As a long time foreign correspondent, I've worked in lots of places, but nowhere is important

to the world as China.

I'm Jane Perlaz, former Beijing Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

Join me on my new podcast, Face Off, US versus China,

where I'll take you behind the scenes in the tumultuous US-China relationship.

Find face-off wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the Egyptian history podcast and our 50th episode, Between Two Worlds.

In this episode we explore the end of the 12th dynasty and

the way Egyptians processed grief through traumatic periods of their lives.

With the death of the dynasty's last ruler and the text known as the man who was tired of life,

we see Egyptians at their lowest political and personal points, with all that that tells us of their life and their beliefs.

This episode is brought to you by Sam and Adam, for their generous contributions early in July. Thank you very much folks. Your contribution helps us keep the

podcast servers running and pays for that pesky research time which is fueled

primarily by coffee and ballpoint pins.

To all of my listeners, thank you for following and enjoy our 50th episode. The The year is 1790 B.C. and Ma'ahireuray,

Amenem Hart the fourth is in the last months of his life. He had been made king by the late

a manumhat the third despite sharing no blood relationship to the old ruler.

In many ways, Ma'er-H was not, strictly speaking, the best contender for the throne.

That distinction would fall to a woman named Nefaru Sobek, whose name translates to,

Sobek is Beautiful.

She was daughter of a man of heart the third

and sister of the illustrious Neferutah,

to whom a manum heart had intended to pass the kingship

...