The themselves. Today's episode differs slightly from the others that we've presented so far.

Rather than examine one king's reign or the writings of a particular set of authors,

today's episode takes the form of something like an Egyptian courtroom drama.

First, the prosecution's allegations are as follows.

That in the last years of his reign, a group of courtiers and bodyguards conspired to murder

the King Tetti. Secondly, the evidence. We look at contemporary tombs and chapels from the period to see what leads us to the possibility that an Egyptian monarch was murdered.

Thirdly, we discuss the possible motivations of such a conspiracy.

And last, the prosecution rests its case on the matter and we decide was Teddy a god king of Egypt

really murdered. The assassination of an Egyptian king was an extremely rare event and we know of only three instances throughout the entirety of Egyptian history,

where it is really discussed. Of these three, only one has been proven to have actually occurred, thanks to the preservation and examination

of that King's mummy. Teddy's mummy has not survived in more than skeletal fragments, so we can't examine his body to prove bloody murder.

His tomb was empty when discovered, so we can't even search his funerary goods for evidence of a hasty burial.

In fact, of his entire reign, very few records actually exist,

except for a decree excusing a small temple at a Baidos from taxation,

as well as the pyramid texts which were carved into his tomb, and a few pieces of administrative documents in other areas.

So where does the story of Tetti's assassination come from?

The Greek historian Manetho, writing in the third century b.

C. Recounted the tale of Teddy's assassination,

that he was attacked by his bodyguards in the night.

The conspiracy, according to Manatho, was hatched by members of the Royal Family and several courtiers.

But how did Manatho, writing nearly 2,000 years after the fact, know that this happened?

Manatho was a high priest of the temple at Heliopolis, which is near the old capital of Memphis, now a suburb of Cairo.

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