Death of a Living God

By Margaret Dakin

A lifetime spent fighting for his country has left Pharaoh Ramesses the Third with enemies both within and outside his court. When a plot to take his life emerges, it is up to a naïve young girl from an outlying district of his kingdom to uncover the conspiracy. As she delves deeper, she encounters shuddering horror and perilous danger, but she also finds unexpected allies: one bound by duty, and one driven by love.

But will their efforts be enough to save the Living God? With those sworn to protect him turning against him, Ramesses is more vulnerable than ever before. Can he trust anyone, even those who have professed their loyalty and love? Find out in this gripping tale of political intrigue and dangerous secrets.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Oct 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781035817016

Margaret Dakin

Margaret Dakin was born in Brisbane and came to writing after working in various occupations, culminating in twenty years as a studio potter. She joined a writing group in 2002, and meeting with like-minded friends keeps her pushing her pen, with enough success in short story competitions to encourage her to continue. Her plays have been produced, and her musical recently was performed to a capacity audience.

Book preview

Death of a Living God

Margaret Dakin

Austin Macauley Publishers

Death of a Living God

Death of a Living God

About the Author

Dedication

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgement

Chapter One: (Circa BCE 1154)

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Death of a Living God

The scene reads from left to right. To the left, Anubis brings the Deceased into the judgement area. Anubis is also shown supervising the judgement scales. The Deceased's heart, represented as a pot, is being weighed against a feather, the symbol of Maat, the established order of things, in this context meaning 'what is right'. The ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the seat of the emotions, the intellect and the character, and thus represented the good or bad aspects of a person's life. If the heart did not balance with the feather, then the dead person was condemned to non-existence, and consumption by the ferocious 'devourer', the strange beast shown here which is part-crocodile, part-lion, and part-hippopotamus.

However, as a papyrus devoted to ensuring the Deceased continued existence in the Afterlife is not likely to depict this outcome, he is shown to the right, brought into the presence of Osiris by his son Horus, having become 'true of voice' or 'justified'. This was a standard epithet applied to dead individuals in their texts. Osiris is shown seated under a canopy, with his sisters Isis and Nephthys. At the top, the Deceased is shown adoring a row of deities who supervise the judgement."

Circa 1275 BCE on papyrus (39.8 cm by 550 cm)

In the collection of the British Museum

About the Author

Margaret Dakin was born in Brisbane and came to writing after working in various occupations, culminating in twenty years as a studio potter. She joined a writing group in 2002, and meeting with like-minded friends keeps her pushing her pen, with enough success in short story competitions to encourage her to continue. Her plays have been produced, and her musical recently was performed to a capacity audience.

Dedication

For Amy

Life throws down only what you can handle.

Copyright Information ©

Margaret Dakin 2023

The right of Margaret Dakin to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Some names and locals are not fictional, although written about in a fictional manner. The incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035817009 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035817016 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

Quotes from Book of the Dead, Egyptian Proverbs, Ancient Egyptian Mythology and Wisdom Teachings have been published in The Egyptian Book of The Dead by Dr Muata Ashby.

I would like to thank the members of my writing group – Carole, Maggie and Hazel for their encouragement and critical feedback, and in particular, Laurie, who spent a lot of time researching aspects of this book.

Also, thanks to Dave, who is always there to assist when my computer

gets the better of me.

Set in the year c 1155 BCE, this is a work of fiction and facts, some of which are still being uncovered. These facts and folklore have been interpreted in different ways by various experts.

Even the exact year in which these dramatic events occurred is a matter for speculation, as is the spelling of the names of those involved in the plot against Ramesses 111, which resulted in his death.

Major Characters

Names which are in bold script are fictional. The others are as recorded historically.

Pharaoh’s Immediate Family

Pharaoh Ramesses ÌÌÌ Usermaatre-Meryamun Rameses-Heqaiunu

Queen Iset Ta-Hemdjert-Ramesses first and favoured wife

Usermaatre (Heqamaatre-Setepenamen ÌV) issue of Ramesses and Iset

Pentawert, Son of Ramesses minor wife, Queen Tiy

Amenhikhopeshef and Khamwese-sons of Ramesses

Ishaq and his family

Ishaq (the laughing one) and Mafuane (the soil)

twins Acenath (the daughter) and Kakra (the twin)

and Babafemi (loved by his father) and Khnum (divine breath)

Ziyad’s household and his Palace assistants

Ziyad—(he shall add)—Tax Collector/chief Scribe

Quibilah (peaceful)—housekeeper of Ziyad

Selma (ageing) old woman servant of Ziyad

Hasani (good looking)-chief apprentice Scribe

Wamukota-Gardener

Jabari (courage)-chief Oars-man

Garai (calm)-Gatekeeper of Harem

Haka (officer)-Ramesses Dresser

The Trial Characters

Names which are in bold script are fictional. The others are as recorded historically.

The Accused-First Trial

Pebekkamen-Chief of the Chamber,

his assistant-Eshehebsed

Mastesuria-Butler

Peynok-Overseer of the Harem

Pendua-Scribe

Inspectors of the Harem-Petewenteamon, Kerpes, Setimperthoth, Khammale, Setimperamon and Khamopet

Pere-Overseer of the White House

Weren, Peluka and Yenini-Butlers

Second Trial

Binemwese-Captain of the Archers

Peyes-Commander of the Army

Messui and Shedmeszer-Scribes of the House of Sacred Writings

Perekamenef-Overseer

Iroi-Pharaoh’s Physician

Teynakhte-Officer of the Infantry

Oneney-Captain of Police

Panhayboni-Cattle Overseer

Nebzefai-Butler

Henutenamon-Butler

The Accused Wives of Pharaoh

Queen Tiy her son Pentawert

Queen Kamas (sister of Binemwese)

Queens Zuwi and her daughter Queen Ahmes

Queen Nephthys

Queen Samia

Judges

Penrenute-Pharaoh’s Adjutant

Pefrowe-Overseer of the Treasury

Kara and Hori-Standard-bearers

Montemtowe, Paibese, Mai, Kedendenna Ba’almahar, Payernu, Pre’em-hab-Clerks in the court

Thutrekhnefer-Butler

Protection – Health – Restoration

Chapter One

(Circa BCE 1154)

Death Of a Living God

If you are mighty and powerful, gain respect through knowledge and

gentleness of speech.

Wisdom teaching of Egypt

Pharaoh awoke with a start. For an instant, he was in the grip of a great fear. To come from sleep to wakefulness suddenly, always carried a prospect of danger – the danger of leaving one’s soul behind in the nether world. That he had dozed off exasperated him. The people were assembled along the river to witness this royal cortege and his status demanded he remain constantly aware, to assure them he had their welfare at heart.

What had awakened him? He heard the harsh call of a bird. Gazing up, he saw a black raven on the bow of the ship. Another dire omen. As the chief boatman warily chased it away, Ramesses’ thoughts returned to his recent perception that there was an even deeper disquiet in the palace than was customary. He glanced at his wife, Queen Iset, sitting beside him on the elevated dais. Had she noticed his lapse of concentration? She turned, smiling at him as her hand moved slightly from her knee to touch his.

The voyage from Memphis, travelling closer to the western side of the Nile on the way to the cataract at Assuan, had already taken two weeks. Now the barge carried the majestic entourage on its return journey down the Nile to the delta. The citizens lining the banks on this more populated eastern side of the life-giving river of Egypt, scrutinised the stately procession of vessels in silence. Where the reeds obscured the flotilla from view, they knelt in small boats along the water’s edge. This was The Living God on his way north to Memphis.

All knew Ramesses intended to pause at Thebes to worship the God Amun-Ra in the Temple at Karnak. They wished him a speedy journey because there his mission was to beseech the deity to ensure a beneficent flood in the season, which was almost upon them. This was the vital reason that had prompted Pharaoh’s tour. It was known many farmers were experiencing desperation. Their soil had been replenished less generously in recent years. Everyone prayed this year would bring an abundant deposit of the fertile silt carried by the river from the Nubian Highlands to spread over the Egyptian farmlands bordering the river all the way to the delta.

The grandeur of the barge commanded the people’s respect. Since the wind blew from the north, the sails had been lowered and the vessel was towed by four skiffs, each with six rowers. The stern of the craft rose to the high lotus-shaped vent, which helped keep the storage area under the deck free of mould and decay. The helmsman took advantage of the shadow it cast, standing motionless, one hand on the tiller, his broad chest wet with sweat.

Pharaoh Ramesses and Queen Iset sat side by side under a sunshade. They had spent many days looking over the sandy Western Desert where hills and scattered oases struggled to restrain the encroaching arid terrain—The Red Land—The Valley of the Kings. Now, they let their eyes feast on the flat green region stretching towards the mountainous Eastern Desert, a source of valuable stone for building. This was also the cache of the gold and lapis-lazuli that decorated the throne and the canopy, both richly embellished with tributes to this, the Third Pharaoh Ramesses, Son of Ra, as he had been proclaimed.

Behind him stood Usermaatre, his son and chosen successor, issue by his favourite wife, Iset Ta-Hemdjert. Beside the regent stood his half-brother Pentawert, Son of Ramesses second wife, Queen Tiy. This royal lady reclined in the stern of the vessel, surrounded by five other wives of the harem, all shielded by an embroidered awning. Now, after so many days on the river, these noblewomen hardly glanced at the commoners who gathered wide-eyed on the shore, hoping to catch a glimpse of Pharaoh and the members of his family.

But the jewels and the splendid clothing of the royal persons on the monarch’s boat were so far removed from the daily lives of those spectators, it was impossible for them to imagine themselves as part of the cavalcade they were witnessing. In fact, so remote was the day-to-day existence of this Living God, the people harboured no envy, watching only in awe.

Pharaoh was mindful of the difference in attire between the men and women on the boat, and the villagers who observed with rapt attention from the shoreline. His brow furrowed as he looked to the prow of the boat where sat his other adult sons and important members of the court.

Standing in front of them in the bow, the head boatman stayed in contact with the rowers through the tow ropes. The sun in the overcast sky shone dimly on the golden horn mounted on the stern. All on board knew the spectators longed for the helmsman to blow the trumpet. Unfortunately, only those who lived near the bigger towns would catch the blast of the siren when it announced the arrival of this commanding assembly.

Planning for the journey had continued for months in advance. Messengers had travelled upstream from Memphis to prevail upon the provincial governors of the districts along the route to provide for the large retinue of Pharaoh. When the grandiose barge paused at their village for the night, each was assured this would be his opportunity to display loyalty to the ruling monarch and gain renown.

Now, as the entourage approached the next town, the chief administrator had already been forewarned of the imminent arrival of Ramesses by scouts, who had kept him informed of the progress of the imperial concourse. Without any real need for the fanfare of the horn, nevertheless, the official waited to hear the authoritative warning before hurrying to the dock to welcome the regal company. Each executive would be keen to outdo the comfort, the food and entertainment provided by the governors in other townships. But in these economically hard times, the potential drain on the coffers of the populace weighed on the mind of every ministerial leader, somewhat marring the desire for prestige.

Pharaoh had stopped at all the sizeable cities on the western riverbank during his journey south, and at this stage was becoming weary, keenly aware of his more than sixty years. The profound weight of responsibility for the safety and prosperity of the people, and the land through which he travelled, added to his fatigue. He relaxed a little now they were on their way back to Memphis, soon to stop at Karnak on the eastern bank, where there would be a short period of respite.

But even there, he could not be at ease until he had performed another ritual. This journey on the life-giving Nile had been timed to coincide with the celebration of the festival of Heb-sed, a traditional gala to mark his thirty years on the throne of Egypt. When the assembly arrived at the temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak, he would be expected to stride as quickly as possible around the large inner courtyard to prove his continued strength and ability, and his right to wear the Red and the White Crown of this Land of the Nile.

Ramesses was not blind to the hardships faced by his people. Lapsing into a reflective abstraction, again he wondered at the fate that had led to his sitting here, the centre of everyone’s attention. What would it be like if he were not Pharaoh but one of those poor farmers, watching from the bank, all dressed today in their holiday apparel? His eyes were drawn to two young girls standing on either side of a man, probably their father. Both dressed in identical rough homespun tunics, one excitedly grabbing her father’s arm, laughing and pointing at the barge and its passengers. Pharaoh smiled, reassured he at least provided some brief enjoyment for these hard-working villagers.

And that other farmer standing there with his wife; would he be worrying about the chores at home, at this moment being neglected? Was he here only because his spouse wished to see the procession of that remote potentate, Pharaoh Ramesses and his wives? But no, that man held a long pole, so he was probably a fisherman. With his darker skin, he might be descended from a Nubian mercenary who had somehow defected from the army; or perhaps he had been brought here as a captive in a past war. Whatever, whoever he was, no matter how impoverished, he would be obliged to give part of the fruits of his labour to the Ruler of this Land of the Mighty Nile. How much deprivation would that cause? What resentment would be in that man’s heart?

Whatever their motivation, these citizens had all turned out to behold their God King sail past. They stood in veneration. Though they feared him they wished him good fortune; because if all proceeded well for Pharaoh, then all proceeded well for the people.

Yet he, as Pharaoh, could not be like these folk. Still, he pondered on the differences between his fate and theirs. Proclaimed a descendant of the Sun God Ra, when he died, he would go to heaven to dwell with the Gods. Yet at heart, he was a man with all the same appetites as those citizens, who peered through the reeds on the banks of the river.

Now, as he became aware of his beloved Queen Iset, and for a moment experienced a physical longing to be alone with her, he thought of the birth of his son and heir, Usermaatre.

He had been born of a woman as any child of the realm, needing comfort when he cried, cleansing when unclean, for the first three years of his life fed at the breast of a wet-nurse. Now, in his forty-second year, his son, no longer a child, was a man with all the sensuality of any virile male. Yet he would also one day be a Living God, sitting on the throne of the Two Lands. As the fourth sovereign to take the name of Ramesses, inheriting all the riches of the country but likewise all the responsibilities, he, in succession, would become Pharaoh of Egypt.

Usermaatre stood beside his brother, Pentawert, the pair so different but also friends. Pentawert, not as tall as his sibling but broader across the shoulders, had the muscular arms of the leader of a platoon of bowmen. His bearing marked him as a man who had distinguished himself in battle.

Usermaatre likewise had stood at his father’s side when the call went out for all men to defend their homeland. Ramesses had discovered his brilliance as a tactician, adept in deciding where the various platoons should locate and when they should let loose their arrows. These two sons had been crucial in the combat against the Sea People, whom those archers, led by Pentawert, had vanquished. Yet one would become a Living God and the other not. Did resentment lurk in the heart of the one who was denied the inheritance of power – or in the heart of the other who might experience reluctance to accept the mantle of accountability?

Ramesses regarded the Queen as she sat stroking her favourite cat. The cat stared back at her, its almond-shaped eyes narrowing with bliss. The pair appeared as if they shared some secret. Then, as so often happened when he and Iset sat alongside each other, she sensed his gaze and turned towards him.

For an instant, Ramesses was the same young man he had been forty years ago when he had first sighted Iset Ta-Hemdjert. He had been on a trade mission to the fertile crescent bordering the Euphrates River in the northern land of Babylonia, taking precious metals in exchange for grain, and oil. It was a period when, thanks to the strength of the forces commanded by his great grandfather, the second Ramesses, Egypt was a power to be feared and respected. Her father was a wealthy merchant in this land, which itself had been a potent force in previous eras.

Ramesses, at that time the leader of the expedition, had been invited to the home of the merchant. Iset had come into the room where they sat, bearing a tray with fine goblets and a jug of wine. As she put it down, she turned her head slightly and smiled at Ramesses. He caught a glimpse of a slight gap between two of her upper teeth, which gave her an innocent, guileless look, and as the hesitant smile reached her dark eyes, Ramesses felt as if she had spoken to him. From that instant, it became part of his mission to have her return to Egypt with him as his wife. The mission had concluded in a successful manner for both Egypt and the young Ramesses.

As she looked at him, the Queen was immediately aware of his solemn mood. Hoping for some omen that would give the King some cheer, she was pleased when she saw in the reeds, a pelican, an incarnation of Osiris, the God associated with the annual cycle of the flooding of the river. Gently touching Pharaoh’s arm, she nodded in the bird’s direction. Osiris is with you, she whispered. This year, which we are celebrating as the thirtieth of your power, the Gods will bless the Land of the Nile with a successful flood, resulting in an abundant harvest.

Ramesses signalled to the boatman to slow the oarsmen a little so as not to disturb the pelican, which he now saw was accompanied by a young bird bobbing gently behind her. I pray every morning to Ra, asking him to favour our land, safeguard the crucial flooding of the river in the season, and care for our people, providing prosperity and many children. All the same, I fear he has deserted our community of late. He is still hiding his face from this Land of the Nile.

I also do what I can when I celebrate the evening ritual in the shrine at Hator. I beseech the Lady of the Night to bless us when she rises again in her starry garments, said the Queen.

I must admit, beloved wife, I am becoming a little tired these days. How long now is it since we celebrated the sixtieth year following my birth? Four years, I think. I have fought so many battles. I wonder if we are finished with these threats from people who envy the wealth and stability of Egypt.

Ramesses flexed the muscles of his shoulders. I may be still straight and tall, but occasionally my old bones ache. He lifted his hand to his head. "This crown sits heavily on my head. I cannot forget I must appear ever strong