Before the fall (c.2600 - 2200 BCE). Early Egyptians were fierce and active warriors. Our evidence for the Old Kingdom “army,” however, is scattered and fragmentary. Sifting through the pieces, we can reconstruct some elements of the early armed forces. In this episode, we explore royal texts that describe campaigns; pyramid art showing battles and soldiers ... Show More
Apr 27
The 100 Children of Ramesses II with Prof. Peter Brand
Ramesses is famous for fathering 100+ children. But what did all these princes and princesses do? Prof. Peter Brand joins us once more to explain the lives and roles of these children, how we know about them (or don't), what's up with those "Daughter Wives," and where all the 100 ... Show More
42m 39s
Apr 24
Come visit the Great Pyramid! Tour to Egypt 2027 January Announcement
It’s time, once again, to think about visiting Egypt. I just returned from a tour in March, taking a group through the Nile Valley, and we had a great time. Egypt is quite safe, and the sites are ready to receive you. If you’re in the mood for some antiquities, exploration, and t ... Show More
9m 26s
Apr 20
232: Real Housewives of Per-Ramesses with Prof. Peter Brand
Hybrid episode (narrative & interivew). The Hittite Queen, Maat-Hor-Neferura, may have been surprised to find she wasn't the only King's Great Wife. In fact, Ramesses had already turned to other women to be his Queens. Notably, his eldest daughter Bint-Anat ("Daughter of Anat") b ... Show More
1h 25m
Jul 2022
The Rise of Egypt's New Kingdom
<p>Most of what we think we know about ancient Egypt is actually things we know about the New Kingdom, the last of Egypt's three classical golden ages: an empire stretching into the Near East and Nubia, warrior kings leading armies of chariots, the lavish tombs of the Valley of t ... Show More
40m 9s
Feb 2024
Life and Death in Greco-Roman Egypt
<p>In its final centuries, Ancient Egypt was conquered by the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans, beginning with the invasion of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. But these new arrivals didn't squash the Egyptian way of life - the invaders blended their customs, practices and style ... Show More
34m 2s
Dec 2020
Ancient Egypt & Geopolitics
One of the luxuries of living in Ancient Egypt was that you were surrounded by massive deserts, protecting you from people who wanted to cut your head off. Well, at some point between 1650 – 1550 BC (who knows really), the Kingdom is invaded by barbarian hill people. The occupati ... Show More
1h 38m
Jul 2023
The Firebrand from Damascus (Part 1)
Ibn Taymiyyah is known as the “Sheikh of Islam” to his admirers, and to his detractors, one of the most significant antecedents of modern Salafi Jihadism. Simultaneously a genius scholar, brutal warrior and unflinching polemicist, he is one of the most important pioneers of a mil ... Show More
52m 46s