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New York Post
21-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Expert identifies ancient ‘propaganda' praising an infamous pharaoh who may have challenged Moses
Ancient 'propaganda' that was used to support the Egyptian pharaoh who is believed to be a major character of the Old Testament has been spotted in Paris, according to an expert. Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, an Egyptologist from Paris-Sorbonne University and Institut Catholique de Paris, recently spoke with Fox News Digital about his findings, which are set to be published in the coming months. The expert found the propaganda, which is supportive of Ramesses II, on the 3,300-year-old obelisk that sits in Paris' Place de la Concorde. Olette-Pelletier saw the obelisk up close in 2021 after receiving permission to climb scaffolding to conduct research. Ramesses II, who was born in 1303 B.C. and died in 1213 B.C., is considered one of the most influential and powerful Egyptian rulers of the New Kingdom. The Egyptian monarch is often cited as the most likely candidate for the pharaoh mentioned in Exodus, though an explicit name was never given in the Old Testament. The pharaoh is said to have retaliated against Moses and refused his requests in Exodus — resulting in a series of plagues. Olette-Pelletier called the pro-Ramesses hieroglyphs 'propaganda.' 3 The Luxor obelisk on the Place de la Concorde in Paris seen on May 15, 2025. AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard He identified seven cryptographies, or codes, which assert Ramesses II's authority from 1280 B.C. on. 'It was a message from Ramesses II to the nobility,' the expert said, noting the Egyptian nobility were able to read the codes. Olette-Pelletier said Ramesses II was born before his father Seti I became pharaoh – and therefore was not conceived by the gods. Not being of divine essence could have hampered his legitimacy to the throne. 'The nobility, able to read cryptographies, might be tempted by an overthrow of power since Ramesses II was not born of theogamy and therefore not divine by birth,' Olette-Pelletier said. 3 Egyptian hieroglyphs seen on the side of the Luxor obelisk. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier The expert added, '[Ramesses II] spent the first two years of his reign emphasizing his divinity with his wife Nefertari by paying homage at Egypt's great shrines, and by buying priests.' 'In the process, he changed his name from Usermaatra to Usermaatra Setepenra, [which means] 'chosen of Ra.'' The obelisk has four sides, and Olette-Pelletier noted that the side that faces the Seine (and was intended to face the Nile) shows Ramesses II 'wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.' The expert also said that Ramesses II 'underlined his divine knowledge' by using codes to convey the swaying messages. 3 According to French Egyptologist Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, the obelisk has ancient propaganda in support of Ramesses II is written on the side. AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard 'The obelisk also contains hidden texts that show the nobility that he is a legitimate and divine king, thus averting a possible coup d'état,' Olette-Pelletier said. 'So, indeed, these are propaganda texts.' The cryptographies also claim that Ramesses II was the 'provider of the Nile flood and thus of the country's wealth,' according to Olette-Pelletier. The discovery is one of many finds related to Ramesses II that have been uncovered in the past year. In September, an ancient sword belonging to Ramesses' military was unearthed in Housh Eissa, a city in Egypt's Beheira Governorate. In January, Egyptian officials announced they would begin to restore Ramesses II's temple in the Luxor Governorate, the Ramesseum.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hidden messages found on 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk in Paris
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The famous ancient Egyptian obelisk in Paris may contain a series of hieroglyphic messages aimed at Egypt's nobility that praise the pharaoh Ramesses II and say he was divinely chosen by the gods, an Egyptologist claims. However, scholars who were not involved with the research expressed caution about this interpretation. The approximately 3,300-year-old obelisk was built at Luxor Temple on orders of Ramesses II (who reigned circa 1279 to 1213 B.C.) at the beginning of his rule. In 1830, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled Egypt at the time, gifted it to France. It was moved to Paris, where it now sits in a plaza known as the Place de la Concorde. Previous studies revealed that hieroglyphics on the obelisk discuss Ramesses II. They also discuss the god Amun (also referred to as Amun-Ra) who was the chief god of Thebes (now known as Luxor), and Horus, who was the son of the god Osiris and goddess Isis. The newfound messages, however, would have been understood only by those who had a high level of literacy, particularly the nobility, Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, an Egyptologist from the Institut Catholique de Paris, told Live Science in an email. During restoration work on the obelisk and surrounding area carried out in 2021, Olette-Pelletier was given permission to climb scaffolding erected around the obelisk and study the granite artifact in greater detail than can be seen from the ground. During his study, Olette-Pelletier found what he believes are messages that would have been noticed only by certain people under certain circumstances. For instance, he noted that when the obelisk was built, its western side faced the Nile River and those traveling on the river by boat would have had a good view of a series of inscriptions and imagery located near the top of the 75-foot-tall (23 meters) obelisk. These inscriptions say Ramesses II "had been chosen by the gods, that he was of divine essence and therefore entitled to rule Egypt," Olette-Pelletier said. It also shows a scene of Ramesses II making offerings to the god Amun. He noted that the Opet festival, an annual event that honored Amun, prompted the nobility to arrive at Luxor by boat. These travelers would have had a good view of these inscriptions, helping to reinforce the pharaoh's political power. "It was propaganda aimed at the very high intellectual elite," Olette-Pelletier said. Olette-Pelletier thinks he's found other hidden messages on the obelisk. For instance, he noted that there are two rows of hieroglyphs that, depending on the direction in which they are read, could give different messages — such as spelling out the full throne name of Ramesses II or saying he had eternal life. RELATED STORIES —Ramesses II's sarcophagus finally identified thanks to overlooked hieroglyphics —Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II's 'handsome' face revealed in striking reconstruction —Archaeologists find top half of giant Ramesses II statue, completing a century-long puzzle Olette-Pelletier is preparing a report of his findings that will be published (in French) in the journal Égypte Nilotique et Méditerranéenne (also known as ENiM). Scholars who were not involved with the research urged caution in interpreting the findings; they said that, until the research is published, they will not be able to review it in depth. Filip Taterka, an Egyptology professor at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences, told Live Science that he doesn't think the inscriptions and imagery near the top of the obelisk would have been visible to a noble person traveling by boat on the Nile because of the distance.
