A remarkable 2,000-year-old sandstone stele depicting the Roman emperor Tiberius as an Egyptian pharaoh has been unearthed at the Karnak temple complex in Luxor, Egypt. Discovered during the restoration of a monumental gateway, the find offers fascinating insights into how Roman rulers sought to legitimize their authority by integrating themselves into the ancient religious traditions of Egypt.
The stele, measuring approximately 60 by 40 centimeters (23.6 by 15.7 inches), was found in an archaeological layer associated with late Roman and Byzantine mudbrick structures in the northwestern sector of the Karnak enclosure. The artifact was brought to light by a joint Egyptian-French mission, comprising the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the French-Egyptian Center for the Study of the Temples of Karnak (CFEETK), during the reassembly and restoration of the wall gate of King Ramses III, reported the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The stele recovered at Karnak, depicting Tiberius as a Pharaoh. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
A Roman Emperor Upholding Divine Order
The central scene of the stele portrays Tiberius, who ruled the Roman Empire from 14 to 37 AD, standing in a traditional offering pose before the Theban triad: the supreme god Amun-Ra, his consort Mut, and the lunar god Khonsu describes the report. Notably, Tiberius is depicted wearing the double crown of ancient Egypt, symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, and is shown performing rituals that the gods would recognize.
According to Abdel Ghaffar Wagdy, the director-general of Luxor Antiquities and head of the Egyptian side of the mission, this depiction was crucial for maintaining maat, or cosmic and divine order.
"To fulfill this role, the ruler needed to be shown performing traditional rituals in a form that the gods would recognize, namely, as a pharaoh," Wagdy explained. "The monument expresses what a king should be in Egyptian terms, rather than documenting his personal achievements".
By presenting himself as a pious builder and protector of the temples, Tiberius ensured his incorporation into the local religious system, despite the fact that, like many Roman emperors, he governed Egypt through envoys and rarely visited the province in person explains La Bruja Verde.
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Remnants of the gate of Rameses III. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Reconstructing the Gate of Ramses III
Below the striking image of the emperor and the gods, the stele features five horizontal lines of hieroglyphic text. This inscription commemorates the renovation of the retaining wall of the Temple of Amun-Ra, an action justified by the need to protect the sacred enclosure. Wagdy suggested that the stele originally served as a fixed architectural marker embedded in the outer face of the enclosure wall, commemorating the restoration of that specific section of the gateway reports Live Science.
The discovery occurred during a complex, three-year project (2022–2025) to dismantle, consolidate, and reconstruct the monumental gate of Ramses III, a pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty. Prior to the intervention, the structure was in an advanced state of deterioration and obscured by vegetation.
During the dismantling process, archaeologists made another significant discovery: several decorated stone blocks reused in the construction of the gate actually dated to the earlier reign of Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty. This evidence of reused materials points to the existence of an older monumental entrance at the same site and highlights the continuous architectural evolution of the Karnak complex over millennia.
The restored gate of Rameses III. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Uncovering the Ancient Road Network
The extensive work at Karnak also revealed segments of the northern wall of the Temple of Amun-Ra dating back to the New Kingdom, with stratigraphic analysis indicating multiple building phases spanning from the 18th Dynasty to the Greco-Roman period.
Furthermore, during site preparation in the summer of 2025, the team uncovered a paved roadway that connects the gate of Ramses III with the square in front of the third pylon of the Karnak temples. This finding provides valuable information about the internal circulation and road network within the sacred precinct during the dynastic period and beyond.
The newly discovered stele of Tiberius has undergone meticulous restoration by the technical team and is slated for future display in a museum. As research continues in the northern area of the Temple of Amun-Ra, these discoveries add a rich new layer to our understanding of how successive empires, from the New Kingdom to the Romans, left their enduring mark on one of the most important religious centers of the ancient world.
Top image: The newly discovered 2,000-year-old sandstone stele depicting Roman Emperor Tiberius as an Egyptian pharaoh. Source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
By Gary Manners
References
Bassi, M. 2026. Ancient Egyptian stone monument depicting a Roman emperor as a pharaoh discovered in Luxor. Live Science. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/ancient-egyptian-stone-monument-depicting-a-roman-emperor-as-a-pharaoh-discovered-in-luxor
Carvajal, G. 2026. Stela with inscriptions from the time of Emperor Tiberius discovered during the restoration of the Gate of Ramses III at Karnak. La Brújula Verde. Available at: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/03/stela-with-inscriptions-from-the-time-of-emperor-tiberius-discovered-during-the-restoration-of-the-gate-of-ramses-iii-at-karnak/
Selly, M. 2026. Why Does This Newly Discovered 2,000-Year-Old Stone Slab Depict a Roman Emperor as an Egyptian Pharaoh?. Smithsonian Magazine. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-this-newly-discovered-2000-year-old-stone-slab-depict-a-roman-emperor-as-an-egyptian-pharaoh-180988549/
Staff Writer. 2026. Roman Emperor Identified on Karnak Stele. Archaeology Magazine. Available at: https://archaeology.org/news/2026/04/14/roman-emperor-identified-on-karnak-stele/
Staff Writer. 2026. Ancient stele showing Roman emperor discovered near Luxor in Egypt. The Jerusalem Post. Available at: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-891653
