Thutmose Times
Third Edition: Edited by Justin, Isaac, and Adam
International News
We apologize for the blurriness of the document. Those scribes are being fired as you read this. Let’s take a look at what is going on all around the world. The Greeks are developing art, architecture and sanitation, and construction of canals. They worship the Great Earth Mother. They are also establishing colonies. In Babylon, King Karaindash has taken the throne. Assyria has just claimed independence! India has created the Rig-Veda. It contains over 1000 poems or hymns. In China, the first written documents are being created. Stay tuned for more information next week on Thutmose Times: third edition.
Thutmose III interview
This week we have gotten some quality information right from the pharaoh himself, Thutmose III. Here was the Q&A:
Q: How do you feel about your aunt/stepmother, Hatshepsut?
A: I despise her. She took my spot. I should have become pharaoh a long time ago. From the second I found that out, I hated her.
Q: Why have you declared yourself the head of the army when you already have the pharaoh’s position to uphold?
A: There are three main reasons. The first is that I’ve always loved war and weapons and all of that kind of stuff since I was a little kid. Next, I enjoyed working with the army before I found out I was actually the real pharaoh. Lastly, I want to conquer a lot of nations, which I should have already gotten started on in the last 22 years.
Q: What should we expect from you as pharaoh?
A: Get ready to become a real empire. I have plans to conquer a lot of land, stretching extremely far east.
Thank you very much and good luck during your reign.
Controversy Between Thutmose III and Hatshepsut
As you may have already known, there has been some controversy between Thutmose III and his step mom/aunt, Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was “king” (even though she was a woman) for about 22 years. She was told to double as king with her stepson/nephew, Thutmose III, because he was very young when his father, Thutmose II, mysteriously died. (Hatshepsut was tied to rumors about hiring someone to assassinate him because of her desire to rule Egypt.) She was supposed to “teach him the ways” of ruling Egypt and being part of the royal family, and when he was old enough, he would take over alone. Instead, Hatshepsut told him to work with the army and learn to become a general while she rules alone. This lasted for 22 years. A few weeks ago, an unknown royal in the palace told Thutmose III this entire story. From then on, he was extremely angered. Lucky for him, (or maybe it wasn’t even luck) Hatshepsut “mysteriously” died days ago. Thutmose III has taken over and has big plans for Egypt.
Weather
Egypt may suffer a little bit of the food shortage after next week. Weather services have tracked a flood from the Nile next week. Farmers, be ready to stock up, because your fields may be quite flooded. In order to stay safe you may want to stay in slightly taller ground if you live near the Nile. Overall, for the next week or so, it’ll stay as hot as it always is.
Deals!!!
We have just received a new shipment of bananas from the newly discovered continent of Africa. Our merchants we able to successfully trade the native humans that live there for new wines, animal skins, and bananas!!
We have an anonymous seller in Egypt willing to sell his ox for 50 gold coins. We also have a man named Kanosh who is selling his chariot for 500 gold coins. And always remember to check out the Egyptian market for the best deals.
Crimes
As you know, tomb robbing is a big problem here in Egypt. A few months a go, Thutmose I tomb was robbed. The robber took all of his furniture, treasures, and even part of his sarcophagus. Evidence shows that the robber traveled south to Nubia. This is devastating because it is rude to disturb someone's afterlife.
Also, there are some rumors about how Thutmose III hired someone to assassinate Hatshepsut. This is because people infer that when Thutmose III found out about Hatshepsut keeping the role of the king away from him, he would become furious. There is no complete evidence about this rumor. Keep your eyes up for crimes near you so you aren’t a victim.
Fashion
It’s another scorching day in our homeland of Egypt. Thank Amun we have the flax pant (the thin fibers from the stem of the plant) to make our comfortable attire in this heat. Right now, men have been wearing short shendyts “skirts” with a belt to keep cool in this hot climate. Women have been wearing a thin two strap dress. They put beads and/or feathers on the dress as accessories. Also, if you have seen some of our pharaohs appearances in public, you may notice a neme (striped headcloth) on their head, and maybe a leopard skin draped on their shoulders. Keep up with the latest clothing on our fashion section.
Send in questions
In this edition of Thutmose Times: 3rd edition, we covered many categories. If you have any questions about this version, send us a papyrus at the address of 1738 Way, Thebes, Egypt 173869. We will be sure to answer all of the questions. Some may be published, but others will be answered through papyrus that’s sent to you.
Question #1 from Shantar, 48: I have been wondering about the “assassination” of Hatshepsut, and I feel that the people who made that up, only like Hatshepsut and don’t feel for Thutmose III. Are you one of those people?
Answer: I do not favor anybody in this situation, but I can see why you would feel this way. I think people should learn from you because how would they feel if someone took away their spotlight. But, on the other hand, Thutmose III over reacted a little bit.
Question #2 from Hahar, 23: How do you track the floods?
Answer: We have been keeping track of when the floods occur. After a few years of recording this data, we know the general time of the floods throughout the year. We also can track the size of the tides of the Nile to see if it is increasing or decreasing.