Ramesses V

King 1160-1156 BC.

    Ramesses V was probably the son of Ramesses IV and, although he reigned for only a short time, two important documents date to his reign.

    The Turin Papyrus provides a list of serious accusations against a number of people but particularly against a priest in the Temple of Khnum at Elephantine, whose misdeeds included embezzlement, theft and offences of a religious nature. The crimes apparently continued from the reign of *Ramesses III to that of Ramesses V, and this indicates that there were serious oversights in administration and laxity in dealing with offences during that period.

    The other document is the Wilbour Papyrus which was compiled in Year 5 of the reign. This is an official document, the only extant copy of its kind, and thus of great importance to the study of land-holding and taxation in Egypt, although many of the details remain unclear. It consists of a measurement and assessment of the fields in an area of Middle Egypt, covering from a point near Crocodilopolis to the region in the vicinity of the modern town of El Minya, a distance of some ninety miles. The papyrus provides information about each piece of land and refers to the landowner as the plot-holder; it supplies facts about the position and size of the land and the calculated yield in terms of grain. It does not state to whom the taxes would have been paid, but it is probable that the Temple of Amun at Karnak rather than the king was the recipient.

    In his short reign, Ramesses V prepared a tomb in the Valley of the Kings which was unfinished at the time of his death, although he was actually buried there; later, this tomb was usurped and annexed by his successor, Ramesses VI, who completed its decoration.

    There is also other evidence that suggests that there was a conflict between Ramesses V and Ramesses VI (who was a son of *Ramesses III); this may have involved civil war in which some factions supported Ramesses VI and may have deposed Ramesses V before his death, to place Ramesses VI on the throne. Ramesses V was presumably reburied in another tomb, although its location remains unknown, but his body was ultimately found amongst the royal mummies reburied by the ancient priests in the tomb of *Amenophis II in the Valley of the Kings. This mummy is of particular interest because medical examination has shown that he died at a relatively early age, probably from smallpox.

BIBL. Pleyte, W. and Rossi, F. Papyrus de Turin, (two vols) Leiden: 1869-76; Gardiner, A. H. The Wilbour Papyrus. (Three vols.) Oxford: 1941-8, Faulkner, R.O. Vol. 4: Indices. Oxford: 1952; Peet, T.E. A historical document of Ramesside age. JEA 10 (1924) pp. 116 ff.; Smith, G.E. The Royal Mummies. Cairo: 1912. p. 91.

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David

* * *

(reigned c. 1147–1143 BC)

   Throne name Usermaatre sekheperenre. Personal name Amenherkhepeshef. Epithet meryamun. Successor and possibly son of Ramesses IV. The principal document of his brief reign is the extensive Wilbour Papyrus outlining the possessions of the templeof Amunat Thebes throughout Egypt. He prepared tombKV9in the Valley of the Kingsfor his burial, but it was taken over by his successor, Ramesses VI, so it is not certain if he was buried here. His body was recovered from the royal cache in the tomb of Amenhotep II in 1898.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier