| Ramesses VII | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Also written Ramses and Rameses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seated deities from the tomb of Ramesses VII |
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| Pharaoh of Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reign | c. 1136–1129 BC, 20th Dynasty | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Ramesses VI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Ramesses VIII | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Children | Ramesses | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | Ramesses VI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Nubkhesbed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1129 BC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burial | KV1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Usermaatre Meryamun Setepenre Ramesses VII (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the sixth pharaoh of the 20th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. He reigned from about 1136 to 1129 BC[1] and was the son of Ramesses VI. Other dates for his reign are 1138-1131 BC.[2] 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.[3]
Ramesses VII's seventh year is also attested in Ostraca O. Strasbourg h 84 which is dated to II Shemu of his 7th Regnal Year.[4] In 1980, C.J. Eyre proposed that a Year 8 papyri belonged to the reign of Ramesses VII. This 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].[5] 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.[6] The new Year 8 papyri proves that Hormose succeeded to his father's office as foreman by Year 8 of a certain king but Dominique Valbelle has now argued that this document must rather be dated to the reign of Ramesses IX instead.[7]
Since Ramesses VII's accession is known to have occurred around the end of III Peret, the king would have ruled Egypt for 7 years and 5 months when this document was drawn up provided that it belonged to his reign—something which is now in dispute.[8] At any rate, his reign must have lasted for a minimum of 6 years and 10 months—or nearly 7 full years—since the accession date of his successor Ramesses VIII has been fixed by Amin Amer to an 8 month period between I Peret day 2 and I Akhet day 13.[9] Ramesses VII could easily have died on III Peret during this large interval for a reign of 7 full years.
Very little is known about his reign, though it was evidently a period of turmoil as grain prices soared to the highest level.[10]
Ramesses VII was buried in Tomb KV1 upon his death. His mummy has never been found, though four cups inscribed with the pharaoh's name were found in the "royal cache" in DB320 along with the remains of other pharaohs.[11]
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