Third ruler of the Ninteenth Dynasty, Ramesses was first appointed prince regent by his father at age 14. It is generally thought that he assumed the throne proper on May 31st, 1279 BCE.
Though he is generally well regarded as the greatest and mightiest of all of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom, and thus the most celebrated ruler of Ancient Egypt's golden period, he is also popularly considered to have been the Pharaoh in the Old Testament who is attributed with keeping the Israelites as slaves. Though the identity of the Pharaoh in the Bible is never specified, most assume Ramesses to have been the most plausible candidate, and many adaptations of the story of the Exodus of Egypt depict Ramesses as the villainous Pharaoh. In such adaptations, he is often shown to have been raised alongside Moses and viewing him as a brother, causing Moses' later efforts to free his people to be seen as a betrayal.
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