meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The History of Egypt Podcast

159: Everytime Ay Died

The History of Egypt Podcast

Dominic Perry

History, Society & Culture

4.82.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2022

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A tale in two parts. The elderly pharaoh, Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, probably died in his fourth or fifth year of power (c. 1331 / 1330 BCE). Officially, his reign was short. But in the big picture, Ay's influence lasted decades. As a courtier, under Akhenaten and Tutankhamun, Ay participated in government and royal affairs for many years. This means we have abundant records for the man and his career, and Ay contributed to Egyptian history in some noteworthy ways. Chapter 1: The Death and Legacy of King Ay. Chapter 2: The Erasure of Ay and his memory. To see high-quality photos of Ay’s tomb (WV23) by Kairoinfo4u on Flickr.com and Curtis Ryan Woodside on YouTube. Date: c.1331 / 1330 BCE. Kings: Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, “Doer of Ma’at” and “True Ruler.” Music: “Memories of Thebes,” by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Used with permission. Music: “Funeral,” by Bettina Joy de Guzman http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Used with permission. Additional music interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. References: B. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (Warminster, 1995). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, 2017). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (2015). PYGMALION Press. W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). O. Schaden, ‘The God’s Father Ay’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Minnesota (1977). O. J. Schaden, ‘Clearance of the Tomb of King Ay (WV-23)’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 21 (1984), 39–64. R. H. Wilkinson, ‘Controlled Damage: The Mechanics and Micro-History of the Damnatio Memoriae Carried Out in KV-23, the Tomb of Ay’, Journal of Egyptian History 4 (2011), 129–47. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Words spoken by the Osiris, the king of southern and northern Egypt, Kepper Kepperu Ra,

0:08.0

the one who does ma'at, true of voice.

0:11.7

The king says, oh mother-note, spread yourself over me, may you place me among the imperishable

0:18.9

stars which are within you, and I will not die again, from the sarcophagus of king I

0:27.2

in his royal tomb.

0:28.2

Eri Nini in Gen.

0:44.1

Welcome back to the history of Egypt podcast, episode 159, the end of an era.

0:51.2

Today, we come to the final years, not just of King I, but of the Emana period as a whole.

0:59.1

After three decades and dozens of episodes, the phenomenon is petering out.

1:04.2

The Pharaoh I was the last of the Emana rulers.

1:08.0

Let's examine his final years.

1:11.2

This episode arrives on behalf of Michael K. in gratitude for his donation to the show.

1:17.0

Michael, you are most generous, I and I thank you for your support.

1:23.5

The temples will fill with offerings, some of which will go to the priests, but I and

1:29.0

the gods are most grateful.

1:32.0

To everyone listening, welcome to the show.

1:34.4

I hope you enjoy the story.

1:48.0

The year was 1331 BCE, give or take.

1:52.2

The King of Southern and Northern Egypt was celebrating his fourth year in power.

1:57.4

Kepper Kepperu Ra, the god's father, I had ruled Egypt officially for just a few years,

2:05.2

but his influence was now decades old.

2:09.3

So far, I had served the crown and shaped its decisions for nearly 20 years.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dominic Perry, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dominic Perry and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.