Ramesses VII

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Usermaatre Meryamun Setepenre Ramesses VII (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the sixth pharaoh of the 20th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. He reigned from 1133 BC to 1125 BC and was the son of Ramesses VI. The Turin Accounting Papyrus 1907+1908 is dated to Year 7 of his reign and states that 11 full years passed from Year 5 of Ramesses VI to Year 7 of his reign.^[1]

[edit] Reign Length

Ramesses VII's highest year date was traditional thought to be this Year 7 document until a Year 8 papyri was established by scholars to belong to his reign. The papyri, dated anonymously to a Year 8 IV Shemu day 25, details the record of the commissioning of some copper work and mentions 2 foreman at Deir El-Medina: Nekhemmut and Hor[mose].^[2] The foreman Hormose was previously attested in office only during the reign of Ramesses IX while his father and predecessor in this post--a certain Ankherkhau--served in office from the second decade of the reign of Ramesses III through to Year 4 of Ramesses VII where he is shown acting with Nekhemmet and the scribe Horisheri.^[3] The new Year 8 papyri proves that Hormose succeeded to his father's office as foreman within the second half of Ramesses VII's reign.^[4] Since Ramesses VII's accession is known to have occurred around the end of III Peret, the king would have ruled Egypt for a minimum of 7 years and 5 months when this document was drawn up.^[5] However, because his successor Ramesses VIII's only attested date is a I Peret day 2 graffito--slightly more than 4 months after the papyri was drawn up--Ramesses VIII could have survived for as long as 9 months into his Regnal Year 8 before dying in IV Akhet.

He was buried in Tomb KV1 upon his death after a reign of about 8 years. Ramesses VII's mummy has never been found.

[edit] References

Preceded by Ramesses VI

Pharaoh of Egypt Twentieth Dynasty

Succeeded by Ramesses VIII