| Ramesses IX the Judge | |
|---|---|
| |
| Pharaoh of Egypt | |
| Reign | 01 October 1129 - 04 February 1110 |
| Predecessor | Ramesses VIII |
| Successor | Ramesses X |
| Born | April 19, 1169 Pi-Ramesses, Egypt |
| Died | February 4, 1110 (aged 58) |
| Spouse | Baketwernel II |
| Issue | Ramesses X, Montuherkhepeshef, Nebmaatra |
| Full name | |
| Horus Name: Kanakht Khaemwaset Nebty Name: Userkhepesh Sankhtawy Golden Horus Name: Userrenputmiredjet Praenomen: Neferkara Setepenra Nomen: Ramesses Khaemwaset Meriamun | |
| House | Seti-Ramesses-Itamun |
| Dynasty | Ramessid |
| Father | Montuherkhepeshef |
| Mother | Takhat |
| Religion | Kemetism |
Neferkara Setepenra Ramesses IX (also written Ramses) (originally named Amun-her-khepshef Khaemwaset) (ruled 1129–1110 BC) was the eighth pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He was the third longest serving king of this Dynasty after Ramesses III and Ramesses XI. He is now believed to have assumed the throne on I Akhet day 21 based on evidence presented by Jürgen von Beckerath in a 1984 GM article. According to the latest archaeological information, Ramesses IX died in Regnal Year 19 I Peret day 27 of his reign. Therefore, he enjoyed a reign of 18 years, 4 months and 3 days. His throne name, Neferkara Setepenra, means "Beautiful Is The Soul of Re, Chosen of Re." Ramesses IX was the son of Mentuherkhepeshef, a son of Ramesses III, since Mentuherkhopshef's wife, the lady Takhat bears the prominent title of King's Mother on the walls of tomb KV10, which she usurped and reused in the late 20th Dynasty; no other 20th Dynasty king is known to have had a mother with this name. Ramesses IX was, therefore, a grandson of Ramesses III.
Reign[]
At the beginning of the reign, Ramessesnakht wrote a letter of thanks to the tribes of Nehesy who had secured the gold mines of Upper Nubia from the Shasu nomads of the Muqed region, without the intervention of the king. Several incursions by Libyans (the Meshwesh and the Libu ) took place in Egyptian territory, first in the oases probably from the year VIII, then in the Nile valley, for example in the year VIII then in the year X for groups of Meshwesh and in the year XIII for a group of Libu. These incursions continued at least until the year XV. This insecurity led to several things, including the sharp slowdown of work in the royal tombs and the transfer of the archives from Setmaatniut to the temple of Ramesses III in Djamet and, of course, the looting.
Indeed, Ramesses IX is best known to historians for failing, between the sixteenth and nineteenth years of his reign, to prevent the pillaging of the royal necropolis of Thebes, particularly that of Sobekemsaf II, and of private necropolises, or worse, for having encouraged it. The causes of the pillaging were multiple: economic crisis, attacks by the Libyans and corruption of officials. Many famous papyri relate the work of the commission of inquiry and the trials, led by the governor of the city and vizier Khaemwaset, of the tomb raiders (years 16 and 17); the guilty were subjected to the torture of the stake. An investigation led by Paser, mayor of the eastern part of Thebes, accused Pewero, mayor of the western part of Thebes, of being the instigator of this wave of pillaging by organized gangs. However, no official charges were ever brought against Pewero for these crimes, and according to Egyptologist Joyce Anne Tyldesley, Pauer vanished without a trace as soon as he had submitted his investigation report. The pillaging would resume during the reign Ramesses XI.
During his reign the priests of Amun increased their power and the high priests at Thebes are in chronological order: Ramesses nakht and his son Amenhotep, who took office around the year On the outer wall of the eastern wall of the courtyard between the 7th and 8th pylons of the temple of Amun at Ipetisut, the high priest of Amun Amenhotep has had himself depicted at the same height as King Ramesses IX, except that the latter is a little taller, on a pedestal. The king offers gifts of gold and silver, but also and above all, he entrusts to the high priest on behalf of the temple the taxes that formerly fell to the king. In these times of widespread corruption and the king living in Pi-Ramesses and therefore being far from the Theban region, was it a question of entrusting the management of the region's goods to the trusted person who was the high priest? Or was it a sign of the growing power of the clergy with which the king was dealing?
Robberies in the necropolis of Thebes[]
During his reign several royal tombs in the necropolis of Thebes were looted. This is well known as it was recorded in the Abbott Papyrus.
An investigation led by Paser against Paueraa , as guilty of this wave of thefts for being negligent in his duty to protect the Valley of the Kings from raids by grave robbers. However, it was impossible to prove that Paueraa was guilty of the crimes due to the evidence presented.
The tomb of Ramses IX[]
The tomb of Ramesses IX is located in the Valley of the Kings ( KV6 ). It contains scenes from the Book of Night. It has been open since ancient times as evidenced by Greek and Roman inscriptions on the walls of the tomb.
Pinedjem II, Pharaoh of the XXI Dynasty, ordered his mummy to be transferred from the Valley of the Kings (KV6) to the hiding place of Djeserdjeseru ( DB320 ) for protection, where it was later found in 1881.
The successor[]
Ramesses IX's son, Mentuherjepeshef, was unable to succeed his father, although he possesses one of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of the Kings ( KV19 ), a tomb originally intended for Ramesses VIII which was discovered in 1817. The throne was instead occupied by his other son Ramesses X.
Testimonies of his time[]
Constructions: He ordered the expansion of the Temple of Amun in Ipetisut and the Temple of Heliopolis.
The tomb of Ramses IX, in the Valley of the Kings (KV6).
Texts citing the Pharaoh have been found in:
- Ipetisut : at the gate of the temple of Amun (Amer).
- Ipetisut: on a stele and an inscription (Kitchen).
- Heliopolis : in monuments (Kitchen) and a stone block (Saleh).
- Memphis : on a stele and stone fragments (Kitchen).
- Elephantine : on a stone block (Kitchen).
- Amara : text in the temple (Kitchen).