Iah (also Yah, Jah or Aah = "
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
"
[) was a king's mother and queen of ancient Egypt c. 2060 BC, during the mid 11th Dynasty (2134–1991 BC). Daughter of a pharaoh, possibly ]Intef II
Wahankh Intef II (also Inyotef II and Antef II) was the third ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt during the First Intermediate Period. He reigned for almost fifty years from 2112 BC to 2063 BC. His capital was located at Thebes. In his time, ...
, and mother of pharaoh Mentuhotep II
Mentuhotep II ( egy, Mn- ṯw-ḥtp, meaning " Mentu is satisfied"), also known under his prenomen Nebhepetre ( egy, Nb- ḥpt- Rˁ, meaning "The Lord of the rudder is Ra"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the sixth ruler of the Eleventh Dyn ...
, she was the queen of Intef III
Intef III was the third pharaoh of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt during the late First Intermediate Period in the 21st century BC, at a time when Egypt was divided in two kingdoms. The son of his predecessor Intef II and father of his successor M ...
.
Biography
Little is known for certain about the origin and life of Iah. She bore the title of ''king's daughter'' (''S3t-nswt''),[Joyce Tyldesley, ''Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt'', Thames & Hudson. 2006, pp. 66-68. ] which indicates that she was the daughter of pharaoh, possibly Intef II
Wahankh Intef II (also Inyotef II and Antef II) was the third ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt during the First Intermediate Period. He reigned for almost fifty years from 2112 BC to 2063 BC. His capital was located at Thebes. In his time, ...
, but this remains conjectural. Her name is a reference to Iah
Iah ( Egyptian: ''jꜥḥ'', Coptic ) is a lunar deity in ancient Egyptian religion. The word ''jꜥḥ'' simply means "Moon". It is also transcribed as ''Yah'', ''Jah'', or ''Aah''.
Worship
By the New Kingdom (16th century to 11th century ...
, an Egyptian Moon god.
Iah was married to pharaoh Intef III
Intef III was the third pharaoh of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt during the late First Intermediate Period in the 21st century BC, at a time when Egypt was divided in two kingdoms. The son of his predecessor Intef II and father of his successor M ...
, although the important title ''king's wife'' is not attested for her. Their children were:
*Pharaoh Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II
Mentuhotep II ( egy, Mn- ṯw-ḥtp, meaning " Mentu is satisfied"), also known under his prenomen Nebhepetre ( egy, Nb- ḥpt- Rˁ, meaning "The Lord of the rudder is Ra"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the sixth ruler of the Eleventh Dyn ...
(2046 BC – 1995 BC)
*Queen Neferu II
Neferu II was the wife and sister of the ancient Egyptian king Mentuhotep II who ruled in the 11th Dynasty, around 2000 BC.
Neferu is mainly known from her tomb ( TT319) at Deir el-Bahari. The tomb was found badly destroyed but the decorated b ...
Mentuhotep III
Sankhkare Mentuhotep III (also Montuhotep III) of the Eleventh Dynasty was Pharaoh of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom. He was assigned a reign of 12 years in the Turin Canon.
Reign
Mentuhotep III succeeded his father Mentuhotep II to t ...
.
Iah appears on a rock relief
A rock relief or rock-cut relief is a relief sculpture carved on solid or "living rock" such as a cliff, rather than a detached piece of stone. They are a category of rock art, and sometimes found as part of, or in conjunction with, ro ...
in the Shatt er-Rigal Shatt may refer to:
*the Shatt people
*the Shatt language
*the Shatt al-Arab river, which empties into the Persian Gulf
* Chott
{{disambig ...
where she is shown standing behind Mentuhotep II. In front of both of them are depicted the '' beloved god's father, son of Ra, Intef'' and the royal sealer and treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance.
Government
The treasury o ...
Kheti Kheti or Khety was an Ancient Egyptian name, borne by pharaohs and other nobility.
The name may refer to:
Pharaohs of the 9th or 10th Dynasty
* Meryibre Khety, a pharaoh of the First Intermediate Period
* Nebkaure Khety, a pharaoh of the First Int ...
. She also appears in the tomb TT319
The Theban Tomb TT319 is located in Deir el-Bahari, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. The tomb belongs to the ''king's wife'' Neferu II, wife of the ancient Egyptian king Mentuhotep II (around 200 ...
of her daughter Neferu II
Neferu II was the wife and sister of the ancient Egyptian king Mentuhotep II who ruled in the 11th Dynasty, around 2000 BC.
Neferu is mainly known from her tomb ( TT319) at Deir el-Bahari. The tomb was found badly destroyed but the decorated b ...
. She is named on relief fragments of Neferu's tomb and on model coffins, where it is written: "Neferu, born of Iah".[William C. Hayes: ''The Scepter of Egypt I'', New York 1953, , p. 160, 327]
Titles
*Beloved King’s Mother (''mwt-nswt mryt-f'')Priestess of Hathor Priestess of Hathor or Prophetess of Hathor was the title of the Priestess of the goddess Hathor in the Temple of Dendera in Ancient Egypt.
Title
The title is known to be given during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, and was at that point very powerful ...
(''ḥmt-nṯr-ḥwt-ḥr'')
References
{{Queens of Ancient Egypt
Queens consort of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt
Rock reliefs in Egypt