1 00:00:00,667 --> 00:00:01,967 [dramatic music playing] 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,800 [narrator] Abydos, 3 00:00:03,833 --> 00:00:06,500 Huge temples tower Over an ancient necropolis 4 00:00:06,533 --> 00:00:08,433 In the remote desert. 5 00:00:08,467 --> 00:00:11,733 Under the sand here lie some Of the oldest tombs in egypt. 6 00:00:12,933 --> 00:00:14,467 [stephen] This is extraordinary. 7 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:17,300 Obviously, a tomb On a monumental scale. 8 00:00:17,333 --> 00:00:19,700 [narrator] Buried 5,000 years ago, 9 00:00:19,733 --> 00:00:21,567 They conceal The hidden secrets 10 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,467 Of the first pharaohs. 11 00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:26,933 [ayman] All the egyptian Civilization start from here, 12 00:00:26,967 --> 00:00:28,533 From abydos. 13 00:00:28,567 --> 00:00:30,033 [narrator] Abydos is the epicenter 14 00:00:30,067 --> 00:00:32,400 Of a death cult That inspires 15 00:00:32,433 --> 00:00:35,133 Egypt's Strangest superstructure. 16 00:00:35,167 --> 00:00:37,467 [stephen] This subterranean area 17 00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:39,433 Is built of These immense blocks, 18 00:00:39,467 --> 00:00:42,200 And there's really nothing Quite like it. 19 00:00:42,233 --> 00:00:44,233 [narrator] How does This massive sunken monument 20 00:00:44,267 --> 00:00:47,467 Help egypt's greatest Pharaohs rise to power? 21 00:00:49,333 --> 00:00:52,933 Now, investigators use High definition drone imaging 22 00:00:52,967 --> 00:00:56,900 To investigate these Extraordinary ancient ruins. 23 00:00:56,933 --> 00:00:59,133 [stephen] There are these Immense mounds here 24 00:00:59,167 --> 00:01:03,767 That are clearly evidence Of a lot of ancient activity. 25 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:05,800 Something is out there. 26 00:01:07,067 --> 00:01:08,533 [narrator] To reveal the secrets 27 00:01:08,567 --> 00:01:11,833 Of this revolutionary city Of the dead, 28 00:01:11,867 --> 00:01:14,500 We digitally reconstruct Its lavish temples. 29 00:01:17,267 --> 00:01:20,167 We dive deep To discover ancient remains. 30 00:01:21,900 --> 00:01:25,067 And decode cryptic symbols Hidden under the sand. 31 00:01:26,467 --> 00:01:29,700 We rebuild the mysterious Relics of an ancient cult. 32 00:01:31,333 --> 00:01:33,733 And unearth traces Of the first 33 00:01:33,767 --> 00:01:36,933 And greatest kings To ever rule ancient egypt. 34 00:01:43,633 --> 00:01:45,067 [dramatic music playing] 35 00:01:45,067 --> 00:01:47,933 [narrator] Abydos, southern egypt, 36 00:01:47,967 --> 00:01:50,267 The remains Of two colossal temples 37 00:01:50,300 --> 00:01:52,467 Rise up Out of the desert landscape. 38 00:01:53,667 --> 00:01:56,200 Miles from egypt's Ancient capital, thebes. 39 00:01:59,533 --> 00:02:01,700 They are built By two great rulers, 40 00:02:03,167 --> 00:02:06,533 Seti I and his son, Ramesses the great, 41 00:02:07,833 --> 00:02:11,400 The most powerful kings Egypt has ever known. 42 00:02:11,433 --> 00:02:13,067 [dramatic music playing] 43 00:02:13,100 --> 00:02:15,067 [stephen] Seti I And ramesses the great 44 00:02:15,067 --> 00:02:17,300 Built on a scale That was almost unrivaled. 45 00:02:17,333 --> 00:02:20,333 [dramatic music playing] 46 00:02:21,833 --> 00:02:23,467 [narrator] Over 1,000 years 47 00:02:23,500 --> 00:02:25,733 After the giza pyramids Are built, 48 00:02:25,767 --> 00:02:28,067 Seti, The great warrior king, 49 00:02:28,067 --> 00:02:30,400 Constructs a magnificent Temple here. 50 00:02:31,533 --> 00:02:33,733 Huge, lavishly Decorated pylons 51 00:02:33,767 --> 00:02:35,667 Lead into vast halls 52 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:38,633 Filled with ornate columns. 53 00:02:40,533 --> 00:02:42,867 Beyond this ancient Megastructure, 54 00:02:42,900 --> 00:02:45,800 He builds a mysterious Subterranean labyrinth. 55 00:02:48,067 --> 00:02:51,633 Alongside, his son, Ramesses ii, 56 00:02:51,667 --> 00:02:54,200 Known as egypt's Greatest builder, 57 00:02:54,233 --> 00:02:56,067 Constructs his own Lavish temple. 58 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,700 Why do these two Legendary pharaohs 59 00:02:59,733 --> 00:03:03,567 Build spectacular monuments So far from their power base? 60 00:03:06,633 --> 00:03:08,467 Stephen harvey Has been investigating 61 00:03:08,500 --> 00:03:11,067 The mysteries of abydos For over 30 years. 62 00:03:12,767 --> 00:03:14,900 He believes answers Lie in the function 63 00:03:14,933 --> 00:03:17,400 Of these monuments More than 3,000 years ago. 64 00:03:19,567 --> 00:03:22,667 Stephen hunts for clues In seti's colossal temple. 65 00:03:25,900 --> 00:03:28,900 [stephen] What really strikes Anyone who enters this room 66 00:03:28,933 --> 00:03:31,633 Is this enormous stone ledge 67 00:03:31,667 --> 00:03:34,600 With its overhang Covered with inscriptions. 68 00:03:34,633 --> 00:03:36,967 And we can see when we look At the wall 69 00:03:37,067 --> 00:03:39,300 That this is a large boat. 70 00:03:40,267 --> 00:03:41,533 And there's even A little figure 71 00:03:41,567 --> 00:03:43,333 Of the king steering here. 72 00:03:43,367 --> 00:03:45,267 But it's not Being shown on water, 73 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:48,767 It's being shown On top of carrying poles. 74 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,233 [narrator] Stephen believes These boats 75 00:03:50,267 --> 00:03:52,167 Are not meant for sailing. 76 00:03:53,533 --> 00:03:56,567 They were models of boats That contain 77 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,467 Small statues of the gods. 78 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:01,333 [narrator] The boats once sit 79 00:04:01,367 --> 00:04:03,833 On top of the ledge In this room. 80 00:04:03,867 --> 00:04:05,567 Priests carry them Out of the temple 81 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:07,933 In a sacred ceremony. 82 00:04:07,967 --> 00:04:09,933 Where does their ritual Procession lead? 83 00:04:11,233 --> 00:04:13,667 [dramatic music playing] 84 00:04:13,700 --> 00:04:15,133 [narrator] A sloping tunnel At the back 85 00:04:15,167 --> 00:04:17,333 Of the building Catches stephen's eye. 86 00:04:19,467 --> 00:04:21,800 [dramatic music playing] 87 00:04:21,833 --> 00:04:25,067 This is an ascending Corridor with staircase 88 00:04:25,067 --> 00:04:28,433 And it's leading right Out this way 89 00:04:28,467 --> 00:04:30,067 At the rear of the temple. 90 00:04:30,067 --> 00:04:33,267 So, the doorway here Frames something special. 91 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:35,433 Something is out there. 92 00:04:36,933 --> 00:04:39,067 [narrator] Looking out Of the temple today, 93 00:04:39,067 --> 00:04:41,133 The desert unfolds for miles. 94 00:04:42,367 --> 00:04:44,533 But stephen thinks This ancient procession 95 00:04:44,567 --> 00:04:47,867 Has a destination Hidden in the sands. 96 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:50,467 It could explain Why seti and ramesses 97 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:52,167 Build their temples here. 98 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:55,800 Stephen launches a 99 00:04:55,833 --> 00:04:57,567 Drone-mounted high-definition Camera 100 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,067 To investigate The layout of the whole site. 101 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:03,100 I can see on either side, 102 00:05:03,133 --> 00:05:04,833 There are ancient buildings, 103 00:05:04,867 --> 00:05:06,700 Temple, Tomb constructions, 104 00:05:06,733 --> 00:05:08,667 And nothing In the middle at all, 105 00:05:08,700 --> 00:05:12,233 Literally leading us toward Something of great importance. 106 00:05:12,267 --> 00:05:14,500 And we can tell then That we have to follow 107 00:05:14,533 --> 00:05:16,967 The path this way. 108 00:05:17,067 --> 00:05:19,200 [narrator] Almost a mile Into the desert, 109 00:05:19,233 --> 00:05:23,133 Strange sandy dunes Rear all around. 110 00:05:23,167 --> 00:05:25,400 We're in A completely flat area here 111 00:05:25,433 --> 00:05:28,767 And yet there are these Immense mounds here 112 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,133 That are clearly evidence Of a lot of ancient activity. 113 00:05:32,167 --> 00:05:35,233 It's just what everything Has been leading to 114 00:05:35,267 --> 00:05:36,667 Up to this point. 115 00:05:39,633 --> 00:05:41,667 [narrator] Hidden Beneath the sand here, 116 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:45,700 Archeologists discovered Ten massive structures. 117 00:05:45,733 --> 00:05:48,500 A sprawling complex Of burial chambers. 118 00:05:50,533 --> 00:05:54,667 Inside the largest one, A mummified arm, 119 00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:56,333 Wearing four elaborate 120 00:05:56,367 --> 00:05:58,067 And richly Decorated bracelets, 121 00:05:59,433 --> 00:06:01,900 Sure signs Of great wealth and status. 122 00:06:03,533 --> 00:06:05,200 Surrounding The central crypt 123 00:06:05,233 --> 00:06:07,067 Are hundreds Of smaller graves. 124 00:06:08,500 --> 00:06:10,267 Each contains a skeleton. 125 00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:15,167 These tombs lie at the end Of the processional road. 126 00:06:16,533 --> 00:06:18,667 What can they reveal About abydos? 127 00:06:21,767 --> 00:06:25,333 [dramatic music playing] 128 00:06:25,367 --> 00:06:27,533 [stephen] This is truly Extraordinary. 129 00:06:27,567 --> 00:06:30,167 It's an immense hole In the ground, 130 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,400 A tomb that is on a truly Monumental scale. 131 00:06:35,733 --> 00:06:36,967 [narrator] Stephen investigates 132 00:06:37,067 --> 00:06:39,067 One of the ten giant crypts. 133 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,700 [stephen] I'm seeing here Something very telling. 134 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,233 This is a large Burial chamber, 135 00:06:49,267 --> 00:06:51,267 A structure built Into the earth 136 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:54,433 And reinforced with simple Mud bricks like these. 137 00:06:54,467 --> 00:06:57,733 It's built of early materials. 138 00:06:57,767 --> 00:06:59,133 [narrator] The mud brick chamber 139 00:06:59,167 --> 00:07:01,500 Is constructed Long before the 140 00:07:01,533 --> 00:07:04,633 Rock-cut tombs of ramesses And seti's era, 141 00:07:04,667 --> 00:07:06,967 And even before The stone-built tombs 142 00:07:07,067 --> 00:07:08,467 Of the pyramid age. 143 00:07:10,433 --> 00:07:13,100 This predates all of that. 144 00:07:13,133 --> 00:07:15,633 It's something From the beginning 145 00:07:15,667 --> 00:07:18,467 Of egyptian civilization. 146 00:07:18,500 --> 00:07:20,233 [narrator] Stephen thinks The smaller graves 147 00:07:20,267 --> 00:07:22,200 That surround The central chamber 148 00:07:22,233 --> 00:07:24,733 Could pinpoint to more Precise date 149 00:07:24,767 --> 00:07:28,367 And reveal the truth About abydos. 150 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,733 [stephen] They're all built At the same level 151 00:07:30,767 --> 00:07:34,567 And they were all roofed Over at the same time. 152 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:36,667 [narrator] The multiple Graves are evidence 153 00:07:36,700 --> 00:07:38,400 Of a mass burial. 154 00:07:38,433 --> 00:07:41,400 [stephen] They were Probably human sacrifices, 155 00:07:41,433 --> 00:07:44,300 Killed and put in the tombs At the same moment. 156 00:07:45,633 --> 00:07:47,800 [narrator] Human sacrifice Is extremely rare 157 00:07:47,833 --> 00:07:49,467 In ancient egypt. 158 00:07:49,500 --> 00:07:52,067 It helps pinpoint the date. 159 00:07:52,067 --> 00:07:53,367 [stephen] We know That this is 160 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,267 A very early practice In egypt, 161 00:07:55,300 --> 00:07:58,333 Limited to the first And the second dynasties. 162 00:07:58,367 --> 00:08:02,467 This is the burial of one Of egypt's first pharaohs. 163 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:05,167 [narrator] When archeologists Excavate this tomb, 164 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:08,333 They discover An inscribed ivory plaque. 165 00:08:08,367 --> 00:08:10,200 It reveals the owner. 166 00:08:10,233 --> 00:08:12,233 King den Of the first dynasty. 167 00:08:13,633 --> 00:08:16,800 He reigns around 2970 bc, 168 00:08:16,833 --> 00:08:20,100 Over 1,500 years Before seti I. 169 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,633 There was once an immense Royal cemetery here, 170 00:08:26,667 --> 00:08:29,467 A royal necropolis For egypt's first pharaohs. 171 00:08:32,067 --> 00:08:35,967 [narrator] King den is not The only pharaoh buried here. 172 00:08:36,067 --> 00:08:38,167 Archeologists Have identified the occupants 173 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,800 Of almost All of the ten crypts, 174 00:08:40,833 --> 00:08:44,567 Including the tomb With the mummified arm. 175 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:49,333 He is king djer Who rules around 3,000 bc. 176 00:08:49,367 --> 00:08:52,067 It was really these Early royal tombs 177 00:08:52,067 --> 00:08:54,800 Which attracted the interest Of later pharaohs, 178 00:08:54,833 --> 00:08:56,800 Seti and ramesses. 179 00:08:56,833 --> 00:08:58,800 [narrator] Abydos' processional road 180 00:08:58,833 --> 00:09:02,233 Connects ramesses and seti's Temples with the tombs 181 00:09:02,267 --> 00:09:05,067 Of the first dynasty Pharaohs. 182 00:09:05,067 --> 00:09:07,900 [stephen] They built their Temples directly aligned 183 00:09:07,933 --> 00:09:11,200 And in relation to it Because this is where 184 00:09:11,233 --> 00:09:14,600 It all started and they Traced their own lineage 185 00:09:14,633 --> 00:09:17,633 Directly back to these First kings of egypt. 186 00:09:17,667 --> 00:09:21,467 [dramatic music playing] 187 00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:23,067 [narrator] Millions of years ago, 188 00:09:23,100 --> 00:09:26,567 A river flows Through abydos' sands, 189 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,300 It carves out A canyon that leads 190 00:09:28,333 --> 00:09:31,667 Into the high desert Before running dry. 191 00:09:33,467 --> 00:09:36,233 Egypt's first kings See the dried riverbed 192 00:09:36,267 --> 00:09:38,767 As the entrance To the underworld 193 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,467 And build their tombs At the mouth of the canyon. 194 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:46,767 Abydos Becomes a holy landscape 195 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,067 That attracts pharaohs And paupers alike. 196 00:09:50,067 --> 00:09:52,067 Worshippers build hundreds Of chapels 197 00:09:52,067 --> 00:09:53,767 Along the path Of the riverbed. 198 00:09:55,633 --> 00:09:58,067 The path Becomes a sacred route 199 00:09:58,100 --> 00:10:00,633 Where priests Carry statues of gods 200 00:10:00,667 --> 00:10:03,033 In an annual procession From the temples 201 00:10:03,067 --> 00:10:04,467 To the first tombs. 202 00:10:06,467 --> 00:10:08,633 But there are clues That someone else 203 00:10:08,667 --> 00:10:10,667 Could lie At the center of worship 204 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:12,733 In the temples of seti And ramesses. 205 00:10:13,967 --> 00:10:16,300 A sacred figure Even more powerful 206 00:10:16,333 --> 00:10:19,100 Than the first kings. 207 00:10:19,133 --> 00:10:21,767 Who lies at the center Of the abydos cult? 208 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:24,667 And how do they grow To become 209 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:27,800 One of the greatest cult Icons of the ancient world? 210 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,267 [dramatic music playing] 211 00:10:37,300 --> 00:10:40,333 [narrator] At the ancient Necropolis of abydos 212 00:10:40,367 --> 00:10:43,233 Are the tombs of the very First pharaohs of egypt. 213 00:10:45,167 --> 00:10:47,533 They formed part Of a sacred landscape 214 00:10:47,567 --> 00:10:50,733 That inspires seti I And his son 215 00:10:50,767 --> 00:10:54,033 Ramesses the great To construct massive temples. 216 00:10:55,233 --> 00:10:57,233 But could a discovery In the largest tomb 217 00:10:57,267 --> 00:10:59,800 Built here reveal A mysterious cult 218 00:10:59,833 --> 00:11:02,200 At the core of their Interest in abydos? 219 00:11:03,500 --> 00:11:05,700 [dramatic music playing] 220 00:11:05,733 --> 00:11:08,933 [narrator] As archeologists Examine king djer's tomb, 221 00:11:08,967 --> 00:11:11,833 They uncover Something perplexing. 222 00:11:11,867 --> 00:11:14,933 Along one side of the vault Is a staircase 223 00:11:14,967 --> 00:11:17,167 Added long After djer's death. 224 00:11:18,767 --> 00:11:22,400 It leads to a black Basalt stone sarcophagus 225 00:11:22,433 --> 00:11:25,067 Carved with a figure Lying on a bed 226 00:11:25,067 --> 00:11:29,967 Holding a flail and crook, Ancient symbols of power. 227 00:11:30,067 --> 00:11:31,567 And, perched on top, 228 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,067 A bird of prey Watches over the figure. 229 00:11:36,167 --> 00:11:38,833 Inscriptions reveal The sculpture is installed 230 00:11:38,867 --> 00:11:41,900 Over 1,000 years After the death of djer. 231 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,133 What is this Mysterious figure 232 00:11:45,167 --> 00:11:46,733 And what's it doing here? 233 00:11:48,233 --> 00:11:50,100 [dramatic music playing] 234 00:11:50,133 --> 00:11:53,067 [narrator] Stephen harvey Believes clues could lie 235 00:11:53,067 --> 00:11:55,900 In pharaoh seti's temple. 236 00:11:55,933 --> 00:11:58,100 [dramatic music playing] 237 00:11:58,133 --> 00:12:00,067 [narrator] The walls here Are covered 238 00:12:00,067 --> 00:12:02,233 In hundreds Of ancient scenes. 239 00:12:05,367 --> 00:12:07,633 He hunts for any images Of the strange 240 00:12:07,667 --> 00:12:10,567 Black stone figure. 241 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,500 On a huge wall carving, He finds a match. 242 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,167 [stephen] This is the scene We're looking for. 243 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:21,233 This sculpture found In the tomb has a lot 244 00:12:21,267 --> 00:12:23,867 Of similarities with what We're seeing on the wall. 245 00:12:25,067 --> 00:12:27,233 [narrator] The carving Shows the same figure, 246 00:12:27,267 --> 00:12:30,233 A mummy lying on a bed With a long headdress 247 00:12:30,267 --> 00:12:31,867 And bird hovering above. 248 00:12:34,067 --> 00:12:35,567 Stephen Examines the hieroglyphs 249 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,267 Next to the image. 250 00:12:38,300 --> 00:12:41,233 What really firmly Identifies this for us 251 00:12:41,267 --> 00:12:43,067 Is the inscription up here. 252 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:45,767 Osiris existing eternally. 253 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,733 And here his wife, isis, 254 00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:50,100 In the form of a falcon Hovering over him. 255 00:12:50,133 --> 00:12:52,567 And here, their son, horus. 256 00:12:53,833 --> 00:12:56,267 [narrator] Osiris is one Of the most powerful gods 257 00:12:56,300 --> 00:12:58,567 In the egyptian pantheon, 258 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,200 The lord of the underworld. 259 00:13:01,233 --> 00:13:03,867 But why is a massive Sculpture of osiris 260 00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:06,200 Installed in king djer's tomb 261 00:13:06,233 --> 00:13:08,633 Over 1,000 years After his death? 262 00:13:09,900 --> 00:13:12,867 Stephen thinks The answer could shed light 263 00:13:12,900 --> 00:13:15,667 On how abydos Becomes the focus of one 264 00:13:15,700 --> 00:13:18,367 Of the greatest cults In the ancient world. 265 00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:20,500 To investigate, 266 00:13:20,533 --> 00:13:22,067 He travels Out to the desert 267 00:13:22,067 --> 00:13:24,200 Where the osiris Sculpture is discovered. 268 00:13:26,067 --> 00:13:29,733 Today, king djer's tomb Is hidden under the sand, 269 00:13:29,767 --> 00:13:32,367 But clues on the surface Still remain. 270 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,367 Abandoned across The desert around the tomb 271 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,800 Are huge mounds Of ancient pottery. 272 00:13:40,833 --> 00:13:42,567 [stephen] This isn't just A small skin 273 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,700 Of a few pots scattered On top of a mound of dirt, 274 00:13:45,733 --> 00:13:48,400 This is pots through And through all the way down, 275 00:13:48,433 --> 00:13:51,100 Literally millions of pots. 276 00:13:51,133 --> 00:13:54,567 [dramatic music playing] 277 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,300 These are the testimony 278 00:13:57,333 --> 00:14:00,433 Of thousands of pilgrims Coming here 279 00:14:00,467 --> 00:14:02,967 And leaving vessels Like this behind 280 00:14:03,067 --> 00:14:05,600 In honor of the people Who were buried here. 281 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,600 [narrator] Stephen thinks All these pots 282 00:14:08,633 --> 00:14:12,567 Are not just for king djer, They are for osiris. 283 00:14:13,833 --> 00:14:16,667 [stephen] What happened Was that this tomb 284 00:14:16,700 --> 00:14:19,833 Which was made for a pharaoh Of the first dynasty 285 00:14:19,867 --> 00:14:22,900 Was later reopened By the egyptians. 286 00:14:22,933 --> 00:14:25,133 They saw an impressive sight, 287 00:14:25,167 --> 00:14:28,500 A massive brick-lined tomb That they took 288 00:14:28,533 --> 00:14:31,333 For the burial Of the god osiris himself. 289 00:14:33,067 --> 00:14:35,233 [narrator] In the 18th century bc, 290 00:14:35,267 --> 00:14:39,567 Egyptian pharaohs excavate The ancient tombs at abydos. 291 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,200 They think the largest tomb 292 00:14:41,233 --> 00:14:43,767 Must belong To the god osiris himself. 293 00:14:45,433 --> 00:14:47,067 Inside the tomb they install 294 00:14:47,100 --> 00:14:49,400 A fake sarcophagus For the god. 295 00:14:49,433 --> 00:14:52,133 They construct stairs And restore the roof 296 00:14:52,167 --> 00:14:54,233 So it's ready for visitors. 297 00:14:55,900 --> 00:15:00,800 Pilgrims arrived from all over Egypt to pay homage to osiris. 298 00:15:00,833 --> 00:15:03,367 They leave millions Of pots with offerings. 299 00:15:06,667 --> 00:15:08,967 While the common man Leaves pots, 300 00:15:09,067 --> 00:15:11,833 Seti and ramesses Build huge temples 301 00:15:11,867 --> 00:15:15,300 Where priests practice The cult of osiris. 302 00:15:15,333 --> 00:15:18,233 [stephen] It's for this reason That this place 303 00:15:18,267 --> 00:15:20,900 Achieved a particular Significance 304 00:15:20,933 --> 00:15:23,667 As a center for the worship Of osiris 305 00:15:23,700 --> 00:15:27,467 For thousands, If not millions, of pilgrims. 306 00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:29,633 [narrator] The retrofitted Stone sarcophagus 307 00:15:29,667 --> 00:15:32,067 Helps make this spot In the remote desert 308 00:15:32,067 --> 00:15:34,533 The epicenter Of the cult of osiris. 309 00:15:34,567 --> 00:15:37,567 [dramatic music playing] 310 00:15:38,633 --> 00:15:41,133 [narrator] Since the great Tombs of the first kings 311 00:15:41,167 --> 00:15:42,833 Are rediscovered at abydos, 312 00:15:42,867 --> 00:15:46,667 The desert necropolis Inspires its own mythology. 313 00:15:46,700 --> 00:15:49,067 It's a place Where royalty and common folk 314 00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:51,233 Travel from far and wide To honor 315 00:15:51,267 --> 00:15:54,600 Ancient kings And the lord of the afterlife, 316 00:15:54,633 --> 00:15:55,867 Osiris. 317 00:15:58,533 --> 00:16:01,533 Why do seti and ramesses Worship osiris 318 00:16:01,567 --> 00:16:03,600 Above all other egyptian Deities? 319 00:16:06,867 --> 00:16:09,133 Can a baffling Underground mega structure 320 00:16:09,167 --> 00:16:13,433 At seti's temple reveal why Osiris is king of the gods? 321 00:16:19,833 --> 00:16:22,200 [dramatic music playing] 322 00:16:23,533 --> 00:16:25,400 [narrator] Abydos, 323 00:16:25,433 --> 00:16:29,267 Beneath the desert here Lie the 5,000-year-old tombs 324 00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:31,100 Of egypt's first kings 325 00:16:32,467 --> 00:16:35,067 And the traces Of a mysterious cult 326 00:16:35,067 --> 00:16:37,267 That dominates The land of the pharaohs. 327 00:16:40,267 --> 00:16:44,333 At its core, the lord Of the underworld, osiris. 328 00:16:47,067 --> 00:16:51,733 There are over 2,000 gods In the egyptian pantheon. 329 00:16:51,767 --> 00:16:54,067 Why do egypt's Greatest kings, seti 330 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:57,600 And ramesses choose osiris As their patron god? 331 00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:01,867 Clues could lie In one of the strangest 332 00:17:01,900 --> 00:17:04,667 Subterranean structures Ever found in egypt. 333 00:17:07,867 --> 00:17:09,400 Behind his temple, 334 00:17:09,433 --> 00:17:11,933 Seti begins an even more Ambitious project. 335 00:17:13,167 --> 00:17:15,600 He digs a pit Over 60-feet deep 336 00:17:17,167 --> 00:17:19,533 Designed to sit Beneath the water table 337 00:17:19,567 --> 00:17:21,167 So that it fills up. 338 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,600 Seti builds a sandstone island Into this pool 339 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,667 And installs ten huge pillars Carved of granite 340 00:17:33,367 --> 00:17:36,067 To support massive Stone ceiling beams. 341 00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:42,167 Finally, he buries This massive complex 342 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:43,800 Under the desert sand. 343 00:17:45,700 --> 00:17:47,933 What is this Sunken mega structure? 344 00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:56,567 Seti's mysterious Underground monument 345 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,233 Hides clues to explain Why osiris 346 00:17:59,267 --> 00:18:02,500 Becomes ancient egypt's Most important god. 347 00:18:04,567 --> 00:18:05,967 For centuries, 348 00:18:06,067 --> 00:18:08,333 It is completely flooded And inaccessible. 349 00:18:09,533 --> 00:18:12,533 But now archeologists Have pumped out the water. 350 00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:16,833 Our cameras Have exclusive access 351 00:18:16,867 --> 00:18:19,233 To follow stephen As he ventures inside. 352 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:26,867 [stephen] At the end Of this long tunnel, 353 00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:29,600 We've come to this room And we see 354 00:18:29,633 --> 00:18:32,567 These countless names Of osiris 355 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,700 In different manifestations And representations. 356 00:18:35,733 --> 00:18:39,533 And then we come here And there's an enormous image 357 00:18:39,567 --> 00:18:41,633 Of osiris on his throne 358 00:18:41,667 --> 00:18:44,067 With his son horus In front of him. 359 00:18:44,067 --> 00:18:47,867 And then, here, We've got texts From the book of the dead. 360 00:18:49,067 --> 00:18:50,867 [narrator] The book Of the dead is a collection 361 00:18:50,900 --> 00:18:54,433 Of almost 200 spells The deceased must know 362 00:18:54,467 --> 00:18:56,833 If they are to enter The afterlife. 363 00:18:56,867 --> 00:19:00,367 It makes clear that only Osiris can grant eternity. 364 00:19:01,533 --> 00:19:03,400 [stephen] This really Gives us an idea 365 00:19:03,433 --> 00:19:08,200 That this structure is about Osiris and the transformation 366 00:19:08,233 --> 00:19:11,467 That the king makes Into an eternal being. 367 00:19:14,500 --> 00:19:16,100 [narrator] Seti builds this structure 368 00:19:16,133 --> 00:19:19,400 To worship osiris and secure His own afterlife. 369 00:19:21,467 --> 00:19:23,433 No other pharaoh In egyptian history 370 00:19:23,467 --> 00:19:25,433 Builds anything like this. 371 00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:29,833 [stephen] It was an Incredible engineering feat. 372 00:19:29,867 --> 00:19:31,967 One of the most Impressive things 373 00:19:32,067 --> 00:19:35,100 About this structure Is the water everywhere. 374 00:19:35,133 --> 00:19:38,300 It surrounds This main central area 375 00:19:38,333 --> 00:19:42,633 And we see steps cut down That lead to the water. 376 00:19:42,667 --> 00:19:44,800 [narrator] Stephen believes This is all part 377 00:19:44,833 --> 00:19:46,967 Of a symbolic design. 378 00:19:47,067 --> 00:19:49,267 [stephen] It ran All the way around here, 379 00:19:49,300 --> 00:19:52,533 Leaving this central area As an island 380 00:19:52,567 --> 00:19:54,900 And that symbolism Is very important 381 00:19:54,933 --> 00:19:57,400 In egyptian religion. 382 00:19:57,433 --> 00:19:59,067 [narrator] The ancient Egyptians believe 383 00:19:59,067 --> 00:20:01,733 That in the beginning There is a sea of chaos. 384 00:20:01,767 --> 00:20:05,933 Out of these primeval waters Rises a pyramid shaped mound, 385 00:20:05,967 --> 00:20:07,933 The first land. 386 00:20:09,967 --> 00:20:14,867 On this mound, the gods shu And tefnut come into being, 387 00:20:14,900 --> 00:20:17,600 God of the air And god of moisture. 388 00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:23,167 Their children Are the gods nut and geb. 389 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,600 Nut, god of the sky, Who makes the rains, 390 00:20:26,633 --> 00:20:30,167 And geb, god of the earth, Who makes plants grow. 391 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:35,433 From them comes the pantheon Of egyptian gods, 392 00:20:35,467 --> 00:20:38,633 Including osiris, Lord of the afterlife. 393 00:20:41,967 --> 00:20:44,300 [stephen] What we understand From this kind 394 00:20:44,333 --> 00:20:46,833 Of architectural symbolism With the water 395 00:20:46,867 --> 00:20:49,700 Around the central island, A mound of creation, 396 00:20:49,733 --> 00:20:52,500 Is that this is meant To be the burial place 397 00:20:52,533 --> 00:20:54,933 For the god osiris himself. 398 00:20:54,967 --> 00:20:57,967 It's a huge, Monumental version. 399 00:20:59,233 --> 00:21:00,967 [narrator] Seti hopes his creation 400 00:21:01,067 --> 00:21:03,400 Will win him favor With osiris. 401 00:21:05,267 --> 00:21:08,933 Does he have another reason To recreate the god's tomb? 402 00:21:10,467 --> 00:21:12,500 To investigate, Stephen returns 403 00:21:12,533 --> 00:21:14,767 To the king's Great mortuary temple. 404 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,733 He finds a clue On a relief carving 405 00:21:18,767 --> 00:21:20,500 In the corner Of the great hall. 406 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:25,967 It shows a mother figure 407 00:21:26,067 --> 00:21:27,667 Sitting with someone On their lap. 408 00:21:29,433 --> 00:21:32,300 [stephen] It's actually The pharaoh seti. 409 00:21:32,333 --> 00:21:35,067 The mother here Is actually isis, 410 00:21:35,067 --> 00:21:36,767 The wife of osiris. 411 00:21:37,900 --> 00:21:39,833 [narrator] Seti represents himself 412 00:21:39,867 --> 00:21:42,067 As their son, horus. 413 00:21:43,633 --> 00:21:45,633 It's a clue the pharaoh Doesn't hope 414 00:21:45,667 --> 00:21:48,900 For just any place In the afterlife. 415 00:21:48,933 --> 00:21:52,167 He wants to be in the pantheon Of egyptian gods. 416 00:21:54,733 --> 00:21:58,167 [stephen] Seti's construction Makes sense when we realize 417 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,433 That he really saw himself 418 00:22:00,467 --> 00:22:03,633 As part of the sacred family Of abydos. 419 00:22:06,367 --> 00:22:08,500 In fact, upon his death, 420 00:22:08,533 --> 00:22:12,067 Seti will view himself As osiris himself. 421 00:22:13,233 --> 00:22:14,733 [narrator] At abydos, 422 00:22:14,767 --> 00:22:16,733 Seti builds a revolutionary Megastructure 423 00:22:16,767 --> 00:22:20,467 In the hope it will help him Become an immortal god king. 424 00:22:23,167 --> 00:22:25,967 But there are signs here Of another innovation 425 00:22:26,067 --> 00:22:28,600 That helps the pharaoh's Rise to ultimate power. 426 00:22:30,767 --> 00:22:32,367 Could mysterious symbols 427 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,100 Buried in a 6,000-year-old Tomb 428 00:22:35,133 --> 00:22:37,200 Reveal how his son, Ramesses, 429 00:22:37,233 --> 00:22:40,500 Becomes the greatest Egyptian king ever known? 430 00:22:47,533 --> 00:22:49,867 [dramatic music playing] 431 00:22:51,333 --> 00:22:55,133 [narrator] Abydos, A city of the dead. 432 00:22:55,167 --> 00:22:59,167 A 5,000-year-old tomb In this ancient necropolis 433 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,967 Inspires the rise of The mysterious cult of osiris, 434 00:23:03,067 --> 00:23:04,767 Lord of the underworld. 435 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,600 An intriguing discovery In an even older tomb here 436 00:23:10,633 --> 00:23:14,533 Could reveal the secrets of Egypt's most powerful pharaoh, 437 00:23:14,567 --> 00:23:16,233 Ramesses the great. 438 00:23:20,233 --> 00:23:22,867 Beneath the sands at abydos, 439 00:23:22,900 --> 00:23:27,067 Buried in a grave Almost 6,000-years-old, 440 00:23:27,100 --> 00:23:31,067 Investigators find the remains Of an ancient ruler. 441 00:23:31,067 --> 00:23:35,333 By his side are finely Carved hippopotamus figurines 442 00:23:35,367 --> 00:23:39,100 And piles of pots Bearing mysterious etchings. 443 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:43,900 One shows a human figure. 444 00:23:43,933 --> 00:23:47,467 He wears a feathered headdress And wields a huge club. 445 00:23:48,633 --> 00:23:51,200 He towers above a group Of smaller figures. 446 00:23:52,933 --> 00:23:55,100 This is the earliest Known image 447 00:23:55,133 --> 00:23:57,633 Of an egyptian ruler Victorious in battle. 448 00:23:58,733 --> 00:24:00,467 How does this Ancient drawing 449 00:24:00,500 --> 00:24:03,167 Pave the way for ramesses' Rise to greatness? 450 00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:08,133 In the abydos desert, 451 00:24:08,167 --> 00:24:11,100 Ramesses builds His own monumental temple, 452 00:24:11,133 --> 00:24:12,667 Right next to his father's. 453 00:24:14,467 --> 00:24:16,867 Archeologist ayman damarany 454 00:24:16,900 --> 00:24:19,533 Works with the egyptian Ministry of antiquities here. 455 00:24:22,767 --> 00:24:25,767 [ayman speaking] 456 00:24:38,733 --> 00:24:40,267 [narrator] The king portrays himself 457 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:42,700 Double the size Of the tied-up prisoners 458 00:24:42,733 --> 00:24:45,533 Alongside him, A clear statement 459 00:24:45,567 --> 00:24:48,500 Of his power to anyone Who enters his temple. 460 00:24:50,067 --> 00:24:53,067 Ayman thinks this scene Shows striking similarities 461 00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:56,100 To the one on the pot In the 6,000-year-old tomb. 462 00:24:57,900 --> 00:24:58,733 [ayman speaking] 463 00:25:09,267 --> 00:25:11,100 [narrator] These two scenes are created 464 00:25:11,133 --> 00:25:13,667 Over 2,500 years apart. 465 00:25:15,700 --> 00:25:19,100 Ayman believes they deliver A powerful message. 466 00:25:19,133 --> 00:25:22,133 [ayman speaking] 467 00:25:41,067 --> 00:25:43,633 [narrator] This image Is universally understood 468 00:25:43,667 --> 00:25:45,067 In ancient egypt. 469 00:25:45,100 --> 00:25:46,800 A symbol Of the pharaoh's power 470 00:25:46,833 --> 00:25:49,833 And success, Created by some of egypt's 471 00:25:49,867 --> 00:25:52,933 Earliest rulers Before the first hieroglyphs 472 00:25:52,967 --> 00:25:54,300 Are invented. 473 00:25:54,333 --> 00:25:56,500 It is copied And used by each pharaoh 474 00:25:56,533 --> 00:25:58,067 For thousands of years. 475 00:26:01,567 --> 00:26:04,167 But to become Egypt's most powerful king, 476 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,533 Ramesses needs to take This royal propaganda 477 00:26:06,567 --> 00:26:08,067 To a new level. 478 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,167 At the start of his reign, 479 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,267 Ramesses uses A traditional form 480 00:26:13,300 --> 00:26:15,200 Of carving in his iconography. 481 00:26:17,133 --> 00:26:18,133 [ayman speaking] 482 00:26:25,067 --> 00:26:27,233 [narrator] But at the eastern Edge of the temple, 483 00:26:27,267 --> 00:26:29,100 Ayman finds a different style. 484 00:26:31,700 --> 00:26:34,700 [ayman speaking] 485 00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:46,600 [narrator] How does this Simple change of technique 486 00:26:46,633 --> 00:26:48,733 Help ramesses rise to power? 487 00:26:51,133 --> 00:26:54,067 Khaled nassar wants to test The time it takes 488 00:26:54,067 --> 00:26:56,667 To produce the two styles. 489 00:26:56,700 --> 00:26:59,100 He thinks the new technique Could help ramesses 490 00:26:59,133 --> 00:27:02,300 Spread his propaganda More quickly. 491 00:27:02,333 --> 00:27:05,767 He enlists the help of a stone Carver to investigate. 492 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,167 [khaled] So, we've got Two pieces of limestone, uh, 493 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,467 Very similar to what We would have found 494 00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:14,967 In abydos and we'll try And scribe the symbol of life, 495 00:27:15,067 --> 00:27:16,400 The ankh symbol. 496 00:27:16,433 --> 00:27:17,800 [narrator] First, They carved the symbol 497 00:27:17,833 --> 00:27:20,233 In raised relief, Seti's style. 498 00:27:21,667 --> 00:27:24,400 -khaled starts the clock. -[khaled] And go. 499 00:27:24,433 --> 00:27:26,167 [banging] 500 00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:32,567 [narrator] After ten minutes, 501 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,600 The image Is only half complete. 502 00:27:36,333 --> 00:27:37,767 [khaled] So you can see now 503 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:38,867 The detailed part Of carving out, 504 00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:40,500 The raised-relief is done. 505 00:27:40,533 --> 00:27:42,633 And now it's the Labor-intensive part, 506 00:27:42,667 --> 00:27:44,133 The need to carve out 507 00:27:44,167 --> 00:27:46,167 The rest of the stone From the face. 508 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,167 There's a lot more stone To carve out here. 509 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:51,867 [narrator] It takes almost Half an hour 510 00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:53,067 To finish the symbol. 511 00:27:53,100 --> 00:27:54,900 And stop. 512 00:27:57,467 --> 00:28:00,733 And you can see how much area 513 00:28:00,767 --> 00:28:02,767 That was carved out From the face 514 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,367 In order to create The raised-relief. 515 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:07,267 And you can imagine How much time 516 00:28:07,300 --> 00:28:10,700 This would take if you have To do this for a whole temple. 517 00:28:10,733 --> 00:28:12,600 [narrator] On a second slab Of limestone, 518 00:28:12,633 --> 00:28:14,600 They carve The same image again. 519 00:28:14,633 --> 00:28:16,233 And go. 520 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:18,767 [narrator] But this time 521 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,833 They use ramesses Sunken relief technique. 522 00:28:24,933 --> 00:28:27,467 So you can see He's carving the symbol itself 523 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:29,067 Rather than The stone around it. 524 00:28:31,533 --> 00:28:33,233 And stop. 525 00:28:34,767 --> 00:28:36,233 [narrator] After only 12 minutes, 526 00:28:36,267 --> 00:28:38,100 The symbol is complete. 527 00:28:38,133 --> 00:28:39,967 A dramatic difference. 528 00:28:40,067 --> 00:28:41,300 It's the same symbol, 529 00:28:41,333 --> 00:28:43,500 Same size, Looks just as good, 530 00:28:43,533 --> 00:28:44,900 And half of the time. 531 00:28:46,367 --> 00:28:48,500 [narrator] Ramesses New inscription technique 532 00:28:48,533 --> 00:28:52,167 Cuts the time it takes To decorate a temple in half. 533 00:28:54,467 --> 00:28:56,767 He uses this method To inscribe hundreds 534 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,833 Of monuments across egypt. 535 00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:03,267 [suspenseful music playing] 536 00:29:03,300 --> 00:29:05,667 [narrator] Ramesses ii Takes royal propaganda 537 00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:08,533 To new heights, Training huge workforces 538 00:29:08,567 --> 00:29:11,133 To build temple statues In his image 539 00:29:11,167 --> 00:29:13,367 On a scale Never seen before. 540 00:29:15,067 --> 00:29:18,133 He spreads his work All the way down the nile, 541 00:29:18,167 --> 00:29:20,600 From the delta, Where he builds new cities, 542 00:29:20,633 --> 00:29:22,400 To abu simbel in the south. 543 00:29:27,300 --> 00:29:29,067 Ramesses orders his workers 544 00:29:29,067 --> 00:29:31,467 To spread his propaganda Far and wide. 545 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,567 The imagery He takes from the tomb 546 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,300 Of a long-dead ruler Projects strength and power 547 00:29:38,333 --> 00:29:42,067 And proclaims him as the Greatest pharaoh of all time. 548 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:44,967 Not only does Ramesses the great 549 00:29:45,067 --> 00:29:47,767 Depict himself But also osiris. 550 00:29:49,333 --> 00:29:52,067 At abu simbel He fuses his own face 551 00:29:52,100 --> 00:29:54,233 With the features Of the lord of the dead. 552 00:29:55,733 --> 00:29:59,233 These 30-foot sculptures Epitomize ramesses' attempt 553 00:29:59,267 --> 00:30:02,300 To place the osiris cult At the center of his reign. 554 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,600 [ayman speaking] 555 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:16,233 [narrator] Why do seti And ramesses 556 00:30:16,267 --> 00:30:18,667 Need to go To such extreme lengths? 557 00:30:21,267 --> 00:30:24,067 Clues from ramesses temple At abydos 558 00:30:24,100 --> 00:30:27,633 Could reveal the hidden role Of the famous boy king, 559 00:30:27,667 --> 00:30:29,200 Tutankhamun. 560 00:30:36,467 --> 00:30:37,533 [dramatic music playing] 561 00:30:37,567 --> 00:30:39,033 [narrator] Abydos, 562 00:30:39,067 --> 00:30:41,867 The necropolis Of egypt's first kings. 563 00:30:41,900 --> 00:30:44,500 The spiritual home Of the god osiris, 564 00:30:44,533 --> 00:30:45,800 Lord of the underworld. 565 00:30:46,833 --> 00:30:49,867 Seti I builds An ingenious subterranean 566 00:30:49,900 --> 00:30:52,800 Megastructure In his honor here. 567 00:30:52,833 --> 00:30:54,567 Right next to it, Seti's son, 568 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:55,967 Ramesses the great, 569 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,667 Builds a second huge monument. 570 00:30:58,700 --> 00:31:00,633 It could reveal A secret motive 571 00:31:00,667 --> 00:31:04,067 Behind the two pharaohs' Deep devotion to this god. 572 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:12,433 Ramesses builds a hidden clue Into his magnificent temple. 573 00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:17,700 Beyond the grand courtyard Filled with statues 574 00:31:17,733 --> 00:31:19,633 Of the god osiris, 575 00:31:21,167 --> 00:31:23,733 Buried in the foundation Of the western wall, 576 00:31:24,700 --> 00:31:27,067 Is the first stone Laid in the construction 577 00:31:27,067 --> 00:31:28,467 Of the temple. 578 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:31,467 Carved into it are cartouches 579 00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:34,467 With two of the pharaoh's Many names. 580 00:31:34,500 --> 00:31:36,400 On the right, a rare form 581 00:31:36,433 --> 00:31:39,467 Ramesses only uses In his first year as king. 582 00:31:40,700 --> 00:31:42,667 This means the temple At abydos 583 00:31:42,700 --> 00:31:46,133 Is the first structure The young pharaoh ever builds. 584 00:31:46,167 --> 00:31:48,200 Why is he in such a rush? 585 00:31:51,367 --> 00:31:54,067 Ayman damarany believes There must be a reason 586 00:31:54,100 --> 00:31:56,700 For his urgency. 587 00:31:56,733 --> 00:32:00,167 He returns to ramesses' Father's monument at abydos, 588 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,400 Seti I's temple, To investigate. 589 00:32:03,433 --> 00:32:05,900 Across one of the lavishly Carved walls 590 00:32:05,933 --> 00:32:08,700 He examines An iconic inscription. 591 00:32:08,733 --> 00:32:10,067 The king list. 592 00:32:10,100 --> 00:32:13,633 [suspenseful music playing] 593 00:32:13,667 --> 00:32:17,133 [ayman speaking] 594 00:32:33,367 --> 00:32:35,567 [narrator] The king list Contains the names 595 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:40,067 Of 76 pharaohs that ruled Before seti and ramesses. 596 00:32:40,067 --> 00:32:42,867 It reads like a family tree Of blue blood 597 00:32:42,900 --> 00:32:46,900 That runs Back almost 2,000 years. 598 00:32:46,933 --> 00:32:49,867 Seti and ramesses are two Of the few kings 599 00:32:49,900 --> 00:32:52,300 To ever produce these tables. 600 00:32:52,333 --> 00:32:54,767 But it's not the kings Listed here that reveal 601 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:58,100 A dark secret Behind this hall of fame. 602 00:32:58,133 --> 00:33:00,633 It's the kings That are missing. 603 00:33:00,667 --> 00:33:03,667 [ayman speaking] 604 00:33:10,767 --> 00:33:13,300 [suspenseful music playing] 605 00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:14,933 [narrator] Akhenaten Is a pharaoh 606 00:33:14,967 --> 00:33:18,567 Who rules egypt Around 1350 bc, 607 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:23,267 Only 50 years Before seti and ramesses. 608 00:33:23,300 --> 00:33:26,300 He builds a city In the desert, amarna. 609 00:33:26,333 --> 00:33:29,467 With open-air temples To worship the sun god, 610 00:33:29,500 --> 00:33:31,067 The aten. 611 00:33:31,067 --> 00:33:35,300 [ayman speaking] 612 00:33:35,333 --> 00:33:37,967 [narrator] Akhenaten Is a heretic. 613 00:33:38,067 --> 00:33:39,967 The pharaohs That followed destroy 614 00:33:40,067 --> 00:33:43,400 His new city and religion. 615 00:33:43,433 --> 00:33:46,067 [ayman speaking] 616 00:33:50,433 --> 00:33:53,300 [narrator] Seti and ramesses Build great monuments 617 00:33:53,333 --> 00:33:56,467 To osiris at abydos To align their rule 618 00:33:56,500 --> 00:34:00,133 With egypt's Traditional religion and gods. 619 00:34:00,167 --> 00:34:03,067 But ayman thinks there Could be another reason 620 00:34:03,067 --> 00:34:05,333 For ramesses' decision To build his temple here 621 00:34:05,367 --> 00:34:07,533 So quickly. 622 00:34:07,567 --> 00:34:11,167 Akhenaten's son, the most Famous pharaoh in history. 623 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,667 [suspenseful music playing] 624 00:34:15,700 --> 00:34:20,567 [ayman speaking] 625 00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:25,100 [narrator] Tutankhamun, The boy king, 626 00:34:25,133 --> 00:34:29,333 Is also erased From the king list. 627 00:34:29,367 --> 00:34:32,900 Ayman thinks the fate Of tutankhamun helps explain 628 00:34:32,933 --> 00:34:37,533 Seti and ramesses Building at abydos. 629 00:34:37,567 --> 00:34:40,567 [ayman speaking] 630 00:34:52,667 --> 00:34:55,600 [narrator] Tutankhamun's Military commander-in-chief, 631 00:34:55,633 --> 00:34:58,067 Horemheb, Ultimately seizes power, 632 00:34:58,067 --> 00:35:01,067 Installing himself as pharaoh. 633 00:35:01,100 --> 00:35:04,733 But horemheb also has no sons. 634 00:35:04,767 --> 00:35:09,067 So, he appoints his vizier Ramesses to be his successor. 635 00:35:09,067 --> 00:35:11,733 Ramesses is followed By his son, seti 636 00:35:11,767 --> 00:35:16,067 And grandson ramesses The great, 637 00:35:16,067 --> 00:35:20,100 A line of kings with No legitimate royal blood. 638 00:35:20,133 --> 00:35:25,867 [ayman speaking] 639 00:35:25,900 --> 00:35:28,300 [narrator] Seti and ramesses Must always legitimize 640 00:35:28,333 --> 00:35:30,067 Their rule. 641 00:35:30,100 --> 00:35:32,567 It is a smart move For ramesses to build 642 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,133 His first temple Near the burial of osiris. 643 00:35:36,167 --> 00:35:38,733 Osiris is the mythical First king, 644 00:35:38,767 --> 00:35:41,733 The ideal candidate To help him and his father 645 00:35:41,767 --> 00:35:44,267 To assert Their royal authority. 646 00:35:47,067 --> 00:35:49,433 The tomb of osiris Becomes the site 647 00:35:49,467 --> 00:35:52,133 Of a sacred ritual That ramesses himself 648 00:35:52,167 --> 00:35:54,167 Likely takes part in. 649 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,067 The high priests pour water Over the mouth 650 00:36:00,100 --> 00:36:04,400 Of osiris From 14 heart-shaped vessels. 651 00:36:08,767 --> 00:36:11,633 The great pharaoh ramesses Declares himself 652 00:36:11,667 --> 00:36:14,233 The living Form of the god osiris, 653 00:36:14,267 --> 00:36:16,667 Legitimate king of egypt. 654 00:36:19,100 --> 00:36:21,800 To assert his Self-proclaimed legitimacy, 655 00:36:21,833 --> 00:36:25,767 Ramesses repeats this ceremony Every year until his death 656 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,800 At the incredible age of 90. 657 00:36:32,500 --> 00:36:34,867 At abydos, Seti and ramesses' 658 00:36:34,900 --> 00:36:37,967 Dedication to osiris is more Than a fast track 659 00:36:38,067 --> 00:36:41,667 To becoming gods In the afterlife. 660 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:43,933 They use it to legitimize Their place 661 00:36:43,967 --> 00:36:46,800 In the long line Of great egyptian kings. 662 00:36:48,433 --> 00:36:50,067 Under ramesses the great, 663 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:54,167 The osiris cult At abydos reaches a pinnacle. 664 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:56,400 But could recent Discoveries reveal 665 00:36:56,433 --> 00:36:59,067 Pilgrimages To this sacred site 666 00:36:59,067 --> 00:37:01,433 Continue right Up to modern times? 667 00:37:01,467 --> 00:37:06,167 [suspenseful music playing] 668 00:37:10,467 --> 00:37:12,733 [narrator] The first kings To rule egypt 669 00:37:12,767 --> 00:37:15,600 Build their tombs at abydos. 670 00:37:15,633 --> 00:37:18,067 For thousands of years, Royal dynasties 671 00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:21,067 Come to worship the dead here. 672 00:37:21,067 --> 00:37:23,633 Under seti I And ramesses the great, 673 00:37:23,667 --> 00:37:27,467 It is the holiest place In all of ancient egypt. 674 00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:30,267 And there are clues That the allure of abydos 675 00:37:30,300 --> 00:37:33,333 Never completely fades. 676 00:37:33,367 --> 00:37:37,933 Ayman damarany explores the Walls at the temple of seti. 677 00:37:37,967 --> 00:37:40,867 Hidden among The dense egyptian decoration 678 00:37:40,900 --> 00:37:43,867 He spots strange markings. 679 00:37:43,900 --> 00:37:48,100 [ayman speaking] 680 00:37:53,367 --> 00:37:56,133 [narrator] The graffiti Is written in aramaic, 681 00:37:56,167 --> 00:37:59,300 One of the languages Of the persian empire. 682 00:37:59,333 --> 00:38:03,733 In 525 bc, The persians conquer egypt. 683 00:38:03,767 --> 00:38:05,567 The invaders defeat The egyptians 684 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,833 But at the great temples Of abydos 685 00:38:07,867 --> 00:38:11,633 They pray To their enemy's gods. 686 00:38:11,667 --> 00:38:14,667 [ayman speaking] 687 00:38:17,467 --> 00:38:19,733 [narrator] The marks left By the newcomers reveal 688 00:38:19,767 --> 00:38:22,500 How the king Of the dead retains his crown 689 00:38:22,533 --> 00:38:26,233 Long after his priests Have abandoned the temple. 690 00:38:26,267 --> 00:38:29,267 [ayman speaking] 691 00:38:39,167 --> 00:38:40,900 [narrator] But in the Centuries that follow 692 00:38:40,933 --> 00:38:44,800 The cult of osiris Dies out across egypt. 693 00:38:44,833 --> 00:38:49,367 At abydos the desert gradually Reclaims the temples. 694 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,867 When french archaeologist Auguste mariette 695 00:38:51,900 --> 00:38:55,400 First discovers Seti's complex in 1865, 696 00:38:55,433 --> 00:38:57,667 It is buried in the sand. 697 00:38:58,833 --> 00:39:02,200 But now, a new discovery Inside it could reveal 698 00:39:02,233 --> 00:39:05,533 How fascination With abydos is reignited. 699 00:39:07,867 --> 00:39:10,367 When ayman and his team Explore a hidden room 700 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:11,633 In seti's temple, 701 00:39:11,667 --> 00:39:14,267 They find bundles Of documents. 702 00:39:17,633 --> 00:39:19,800 They include papers And reports 703 00:39:19,833 --> 00:39:22,133 Of the first archaeologists. 704 00:39:25,933 --> 00:39:28,933 [ayman speaking] 705 00:39:36,500 --> 00:39:38,067 [narrator] Among hundreds Of notebooks 706 00:39:38,067 --> 00:39:40,867 Are lists of visitors' names. 707 00:39:40,900 --> 00:39:43,500 One entry reveals recent kings Continue 708 00:39:43,533 --> 00:39:45,967 To be drawn to abydos. 709 00:39:47,733 --> 00:39:50,733 [ayman speaking] 710 00:40:01,267 --> 00:40:03,767 [narrator] The collection Doesn't just list visitors 711 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,433 But thousands of records From the first 712 00:40:06,467 --> 00:40:09,167 Egyptian-run excavations At abydos. 713 00:40:12,367 --> 00:40:16,600 Ayman thinks they are packed With clues to new discoveries. 714 00:40:18,967 --> 00:40:21,967 [ayman speaking] 715 00:40:27,267 --> 00:40:29,400 [narrator] When the first Egyptian kings 716 00:40:29,433 --> 00:40:32,367 Choose this sacred location For their burials, 717 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,433 The construction Of a sacred landscape 718 00:40:34,467 --> 00:40:37,367 Like no other in egypt begins. 719 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,667 Even today, Over 5,000 years later, 720 00:40:40,700 --> 00:40:43,200 Abydos retains its allure. 721 00:40:43,233 --> 00:40:44,967 It has become A pilgrimage site 722 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,633 For groups like new age Seekers and imseti 723 00:40:48,667 --> 00:40:52,167 Who believes she was a Reincarnated temple priestess. 724 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,967 [stephen] Abydos Is extraordinary because 725 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:58,300 There are over 4,000 years Of egyptian civilization 726 00:40:58,333 --> 00:41:00,067 Is represented here. 727 00:41:00,100 --> 00:41:02,900 It's a complex place With a lot of stories to tell. 728 00:41:04,833 --> 00:41:07,467 [narrator] At abydos, The treasure-filled tombs 729 00:41:07,500 --> 00:41:09,067 Of the first kings 730 00:41:09,067 --> 00:41:11,567 Mark the start of egypt's Royal dynasties 731 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:13,700 And are home To one of the biggest cults 732 00:41:13,733 --> 00:41:15,567 In the ancient world. 733 00:41:17,633 --> 00:41:19,733 It inspires egypt's Greatest kings 734 00:41:19,767 --> 00:41:22,867 To build incredible monuments. 735 00:41:22,900 --> 00:41:25,467 Empowered by the god osiris, 736 00:41:25,500 --> 00:41:29,300 They drive egypt Into its golden age. 737 00:41:29,333 --> 00:41:32,333 [suspenseful music playing]