Ramesses II temple dating to Old Testament is being restored
An ancient temple that belonged to an Old Testament pharaoh is being restored by archaeologists in Egypt.
In a Facebook post published Thursday, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that Ramesses II’s temple in the Luxor Governorate, the Ramesseum, will undergo significant restoration work in the new year.
Ramesses II is believed to be the pharaoh who ruled over Egypt in the Book of Exodus. The Egyptian king, whose name is also spelled Ramses, was born in 1303 B.C. and died in 1213 B.C.
The tourism ministry said the restoration work is being done in collaboration with the National University of Cultural Heritage of Korea. According to Egyptian officials, Ramesses II built the temple to honor Amun-Ra, the Egyptian god of the air, the sun and creation.
Archaeologists in Egypt are working to restore the Ramesseum, a temple belonging to Ramesses II. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Getty Images)
After an earthquake struck Egypt in 27 B.C., the Ramesseum was left in ruins, but a press release noted that the remnants of the ancient building “indicate that it was a grand temple that reflects the greatness and stature of Ramesses II among the kings.”
“The temple is surrounded by a massive mudbrick wall, and its length reaches 180 meters with a width of 66 meters,” the statement, which was translated from Arabic to English, said. “It also includes depictions of one of the most important battles led by Ramesses II, the Battle of Kadesh.”
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Officials hope restoring the ancient temple will “enhance” the tourism experience for visitors. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
The project “aims to understand the methods used by the ancient Egyptians in constructing this pylon, analyzing its inscriptions and comparing them with those in other temples.”
“Excavation work around the pylon will attempt to uncover stone blocks that were part of the pylon, in addition to the scientific documentation and recording of these stone blocks, as well as creating a database for the project,” the press release noted.
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“Additionally, the project involves stabilizing, restoring and returning the stones to their original positions to rebuild the pylon after completing the documentation work.”
Archaeologists are analyzing the temple’s stones to guide the restoration process. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Officials hope the restoration will “enhance the tourism experience for visitors, both Egyptian and foreign, especially for those interested in cultural tourism.”
Ramesses II made international headlines last year after archaeologists uncovered an ancient sword belonging to his military in September.
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The artifact, found in the Beheira Governorate, was part of a discovery that included “a series of mudbrick architectural units, including military barracks for soldiers and storage rooms for weapons, food, and provisions from the New Kingdom era.”
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