This publication looks at the mysterious events surrounding the death of Rameses III, something that has puzzled historians, archaeologists, and Egyptologists. Now archaeologist Susan Redford investigates the circumstances of the ancient pharoah's death - and discovers among the women of his harem the threads of a murder conspiracy. Evidence is accumulated from ancient papyri and careful readings of temple carvings and a theory involving divisions between clans and rival lineages culminating in a murder plot, is put forward. The work gives insights into ancient Egypt's highly refined legal and judicial systems, which merge abstract notions of equity with mutilation and death. This new eplanation of the harem conspiracy casts new light on crime, punishment, and the role of women in Egyptian society. It further interprets the legacy of the assassination as a contribution to the decline of Egyptian power. A text that aims to ignite interest in both students and the general public, as well as challenging specialists in this field.
- ISBN10 0875802958
- ISBN13 9780875802954
- Publish Date 1 April 2002
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 17 May 2010
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Cornell University Press
- Imprint Northern Illinois University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 202
- Language English