The Harem Conspiracy

Book excerpt: For more than three thousand years, the mysterious events surrounding the death of Ramesses III have puzzled historians and students of ancient Egypt. Now, archaeologist Susan Redford investigates the circumstances of the ancient pharaoh's death and discovers among the women of his harem the threads of a murder conspiracy. From new translations of ancient papyri and careful readings of temple carvings, Redford identifies the suspects in the assassination--wives, concubines, and attendants. She evaluates the evidence against them and outlines a possible murder plot that turns upon a shocking revelation about the pharaoh's immediate family. On the basis of new discoveries relating to the identity of Ramesses III's queens and their sons, she uncovers a primary motive for regicide and presents persuasive evidence of a palace revolt. Divisions between clans and rival lineages, she argues, gave rise to a plot to murder the king. Richly illustrated with thirty photos and diagrams, Redford's groundbreaking investigation of the plot to murder "the last of the great pharaohs" offers an extraordinary vision of the ancient Egyptian world.