The History of Egypt Podcast

I Got You, Fam. After a series of short reigns, King Ny-User-Re came to power and brought some much-needed stability. In his long reign, Niuserre strengthened the power of his gove…

Quick Successions. After the death of Sahure, multiple kings came and went in a short span of time. In this episode, we follow the reigns of Nefer-ir-ka-Re ("Making the Soul of Re…

The Great Fleet. Around 2485 BCE, King Userkaf died and passed the throne to his son, Sahure ("One Who is Close to Re"). At this point, Egyptians launched the first (recorded) expe…

New Dynasty, New Me. Around 2490 BCE, a new lineage held royal power. Khentykaus I and her son, Userkaf, had established a new household. Now, the next generations of rulers had so…

Khenty-kaus, the Lady Ruler. Around 2500 BCE, Menkaure died without an heir. His sister Khenty-Kau-es ("She is Foremost") stepped into the vacuum and governed the state on behalf o…

A tale of terror and tombs. In 1924, Weird Tales magazine published "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" (aka "Under the Pyramids"). A short story in which Harry Houdini, world-famous es…

Updated in 2024. Around 2520 BCE, King Men-kau-ra (or Menkaure) ruled Egypt. In his time, royal artists produced high-quality sculpture, and builders constructed another pyramid at…

Around 2520 BCE, King Khaf-Re died and his son Men-Kau-Re took power. Menkaure ("The Spirit of Re Endures") oversaw a more modest phase of pyramid building. His monument at Giza wa…

A forgotten heir and The Great Sphinx. Following the death of King Khufu, the throne passed to one of his sons, Djed-ef-Ra. Then, it passed to Khafra ("He Appears Like Ra"). These…

A crime scene with no crime? In 1925, archaeologists working at Giza uncovered a remarkable monument. The tomb chamber of Queen Hetep-Heres (c.2630-2580 BCE) contained a wealth of…

How archaeology can increase your life expectancy by 40%! For centuries, popular perceptions of the Great Pyramid’s construction have hinged on Herodotos reference to “twenty years…

Magic and Prophecy. In this mini episode, we recount stories that the Egyptians told. Stories set in the reign of Khufu and his father Sneferu. Date c.2620 - 2550 BCE Website: www.…

Building the Giza monuments. In the last years of Khufu’s reign, work on the Great Pyramid was nearing completion. From this period, the Diary of Merer provides unexpected testimon…

The Ram God Protects Him. Around 2580 BCE, King Khnum-Khufu ("Khnum Protects Me") came to power. His reign lasted more than 25 years, and over this quarter century, Egyptians would…

Magical mystery cruise. King Sneferu was a legendary ruler. His three pyramids at Meidum and Dahshur mark the transition from Step Pyramids to True Pyramids. But his legacy is more…

The wondrous monuments of King Sneferu. Around 2650 BCE, Egypt's Fouth Dynasty began. King Sneferu kick-started a golden age of pyramid building. Over thirty-plus years, the King's…

Ambitious failures. Following the reign of Netjerykhet Djoser, the next generation would attempt to surpass his monuments. King Sekhem-khet tried, but failed, to achieve this. In t…

As Egypt's "Third Dynasty" began, a new monument took shape. King Netjerykhet Djoser and his architect, Imhotep, created something unusual. The Step Pyramid rose on the western hor…

Interlude: Atum Creates the Universe. The stories of how ancient Egypt (and the world) came into existence are beautiful. In this episode, we explore three Creation myths: the tale…

Warring gods, divided dynasties. Following the First Dynasty of rulers, the Egyptian royal family seems to divide. Shadowy records hint at civil conflicts, and archaeological infor…