The History of Egypt Podcast

A Father Begs His Son to Return Home. Late in the New Kingdom (c.1250 BCE), an Egyptian father wrote a letter to his son. The son had gone to sea, sailing on a ship; he had not sent any word of his wellbeing. Worried, the father writes a letter, begging his son to return home. The letter is possibly based off real events, for it involves people who were genuine figures in their community. The father, Menna, and the son Pay-Iry were inhabitants of the village of Deir el-Medina (Set-Ma'at,...

A former pupil goes off the rails and gets lost in drink; his teacher tries to bring him back. After completing his education, a young scribe might take a job in a temple, government office, or work team. But this time, the student went off into some wayward behaviours. Writing a stern letter, a schoolmaster tries to bring his former pupil back to sobriety and good living. Translations by John L. Foster, Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology (Amazon) Website:...

Three Poems of Love from 18th Dynasty Egypt. Around 1400 BCE, scribes and composers put together delightful works exploring themes of love, longing, lust and courtship. They told tales from both male and female perspectives, describing the emotions and sensations of their desires and affections. In this mini episode, we explore three short poems. Translations by John L. Foster, Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology (Amazon) Website: egyptianhistorypodcast.com Twitter:...

A Scribe yearns for a holiday, and goes in search of peace. Two texts, written between 1400 and 1300 BCE, tell of the exhausted scribe's yearning for a holiday. Sick of work, he struggles to focus on tasks, and finds his heart wandering off to more pleasant places. The city of Memphis, Men-nefer (or Ineb-Hedj) looms large in his fantasies. Translations by John L. Foster, Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology (Amazon) Website: egyptianhistorypodcast.com Twitter:...

A quick update on life, where my story is at, and what I'm cooking for the next few weeks. Plus, check out American Innovations, from Wondery. The Podcast is on Patreon! www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast Website with Images and Bibliography: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com Facebook: @Egyptpodcast Twitter: @EgyptianPodcast Instagram: @egyptpodcast

An interview with composer Jeffrey Goodman. Jeff Goodman has composed some wonderful pieces evoking the world of ancient Egypt. Taking inspiration from mythology, art and literature, he crafts lovely songs with a focus on authenticity in instrumentation. As part of the larger investigation of music, I invited him onto the show for a discussion about composition, ancient musicality, and how to evoke the past when we have no written notation left. This is the first time I've interviewed...

Instruments, Musicians, and Songs. In this mini episode, we explore the traces of ancient Egyptian songs and music. Although the melodies and rhythms are lost, we still have lyrics, instruments and artwork detailing some of these arts. From this, we can understand how certain instruments were played, and what different artists tried to achieve. Plus, modern reconstructions can give us a hint at the soundscape of ancient Egypt. Musical Interludes (by...

To celebrate 100 episodes, I took your questions on all things ancient Egypt. Pictures on topics (particularly Egyptian revival architecture of the 1800s) at the website If you didn't hear your question, I have sent out written responses. Some questions covered material already in the show, or on topics that don't have enough evidence to discuss in detail. Thanks for submitting!

Interlude: A Princess Becomes Queen, a Prince Becomes Heir. In 1370 BCE, the same year as the Sed-Festival, pharaoh Amunhotep III made two interesting decisions. He made his eldest daughter his wife, and named his eldest (surviving) son as heir to the throne. In a short side-episode, we explore these events and their significance... Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Episode images at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com Support the Podcast via Paypal or Patreon...

Amunhotep III (Part 10): The Sed Festival, As Told by Kheruef Who Witnessed It. In regnal year 30, Amunhotep III celebrated the first of his sed-festivals. This was a spectacular event, with a number of rituals and performances celebrating the King's reign, and renewing his authority on earth. Some of these rites were truly arcane, hearkening back to the very earliest days of the Egyptian kingdom. In this special episode, we explore the festival from beginning to end as it is recorded in...

The Podcast is growing! Here's the news of my plans, and what I hope to achieve. Also, there is now a Patreon! Join up to access some great perks, and a special introductory giveaway! www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com www.facebook.com/egyptpodcast www.twitter.com/EgyptianPodcast Instagram: @egyptpodcast

Amunhotep III (Part 9): The Dark Years. Between 1380 and 1370 BCE, Egypt may have suffered an outbreak of disease. In this decade, at least four royal family members died, and the political situation was irrevocably changed. It wasn't all bad, though: around 1380, Queen Tiy went through the difficulties of childbirth and offered a new son to the lineage... You can now support the show on PATREON, and access many exclusive perks www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast Music by Keith Zizza...

Interlude: Royal Children On the Rise. From 1385 to 1380, the prince of Egypt Thutmose was climbing up the ranks. From a lowly sem-priest to the chief of a great temple, Thutmose was a quickly rising star. His sister, Sit-Amun, also leaves a tantalizing trace of her life. We explore a non-royal funeral, the cult of the Apis Bull, and see how a prince of Egypt left some wonderful personal records, including those of his pet. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Images and Bibliography...

Interlude: Queen Tiy's Lucky Family. The family of Queen Tiy came from an interesting place, and led a fascinating life. Her mother and father - Tjuyu and Yuya - and her brother Anen enjoyed great privileges thanks to their family connections. In life, and in death, they left an enduring legacy... Images and Bibliography at https://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/2018/05/24/episode-97b-the-in-laws/ Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Check out The History of Vikings Podcast at...

Amunhotep III (Part 8): Hunting, Wedding, Building. From 1392 to 1390 BCE, Amunhotep III experienced an interesting few years. He hunted his 100th lion, and welcomed a new bride to his court. The princess Gilu-khepa came from Mitanni, for a diplomatic marriage to the king. Then, Amunhotep commissioned an artificial lake, built for the glory of his main wife, Tiy. Interesting times, all round... Images and Bibliography at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com Check out The History of Vikings...

Amunhotep III (Part 7): Everything Bigger Than Everything Else. For 2000+ years, the Colossi of Memnon have dazzled visitors to Thebes. What are the statues doing there? In this episode, we explore the lost Mortuary Temple of Amunhotep III, in particular the immense statues which are his enduring legacy. From the work of Egyptian builders to the heroes of Greek myth, the Colossi of Memnon have a unique and unusual story... Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Harp Music by Michael Levy...

Amunhotep III (Part 6): City of a Hundred Pylons. In 1397 BCE, King Amunhotep III began a massive series of building projects in Thebes. At Karnak, Luxor Temple, and the new "Maru" viewing place, the King inaugurated sanctuaries and gardens for the god Amun. We explore these monuments, and how they created a reputation that still resonated in the sagas of Greek myth... Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Harp Music by Michael Levy www.ancientlyre.com Images and Bibliography at...

Amunhotep III (Part 5): Exploring Nubia. In late 1397 BCE, King Amunhotep III took a band of warriors deep into Nubia (Sudan). They traversed deserts, explored hidden pools, and came to mysterious lands. It was a trip into strange new places... Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Music by Doug Metzger, of Literature and History podcast at www.literatureandhistory.com Images and Bibliography at https://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/2018/03/19/episode-94-the-pools-of-horus/ Check out the...

Amunhotep III (Part 4): Pharaoh's First War. At the start of regnal year 5 (around August 1397 BCE), Amunhotep III led his first and only military campaign. Responding to a revolt in Nubia, the King gathered an army and began an expedition. We follow the king on campaign, and explore a slightly unusual situation... Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Additional Music by Jeff Goodman, discover more at https://www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com/tears-of-isis Images and Bibliography at...

Interlude: Romance, Passion and Love...in Song Form! A look at New Kingdom love songs, as they survive. We see how the Egyptians felt and explored love, and encounter songs written from both the male and female perspective. Bibliography at https://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/2018/02/26/mini-episode-love-songs/