Medinet Habu, Volume I. Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III

First published in 1930, Medinet Habu, Volume I: Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III inaugurated the Epigraphic Survey’s monumental series documenting the reliefs and inscriptions of the mortuary temple of Ramses III on the west bank of the Nile at ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). Its fifty-four large-format plates reproduce scenes of the pharaoh’s military campaigns against the Nubians, Libyans, and Sea Peoples, along with royal ceremonies, religious rituals, and encounters with the gods. Combining photography and detailed facsimile drawings, the volume preserves an extraordinary visual and textual record of Egyptian culture, kingship, and royal ideology. A foreword by ISAC founder James Henry Breasted and an introduction by field director Harold H. Nelson document the early history and innovative recording methods of ISAC’s Epigraphic Survey, whose work in Egypt continues today. Translations and commentary on the historical inscriptions recorded in this volume and its sequel are available in Historical Records of Ramses III.