A Farmer's Land, a Pharaoh's Face: Ramesses II Fragments Surface in Egypt

Sometimes history is found by someone who is simply going about his work. According to The Jerusalem Post, a farmer in a northern Egyptian village accidentally discovered fragments of two massive statues of Ramesses II while working his land. Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced the discovery last week.

What was found

The fragments came from Behbeit El Hagar, a village and archaeological site. The Post reports that it is home to the remains of an ancient temple to the goddess Isis, known as the Iseion. In antiquity it was part of the Twelfth Lower Egyptian Nome, called Sebennytos.

After finding the stone blocks, the farmer, named in the report as Khaled El-Shahat Khalil, notified the ministry. A team was sent to carry out rescue excavations.

The first fragment is the head of Ramesses II, about 1.60 meters tall, wearing the pschent, the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The statue's backing was found nearby with the pharaoh's Horus name, "Hor Ka Nakht Meri Maat," which the Post translates as "Strong Bull, Beloved of Maat." Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the size of the head suggests the statue may once have stood around 8.5 meters.

The second fragment, also believed to be Ramesses II, stands 2.4 meters tall. Its facial features are clear and well preserved. The legs, the base and the top of the nemes headdress are missing.

A pink granite block with hieroglyphic inscriptions was found alongside them. It includes two of the pharaoh's titles: "Nesu-Bity," or "King of Upper and Lower Egypt," and "Sa Ra," or "Son of Ra."

A thank-you for reporting the find

The Post reports that Minister Sherif Fathy gave Khalil and his wife a certificate of appreciation for reporting the finds. He stressed how important the discovery is to the ongoing study of Egypt's history. Khalil notified the ministry, and that is worth noting.

The article also mentions other recent finds. In August, archaeologists found a large, broken sandstone lintel inscribed with Ramesses II's titles. It also referred to restoration work on a statue of the deity "Horus, Lord of the City of Mesn." Earlier this year, a partial statue was found at Tel Faraon near El Husseiniya in the Nile Delta. According to initial assessments, Leithy said at the time, it weighed about five to six tons and stood around 2.20 meters tall. He added that its remaining features suggest it was once part of a Triad.

Stone that outlasts a man, and a Word that outlasts stone

Egypt matters to Jewish readers in a special way. Our people's story passes through Egypt, from Joseph's rise to the bondage and deliverance told in the book of Exodus. The Post's report does not connect this discovery to that story, and we will not either. But the setting reminds us how much of the ancient world is still being uncovered.

There is also something humbling here. These statues were carved to make a king look permanent. Yet the pieces found are incomplete, with the legs, base and part of the headdress missing from the second fragment. Power built in stone eventually ends up broken and buried.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 40:8 (BSB)

Isaiah says the word of our God stands forever. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has spoken, and His promises do not crumble. We believe that promise reached its fullest expression in Yeshua the Messiah, who is Lord and who keeps every word He gives.

Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Psalm 90:2 (BSB)

Before any pharaoh was born, and before any quarry yielded its granite, God was. That is a steady place to stand when the world's monuments fade.

We can enjoy discoveries like this with real curiosity and respect for the people of the past. Archaeology helps us see how real the ancient world was. It also points us to the One whose Word is more lasting than any statue.