperre Ini
* Iuput II of Leontopolis
* Peftjauawybast of Herakleopolis
* Nimlot I of Hermopolis
* Djehutyemhat of Hermopolis
* Nimlot II of Hermopolis
* Padinemti of Hermopolis

XXIII|

* Pedubast II
* Osorkon IV
* Pami II
* Gemenefkhonsbak
* Pedubast III

XXIV|

* Tefnakht
* Bakenranef

XXV|

* Piye
* Shebitku
* Shabaka
* Taharqa
* Tanutamun

Late to Roman Period (664 BC–313 AD)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs
* male
* female♀
* uncertain

|

Late
(664–332 BC)|

| XXVI|

* Ammeris
* Tefnakht II
* Nekauba
* Necho I
* Psamtik I
* Necho II
* Psamtik II
* Wahibre
* Ahmose II
* Psamtik III

|

XXVII|

* Cambyses II
* Petubastis III
* Darius I
* Psammetichus IV
* Xerxes
* Artaxerxes I
* Darius II

XXVIII|

* Amyrtaeus

XXIX|

* Nepherites I
* Hakor
* Psammuthes
* Nepherites II
* Muthis

XXX|

* Nectanebo I
* Teos
* Nectanebo II

XXXI|

* Artaxerxes III
* Khabash
* Arses
* Darius III

Hellenistic
(332–30 BC)|

| Argead|

* Alexander the Great
* Philip III Arrhidaeus
* Alexander IV

|

Ptolemaic|

* Ptolemy I Soter
* Ptolemy II Philadelphus
* Ptolemy III Euergetes
* Ptolemy IV Philopator
* Ptolemy V Epiphanes
* Ptolemy VI Philometor
* Cleopatra II♀
* Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator
* Ptolemy VIII Euergetes
* Cleopatra III♀
* Ptolemy IX Soter
* Ptolemy X Alexander I
* Berenice III♀
* Ptolemy XI Alexander II
* Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos
* Cleopatra V♀
* Berenice IV Epiphaneia♀
* Cleopatra VI Tryphaena♀
* Cleopatra VII Philopator♀
* Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
* Arsinoe IV♀
* Ptolemy XIV Philopator
* Ptolemy XV Caesarion

Roman
(30 BC–313 AD)|

| XXXIV|

* Augustus
* Tiberius
* Caligula
* Claudius
* Nero
* Galba
* Otho
* Vitellius
* Vespasian
* Titus
* Domitian
* Nerva
* Trajan
* Hadrian
* Antoninus Pius
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* Marcus Aurelius
* Commodus
* Pertinax
* Pescennius Niger
* Septimius Severus
* Geta
* Caracalla
* Macrinus
* Diadumenian
* Elagabalus
* Severus Alexander
* Maximinus Thrax
* Gordian I
* Gordian II
* Pupienus
* Balbinus
* Gordian III
* Philip
* Decius
* Trebonianus Gallus
* Aemilianus
* Valerian
* Macrianus Minor
* Quietus
* Lucius Mussius Aemilianus
* Gallienus
* Claudius Gothicus
* Quintillus
* Aurelian
* Tacitus
* Probus
* Carus
* Carinus
* Numerian
* Diocletian
* Maximian
* Galerius
* Maximinus Daza

|

Dynastic genealogies

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List of pharaohs

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