Ramesses XI

A period of severe famine and social unrest occurred during Ramesses XI's reign, recorded in the Turin Papyrus as 'The Year of the Hyenas.' The scarcity of food led to widespread suffering and contributed to the breakdown of central authority in Egypt.

The priest Wenamun was sent to Byblos to procure cedar wood for the temple of Amun. The account of his journey, recorded in the Papyrus Moscow 120, describes the weakened state of Egyptian influence in the Levant, where Wenamun was treated with disrespect by local rulers.

Ramesses XI's death marked the end of the New Kingdom and the beginning of the Third Intermediate Period. During his reign, the power of the pharaoh declined significantly, with the High Priest of Amun at Thebes and the Viceroy of Kush exercising de facto control over Upper Egypt.