Ramses III

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Letter from the Chair 4

Letter from the Crisis Director 5

Committee Logistics 6Frontroom Procedure 6Backroom Procedure 6

Introduction to Committee 8

Topic 1: Religion and World Order 9Introduction 9What’s the Ma’atter with Ancient Egypt? 101-800-GODS (Your Glossary for the Major Egyptian Gods) 12

Amun 12Ra 12

Amon-Ra 13Anubis 13Bastet 13Hathor 13Heka 14Horus the Younger 14Isis 15Neith 15Osiris 15Set 16Thoth 16Ptah 16

Key Terms, Concepts, and Figures of Egyptian Religion 17Duties of the Egyptian Clergy 17God’s Wife of Amun 17High Priest of Amun 18Daily Rituals 18Per-Ankh 19

Questions to Consider 19

Topic 2: Labor Dynamics and Political Upheaval 20Introduction 20538Politics: Twentieth Dynasty Edition 21The Pyramid of Society (Not the Pyramid of Giza) 23

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Labor Conditions of the Twentieth Dynasty 25I Heard a Rumor That… 26Questions to Consider 28

Dossiers 29Character List 29Isis Ta-Hemdjert, Great Royal Wife of Ramses III 30Tyti, Lesser Wife of Ramses III 30Tiye, Lesser Wife of Ramses III 30Athothes, Head of Finance 31Kontar, Head of Infrastructure 31Anat, Head of Commerce 31Persa, Chief Military Advisor 32Nahi, Commoner’s Representative 32The Priests 32Iri-sen, Priest of Amun 32Mentu-em-ank, Priest of Ra 33Khepri, Priest of Osiris 33Lisimba, Priest of Bastet 33Minkabh, Priest of Horus the Younger 33Sepi, Priest of Anubis 34Ra-neb-nito, Priest of Heka 34Arnebaskenis, Priest of Isis 34Babi, Priest of Neith 34Uaem-kau, Priest of Ptah 35Ra-thoures, Priest of Thoth 35Ta-be, Priest of Hathor 35

Works Cited 36

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Letter from the ChairDear Delegates,

My name is Ben Coderre and I could not be more excited to serve as your chair thisyear for BarMUN XIV in the First Labor Strike against Ramses III. I am a Sophomore here at BUand I am studying Economics and plan on adding a Public Policy minor. I really like city designand transportation and transit models.

I am from Worcester, Massachusetts, the second largest city in New England. I didModel UN in high school for four years and I loved it. Last year I was a Chair of the GENETcommittee at BosMUN, BarMUN’s sister conference. I was really proud of the quality ofdebate we had while over Zoom. It took passion and dedication to sustain our energy overthe weekend, but those delegates did just that and showed me for the upteenth time why Ilove Model UN. That does not, however, mean that I am not over the moon to be practicingModel UN in-person again. I am absolutely stoked to once again gavel in a committee of suchpassionate and intelligent young adults.

One of my favorite aspects of Model UN has always been the Crisis Committees. I lovethe application of UN parliamentary procedures to unique situations and time periods.Ancient Egypt will always be interesting to me because it contains such a unique blend oflabor rights and rigid hierarchy. Ramses might be King, but that means he has a duty toprovide for his people, and they are empowered to make sure he does. In our committee,politics and workers rights are teaming up with religion and an opportunity for massivechange is upon us. With so many competing interests, it is impossible to imagine sweepingthis under the rug without conflict, but only time will tell who comes out on top.

I cannot wait until October when we will all meet in person in Boston. In the meantime,I wish you good luck in your research and invite any questions you may have to be directed tome at [email protected].

Best,Ben Coderre

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Letter from the Crisis DirectorHello Delegates,

My name is Samuel Lyons and I am so excited to be your CD for this committee. I amlooking forward to an exciting weekend full of debate and exciting crisis updates.

As a CD I value creativity. The beauty of crisis is the ability to shape the arc ofcommittee through your backroom actions, and this weekend I am hoping the directionof committee will be delegate driven. You should feel empowered to come up with wild arcsand not feel constrained by reality. Please keep in mind the resources you have access towhen formulating your plans. Personally I am more interested in soft power focused arcs thanstraight military but I will go for anything as long as it is well executed. If you read this CDletter please write “Oregon Apples” on the top of your first note and I’ll appreciate you!

Please feel free to reach out with any questions you have. You can reach me [email protected].

Best,Samuel Lyons

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Committee LogisticsFor some of you, this is the first Model UN conference you have ever participated in,

and for others, it is the first crisis committee -- regardless of where you stand, welcome! Thissection of our background guide is designed to help you familiarize yourself with what itmeans to be in a crisis committee, but you are not limited to what we teach you here. Pleaseconsult your Head Delegates before the conference, and do not hesitate to ask any questionsthroughout the weekend! Model UN can be confusing at first, and we are here to helphowever you may need. Below, we have outlined the structure of both front room and backroom committee logistics for you. As you continue throughout the weekend, keep in mindthat the actions delegates take in the front room will alter the course of the back room, andvice versa!

Frontroom ProcedureDebate will progress in accordance with parliamentary procedure, a feature of most

Model UN committees. Each session will begin with a roll call, and subsequent openingdebate content will be addressed through motions proposed by delegates requesting one ofthree actions: a moderated caucus, unmoderated caucus, or a round robin. Proceduralmatters, such as deciding whether or not a motion passes, will require a 50% majorityapproval to be accepted by the dais. Once a directive is completed, you and those workingalongside you may submit it to the dais and motion for its introduction to committee.Directives will require a 50% majority vote to pass. The only exception to this rule is the caseof a Joint Personal Directive, which is submitted privately to the backroom with two sponsorsand no signatories with the intention of bringing it in-room as a crisis update.

Backroom ProcedureFor the backroom, we will use the classic two-notepad system. On the first notepad,

you will write in-character to one figure (not someone in committee, but rather a real orinvented figure who the person you are portraying with would write to), and on the second,you will select another to correspond with. Our team of crisis staffers will collect notepadsperiodically and swap them out for the second, where you can continue to write while weprocess the first round of notes. While writing these notes, keep in mind that you are lookingto advance your personal goals with the hope of seeing them brought into the frontroom asupdates that will affect the course of the entire committee.

Below is an example of a crisis note (the grey parts are the parts that we would expect

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to see, while the red is our commentary) (I am using Avatar as the content for this examplenote because it is what I am currently obsessed with, but it has no relevance to committeeother than offering an example of how to write a good crisis note):

Dear Sokka, [The note has to be addressed to someone your character knows or couldpotentially know. They do not have to be an established figure from either a literarycanon or history, but they could be if you know someone’s name and do not want tocome up with your own character]

I hope you are doing well. It seems as though it’s been ages since we last saweach other, and even longer since I was traveling the world trying to hunt you and yourfriends down. I’m still sorry about that, by the way. [You can include a bit of smalltalk atthe start of a note, as you would in actual correspondence. It is not necessary, but younever know what kind of information minor characters might possess and slip into anote if you’re nice to them!]

As you may or may not know, the Fire Nation has been on edge since the end ofthe war. Small pockets of rebels who are referring to themselves as the New OzaiSociety have begun appearing throughout our territory, claiming that I have no right torule and should hand the throne back to my father. I want to believe I can solve thisissue on my own, but if I learned anything from our adventures together, it’s that askingfor help is never a bad thing (Agni, I’m starting to sound like my uncle now). I know youand the rest of Team Avatar must be busy dealing with the aftermath of the HundredYears’ War, but I cannot solve this issue on my own. If you can find the time, I wouldgreatly appreciate a visit to the capital from yourself and the rest of the team. We’vebeen unsuccessful in our attempts to seek out members of the New Ozai Society onour own, and we have reason to believe they may have resorted to hiding on islandslocated on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. If you could bring fifteen Southern WaterTribe boats (and Appa, of course) to help us scout these locations out, I would beeternally grateful. [Offer a detailed plan, clearly stating what you intend to get fromwriting this note. When writing the main content of your note, always err on the side ofproviding more details rather than less!]

I am aware of the differences between the Fire Nation and the Southern WaterTribe throughout our histories, but I believe this can be a point of change for ourrelationship moving forward. Offering your assistance to this will allow my nation toprogress towards stability, something I believe we all want after what my ancestorshave done. I hope that, through this collaboration, we will be able to reforge ourinternational relations. [Offer a sneak-peek into where you’re going with this plan! Crisis

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notes do not exist in a vacuum, and you should always be looking at least one moveahead! Your staff will want to know a little bit of what you have planned!]

Yours,Fire Lord Zuko [Always sign your notes at the end!]

TLDR: Lend the Fire Nation fifteen Southern Water Tribe boats to deal with a rebel group[While this is not necessary, an informal one sentence TLDR is very appreciated by the crisisstaff so they can quickly refer to notes further down the line!]

Introduction to CommitteeWelcome to life under Ramses III! We are thrilled to have you with us, working to

uphold order and life as we know it (no pressure, though).

As you know, talks of laborers striking have been looming on the horizon recently,which is not something most of you are particularly thrilled about. Of course, for those of yourepresenting the working class in this committee, I stand corrected -- you are probably thrilledto see some changes being made around here, right?

To make matters clear for everyone, this committee will begin right before any actualstriking has occurred. Rumors have been circulating that Egypt’s beloved builders have beengetting ideas of their own, but nothing concrete (ha, get it? Concrete?) has happened apartfrom these whispers.

We are expecting that this will be a fun weekend and a great introduction into theworld of collegiate Model United Nations; with that being said, we would like to take amoment to recognize that this is a novice committee, and will hopefully provide you all with agreat learning experience to take away from this weekend. As we progress throughout theconference, we may delve into more advanced topics, but we would like for this to remain awelcoming environment where we can all learn from each other.

Additionally, we would like to recognize the fact that Model United Nations hashistorically created a hostile environment towards certain minority communities, including butnot limited to LGBTQ+ identifying delegates, female-identifying delegates, delegates ofcolor, and delegates of varying religions. As your committee staff, we hope to counteractsome of these unfortunately common prejudices associated with Model United Nations, andwe expect that you bring the same attitude as delegates.

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While ancient Egypt was a fairly egalitarian society in terms of offering opportunities towomen (at least of the upper class), we want to stress that we will not accept any languagethat insinuates gendered violence or insults. We also want to acknowledge that Egyptiansociety relied on the use of slave labor, and while it did not focus on race the way that laterEuropean and American slavery did, it is still a sensitive issue and must be treated as such.Finally, we will also not tolerate homophobia in any sense of the meaning -- althoughevidence for this may be found in some of the source material from the era, there is no placeto debate this when we have so many other topics to choose from. Every delegate shouldhave the right to a safe, comfortable, and entertaining weekend, and debating in defense oftheir rights to exist does not constitute any of the above.

Thank you so much for adhering to these guidelines; we know Model UN can seemdaunting at first, but the point of creating a novice committee is to counteract some of theseissues. We hope that you will have a great weekend, and if there is anything you need from useither before or during the conference, please feel free to reach out. Until October, pleasestay safe and healthy! We cannot wait to welcome you all to BarMUN XIV and Ancient Egypt!

Topic 1: Religion and World Order

IntroductionOne word to define the era of Ramses III would be religion. Whether practiced by

individuals working with household altars or by organized hierarchies within temples, bothcommoners and nobles alike devoted their existence to the gods. In this polytheistic culture,each god was granted a distinct sphere of influence, personality, and name; as opposed tobeing conglomerate figures of a pantheon symbolizing vague ideas, the gods and goddessesinstead represented specific, tangible concepts that were translated to the Egyptian peoplethrough the use of storytelling. However, as you will see later on in this section, some godsseem to simultaneously represent contradictory aspects of the human experience. While thismay seem confusing at first, it is important to remember that religion during the TwentiethDynasty revolved around the concept of balance — something we will explore later in thisbackground guide, in addition to throughout the weekend.

Although Egyptian religion shifted and transformed throughout the history leading upto the Twentieth Dynasty, its importance within daily life under Ramses III cannot beoverstated. Humans looked to the gods for everything, from asking for favorable weather torequesting safety and favor throughout times of warfare (of which there were plenty withRamses in charge). There are over 2,000 Egyptian deities, but for the purpose of this

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committee, you only need to know about fourteen or so (of course, you are more thanwelcome to do outside research on some of the minor gods and their relevant stories, but thisbackground guide will cover the information necessary to keep up with committee).

Regardless of how the deities were worshipped in separate spheres of life, the fact thatthey defined what it meant to be Egyptian holds true. Life during the Twentieth Dynastyrevolved around the relationship between humans and the gods, which is why religion isimportant enough to warrant its own topic. A small labor strike may seem insignificant uponfirst glance, but for the Egyptians who were used to upholding the concept of ma’at andterrified of what might happen if they were to anger the gods by upsetting this carefullycrafted balance, a few unhappy laborers became a much larger issue.

Within this committee, it will be your job to both accomplish your individual goals whilekeeping the larger forces at work functioning. The gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt areat your fingertips for requests of guidance and assistance, both for representatives of thenobles and the laborers, but this is a tool that must be used sparingly and with clearintentions. While your character may seem to be advancing towards a larger goal through theuse of some unorthodox methods, it is important to keep in mind that you could be thrownright back to square one with one simple misstep that may end up angering an importantdeity.

What’s the Ma’atter with Ancient Egypt?Although there is an Egyptian goddess named Ma’at, the referral to ma’at within this

committee focuses more on the concept of “order” (its direct translation) as a facet for whichEgyptian life was centered around.

Ma’at has forty-two divine ideals associated with it, which you are not expected tomemorize but should be familiar with the basic outline of in case it comes up in committee:

1. I have not committed sin.2. I have not committed robbery with violence.

3. I have not stolen.4. I have not slain men and women.

5. I have not stolen grain.6. I have not purloined offerings.

7. I have not stolen the property of the gods.8. I have not uttered lies.

9. I have not carried away food.

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10. I have not uttered curses.11. I have not committed adultery...

12. I have made none to weep.13. I have not eaten the heart [i.e., I have not grieved uselessly, or felt remorse].

14. I have not attacked any man.15. I am not a man of deceit.

16. I have not stolen cultivated land.17. I have not been an eavesdropper.

18. I have slandered no man.19. I have not been angry without just cause.

20. I have not debauched the wife of any man.21. I have not debauched the wife of any man (repeats the previous affirmation but

addressed to a different god).22. I have not polluted myself.

23. I have terrorized none.24. I have not transgressed the Law.

25. I have not been wroth.26. I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.

27. I have not blasphemed.28. I am not a man of violence.

29. I am not a stirrer-up of strife (or a disturber of the peace).30. I have not acted (or judged) with undue haste.

31. I have not pried into matters.32. I have not multiplied my words in speaking.33. I have wronged none, I have done no evil.

34. I have not worked witchcraft against the King (or blasphemed against the King).35. I have never stopped the flow of water.

36. I have never raised my voice (spoken arrogantly, or in anger).37. I have not cursed or blasphemed god.

38. I have not acted with evil rage.39. I have not stolen the bread of the gods.

40. I have not carried away the khenfu cakes from the spirits of the dead.41. I have not snatched away the bread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god

of my city.42. I have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.1

1 Papyrus of Ani, The Book of the Dead, Gramercy, 1995-01-23, ISBN 978-0-517-12283-9, pp. 576–582.

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To put it simply, pious Egyptians liked everything and everyone around them to bepredictable. Under the religious context of the era, Ramses III and all of his subjects wereexpected to adhere to these tenets or risk invoking the wrath of the gods. As noted at theend of Ideal 20, “(repeats the previous affirmation but addressed to a different god),” each ofthese rules were directed towards a different god, again reflecting the importance each deityhad within their respective spheres of influence. By repeating the same affirmation twice, butto two different gods, the speaker was acknowledging that one action could haverepercussions in multiple areas of life.

1-800-GODS (Your Glossary for the Major Egyptian Gods)

Amun

Attributed to the sun and the air, and commonly known as the King of the Gods,Amun is one of the most worshipped deities of Ramses III’s reign. AlthoughAmun’s origins lie in his status as a minor fertility god, the city of Thebes’ devout worship ofhim gave way to his rise towards stardom (er, god-dom). Amun has now been considered themost powerful god in Egypt for three dynasties, and his hold does not seem to be slipping;religious conversations have begun to tip towards monotheism lately, much to the chagrin ofsome devout polytheists. Amun’s status amongst his fellow gods is apparent through themany important positions granted to his devout mortals, such as the High Priest of Amun andthe God’s Wife of Amun.2

Ra

Ra has been worshipped in Egypt for a long time, with his cult origins datingback to the beginnings of the kingdom and his popularity coming to a rise in the Fifth Dynastyof 2345 BCE that would remain in place throughout the Twentieth Dynasty and beyond. ThePyramids of Giza, created as a tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu, were built in Ra’shonor as the supreme lord and creator god of both the living and the dead, which may beimportant to the conversation of Ramses III’s court as discussions of workers’ rights and laborstrikes come to the forefront. Ra is best known for pulling the sun across the sky during thedaytime through the use of his sky-barge, and then journeying through the Underworld atnight to hide the light and offer humans respite before the next day. Ra’s nightly journey tothe Underworld is a dangerous one, where horrors such as the ancient serpent Apep lay inwait for their chance to put an end to such a powerful being.3

3 Ibid.

2 Joshua J. Mark, “Egyptian Gods — The Complete List,” World History Encyclopedia,https://www.worldhistory.org/article/885/egyptian-gods---the-complete-list/.

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Amon-Ra

With both Amon and Ra being such important figures inEgyptian religion, it seemed only natural that they would merge into one supremedeity -- which is exactly what they ended up doing, of course. Starting in the 16thcentury BCE (1600-1501, for those of you who are confused by centuries), Amun andRa merged into Amun-Ra, one deity with all the features of both gods combined intoone. The worship of Amun-Ra as opposed to Amun and Ra is a distinct feature of theNew Kingdom, which began with the Eighteenth Dynasty and continued up throughthe Twentieth. Although Amun-Ra is worshipped as one god now, certain officesremain in use, such as the aforementioned God’s Wife and High Priest of Amun.4

Anubis

Commonly known as the God of the Dead (with a particular emphasis upon theimportant practice of embalming), Anubis can be picked out from a crowd dueto the jackal head resting upon his otherwise human body. Anubis is the son ofOsiris, and primarily assists his father with the family business by leading souls to the Hall ofTruth for the Weighing of the Heart practice. In this terrifying ritual, each heart was placedupon a scale and weighed against a feather; if the heart was found to be lighter than saidfeather, the souls were allowed passage into Anubis’s realm, but if not, they were doomed tobe eaten by Ammut, a minor goddess with a crocodile head and a certain hunger for makingsouls disappear.5

Bastet

Although jack-of-all-trades, Bastet’s primary focus resides in the feminine sphereof Egyptian life -- and this popularity makes her a rival to Amun’s graduallymonotheistic monopoly. Bastet is commonly depicted as either a full cat or a female bodyattached to a cat’s head, reflecting her position as the goddess of cats, childbirth, and fertility.Due to her important role, Bastet is revered by both men and women alike who hope to seetheir families blessed with good fortune and health; it would be far from uncommon to runinto someone walking down the street holding a talisman of a cat in her honor. Bastet is alsoknown as the protector of the hearth and home, keeping her followers safe from any evil ormisfortune lurking in the shadows.6

Hathor

Another very popular deity, Hathor’s position as an ancient goddess connected

6 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

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to Ra and Horus makes her universally known by the Egyptian people. As the legend states,Hathor was sent by Ra to destroy humanity in return for the many egregious sins committedthroughout history. However, the other gods didn’t exactly like hearing what Ra had plannedfor humans, and quickly devised a trick to sate her anger by dying vats of beer red toresemble the blood she wanted to drink. After a nap and a good snack that sated her boughtof bloodlust without killing anyone, Hathor turned a new page and adopted a better outlookon humanity. Now known as the “Lady of Drunkenness,” Hathor is commonly attributed todrinking, gratitude, joy, love, and inspiration, in addition to serving alongside Bastet as aminor deity of childbirth and femininity.7

Heka

In the “who was born first” debate amongst the gods, Heka takes the cake —although he is now considered the patron god of practicing medicine andmagic, he is also recognized as the primordial source of power in the universe. Heka existedbefore any of the other gods were created, and actually witnessed the act of creationfirsthand. Heka is responsible for the iconic twin-snake symbol associated with medicinethroughout the entire ancient world, as he is said to have killed two snakes and entwinedthem upon his staff to show his power to the rest of the gods. Heka’s most devout followersare the doctors of Egypt, who combine magic and medicine in order to heal their clients; infact, Heka is so important in this profession that physicians are known as the Priests of Heka.8

Horus the Younger

Renowned for his association with the kings of Egypt, Horus the Younger is anavian god typically depicted with a male body attached to the head of a hawk.Horus became so entwined with the fates of the kings due to the legends surrounding hisbirth and upbringing; after his father Osiris was murdered by Set, Horus’s mother stole himaway and raised him in hidden swampland until he could one day reclaim what was stolenfrom his family. As Horus came of age, he confronted his father’s murderer and challengedhim for the right to rule the Kingdom of Egypt and ended up winning, restoring order andfairness to the world. All kings are thought to be living incarnations of Horus during theirreign, including Ramses III, granting safety and good fortune to their people. Although thereare certain gods who hold more importance with the people of Ancient Egypt, Horus clearlyholds favor within the upper political ring of the Twentieth Dynasty.9

9 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

7 Ibid.

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Isis

Out of the Egyptian goddesses, Isis is the most powerful and popular (eventhough Bastet puts up quite a fight in that competition). She is associated with almost everyaspect of human life, and as a result of her empathy towards both humans and gods alike, isknown as the “Mother of the Gods.” In addition to being one of the first five gods, Isis is thewife of Osiris and mother of Horus, further cementing her importance within the religiouscustoms of the era. After her husband was hacked to pieces and scattered around the worldby his jealous brother, Set, Isis morphed into a bird and found each part of his body. Althoughshe was able to make him whole again with her powers, he was caught in between the worldof the living and the dead, forcing her and Horus into hiding without Osiris’s protection. Isisembodies the perfect vision of a traditional Egyptian wife and mother, a devout woman whowould go to the ends of the earth for her husband and dedicate her entire life towardstraining her son to reclaim his birthright.10

Neith

Although Neith was once the most important goddess in Egypt during its earlyhistory, her prominence has recently subsided in favor of Isis during the reign ofthe Twentieth Dynasty. Neith is known for her combination of feminine attributes -- particularlyher position as the goddess of creation and motherhood -- with more traditionally masculinevalues, such as warfare. Neith is closely associated with life and growth, as many consider herto be the inventor of childbirth itself. She is frequently depicted as the mediator of disputesbetween deities due to this position, with the most famous example being her decision tooffer Horus the right to rule over Set when the Tribunal of the Gods could not reach a decisionon the matter. Neith may not be as relevant as she was in years past, but she might provehelpful should anyone anger certain gods to the point where an intermediary’s help may berequired.11

OsirisWith a name that translates into “mighty,” there is no debate over Osiris’s

power within Egyptian religion. After being chopped into pieces by his brotherand then reassembled by his wife, Osiris existed on a plane that was not quite the realm ofthe living and not quite the realm of the dead. To end this misery of being caught in betweenworlds, Osiris decided to fully devote his existence to the dead, where he became the Lord ofthe Underworld and Judge of the Dead. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Osiris is alwaysdepicted at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony conducted by his son Anubis, carefully

11 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

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watching which souls have devoted themselves to upholding ma’at throughout their lifetimes.It is believed that being buried near his cult center at Abydos will guarantee safe passage intothe afterlife, but for those who cannot afford the hefty price of a funeral with guaranteedsalvation included, building a monument for yourself or loved ones near the city might justgrant you a ticket into paradise.12

Set

Known as the god of terrible things such as chaos, storms, and pestilence, Setprobably isn’t someone you’d want to have at a party. Unless, of course, it’s a party organizedby pre-nap Hathor. In his defense, it’s hard to be a good guy with a name that translates into“Destroyer” and “Instigator of Confusion.” There was a time when Set was devoted toheroism, driving a deadly serpent away from the barge of the Sun God every night, but overtime, he began to fall more in line with the fate predicted by his name. After being defeatedby Horus in the challenge for the right to rule, he was banished from Egypt to the nearbydesert lands where he continually attempted to enact revenge upon the gods and people byblowing the dry winds of his new home into the fertile Nile Valley. Although Set ischaracteristically evil, he is recognized within Egyptian religion as a necessary force of balanceagainst good figures such as Horus and Isis, who must work to prevent Set’s chaos from takingroot in the world again.13

Thoth

Depicted as the son of Horus, Thoth is best known for his role as the god ofwriting, truth, integrity, and wisdom. He is credited with inventing writing itself,and subsequently is often depicted while holding a writing instrument. Thoth holds aparticular importance for the office of king due to his position as the “Lord of Time,” giventhe responsibility of marking time’s passage and offering each king a long lifespan in anattempt to maintain order throughout his respective reign. Thoth is always presented inEgyptian religion as an advocate and benefactor of humanity, blessing mortals with the gift ofa written language; whereas some gods change their feelings regarding humanity dependingon the situation, Thoth can always be counted on as a friend. In the event of a heavenlyconflict, which just might erupt from shaking the foundation of ma’at, he might be a goodfigure to seek guidance from.14

Ptah

Although not a particularly major god in comparison to the others, Ptah is

14 Ibid.

13 Ibid.

12 Ibid.

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arguably the most relevant for this committee. His presence at the primordialmound of earth has forever linked him to creation and craftsmanship throughout Egyptianhistory, two skills highly revered by those employed to build monuments (and those whoseem to have picked up a new interest in going on strike). As the patron god of craftsmen,sculptors, and artisans, Ptah will be integral to the negotiations between the political elite andworking class; even if Ramses and his politicians do not have a vested interest in Ptah himself,they certainly wouldn’t want to upset the creator of the world, lord of truth, and chief god ofMemphis (all titles which Ptah holds, even as his importance has begun to fade since thedawn of creation). His presence is one of the main bargaining chips held by the workers,which must be remembered as various solutions are considered in regards to the strike.15

Key Terms, Concepts, and Figures of Egyptian Religion

Duties of the Egyptian Clergy

The Egyptian Clergy functioned in a unique manner, quite different from whatwe might associate the word with as we read this background guide in the 21stcentury. Instead of conducting services to preach or explain the different stories and stress theimportance of the gods, the clergy of the New Kingdom instead focused on caring forwhichever deity they dedicated their lives to serving. These daily tasks took place withindistinct temples built and dedicated to each respective god, where members of the clergywould carefully attend to their needs and ensure their happiness. Both men and women wereallowed to occupy positions within the clergy, and were offered the same pay and the sameprivileges for these jobs; women were not prohibited from worshipping certain gods orfulfilling certain tasks, and instead encouraged to seek this religious honor the same way menwere. Although religion was a very important part of life under Ramses III, it was typicallypracticed in private temples or households as opposed to being celebrated in large groups(of course, except for times of festival).16

God’s Wife of Amun

Although the position of God’s Wife of Amun has always been an importantfigurehead, recent developments have led to its growth as one of the mostpowerful political and spiritual positions available -- and to make matters even moreinteresting, this is a position that can only be held by a woman, raising the potential for onewoman’s authority to reach the levels of Ramses III himself. Beginning in the EighteenthDynasty, either the mother, wife, or oldest daughter of the king would be selected to serve in

16 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

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this position, performing specific rites and rituals at religious festivals throughout the year. Astime continued from this dynasty up through Ramses’s reign, the power associated with theGod’s Wife exponentially grew, and talks have begun regarding how to curb this growinginfluence; some important figures have begun to believe that the king should issue a royaldecree stating that only women born into the royal family can be given this position, althoughthis idea has not yet been officially proposed.17

High Priest of Amun

The High Priest of Amun is one of the most coveted positions in Egypt, selectedfor office by the king himself and granted the power to mediate between the people of theNew Kingdom and their gods. While the High Priest is responsible for ensuring theaccordance of tradition in a modernizing world, this position does have its fair share of drama;several High Priests of the past have attempted to use their own masses of wealth and powerin order to undermine the king’s authority, shaking the very carefully crafted politicalfoundations of Egypt. With both religious and secular authority, the High Priest has influencewith all spheres of society, and the potential to use this influence however he chooses -- aslong as it stays beneath the king’s radar long enough for any potential plans to come tofruition. However, after the escalation of the God’s Wife office under Ahmose I, the position ofHigh Priest no longer has the total authority over religious matters that it once maintained.18

Daily Rituals

Since Egyptian religion relies more on the private practice of worship asopposed to routine organized efforts of community acknowledgement, dailyrituals are essential to both the clergy and the working class. For the working class, this meansrespecting the gods through smaller ceremonies including family members, such as choosinga patron deity or household god, but for the clergy, this meant a rigid set of terms they wereexpected to follow in order to keep ma’at in place and prevent chaos from taking over.However, the clergy is not limited to only the upper class; although most high-rankingpositions are offered to the more wealthy members of society, those occupying jobs withintemples such as scribes, chefs, and janitors are all considered priests as well.19

19Joshua J. Mark, “Clergy, Priests & Priestesses in Ancient Egypt,” World History Encyclopedia,https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1026/clergy-priests--priestesses-in-ancient-egypt/

18 Joshua J. Mark, “Clergy, Priests & Priestesses in Ancient Egypt,” World History Encyclopedia,https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1026/clergy-priests--priestesses-in-ancient-egypt/

17 Joshua J. Mark, “Clergy, Priests & Priestesses in Ancient Egypt,” World History Encyclopedia,https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1026/clergy-priests--priestesses-in-ancient-egypt/

19

Per-AnkhMeaning “House of Life,” the Per-Ankh is an essential feature of every temple,

regardless of who is being worshipped within it. It is a combination of a university, a writingcenter, a library, and a conference center, where aspiring priests and doctors were trained toserve their gods. The name refers to the important symbol of ankh, or life, which is thefoundational concept to Egyptian society. The ankh represents everything that makes up theworld, everything that came before Ramses III and everything that will come after it, so it isessential to honor this concept through religious customs.20

Questions to Consider1. How is religion affecting your character specifically? What role do they play within this

incredibly pious culture, and how does this shape their interactions with both the godsand other figures in committee?

2. How has religion impacted the labor movement? How are the workers interacting withyour revered gods, and how might the nobles work to counteract this while stillrespecting their laborers and their gods?

3. How well do you know the gods of Ancient Egypt? While there will not be a pop quizabout this to determine who receives Best Delegate, Thoth would smile upon adelegate who can keep up with the religious happenings within committee. (See?That’s a reference you’ll understand if you know your mythology.)

20 Ibid.

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Topic 2: Labor Dynamics and Political Upheaval

IntroductionReligion wasn’t the only thing defining the era of Ramses III; political turmoil was in full

swing during the reign of the Twentieth Dynasty. Although Ramses III is currently consideredto be an effective leader -- after all, it’s hard to argue with the divine right to rule — he’s hadhis fair share of scandals and constant warfare leading up to this point in his reign.

To be fair to our king, the tense political situation isn’t entirely his fault. We’re enteringwhat’s known as the collapse of the Late Bronze Age (even if that wasn’t its official title wayback in 1200 BCE), so things are a little… unstable, to say the least. Although Ramses didmanage to maintain relative peace throughout the first few years of his rule, that changed inthe fifth year with the invasion of the Nile River delta by the neighboring Libyan peoples, whocited their reasoning as the fact that the Twentieth Dynasty was interfering in Libyan politicsand the succession of their leaders.21 To their credit, Egypt was involving itself in affairs itprobably shouldn’t have been. Regardless of the validity of Libyan claims, war ensued at thewesternmost point of the delta, and they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of theEgyptians.22

Not long after peace was restored after the conflict with the Libyan people — twoyears, to be exact — Ramses found himself threatened by another (even more powerful anddangerous) force: the Sea People. The Sea People were a nomadic group riding the high oftheir successful invasion of the nearby Hittite Empire in Asia Minor, as well as their devastationof Syria,23 which is perhaps why they felt emboldened enough to go after Egypt as their nexttarget. The Sea People mounted a two-pronged invasion by both land and sea, and althoughEgypt did narrowly avoid conquest on either front, the Sea People settled nearby betweenGaza and Mount Carmel as opposed to taking land from Egypt.24 Although this initiallyappeared to be a better outcome than direct invasion, it effectively ended the TwentiethDynasty’s dreams of expanding the eastern front of the kingdom.

As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, the Libyan people were still upset over theirhumiliation at the western delta, and they decided to do something about this after Egypt

24 Joshua J. Mark, “New Kingdom of Egypt,” Encyclopedia Britannica,https://www.worldhistory.org/New_Kingdom_of_Egypt/.

23 Joshua J. Mark, “Sea Peoples,” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.worldhistory.org/Sea_Peoples/.

22 Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, “Ramses III: King of Egypt,” Encyclopedia Britannica,https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramses-III.

21 Pierre Grandet, "Early–mid 20th dynasty,” UCLA, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology.

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was done fighting the Sea People. Another two years passed, and in the eleventh year ofRamses’s reign, the Libyan people invaded the same western delta again. If it doesn’t work atfirst, try, try again. Unfortunately for our resolute band of rebels, Ramses and his forces easilywon this war by capturing their chief.25 It is hard to boost troop morale when you lose yourleader, after all. Egypt became even more wealthy after this final victory, and entered aprosperous period of about fifteen years, where monuments such as Ramses’ funeral complexand a town complex in western Thebes were built.26

This increase in monument building called for an increase in labor productivity, which iswhere the set-up for our current conflict began to come into play. The money coming in fromthese various wars powered Ramses’ building projects for a significant amount of time, but asEgypt’s enemies disappeared and the spoils of war were spent on exploration andconstruction projects, the prosperous age that the Egyptian people had become socomfortable with began to hit a few major stumbling blocks. Stumbling blocks that you,unfortunately, have the pleasure of dealing with! Good luck!

538Politics: Twentieth Dynasty EditionWar is a thing of the past in the 29th (and current) year of Ramses’s reign. No one’s

dying in battle, no one’s being invaded, and everything on that front is considered smoothsailing by almost everyone.

On the political front, however, a war of a whole different kind is being waged. Just lastyear, as you thought Egypt would sail through the rest of Ramses’s reign and into peace undera new pharoah, the vizier of Lower Egypt decided to shake things up a bit by getting himselfinvolved in a corruption scandal.27 Although the details of the extent to which the vizier wasinvolved with this corruption, and the actual corruption itself, were kept under wraps from theEgyptian people, it is still raising cause for suspicion almost a year later as you begin toconfront some other political issues.

The first issue has to do with religious matters, so it might be in your best interest toback and re-read certain sections of the background guide (or re-skim, depending on howmuch reading you did the first time). Due to the increasing power held by the veryemphasized office of the High Priest of Amun, the pharaoh's position has begun to lose itsinfluence with the people.28 I mean, why bother listening to a man who says he speaks for the

28 Joshua J. Mark, “New Kingdom of Egypt.”

27 Ibid.

26 Ibid.

25 Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica, “Ramses III: King of Egypt.”

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gods when you have the more accessible High Priest saying the same thing? It’s a lot easier totalk with an intermediary to the gods and explain your issues than it is to walk up to thepharaoh and ask him to ask the High Priest to request a favor from the gods. Really, you’rejust cutting out some unnecessary steps. And sure, Ramses says he’s the living incarnation ofHorus, but… hasn’t every other pharaoh said that? Isn’t it easier to believe that a man isspeaking with the gods than it is to believe that a man is a god? You aren’t alone if you thinkthis, even though it may seem absolutely revolutionary. Of course, there are some who stillbelieve in the power of the king (perhaps those sitting next to you during the conference), soit’s probably in your best interest to find out where people stand regarding this issue than it isto just blurt out your unwavering support of the High Priest. Or go ahead and do whateveryou’d like. I’m certainly not going to stop you, because I am here to watch some dramaunfold. Anyways, Ramses is clearly worried about this, because he’s changed his name to anofficial title that translates into, “The Ma'at of Ra is strong, Beloved of Amun, Born of Ra, Rulerof Heliopolis.”29 You can still call him Ramses, though.

Another slightly worrying political issue is the looming fact that Ramses isn’t immortal,however much he may want to believe that, and succession might be a tricky matter ifanything terrible were to befall our wonderful leader. While Ramses is officially practicingmonogamy by being married to Isis Ta-Hemdjert, blessed with the title of Great Royal Wife,30

it’s not exactly a rumor to say that he has several other women known as “lesser wives,” ormore accurately, concubines. Maybe Miss Ta-Hemdjert should hop into the twenty-firstcentury and heed the wise advice of one Taylor Swift, who says, “The master of spin has acouple side flings / Good wives always know / She should be mad, should be scathing likeme, but / No one likes a mad woman.”31 As far as we know of, there are at least two majorside flings that Isis should probably be looking out for: Tiye and Tyti.32 The problem is thatTiye has the eldest child, a boy named Ramesses Amenherkhepshef, but Tyti is putting up afierce competition for a son, Pentaweret, to inherit the throne instead. As of now, there hasbeen nothing but strained intrafamilial relationships (and very awkward family dinners), butrumors have begun to circulate that Tyti is becoming increasingly impatient with the prospectof handing over the throne to baby Ramesses. Of course, officially, both children areconsidered to be Isis’s -- who holds the title of Royal Mother33 -- but we know better than tobelieve that.

33 Dodson & Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt.

32 James H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four, pp. 446-450.

31 Taylor Swift, “Mad Woman,” Lyrics Genius, https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-mad-woman-lyrics.

30 Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, London: Thames & Hudson,ISBN 0-500-05128-3, pp.186-187.

29 E.F. Wente & C.C. Van Siclen, "A Chronology of the New Kingdom" in Studies in Honor of George R. Hughes,(SAOC 39) 1976, ISBN 0-918986-01-X, pp. 235.

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Recently, Tyti has been seen talking with some inner members of Ramses’ cabinet,excluded but not limited to: Pebekkamen (the chief of the chamber), a few royal butlers (whichis a position of incredible honor, one that hopefully no one would be willing to throw away),some overseers from the Treasury, soldiers bearing the standard for their king, and even someroyal scribes and heralds.34 No one’s actually heard what Tyti has been saying to any of thesemen, and it could be nothing more than innocent greetings, but whatever her reasoning forhaving such an intricate network of communication within the palace, perhaps launching aninvestigation into her whereabouts may be worthwhile.

Now, the vizier’s corruption is old news, and Tyti’s comings and goings are placedaround pure speculation, but what else is there to do in 1157 BCE? Listening to rumors isbasically the ancient equivalent of binge-watching reality television shows. Anyone interestedin watching the latest episode of Keeping up with the Twentieth Dynasty? I heard Tiyedropped her diamond earring in the ocean last week.

The Pyramid of Society (Not the Pyramid of Giza)Egypt under the Twentieth Dynasty is a strictly hierarchical society; although there is

some room to climb ranks, you can more or less expect that you’ll die at the same level youwere born. Sorry to put it so bluntly. See, the thing is that social mobility isn’t exactlyencouraged, because the gods put us where we’re meant to be for a reason. You know howwe stressed how much Egypt cares about its order? Clawing your way into a higher socialposition kind of throws off the natural balance of things, which isn’t ideal in this society. As thegreat High School Musical (unfortunately not invented by this point in history) once said,“Stick to the stuff you know / If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule / Don't mess withthe flow, no, no / Stick to the status quo.”35 But hey, maybe you’re the exception — you’llnever know unless you try!

At the very top of the pyramid (ha!), as you can imagine, is where King Ramses sits.And any kings who’ve come before and after him have and will sit. Unless, of course, the HighPriest decides to not stick to the status quo. Following a very close second is said High Priestand God’s Wife, as well as any Grand Viziers (the ones who don’t get themselves involved inconspiracies), and then the remaining members of the pharaoh's court.

After this, we have priests and scribes, who are still incredibly respected in society evenif they are not at the very top of the hierarchy. After that, we have regional governors, which

35 High School Musical Cast, “Stick to the Status Quo,” Lyrics Genius,https://genius.com/High-school-musical-cast-stick-to-the-status-quo-lyrics.

34 Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt.

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underlines again how important jobs such as scribes are during the Twentieth Dynasty —they’re responsible for recording all social and political developments and ensuring thepharaoh's place in the subsequent historical record. Without scribes, regional governorswould have no way to get in touch with the larger government of Egypt.

Next, we have military generals, who reside alongside the recent uplifted status of theartists, builders, and craftspeople. Although change is generally resisted, it’s a bit of adifferent story when ordered by those in charge. As he founded the New Kingdom, Ramses II(the father and predecessor of our Ramses) decided that these workers were essential toEgyptian life, and decided to recognize them as such within the very foundation of society.

In the bottom four tiers of the pyramid, we have the common people, governmentsupervisors of worksites, peasant farmers, and then slaves. In Egyptian society, slaves weresourced from criminals, prisoners of war, and those who could not pay their debts.

As for the breakdown of how society was structured, over eighty percent of the currentpopulation resides in the “peasant farmers” category. Let me reiterate, not even commonpeople, but peasant farmers. Just by being in this room as we work to maintain order forRamses, you’re already placing yourself within the top twenty percent of your society.

As with almost every society, the lower eighty percent of our citizens are primarilyresponsible for the comfort of the twenty percent. However, the Twentieth Dynasty is workingto correct this inequity by asking the nobility to care for the lower tiers of the pyramid by fairlydistributing food between them and ensuring that they have an abundance of available jobs.Technically speaking, as the king is believed to be an incarnation of a god, he owns all of theland in Egypt, but he is magnanimous enough to share it with the people in order to adhereto the tradition of ma’at. (Yes, he is watching us write this, so please don’t call us out for clearfavoritism). In order to maintain a beneficial relationship with the lower classes who keptEgypt functioning, Ramses collected taxes through the office of the vizier and thenredistributed the wealth and goods collected through this process back to the people whoneeded it most.

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Labor Conditions of the Twentieth DynastyThroughout Egypt’s history and up until the start of this committee, all labor is

considered to be a respectable and highly noble pursuit. Of course, building pyramids andfuneral monuments is considered slightly more respectable than farming, but everyone has aplace under the Egyptian system of organization. The redistribution of goods collectedthrough taxes was not considered to be an unjustified amassing of belongings, but instead afair repayment of the energy dedicated towards labor of any kind.

At this point in the Twentieth Dynasty, we don’t rely on physical coins the way someother societies do. Instead, we use the deben system, our monetary unit that we base all ofour trade and transactions around.37 The deben itself isn’t an actual coin, but ratherrepresentative of the standard monetary unit set to a certain value. This may sound confusing,but it’s really as simple as assigning the value of coinage to a certain object -- say you haveten papyrus plants, and your neighbor has one cat that is worth the same amount of deben asyour plants. You would hand over the plants, and your neighbor would hand over the cat. Inmy opinion, that seems like a great trade for some papyrus, but it might be a different story ifwe were talking about succulents.

Whereas poorer peasants were given whatever was made from the collection of taxes,laborers were instead primarily paid by the deben system. When it came to the end of the pay

37 Joshua J. Mark, “Social Structure in Ancient Egypt.”

36 Hilary Wilson, “Scribe Like an Egyptian,” History Today, https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/scribe-egyptian.

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period, they would be given objects such as beer, clothing, bread, and other commoditieswith values that directly translated into the value of how much work one had accomplished.

As good Egyptians, you all know that there is no labor which we consider to benon-essential; we rely on people of all occupations to make our society function, and in turn,they rely on us to provide for them. However, there are certain jobs that are inherently a bitmore important than others, even though we try our best to not to break down essential jobsin this manner.

Also as good Egyptian citizens, we know that laborers who dedicate their time toengineering and building our great temples and monuments are actually highly respectedmembers of society, and not enslaved persons. Everyone who donates their time to thecreation of these buildings either does so as a volunteer, or does so with the intention ofbeing repaid in deben for the work they contributed.

Refusing to repay laborers for their contributions would be the ultimate contradictionto ma’at: it would tell the workers that their services are not important enough to receivepayment for, which, as we know, would never be in accordance with the principles Ramsesand his predecessors have set. Although this has never happened so far -- as we make sure toalways give our citizens the basic respect they deserve -- stranger things have beenhappening recently. It seems as though certain figures are no longer afraid of upsettingRamses’s definition of ma’at, with the Grand Vizier’s corruption, the High Priest’s growingambition, and the recent change in Tyti’s behavior.

I Heard a Rumor That…As of right now, Ramses’s great funerary monument is still being worked on, despite

how long this has been going on for. Yes, it is the same funerary monument paid for by thespoils from all of that international conflict. Nothing is too good, and no amount of time is toolong, for our king’s eternal resting place!

But since this project has been going on for so long, we’ve begun to hit a bit of anissue regarding those funds that are so important to show our people how much weappreciate the effort they put towards building these monuments. Since there are no morewars, and there are still many buildings to be made, it’s not exactly clear how the king plans topay for the work that’s being done.

The workers were expecting to have been paid in full for what they’ve done so far, butthe royal treasury seems to have hit a shortage of bread and pastries to hand out as deben

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the way they usually would.38 It’s essentially becoming the “print more money” debate, butjust… bake more cakes.

Ramses and his advisors have just rounded up enough goods to offer all of the laborerssomething, even if it’s not the deben they would expect to receive for working on such animportant monument.39At first, several of the workers seemed disgruntled by the king’s refusalto meet the typical price of their labor, but their harsh feelings evened out as time went onand they were promised that they would be repaid for the initial lack of funding and then paidin full the next time.

Well, the next payment is approaching, and rumors have begun to fly that Ramsescannot meet the initial deficit, let alone offer the full deben for the next cycle. Normally, thiswould be written off as someone trying to spark confusion and upset the people — perhapsthe work of Set — but in this case, the crown’s response of shutting himself in his palace hascaused some concern and quite a bit of worry.

In response to this behavior, some laborers have begun to propose a strike in the formof sit-ins and refusals to do work.40 Confusion is running rampant in the work areas, with somesaying the shortage is from corruption, while others maintain that it is from the lack of warfare,and others deny the issue outright and say that the king has a plan to take care of his people.Although several ideas are flying around as the crisis looms (with some even pitching thedrastic measure of sitting around tombs of past leaders and refusing to contribute to Ramses’tomb), no official word of any striking has been reported back by the project supervisors.

As you navigate through these trying times, and what may become the first labor strikein history, remember that these laborers are highly respected members of society, and shouldbe treated as such. If you upset the people, you risk upsetting the deities they worship andthe careful order of the universe that the gods created before Egypt even existed. Treadcarefully, and restore your kingdom to the glory it once held as a unified nation.

40 John Romer, Ancient Lives: Daily Life in Egypt of the Pharaohs, Henry Holt and Co., 1990, 116-123.

39 William Edgerton, "The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year," Journal of Near Eastern Studies, pp.137-145.

38 Kelly Schoolmeester, “Egyptian laborers strike for pay, ~1170 BCE,” Global Nonviolent Action Database,https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/egyptian-laborers-strike-pay-1170-bce.

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Questions to Consider1. What position do you occupy within each sphere of society (i.e., the religious sphere,

the political sphere, and the realm of everyday citizens)2. How might your character respond to a shift in social order? Would they be interested

in seeing change, or do they benefit from the way Egyptian society has always beenstructured?

3. How might you attempt to reach a solution that will appease multiple groups of peoplelobbying for different outcomes? Would your character prefer to use the religiousroute, or are they more interested in mobilizing a certain societal group?

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Dossiers

Character ListGiven that this committee takes place thousands of years ago, there is very little record

of actual people that lived during the Pharoah’s time. You are encouraged to make upbackstories for your characters that make sense with their positions, and are welcome to makeup connections the character could reasonably have. As long as the connections andresources you say you have are reasonable, you should not expect backroom pushback onthat front. People at the top of the social hierarchy are intentionally excluded from this list butyou should feel encouraged to reach out to them in your crisis notes.

The character descriptions are kept short to encourage you all to form your owncharacter motivations and goals. You should view your dossier as a launching platform forresources you have access to at the start of the committee. Your position should not constrainyour plans for your crisis arc — creativity is encouraged!

● Isis Ta-Hemdjert, Great Royal Wife of Ramses III● Tiye, Lesser Wife of Ramses III● Tite, Lesser Wife of Ramses III● Athothes, Head of Finance● Kontar, Head of Infrastructure● Anat, Head of Commerce● Persa, Head of Military● Nahi, Commoner’s Representative● Iri-sen, Priest of Amun● Mentu-em-ankh, Priest of Ra● Khepri, Priest of Osiris● Lisimba, Priest of Bastet● Minkabh, Priest of Horus the Younger● Sepi, Priest of Anubis● Ra-neb-nito, Priest of Heka● Arnebaskenis, Priest of Isis● Ra-thoures, Priest of Thoth● Babi, Priest of Neith● Uaem-kau, Priest of Ptah● Ta-be, Priest of Hathor

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Isis Ta-Hemdjert, Great Royal Wife of Ramses IIIIsis Ta-Hemdjert, also known as Isis, is the Great Royal Wife of Ramses. As the official

wife of the Pharaoh she has a great amount of access to the Pharaoh and his dealings, asGod’s Wife of Amun has many religious responsibilities including leading rituals at festivals,and as King’s Mother held the important title of bearing an heir to the throne. She is themother of Ramses VI, the later-fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt, and is believed tobe the mother of other children whose identities are not on record. Isis is believed to not beof Egyptian descent as her mother’s name, Hemdjert, is Syrian, so her background gives hernumerous ties to Syria and mastery of multiple languages. She has connections all over thekingdom and access to the services of numerous artisans. She also keeps a royal menagerie offantastic beasts, which is seen by all the Egyptian people as a symbol of great power andstatus.

Tyti, Lesser Wife of Ramses IIITyti is the birth mother of Ramesses Amenherkhepshef, the eldest child of the Pharaoh

and Ramesses Heqamaatre-Meriamun (later Ramses IV), though Isis Ta-Hemdjert is officiallyrecognized as mother to both. Tiye is determined to see her son placed on the throne, asAmenherkhepshef was rightful heir until his untimely death at fifteen years old, makingRamses IV the next in line, but Tiye is putting up a fierce competition for her son Pentaweret.She is known by the kingdom as princess-queen, meaning she came from a royal backgroundbefore ascending to secondary queen status through her marriage to Ramses III. Thisdistinction can be determined by her crown, which differs from those worn by Isis and Tyie.Tyti also runs a Nile River ferry business and is responsible for a lot of the transportationaround the kingdom. Her business, once booming, has been suffering due to rising prices andlower wages.

Tiye, Lesser Wife of Ramses III41

Tiye is the birth mother of one of Ramses’s sons, Pentaweret. Born a commoner, Tiyebecame a secondary queen by marrying Ramses III, but wishes to ascend to Great Royal WifeStatus. Tiye would also obviously like to see her son placed on the throne but, alas, he is notthe elder child and not considered to be one of Isis’ sons. Tired of being seen as a lesser wifeto the pharaoh, Tiye is actively seeking ways to obtain more power for herself and her son,and is willing to go to great lengths to do so. She has a great deal of influence amongRamses’ other lovers due to her sociability and her outward kindness towards everyone shecomes across. Tiye also runs an apparel business across the capital and is responsible for the

41 Taylor Swift, “No Body No Crime,” Lyrics Genius, https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-no-body-no-crime-lyrics.

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clothing worn by many of the upper class. She is a skilled seamstress and enjoys working onher own projects in her free time, as well as teaching others to sew.

Athothes, Head of FinanceAthothes is responsible for the collection of the Realm’s taxes and finances. He

oversees the royal treasury and controls the funding of all projects in the realm. ThoughAthothes has generally tried to be transparent with the people of Ancient Egypt about wheretheir money from taxes goes and what the labor market looks like, he finds himself at acrossroads between appealing to the common people and taking orders from Ramses III. Heknows he has to strike a balance between Ramses’ desired use of government funds and thelaborers’ desired wages, and avoid a strike at all costs. Additionally, Athothes is incrediblyfamily-oriented, and spends his free time (and salary from his incredibly well-paying job)preparing meals for the families of the laborers, which he usually delivers in disguise.

Kontar, Head of InfrastructureKontar oversees the infrastructure of the kingdom, including construction of buildings

like the Pharaoh's tomb. Kontar regularly deals with architects and builders and ensuresconstruction of projects proceeds smoothly. Anything infrastructure related is also his domain,including improvements. Kontar is one of Ramses III’s most loyal council members, and will doanything to appease the pharaoh he respects so much. He is an incredibly creative individualand constantly has new ideas for construction, including plans for a more advanced pulleysystem to make labor more efficient, among several other thoughts of municipal and royalbuildings. A labor strike would be incredibly counterproductive for Kontar, as all of hisnecessary and ambitious projects would be put on hold, and Ramses III may view him in anegative light.

Anat, Head of CommerceAnat oversees trade relations between the kingdom and the surrounding areas. A large

part of her job is making sure that the trading routes are accessible to all those who travelthem, and maintaining good relations with Egypt’s trading partners. Anat is very clever, andunderstands how commerce is vital not only to the Egyptian economy, but to the well-beingof the people and the popularity of Ramses III. A strike would put Egyptian exports on hold,making Anat’s job virtually impossible to carry out. Anat is also an avid reader, and gets a lotof different ideas from the literature that she consumes. She has also dabbled in writingherself, releasing numerous works under a pseudonym and in multiple languages, which shepicked up from conducting trade with so many different economies.

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Persa, Chief Military AdvisorPersa is the Chief Military Advisor to Ramses III, and has experienced a lot of triumphs

in her position. Persa is incredibly close to the Pharaoh and has advised him during thenumerous attempts of foreign invasion throughout his reign, all of which ended in success forthe Egyptian army. Persa understands the severity of a labor strike, and with the constantthreat of invasion from outside entities, does not want the Pharaoh to get the military involvedin fighting against the strikers. Persa is also one of the biggest names in Egypt’s entertainmentbusiness, having attended and participated in many physical and musical competitions. Herreputation with the Egyptian public means a lot to her, and she does not wish to tarnish it byany means.

Nahi, Commoner’s RepresentativeNahi represents the interests of the commoners on the council. He would obviously like

to see the commoners gain more rights and more of a voice in Egypt’s governing. While helacks large funds and resources he is the most respected member of the council by thegeneral population. He has met regularly with representatives from the commonerpopulation, and has the clearest idea of just how furious the laborers are with the pharaoh.Though he understands the detrimental effects of a labor strike, he has encouraged thegeneral population to use it as leverage against the pharaoh, hoping it will pay off and livablewages will be granted to the laborers. Nahi rose to this position from commoner statusthrough a lot of hard work and determination, and wants to see his constituents have thesame opportunities.

The PriestsReligious life was very important in ancient Egypt and the actions of the various

temples had great significance on its political landscape. The remaining members of thiscommittee are priests of various gods. For the sake of committee a priest can control theactions of their religious order and speak on behalf of their god. Most priests were born intothe priesthood and have served their god from birth. The priests in this committee will be:

Iri-sen, Priest of AmunAs the priest of Amun, Iri-sen wields considerable influence. Iri-sen acts as an

agricultural advisor to many of the farmers along the Nile river, and many of those samefarmers come to Amun’s temples to worship the god. Often seen gardening the expansivegardens outside Amun’s temple, Iri-sen is considered one of the more down-to-earth and

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relatable priests. Along with the farmers who come to pray to Amun, couples will often seekout Iri-sen for couples-counseling and for advice from the fertility god.

Mentu-em-ank, Priest of RaThe Priest of Ra often acts as Ra is often depicted: high and mighty. Mentu-em-ank

sees himself as the highest of any priests and holds himself as such. Born into a noble familyand propped up into power, Mentu-em-ank is well versed in traversing the upper echelons ofEgyptian socialites. He will often be found at a party rather than at his temple, leaving hispriestly underlings to lead sermons and worshipers. His taste for fine dining and parties aresupported by his noble wealth.

Khepri, Priest of OsirisAs the Priest representing the God of the underworld, Khepri gets many visits from

people during times of mourning. When family members or friends pass away, individuals willseek out Khepri for guidance on how to maneuver this difficult occurrence, and will often askfor closure surrounding the death. Khepri is also well-versed in the art of revenge, givenOsiris’ untimely death by the hands of his brother Set, and his avengement by his son Horus,who fought Set and became the King of Egypt. If anybody comes to Khepri for advice onrevenge to someone who has wronged them, he will usually offer up his wisdom.

Lisimba, Priest of BastetSometimes known as the “crazy cat lady” of the priests, Lisimba’s temple is filled with

cats. Many believe the cats to be blessed by Bastet herself, so worshipers will often bring giftsfor the cats and Lisimba in the hope that they will find good fortune. Lisimba will often befound playing her flute in her free time and she will often bring it to her sermons to soothe thecats and her worshipers alike. She will often host her own flute competitions with grand prizesand gifts in the form of cats to whoever wins.

Minkabh, Priest of Horus the YoungerWhen it comes to the Priest of the Sky Deity’s loyalty, it’s almost as if the sky's the limit.

Minkabh, representing the noble prince who avenged his father, preaches loyalty in hissermons, and offers advice to those who wish to better themselves. He also has an affinity forastrology, and loves to discuss the stars and constellations with anybody who is willing tolisten. Minkabh can make incredibly accurate predictions about the weather, and when he isnot engaging in his priestly duties, he can be found basking in the sun on days when he

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knows the weather will be nice. He doesn’t have a large following, so he has plenty of time towork on his tan.

Sepi, Priest of AnubisSepi is well known as one of the “chillest” priests. He’s there to help you through your

problems and ensure that your loved ones are well on their way to the afterlife. An expert inmummification, he is often called upon to ensure that the deceased have a safe passagewayto Osiris. While not the most talkative priest, he can always be counted upon to help hisfollowers. Privately, he enjoys viewing the political situation in Egypt from an outsiders lense,his quiet, well-timed support often turning the tides in political arguments.

Ra-neb-nito, Priest of HekaNot many tread into Heka’s temple. As the priest for the goddess of magic, Ra-neb-nito

does not have many visitors besides those seeking a charm or hex. Superstition and fear ofthe supernatural tend to drive people from Heka’s temple, but that allows Ra-neb-nito andHeka’s followers to operate in secret. Not much is known about what goes on behind thescenes of the temple besides the fact that flashing lights can often be seen emanating fromthe obelisks surrounding the temple at night. Ra-neb-nito tends to bring a chilly air whereverthey go, but they will also always be the voice of reason in an argument.

Arnebaskenis, Priest of IsisIn times of strife, nobody is more comforting to visit than Arnebaskenis. Representing

the goddess of healing, many people flock to her temple when they require mending of themind, body, or soul. Arnebaskenis is responsible for training Egypt’s greatest healers, whospend many years with her before being sent to help different communities across thecivilization, particularly those far from the temple. Because Isis is also the goddess ofmotherhood, Arnebaskenis offers advice and blessings to all mothers, and in return is belovedby all families.

Babi, Priest of NeithAs Neith is the patron goddess of the city of Sais, Babi’s temple is the largest structure

in the major city. People come from throughout the city and surrounding areas on the Nile topray to Neith for prosperity and good fortunes. Babi themself holds sway in the politicalsituation in the city as nobles and peasants alike will listen to their counselling and the word of

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their patron goddess. Babi also loves to host grand dinners as they are an exceptional cookand will invite political leaders from far and wide to partake in exciting revelries.

Uaem-kau, Priest of PtahAs Ptah is the god of craftsmen and blacksmiths, Uaem-kau’s temple is often visited by

these skilled laborers to learn and receive blessing from Ptah. Often viewed as a place ofinnovation, Uaem-kau’s unique temple will often introduce new designs for cities, plans forgrand monuments, and other innovative ideas for inventions. Uaem-kau has made sure thatPtah’s priests are well versed in various arts and trades. A priest of many ideas and manywords, many tradespeople listen to Uaem-kau’s preachings.

Ra-thoures, Priest of ThothAn inspiration to all aspiring writers, Ra-thoures represents Thoth, the god of writing

and the inventor of languages. The Pharaoh’s most trusted scribes have all been trained underthe guidance of Ra-thoures, and many people have shown up to his temple to take writingclasses that he offers frequently. In addition to training, he publishes many famous works thatare widely celebrated by the Egyptian public, and tells the best and most detailed stories toattendees of his sermons. If an individual has read the works of Ra-thoures, they arecelebrated in the community of intellectuals. Ra-thoures often does favors for others, takingon work for anybody who asks him. He is widely recognized as the most reliable priest.

Ta-be, Priest of HathorTa-be’s temple is often visited by the women of Egypt. Due to Hathor’s status as the

protector of women, Ta-be often has an eye and ear on all walks of life and peoplethroughout Egypt. Women from all socioeconomic fields will visit Ta-be’s temple to hear herguidance and listen to Hathor’s words. A fierce advocate for her ideals, Ta-be will never beignored at a debate. Her guidance spreads throughout all of Egypt, and her sermons arewell-known for a positive, girlbossery message.

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