January 21, 2022

Ancient Egyptian Literature – The Battle of Kadesh

In this episode of Ancient Egyptian Literature, we are delving into the Battle of Kadesh, a monumental military action between Rameses the Great and the Hittites. Two versions of this story appear in ancient Egypt. The first, the official report, also called the bulletin, with seven copies found, and the second, dubbed the Poem of pntAwrt, with 8 copies, are found inscribed, sometimes side by side, at the Ramesseum, Rameses’ funerary temple, the temple of Amun at Karnak, Abydos, and Abu Simbel. After the recitation of both works, we will provide discussion and analysis of the battle.