Ramesses IX

Pharaoh Infobox | Name=Ramesses IX

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Caption=Relief of the pharaoh Ramesses IX from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Alt=Also written Ramses and Rameses
NomenHiero=N28-C2-R19-C12-N36-M23-F31-s-r:r
Nomen="Ramesses (Khaemwaset) Meryamun"
PrenomenHiero=C2-nfr-D28-N5-U21:n
Prenomen="Neferkare-setepenre"
HorusHiero=E2:D40-m-N28-R19
Horus = "Kanakht Kenkhaemwaset"
NebtyHiero = wsr-s-r:D43-F23:D43-G7-s-n:Aa1-N19-N23:N23
Nebty = "Userkhepesh Sanakhtau"
GoldenHiero=wsr-M4-M4-M4-W19-i-A23-G36:r-M23-t-i-i-Z3
D46:r-D43:T10:t-Z3-Z3-Z3
Golden = "Userrenputmiradiet"
Reign=1129–1111 BC
Predecessor=Ramesses VIII
Successor=Ramesses X
Dynasty=20th Dynasty
Father=probably Montuherkhopshef
Mother=probably Takhat
Spouse=Baketwernel
Issues=Ramesses X?
Died= 1111 BC
Burial=KV6

Ramesses IX (also written Ramses) (originally named 'Amon-her-khepshef Khaemwaset' (1129 – 1111 BC) was the eighth king 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. [J. von Beckerath, Drei Thronbesteigungsdaten der XX. Dynastie, (Three accession dates of the 20th Dynasty), Göttinger Miszellen 79 (1984), pp.7-9 Beckerath's article discusses the accession dates of Ramesses VI, IX and X] [Erik Hornung, Rolf Krauss & David Warburton (editors), Handbook of Ancient Egyptian Chronology (Handbook of Oriental Studies), Brill: 2006, p.216] According to Papyrus Turin 1932+1939, Ramesses IX enjoyed a reign of 18 Years and 4 months and died in his 19th Year in the first month of Peret between day 17 and 27. [E.F. Wente & C.C. Van Siclen, "A Chronology of the New Kingdom" in "Studies in Honor of George R. Hughes", (SAOC 39) 1976, pp.235 & 261] His throne name, Neferkare Setepenre, means "Beautiful Is The Soul of Re, Chosen of Re." [Peter Clayton, Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Thames & Hudson Ltd., 2006 paperback, p.167] Ramesses IX is believed to be the son of Montuherkhopshef, a son of Ramesses III since Montuherkhopshef's wife, the lady Takhat, bears the prominent title of King's Mother; no other 20th dynasty king had a mother with this name. [Nos ancêtres de l'Antiquité, 1991, Christian Settipani, p.153, 169, 173 & 175]

Tomb Robberies

His reign is best known for the Year 16 tomb robberies, recorded in the Abbott Papyrus, the Leopold II-Amherst Papyrus and the Mayer Papyri, when several royal and noble tombs in the Western Theban necropolis were found to have been robbed, including that of a 17th Dynasty king, Sobekemsaf I. Paser, Mayor of Eastern Thebes or Karnak, accused his subordinate Paweraa, the Mayor of West Thebes responsible for the safety of the necropolis, of being either culpable in this wave of robberies or negligent in his duties of protecting the Valley of the Kings from incursions by tomb robbers. Paweraa played a leading part in the vizierial commission set up to investigate, and, not surprisingly, it proved impossible for Paweraa to be officially charged with any crime due to the circumstantiality of the evidence. Paser disappeared from sight soon after the report was filed. [Michael Rice, "Who's Who in Ancient Egypt", Routledge 2001, p.147 ] Ramesses IX brought a measure of stability to Egypt after the wave of tomb robberies. He also paid close attention to Lower Egypt and built a substantial monument at Heliopolis.

Projects

Most of his building works centre on the sun temple centre of Heliopolis in Lower Egypt where the most significant monumental works of his reign are situated. [Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, Blackwell Books, 1992. p.289] However, he also decorated the wall to the north of the Seventh Pylon in the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak. [Grimal, op. cit., p.289] Finally, his name has been found at Dakhla Oasis in Western Egypt and Gezer at Palestine which may suggest a residual Egyptian influence in Asia; the majority of the New Kingdom Empire's possessions in Canaan and Syria had long been lost to the Sea Peoples by his reign. He is also known for having honoured his predecessors Ramesses II, Ramesses III and Ramesses VII.

Burial

Ramesses IX's son Mentuherkhepeshef did not live to succeed his father, although Montuherkhopshef had one of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of the Kings (KV19). The throne was instead assumed by Ramesses X whose precise relationship to Ramesses IX is unclear. He might have been Ramesses IX's son, perhaps by the latter's wife Baketwernel since Baketwernel is designated as both a King's wife, sister and mother respectively in Egyptian sources. The tomb of Ramesses IX, (KV6), has been open since antiquity, as evidenced by the presence of Roman and Greek graffiti on the tomb walls. It is quite long in the tradition of the 'syringe' tunnels of the later 19th and 20th Dynasties and lies directly opposite the tomb of Ramesses II in the Valley of the Kings; this fact may have influenced Ramesses IX's choice of location for his final resting place due to its proximity to this great Pharaoh. [Clayton, op. cit., p.170] In 1881, the mummy of Ramesses IX was found in the Deir el-Bahri cache (DB320).

References

External links

* [http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_820.html The Tomb of Ramesses IX, Valley of the Kings, Egypt]
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