Merneptah: Military Actions That Built the Kingdom of Egypt
Merneptah ruled with the kingdom’s protection on top of his mind during his reign. He displayed his might and courage in terms of security in Egypt. Historians claimed that intruders of the kingdom were successfully barred entry while Merneptah’s men eventually slaughtered many.
Continue reading this article to discover the achievements and glory he brought to his country.
Merneptah’s Legacy
Pharaoh Merneptah led ancient Egypt as the fourth pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He displayed bravery and contributed to maintaining the diplomatic relations of Ramesses II, his father, with other empires. He was also possibly the root power behind the prevailing Ramesses II, the king, as he advanced in age.
Merneptah’s battle skills had been nurtured from a young age. In fact, he was able to stand out in terms of leading the army, resulting in advancing his rank to being the commander or general of the Egyptian troops in his early days. This was the reason why he was best known for his military actions.
Although his reign was short-lived as he started his rule possibly at the age of nearly 60, he avouched and engraved his name in history through three preeminent inscriptions. These were the inscriptions on a hedge in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, in a large stele from Athribis in the Delta, and in the ruined mortuary temple in Thebes, which is known as the great Victory Stele. All of these inscriptions referred to his military crusades.
Who Was Merneptah?
King Merneptah was the youngest among all the 13 children of Ramesses II. He was the fourth son, probably by Isetnofret, Ramesses II’s second wife. According to records, Merneptah ruled from the year 1213 BC until his death in 1203 BC.
He was married to Queen Isetnofret II, although records show vagueness regarding this fact. It is widely believed that he married his sister and possibly another queen named Takhat.
Merneptah’s Rule
When Merneptah was crowned king, he was already old, perhaps close to 60 years old. Based on these numbers, his supremacy possibly lasted only 9 or 10 years.
This scenario happened because Ramesses outlived almost all of his sons until finally, it was Merneptah’s time. He was groomed to become the rightful heir to the throne, although it came late in his life.
It took him decades of waiting to ascend to the throne because his older brothers needed to reign first until they reached their end before he was given a spot. He was only crowned when his 12 siblings had already died.
It was an appointment that was relatively easy for him because he was already the Overseer of the Army at age 40. He was proclaimed king when he was nearly 60 years old, which is the reason why his reign was short-lived.
His seat was defined as “The Soul of Re, Beloved of the Gods.” He became the fourth pharaoh of the 19th dynasty of ancient Egypt.
Military Conflicts
When Merneptah took the sole power, he faced many military conflicts. There were rumors of revolt from Libyans, with their allies (sea people) invading the empire. He didn’t allow these threats to weaken him. Instead, he displayed his strength by leading his forces against the Libyans and their allied forces.
As the records have shown, the battle took six hours. Eventually, Pharoah Merneptah, with his troops, crushed and defeated their enemies.
With the Libyans’ fearless actions, the Nubians from the south were inspired by their determination and advanced to revolt. However, as soon as Merneptah brought victory over the Libyans, he and his troops immediately turned south, attacking and slaughtering the Nubians.
Consequently, the Libyans and their allies, the sea people, never thought to launch another revolt against Egypt during Merneptah’s entire reign. They already knew the courage and determination of Merneptah on the battlefield, so they did not want to challenge him anymore. We can just imagine the inhumanity of war that the Libyans no longer wanted to experience.
Military Problems With Syria
Another challenge to Merneptah’s reign was his military campaign against Syria. It was considered a flash attack by the Syrians, whom Merneptah immediately defeated. In the western part of the country, his army was attacked by the sea people, who had secretly penetrated Delta. This happened in the fifth year of his reign.
Although it was not anticipated, Merneptah was able to subdue the invaders. He was skilled in the quick mobilization of his army for a preemptive attack, and as a result, he was able to defeat the enemies. He gave them a taste of his military wrath, which marked his formidable image throughout his career.
Merneptah’s Benevolence
His disposition as a ruler was not only about his courageous spirit; he also maintained the benevolence of his father. That’s why he rescued the Hittite king when Syria was at war with an enemy in the north.
Famine struck the country, which was another blow aside from the state of war. During this time, the Hittite king asked for assistance from Merneptah, who graciously honored it by sending food supplies to the Hittites.
One of his remarkable deeds was when he transferred the directorial center of Egypt from Piramesse, his father’s capital, to Memphis, where he built an imperial palace for himself. It was located right next to the temple of Ptah. He also constructed a sanctuary temple that rested behind the Colossi of Memnon on the West Bank at Luxor, which was built using stones that were stolen from the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.
Merneptah’s Death and Resting Place
Because of Merneptah’s old age, he suffered from arthritis and arteriosclerosis, both of which were the causes of his death. His body was mummified before being buried in the Valley of the Kings.
It was believed that his body was buried in a particular tomb that was made for him, but it was later discovered that the Merneptah mummy was with a group of mummies located close to the tomb of Amenhotep II.
After King Merneptah passed away, Seti, his son, succeeded him to the throne.
The Three Preeminent Inscriptions
King Merneptah exhibited leadership and victory throughout the course of his reign. Three splendid engravings were made in his time to demonstrate this heroism, showing his triumph over his conquest against his opponents. These include the 80 lines on a hedge in the sanctuary of Amun at Karnak that show significant references to the achievements of Merneptah.
In a large Merneptah stele, there were 35 readable lines from Athribis in the Delta and 28 lines on the prodigious Victory Stele of Merneptah, also called the Israel Stele, from the ruined mortuary shrine of Thebes. All of these texts refer to his military crusades.
Among these three great discoveries of inscriptions, the Victory Stele is the most unique. It is interesting because Merneptah assumed the engraving of the texts from the mortuary shrine of the equally famous Amenhotep III at Thebes. Interestingly, these were dated the third day of the third month of the third season. Therefore, it was believed that it might have been written around the sunny season of 1207 BC.
Israel in the Inscriptions
His notable inscribed texts included the lists of Merneptah’s conquests against his enemies in the Merneptah stele. However, the utmost thought-provoking reference was the little remark about Israel.
It was supposed to be the very first non-biblical source for that country. Having said this, Merneptah had often been referred to as the pharaoh during the Exodus, so some people of today do not support such an idea.
As you have read, the stele epitomized the oldest reference to Israel and the sole attribute to early Egypt. People believed that it was associated with the Iron Age and considered a vital discovery of Petrie. Historians also claim that the mentioning of Israel could have been linked to the hilly region of central Canaan.
You can probably discover from the Merneptah stele that the Israeli people were not from the city. The social structure of the Israelites was not clearly written, but it gave us a clue about their culture in the past. This stele was found in the funerary chapel of Merneptah in Thebes.
Conclusion
Merneptah’s reign made a significant and notable mark throughout the history of ancient Egypt.
Here are some of the most prominent points about his life and reign:
Merneptah’s advanced skill in battles kept his reign victorious against whoever tried to intrude on their land.
Merneptah’s old age wasn’t a reason for him to fail in protecting the empire.
He was greatly feared and remained unconquered.
King Merneptah died not because of a battle but due to a medical condition known as arthritis and arteriosclerosis in 1203 BC.
Considering his achievements and bravery, historians all agree that his reign was among one of the most critical and important ones in the annals of Egyptian history.
Merneptah’s name was a reflection of victory and heroism for Egypt.
In this article, we learned that Merneptah did not last long on the throne because he assumed his power when he was already old. Nonetheless, he played a vital role in maintaining peace over the entirety of his controlled lands.
