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Rameses in the Bible

also known as: Ramesses, Ramses, Ramases, Raamses, and Rhamses

This is the name of Biblical places and various Pharaohs. The name means “Born of Ra” or “Ra has fashioned him.”

  1. Ramesses, the pharaohs of Egypt

    • Ramesses I, founder of the 19th Dynasty

      a vizier and military officer during the reign of pharaoh Horemheb, who appointed Ramesses I as his successor

    • Ramesses II, aka Ramesses the Great, aka Ozymandias

      3rd ruler of the 19th Dynasty / Most celebrated and powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom, which was ancient Egypt’s most powerful period

      He built many cities, monuments, statues, obelisks, and temples, including the temple Abu Simbel in Nubia and the Ramesseum at Thebes.

      He set himself up as a god on Earth to be worshipped.

      Lived: about 1303-1213 BC, dying at 90-91 years, suffering from severe dental problems, arthritis, hardening of the arteries and heart disease / Reign: about 1279–1213 BC / Buried in the Valley of the Kings tomb KV7

      Grandson of Ramesses I / Preceded as pharaoh by his father Seti I

      First wife: Nefertari

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    • Prince Ramesses (prince), 2nd son of Ramesses II
    • Prince Ramesses-Meryamun-Nebweben, another son of Ramesses II
    • Ramesses III, aka Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III

      Adversary of the Sea Peoples / 2nd pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty, considered the last pharaoh of the New Kingdom to have substantial power

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    • Ramesses IV, 3rd pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty

      Lived: 1176-1149 BC, dying at age 27 / Reign: 1155–1149 BC / Son of Ramesses III

    • Ramesses V, aka Usermaatre Sekheperenre Ramesses V

      4th pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty / Son of Ramesses IV

    • Ramesses VI

      5th pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty / Reign: about 8 years / Son of Ramesses III

    • Ramesses VII, aka Usermaatre Setepenre Meryamun Ramesses VII

      6th pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty / Reign: approximately 1136-1129 BC / Son of Ramesses VI

    • Ramesses VIII, aka Usermaatre Akhenamun Ramesses VIII, or Ramesses Sethherkhepshef Meryamun

      7th pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty / 9th son of Ramesses III

    • Ramesses IX, aka Neferkare Setepenre Ramesses IX

      8th pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty of Egypt / Reign: about 18 years / Possibly the son of Mentuherkhepeshef, a son of Ramesses III

    • Ramesses X, aka Khepermaatre Ramesses X

      9th pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty / His Valley of the Kings tomb KV18 was left unfinished.

    • Ramesses XI, aka Menmaatre Ramesses XI

      10th and final pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty New Kingdom period / Reign: about 29-30 year / His Valley of the Kings tomb KV4 was left unfinished.

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  2. Rameses, the region

    “The land of” Rameses (Genesis 47:11) was probably “the land of Goshen” (Genesis 45:10.

    After the Hebrews had built Rameses, one of the “treasure cities,” it came to be known as the “land” in which that city was built.

  3. Rameses, the city

    also known as: Pi-Rameses —meaning: “House/Domain of Ramesses”

    also known as: Zoan

    This city was located in the Nile Delta region and was a store place built by the Israelite slaves in Egypt.

    And a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and it be in the event of war, that they also join themselves to those who hate us and fight against us and go up from the land.”

    So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labors. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. —Exodus 1:11

    The city bearing this name (Exodus 12:37) is Zoan (aka Tanis), which Rameses the Great (“son of the Sun”) rebuilt. It became his special residence, and ranked next in importance and magnificance to Thebes.

    Huge masses of bricks, made of Nile mud, sun-dried, some of them mixed with stubble, possibly moulded by Jewish hands, still mark the site of Rameses. This was the general rendezvous of the Israelites before they began their march out of Egypt on their exodus to the Promised Land.

    This was later further constructed on the banks of the Nile by Ramesses II as his new capital. Its full name being Pi-Ramesses Aa-nakhtu, meaning “Domain of Ramesses, Great in Victory”.

    This city was dominated by huge temples and Ramesses the Great’s vast residential palace, which include a zoo. He built storehouses, docks and military facilities. The city covers at least 6.9 square miles (about 18 km2), and is about 3.7 miles long (6 km) by 1.9 mi wide (3 km). It has been described as the Venice of Egypt, having many canals and lakes.

    The city had served as a summer palace under his father Seti I, and may have been founded by Ramesses I while he served under Horemheb.

    For years, the colossal feet of the statue of Ramesses II were almost all that remained above ground. The rest remained buried in the fields.

    Archaeologists reported a “surprising discovery in the excavated stables were small cisterns located adjacent to each of the estimated 460 horse tether points. Using mules, which are the same size as the horses of Ramesses’ day, it was found a double tethered horse would naturally use the cistern as a toilet leaving the stable floor clean and dry.”

  4. Ramesseum

    also known as: Rhamesséion (French)

    This is a very large mortuary temple complex built by Ramesses the Great in Thebes (aka No) in the Egyptian city of Luxor, on the west side of the Nile River.

    It included a gigantic statue of Ramesses II, as a god on Earth to be worshipped.

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Article Version: June 28, 2025