The Medinet Hahu Records of the Foreign Wars of Ramesses III.

• Author: Spalinger, Anthony

The Medinet Habu Records of the Foreign Wars of Ramesses III. By DONALD REDFORD. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, vol. 91. Leiden: BRILL, 2018. Pp. xi + 197. $122.

This scintillating volume by Donald Redford covers two major themes. The first deals with the texts and scenes at Medinet Habu, whereas the second covers the identification of the Sea Peoples. This reviewer feels that although they are harmoniously integrated, the latter issue, especially, deserves more study and explication, if only because of its complexity. If anything, it highlights the need for more study.

In essence, the volume deals with the foreign relations of Egypt under Ramesses III and the evidence which Medinet Habu presents on this question. Redford covers all of the relevant campaigns, whether any were Active (such as the Nubian War) or not. He provides more than ample explications of the historical validity of the scenes, but tends to downplay their artistically rendered depictions. I noted, for example, that Redford's opinion that the "specific details" (his words) are "lacking" in these compositions quite properly enters into his discussions. Moreover, he deals with the encomia present in the various accounts, such as the First Libyan campaign, which he calls a "Song-encomium" following one of his previous studies.

The reader immediately will see that a further bifurcation has taken place in his analysis: namely, that the pictorial appreciation is set close to the textual. Often, however, Redford treats linguistic details of the historical narratives a little superficially, and the artistic renderings need fuller valuation. He does not, for example, stress the difference between the account of Year 5 and the later narrative ones, even though Thomas Van der Way and I have covered the key parameters of contrast. In like manner, the narrative verbal style at Medinet Habu, as shown by its verbal formations, is passed over, despite recent research which has concentrated upon these very details.

Redford provides a new and fresh series of translations. This was necessary, but one would like to know how much they differ from Alexander Peden and Kenneth Kitchen's recent attempts (among others). How correct are these in comparison? Such issues are not minor, and I can refer the reader to my recent overview which covers them. For example, how differently were the Libyans portrayed in thought, word, and deed within the lengthy Year 5 historical record from the description of Sea Peoples with their "show of force" in the Year 8 narrative account? And if there are differences, we must ask, Why?

Connected to this are the various literary studies of Jan Assmann--see especially his comments in Hymnen und Gebete--most of which are overlooked here. Then too, the encomia style has likewise been discussed by many scholars with respect to the New Kingdom and the Ramesside Period. They should also have been consulted and referenced. In essence, I did not find that an up-to-date literary analysis of the Egyptian approach was thoroughly examined in this volume. This is not to say that the literary aspects of trope and imagery are...