Decoding the Medinet Habu Inscriptions: The Ideological Subtext of Ramesses III's War Accounts

Abstract

The temple of Medinet Habu in Thebes stands as Ramesses III‘s lasting legacy to Ancient Egyptian history. This monumental structure not only contained luxury goods within, but also a goldmine of information inscribed on its outside walls. Here, Ramesses adorned the temple with stories of military campaigns he led against enemies in the north who hoped to gain control of Egypt. These war accounts have posed a series of problems to modern scholars. Today, the debate still rages over how the inscriptions should be interpreted. This work analyzes Ramesses‘s records through the lens of socioeconomic decline that occurred during his rule in order to demonstrate the role ideology—namely ma‘at—played in his self-representation and his methodology to ensure and legitimize his rule during these precarious times. Scott M. Peters Senior Thesis, Department of History Columbia College, Columbia University April 2011 Advisors: Professor Marc Van De Mieroop and Professor Martha Howell Word Count: 17,070 (with footnotes + bibliography included)