Discovery of Ancient Sword Linked to Biblical Pharaoh Ramesses II in Egypt
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Salma Hossein
- . September 21, 2024
- . Update: September 21, 2024 7:54 pm
Linked to Ramesses II, one of Egypt’s most strong and fableable rulers, archaeologists from Egypt have discovered an amazing discovery: an ancient bronze sword said to be over 3,000 years old. Often connected to the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites were thought to have been enslaved in Egypt before to Moses’s emancipation, Ramesses II ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC. The find of the sword sparks more interest about this historical and religious person.
Sword discovered at a former military post.
Once this fort housed food, weapons, and other supplies as well as dormitories for soldiers and storage space for Experts believe the sword, with its beautiful bronze blade, belonged to a high-ranking military official serving under Ramesses II. Finding the sword among the ruins of an old military fort in Housh Eissa, a city just south of Alexandria.
Although the pharaoh personally might not have carried the blade, its proof of Ramesses II excites scholars and archaeologists. Any weapon bearing the cartouches of Ramesses II would have been a clear sign of prestige, notes Oxford University Egyptologist Elizabeth Frood, suggesting that the sword most certainly belonged to someone of very high rank in the Egyptian army.
Ramesses II: Biblical Image and Military Superbity
Celebrated for his military might, Ramesses II commanded an army of 100,000 soldiers and executed victorious expeditions extending the Egyptian Empire from Syria in the east to Nubia in the south. Said to be among the biggest chariot clashes in history, the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites took place in 1247 BC. Though it resulted in a halt, the battle generated the first known peace treaty, evidence of Ramesses’s military brilliance.
Many academics refer to Ramesses II even as historians argue on the actual pharaoh in the Exodus’s Biblical narrative. The idea is substantially reinforced by the Israelites building Pithom and Rameses with forced labor in the narrative of the Bible. Hollywood used this idea as well in the 1956 blockbuster The Ten Commandments, depicting Ramesses as the Biblical pharaoh who challenged Moses.
Additional Original Finds at the Site
Apart from the sword, researchers found plenty of other objects including protective amulets, scarabs, and jewelry. These relics offer a keen look at the daily life and religious beliefs of the troops who used to live on the fort. The findings provide an amazing window into military and cultural activities of ancient Egypt under Ramesses II.
Often called to by his successors as “The Great Ancestor,” Ramesses II has captivated academics as well as the general people. Modern archeological finds as well as the numerous monuments and artworks he commissioned define his legacy in some measure. Discovered in a royal treasure at Deir el-Bahari in 1881, his mummified remains generated fresh fascination for the life of this legendary king.
Advanced technology has enabled scientists to duplicate Ramesses’ visage, therefore offering a vivid depiction of the pharaoh both in his prime and at his death. These restorations expose a king with a great, dignified presence, therefore providing a special relationship to the man behind the narrative.
The finding of this old sword and the continuous interest about Ramesses II emphasize his importance in both biblical and historical settings. New understanding of the world of ancient Egypt and its most strong king is going to surface as academics keep exploring these relics.
