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God's Wife of Amun (
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
: ''ḥm.t nṯr n ỉmn'') was the highest-ranking
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
ess of the
Amun
Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...
cult, an important
religious institution in ancient Egypt. The cult was centered in
Thebes in
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south.
In ancient ...
during the
Twenty-fifth and
Twenty-sixth dynasties (circa 740–525 BC). The office had political importance as well as religious, since the two were closely related in
ancient Egypt.
Although the title is first attested in the Middle Kingdom, its full political potential was not realized until the advent of the
Eighteenth Dynasty.
History of the office
nTr-N41:X1
The shorter version of the title,
God's Wife
God's Wife ( Egyptian ''ḥmt nṯr'') is a title which was often allocated to royal women during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The term indicates an inherited sacral duty, in which the role of "God's Wife" passed from mother to daughter. The r ...
, is in use by the time of the
Twelfth Dynasty
The Twelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty XII) is considered to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom by Egyptologists. It often is combined with the Eleventh, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth dynasties under the group title, Middle Kingdom. Some ...
, when the title is attested for the non-royal women Iy-meret-nebes and Neferu.
[Mariam F. Ayad (2009), ''God’s Wife, God’s Servant''.] As early as the
First Intermediate Period
The First Intermediate Period, described as a 'dark period' in ancient Egyptian history, spanned approximately 125 years, c. 2181–2055 BC, after the end of the Old Kingdom. It comprises the Seventh (although this is mostly considered spurious ...
, there is mention of A "Wife of the God" in reference to the god
Min
Min or MIN may refer to:
Places
* Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China
** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian
* Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China
* Min River (Fujian)
* Min River (Sichuan)
* Mineola (Am ...
.
The full title of God's Wife of Amun is only used during and after the Eighteenth Dynasty.
Rise and fall in the Eighteenth Dynasty
At the beginning of the
New Kingdom
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, the God's Wife of Amun royal title started to be held by royal women (usually the wife of the king, but sometimes by the mother of the king), when its extreme power and prestige was first evident. The New Kingdom began in
1550 BC with the Eighteenth Dynasty. These were the rulers who drove the
Hyksos
Hyksos (; Egyptian '' ḥqꜣ(w)- ḫꜣswt'', Egyptological pronunciation: ''hekau khasut'', "ruler(s) of foreign lands") is a term which, in modern Egyptology, designates the kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt (fl. c. 1650–1550 BC).
T ...
out of Egypt and their native city was Thebes, which then became the leading city in Egypt. They believed that their local deity,
Amun
Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...
, had guided them in their victory and the cult rose to national importance. Adjustments to the rituals and myths followed.
The title, ''God's Wife of Amun'', "referred to the myth of the divine birth of the king, according to which his mother was impregnated by the god
Amun
Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...
." While the office theoretically, was sacred, it was essentially wielded as a political tool by the serving Egyptian pharaoh to ensure "royal authority over the Theban region and the powerful priesthood of Amun" there. The royal lineage was traced through its women, and the rulers and the religious institutions were inexorably woven together in traditions that remained quite stable over a period of three thousand years. This title was used in preference to the title, ''
Great Royal Wife'', which was the title of the queen who was the consort to the pharaoh and who officiated at the temple. The new title conveyed that the pharaoh would be a
demigod
A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...
upon birth. Previously the pharaoh was considered to become divine only at death.
The first royal wife to hold this new title (not to be mistaken with the title of
God's Wife
God's Wife ( Egyptian ''ḥmt nṯr'') is a title which was often allocated to royal women during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The term indicates an inherited sacral duty, in which the role of "God's Wife" passed from mother to daughter. The r ...
) was Queen
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari (Ancient Egyptian: '' Jꜥḥ ms Nfr trj'') was the first Great Royal Wife of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and wife to Ahmose I. Her son Amenhotep I b ...
, the wife of
Ahmose I
Ahmose I ( egy, jꜥḥ ms(j .w), reconstructed /ʔaʕaħ'maːsjə/ ( MK), Egyptological pronunciation ''Ahmose'', sometimes written as ''Amosis'' or ''Aahmes'', meaning "Iah (the Moon) is born") was a pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ...
, and this event is recorded in a
stele
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...
in the
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
of
Amun
Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...
at
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construct ...
, and the role was a priestly post of importance in the temple of
Amun
Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...
in Thebes. She then passed it on to her daughter
Ahmose-Meritamun
Ahmose-Meritamun (or Ahmose-Meritamon) was a Queen of Egypt during the early Eighteenth Dynasty. She was both the older sister and the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep I. She died fairly young and was buried in tomb TT358 in Deir el-Bahari.
Biograp ...
, who in turn handed it to
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut (; also Hatchepsut; Egyptian: '' ḥꜣt- špswt'' "Foremost of Noble Ladies"; or Hatasu c. 1507–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the second historically confirmed female pharaoh, af ...
, who used it before she ascended the throne as pharaoh.
Both
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari (Ancient Egyptian: '' Jꜥḥ ms Nfr trj'') was the first Great Royal Wife of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and wife to Ahmose I. Her son Amenhotep I b ...
and Hatshepsut sometimes used the title as an alternative to that of ''"King's Principal Wife"'', which shows how important they felt the role was. Hatshepsut passed the title on to her daughter
Neferure
Neferure (or Neferura) was an Egyptian princess of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the daughter of two pharaohs, Hatshepsut and Thutmose II. She served in high offices in the government and the religious administration of Ancient Egy ...
.
A series of scenes in Hatshepsut's
Chapelle Rouge
The Red Chapel of Hatshepsut or the Chapelle rouge was a religious shrine in Ancient Egypt.
The chapel was originally constructed as a barque shrine during the reign of Hatshepsut. She was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty from ...
show the ''God's Wife of Amun'' (her daughter) and a male priest undergoing a ritual or ceremony that seems to be aimed at destroying the names of enemies. Other scenes elsewhere show the ''God's Wife of Amun'' worshiping the deities, being purified in the
sacred lake
Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cler ...
, and following the king into the sanctuary. These again show the importance of the role, but give very little indication of the tasks and responsibilities involved.
Hatshepsut was the daughter of
Thutmose I
Thutmose I (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis I, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; Ancient Egyptian: '' ḏḥwtj- ms'', ''Tʼaḥawtī-mīsaw'', , meaning "Thoth is born") was the third pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of E ...
and, upon his death, she became the wife of the youthful
Thutmose II
Thutmose II (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis II, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; Ancient Egyptian: /''ḏḥwty.ms''/ ''Djehutymes'', meaning "Thoth is born") was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egy ...
who was her young half-brother, born to a lesser wife than her mother. She seems to have been a de facto co-regent with him, having a great deal of influence upon the affairs of state. They had only one child who survived childhood, a daughter, Neferure, to whom the title of ''God's Wife of Amun'' was passed.
Upon the death of her husband
Thutmose II
Thutmose II (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis II, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; Ancient Egyptian: /''ḏḥwty.ms''/ ''Djehutymes'', meaning "Thoth is born") was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egy ...
, Hatshepsut was appointed
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
for the very youthful
Thutmose III
Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Officially, Thutmose III ruled Egypt for almost 54 years and his reign is usually dated from 28 ...
, who was not born to her—the royal wife and queen of his father—rather, he was born of a lesser wife. He was her stepson and nephew. Shortly thereafter, Hatshepsut was named
pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...
.
Her daughter, Neferure, took her place in many functions that required a royal queen serving as the ''Great Royal Wife'' and, as ''God's Wife of Amun'' in the temple, while
Thutmose III
Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Officially, Thutmose III ruled Egypt for almost 54 years and his reign is usually dated from 28 ...
remained as co-regent to Hatshepsut. He became the head of the armies.
Hatshepsut died after a 22-year reign and, Thutmose III became pharaoh. At the end of a thirty-year reign of his own, he entered into a co-regency with a son by a lesser wife who would become,
Amenhotep II
Amenhotep II (sometimes called ''Amenophis II'' and meaning ''Amun is Satisfied'') was the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few militar ...
. Neferure had died without leaving another heir, but there were others in line to become pharaoh, so the co-regency assured that these royal offspring with closer ties to Hatshepsut would be removed from the line of descent, and Thutmose III's chosen heir would rule.
The records of holders of the title, ''God's Wife of Amun'', after Thutmose III became pharaoh deviate from the established pattern, perhaps because of the line of royalty issue. After Neferure the list notes, Iset, the mother of Thutmose III, but it is quite certain that she never officiated, and was awarded the title after her death. Next is, Satiah, a lesser wife of Thutmose III in the early part of his reign. She is followed by, Merytre-Hatshepsut, another lesser wife of Thutmose III, who became the mother of his ultimate heir. She was the daughter of the ''Divine Adoratrice of Amun'', Huy. Next on the list is, Meritamen, a daughter of Thutmose III and Merytre-Hatshepsut, thereby the sister of his ultimate heir. After all of those changes during his long reign, the office holder was the daughter of Thutmose III, returning to the traditional association.
Amenhotep II
Amenhotep II (sometimes called ''Amenophis II'' and meaning ''Amun is Satisfied'') was the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few militar ...
seems to be the one who initiated the attempts to remove records of Hatshepsut's reign while his father was an old man and continued these efforts after he became pharaoh in his own right, claiming many of her achievements as his own, but failing to be thorough.
Amenhotep II also tried to break traditions by preventing the names of his wives from being recorded and introducing women who were not from the royal lineage into the line of descent—without success—as his designated heir was overlooked. After his death, which is estimated as 1400 BC, Thutmose IV was selected from the royal lineage as the next pharaoh.
The power and prestige of the role of the ''God's Wife of Amun'' was greatly diminished by Amenhotep II. He may have declined to have one, unless it remained as his sister, Meritamen. The woman listed as holding the office next is Tiaa. That is the name of a wife of his who was the mother of
Thutmose IV
Thutmose IV (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis IV, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; egy, ḏḥwti.msi(.w) "Thoth is born") was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled in approximately the 14th century ...
and it is possible that she was named to this title by her son since he gave her other titles, however, the daughter of Thutmose IV also was named Tiaa.
Later in that dynasty, with religious changes affecting the status of the cult, the title then fell out of favour. The pharaoh Amenhotep IV, ruling from 1353 or 1351, initially followed the religious traditions. Soon he instituted a new religion that elevated
Aten
Aten also Aton, Atonu, or Itn ( egy, jtn, ''reconstructed'' ) was the focus of Atenism, the religious system established in ancient Egypt by the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh Akhenaten. The Aten was the disc of the sun and originally an aspect of ...
, not only to become the dominant cult, but as a
monotheistic cult, suppressing the worship of others. The pharaoh changed his name to
Akhenaten
Akhenaten (pronounced ), also spelled Echnaton, Akhenaton, ( egy, ꜣḫ-n-jtn ''ʾŪḫə-nə-yātəy'', , meaning "Effective for the Aten"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Dy ...
and moved his court to a new capital he had built, Akhetaten ''Horizon of Aten'', at the site known today as
Amarna
Amarna (; ar, العمارنة, al-ʿamārnah) is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site containing the remains of what was the capital city of the late Eighteenth Dynasty. The city was established in 1346 BC, built at the direction of the Ph ...
. He and his royal wife,
Nefertiti
Neferneferuaten Nefertiti () ( – c. 1330 BC) was a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a radical change in national religious policy, in whic ...
(whom he treated as a co-regent) became the intermediaries between Aten and the people. The worship of Amun was especially targeted for suppression and many of his temples were defaced and no idols were permitted. Aten became ''The Aten'', represented only as a solar disk. Religious rituals were performed in open air settings.
The death of Akhenaten occurred circa 1336 BC and it was not long before the traditional religious practices began to resume. It is possible that Nefertiti ruled under another name and, perhaps, was an influence in the royal family until near the end of the rule of
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun (, egy, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled ...
(1333–1324 BC), but if she did, she did not prevent the revival.
Tutankhamun began ruling as a child of nine under the name of Tutankhaten. Some think that he was the son of Akhenaten by a minor wife. During his reign his name was changed away from the deity of his father, replacing ''aten'' with ''amun''. This marks the beginning of a transition back to Thebes as the capital as well.
The last ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty,
Horemheb
Horemheb, also spelled Horemhab or Haremhab ( egy, ḥr-m-ḥb, meaning " Horus is in Jubilation") was the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt (1550–1295 BC). He ruled for at least 14 years between 1319 BC and 1292 BC. ...
(1320–1292 BC), restored the priesthood of Amun, but he prevented the Amun priesthood from resuming the powerful position they had held before Akhenaten dissolved the powerful cult and moved the capital away from their city. Horemheb had reformed the army and had developed a loyal chain of command within it. By appointing priests to the cult of Amun from the high ranks of his trusted army, he avoided any attempts to reestablish the powerful relationships that had provoked the drastic change made by Akhenaten.
Revival during dynasties Twenty through Twenty-six
The title, ''God's Wife of Amun'', was revived during the
Twentieth Dynasty
The Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XX, alternatively 20th Dynasty or Dynasty 20) is the third and last dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom period, lasting from 1189 BC to 1077 BC. The 19th and 20th Dynasties furthermore togeth ...
, when
Ramesses VI
Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses, also known under his princely name of Amenherkhepshef C) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for about eight years in the mid-to-late 12th century ...
(1145–1137 BC) conferred this office as well as the additional title of ''
Divine Adoratrice of Amun
The Divine Adoratrice of Amun ( Egyptian: '' dwꜣt nṯr n jmn'') was a second title – after God's Wife of Amun – created for the chief priestess of the ancient Egyptian deity Amun. During the first millennium BCE, when the holder of this ...
'' on his daughter,
Iset; the king's actions inaugurated the tradition where every subsequent holder of this office had to be "a king's daughter, and was expected to remain an unmarried virgin. In order to assist
nthe royal succession, she would adopt the daughter of the next king as her heiress."
The office of the ''God's Wife of Amun'' reached the very heights of its political power during the late
Third Intermediate Period
The Third Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt began with the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC, which ended the New Kingdom, and was eventually followed by the Late Period. Various points are offered as the beginning for the latt ...
, when Shepenupet I,
Osorkon III
Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon III Si-Ese was Pharaoh of Egypt in the 8th Century BC. He is the same person as the Crown Prince and High Priest of Amun Osorkon B, son of Takelot II by his Great Royal Wife Karomama II. Prince Osorkon B is best att ...
's daughter, was first appointed to this post at Thebes. The Nubian king
Kashta
Kashta was an 8th century BC king of the Kingdom of Kush, Kushite Dynasty in ancient Nubia and the successor of Alara of Nubia, Alara. His nomen ''k3š-t3'' (transcribed as Kashta, possibly pronounced /kuʔʃi-taʔ/) "of the land of Kush" is ofte ...
, in turn, appointed his daughter, Amenirdis, as her successor. The high status of this office is illustrated by the tomb of Amenirdis at Medinet Habu.
Later, during the Saite
Twenty-sixth Dynasty
The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXVI, alternatively 26th Dynasty or Dynasty 26) dynasty was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC (although others followed). The dynasty's reign (664–525 ...
,
Psamtik I
Wahibre Psamtik I ( Ancient Egyptian: ) was the first pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt, the Saite period, ruling from the city of Sais in the Nile delta between 664–610 BC. He was installed by Ashurbanipal of the Neo-Assyrian Empir ...
would forcibly reunite Egypt in March 656 BC under his rule and compel the ''God's Wife of Amun'' serving at the time, Shepenupet II, daughter of
Piye
Piye (once transliterated as Pankhy or Piankhi; d. 714 BC) was an ancient Kushite king and founder of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled Egypt from 744–714 BC. He ruled from the city of Napata, located deep in Nubia, modern-day Sudan. ...
, to adopt ''his'' daughter Nitocris as her chosen successor to this position.
The office continued in existence until 525 BC under Nitocris' successor,
Ankhnesneferibre
Ankhnesneferibre was an ancient Egyptian princess and priestess during the 26th Dynasty, daughter of pharaoh Psamtik II and his queen Takhuit. She held the positions of Divine Adoratrice of Amun and later God's Wife of Amun between 595 and 525 ...
, when the
Persian Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...
overthrew Egypt's last Saite ruler,
Psamtik III
Psamtik III ( Ancient Egyptian: , pronounced ), known by the Graeco-Romans as Psammetichus or Psammeticus (Ancient Greek: ), or Psammenitus (Ancient Greek: ), was the last Pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt from 526 BC to 525 BC. Most of ...
(526–525 BC), and enslaved his daughter. Thereafter, the powerful office of ''God's Wife of Amun'' disappears from history.
Royal women holding the office of ''God's Wife of Amun''
''Holders of the office from the tenth through the twelfth dynasties are not noted on this list because they were not women from the royal line''.
*
Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I ( egy, jꜥḥ- ḥtp (.w), alternatively Anglicized ''Ahhotpe'' or ''Aahhotep'', " Iah (the Moon) is satisfied") was an ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560–1530 BC, during the end of the Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was ...
– wife of Seqenenre Tao II and mother of Ahmose, the title God’s Wife only appears on her coffin, first to hold this title
*
Ahmose Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari (Ancient Egyptian: '' Jꜥḥ ms Nfr trj'') was the first Great Royal Wife of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and wife to Ahmose I. Her son Amenhotep I b ...
– daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and sister-wife of Ahmose – first royal woman known to hold the office
*
Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose, sometimes appearing as simply Sitkamose was a princess during the late 17th-early 18th Dynasties of Egypt.
Biography
She was the only child of Kamose and as a result his heir presumptive to her father. She married prince A ...
– probably a daughter of Kamose, may have become God's Wife only posthumously
*
Ahmose-Meritamon
Ahmose-Meritamun (or Ahmose-Meritamon) was a Queen of Egypt during the early Eighteenth Dynasty. She was both the older sister and the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep I. She died fairly young and was buried in tomb TT358 in Deir el-Bahari.
Biograph ...
– daughter of Ahmose and sister-wife of Amenhotep I
*
(Ahmose-)Sitamun – daughter of Ahmose, represented as a colossal statue in front of the eight pylon at
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construct ...
*
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut (; also Hatchepsut; Egyptian: '' ḥꜣt- špswt'' "Foremost of Noble Ladies"; or Hatasu c. 1507–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the second historically confirmed female pharaoh, af ...
– daughter of Tuthmosis I and Queen Ahmose, given title of ''
Divine Adoratrice of Amun
The Divine Adoratrice of Amun ( Egyptian: '' dwꜣt nṯr n jmn'') was a second title – after God's Wife of Amun – created for the chief priestess of the ancient Egyptian deity Amun. During the first millennium BCE, when the holder of this ...
'' also, became pharaoh
*
Neferure
Neferure (or Neferura) was an Egyptian princess of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the daughter of two pharaohs, Hatshepsut and Thutmose II. She served in high offices in the government and the religious administration of Ancient Egy ...
– daughter of Tuthmosis II and Queen-Pharaoh Hatshepsut, possibly first royal wife of Tuthmosis III
*
Iset – mother of Tuthmosis III, received the title of God's Wife after her death
*
Satiah
Satiah (also, Sitiah, Sitioh; “Daughter of the Moon”) was an ancient Egyptian queen, the Great Royal Wife of Thutmose III.
Family
Satiah was the daughter of the royal nurse Ipu. It is possible that her father was the important official Ahmos ...
– next wife of Tuthmosis III in the early part of his reign
*
Merytre-Hatshepsut
Queen Merytre-Hatshepsut (or sometimes Hatshepsut-Meryet-Ra) became the principal wife of Pharaoh Thutmose III after the death of Satiah. She was also the daughter of Adoratrix Huy and the mother of Amenhotep II.
Family
Merytre-Hatshepsut was of ...
– next wife of Tuthmosis III, mother of his heir, she was the daughter of the ''Divine Adoratrice of Amun''
Hui
The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the n ...
*
Meritamen
Meritamen (also spelled ''Meritamun, Merytamen, Merytamun, Meryt-Amen''; ancient Egyptian: ''Beloved of Amun'') was a daughter and later Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great.
Family
Meritamen was a daughter of Ramesses and one ...
– daughter of Tuthmosis III and Merytre-Hatshepsut
*
Tiaa
The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA, formerly TIAA-CREF), is a Fortune 100 financial services organization that is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, ...
– wife of Amenhotep II and mother of Tuthmosis IV
(hiatus – when the title was not used, due to political and religious changes that occurred and reverted again)
*
Sitre – wife of Ramesses I, mother of Seti I, use of the title resumes after hiatus imposed by
Amenhotep II
Amenhotep II (sometimes called ''Amenophis II'' and meaning ''Amun is Satisfied'') was the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few militar ...
*
(Mut-)Tuy – wife of Seti I and mother of Ramesses II
*
Nefertari-Meritmut – wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari was de facto God's Wife based on epithets in her royal tomb, on scarabs, on a fragment of a statue from
Dendara
Dendera ( ar, دَنْدَرة ''Dandarah''; grc, Τεντυρις or Τεντυρα; Bohairic cop, ⲛⲓⲧⲉⲛⲧⲱⲣⲓ, translit=Nitentōri; Sahidic cop, ⲛⲓⲧⲛⲧⲱⲣⲉ, translit=Nitntōre), also spelled ''Denderah'', ancient ...
(PM V, 115), her insignia, and the designation of the royal couple as incarnations on earth of the divine couple
Amun
Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...
(-
Rê
Ra (; egy, wikt:rꜥ, rꜥ; also transliterated ; cuneiform: ''ri-a'' or ''ri-ia''; Phoenician language, Phoenician: 𐤓𐤏,Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum, CIS I 3778 romanized: rʿ) or Re (; cop, ⲣⲏ, translit=Rē) was the ancient ...
) and
Mut
Mut, also known as Maut and Mout, was a mother goddess worshipped in ancient Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush in present-day North Sudan. In Meroitic, her name was pronounced mata): 𐦨𐦴. Her name means ''mother'' in the ancient Egyptian l ...
(-
Hathor
Hathor ( egy, ḥwt-ḥr, lit=House of Horus, grc, Ἁθώρ , cop, ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ, Meroitic: ) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky ...
); K. A. Kitchen mentions she is attested twice as God's wife in her tomb
QV66
QV66 is the tomb of Nefertari, the Great Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, in Egypt's Valley of the Queens. It was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli (the director of the Museo Egizio, Egyptian Museum in Turin) in 1904. It is called the Sistine Chapel ...
*
Twosret
Twosret, also spelled ''Tawosret'' or ''Tausret'' (d. 1189 BC conventional chronology) was the last known ruler and the final pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
She is recorded in Manetho's Epitome as a certain ''Thuoris, who in Home ...
– wife of Seti II,
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
for Siptah
*
Iset Ta-Hemdjert
Iset Ta-Hemdjert or Isis Ta-Hemdjert, simply called Isis in her tomb, was an ancient Egyptian queen of the Twentieth Dynasty; the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses III and the Royal Mother of Ramesses VI., pp.186-187
She was probably of Asian ori ...
– wife of Ramesses III
*
Tyti
Tyti was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 20th Dynasty. A wife and sister of Ramesses III and possibly the mother of Ramesses IV.
Place of Tyti in the 20th Dynasty
It was once uncertain which pharaoh was her husband, but he can now be identifie ...
– the wife (and daughter) of
Ramesses III
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. He is thought to have reigned from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC and is considered to be the last great monar ...
*
(Dua)Tentopet – wife of Ramesses IV, she was a ''Divine Adoratrice of Amun''
*
Aset – daughter of
Ramesses VI
Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses, also known under his princely name of Amenherkhepshef C) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for about eight years in the mid-to-late 12th century ...
, also given title of ''Divine Adoratrice of Amun'', stipulation established by Ramesses for the holder of the God's Wife title to remain a virgin and facilitate the transfer of power by adopting the daughter of the next pharaoh
*
Maatkare (prenomen: ''Mutmhat)'' – daughter of Pinudjem I and Henuttawy Q
*
Henuttawy
Henuttawy (or Henttawy, Henuttaui) (''ḥnw.t-t3.wỉ'', “Mistress of the Two Lands Egypt, from ''ḥnw.t'', 'mistress' and ''t3.wỉ'', dual for ''t3'', 'land') is the name of several royal ladies from Ancient Egypt.
* Henuttawy (19th dynast ...
– daughter of Isetemkheb IV and Pinudjem II
*
Karomama Meritmut
Karomama Meritmut (prenomen: ''Sitamun Mutemhat'') was an ancient Egyptian high priestess, a God's Wife of Amun during the 22nd Dynasty., p.219
She is possibly identical with Karomama, a daughter of Pharaoh Osorkon II, who was depicted in the ...
(prenomen: ''Sitamen Mutmhat)'' – possibly a daughter of Osorkon II
* (?)
Tashakheper – daughter of Osorkon II, may be the God’s Wife mentioned during the reign of Takelot III
*
Shepenwepet I
Shepenupet I or Shapenewpet I was God's Wife of Amun during the Twenty-third Dynasty of Egypt., p.231
Biography
She was the first “hereditary” God's Wife or Divine Adoratrice of Amun to wield political power in ancient Thebes and its surround ...
(prenomen: ''Khnemet-ib-amun)'' – daughter of Osorkon III and Karoatjet, served as God’s Wife of Amun from the beginning of her father’s reign, and adopted Amenirdis I
*
Amenirdis I
Amenirdis I (throne name: ''Hatneferumut'') was a God's Wife of Amun during the 25th Dynasty of ancient Egypt., p.238 Originating from the Kingdom of Kush, she was the daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma, and was later adopted by Shepenu ...
(prenomen: ''Khaneferumut)'' – daughter of Kashta, served through the reigns of Shabaka and Shabataka
*
Shepenwepet II
Shepenupet II (alt. Shepenwepet II, prenomen: ''Henutneferumut Irietre'') was an ancient Egyptian princess of the 25th Dynasty who served as the high priestess, the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, from around 700 BC to 650 BC. She was the daughter of ...
(prenomen: ''Henut-neferumut-iryetre)'' – daughter of Piye, served as God’s Wife from the reign of Taharqa until after year 9 of Psamtik I
*
Amenirdis II
The ancient Nubian princess Amenirdis II, daughter of the Kushite pharaoh Taharqa of the 25th Dynasty, was adopted by Shepenupet II, daughter of Piye, to become Divine Adoratrice of Amun from around 650 BC to 640 BC during the 26th Dynasty. Ameni ...
– daughter of Taharqa, adopted by Shepenwepet II, may have been passed over after the death of Shepenwepet II to have the position go to Nitokris
*
Nitokris I Shepenwepet III (prenomen: ''Nebetneferumut)'' – daughter of Psamtik I
*
Ankhnesneferibre
Ankhnesneferibre was an ancient Egyptian princess and priestess during the 26th Dynasty, daughter of pharaoh Psamtik II and his queen Takhuit. She held the positions of Divine Adoratrice of Amun and later God's Wife of Amun between 595 and 525 ...
(prenomen: ''Hekatneferumut)'' – daughter of Psamtik II, adopted by Nitokris I, became God’s Wife of Amun in year 4 of the reign of her brother Wahibre
See also
*
Divine Adoratrice of Amun
The Divine Adoratrice of Amun ( Egyptian: '' dwꜣt nṯr n jmn'') was a second title – after God's Wife of Amun – created for the chief priestess of the ancient Egyptian deity Amun. During the first millennium BCE, when the holder of this ...
References
Footnotes
Sources
*
*Cameron, Averil; Kuhrt, Amélie. ''Images of Women in Antiquity'', 1993, Routledge,
*Kuhrt, Amelie. ''The Ancient Middle East'' – Vol. II, 1995, Routledge, London.
*Robins, Gay. ''Women In Ancient Egypt'', 1993, British Museum Press, London.
*Strudwick, N & H. ''Thebes In Egypt'', 1999, British Museum Press, London.
*Watterson, Barbara, ''Women In Ancient Egypt'', 1994, Sutton Publishing, Stroud.
*
External links
The Adoption stela of Nitocris: daughter of Psamtik Iby Anneke Bart
{{Ancient Egyptian royal titulary
Amun
.
Ancient Egyptian titles