Amenirdis I

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Amenirdis I
Divine Adoratrice of Amun
God's Wife of Amun
Ch Am I Med Habou 082005.jpg
Amenirdis in Medinet Habu
Tenure714–700 BCE
Predecessor Shepenupet I
Successor Shepenupet II
Praenomen
Amenirdis I
Amenirdis IAmenirdis IAmenirdis IAmenirdis IAmenirdis IAmenirdis I
Amenirdis I

Hatneferumut
Ḥˁt-nfrw-Mwt
[1]
Nomen
Amenirdis I
Amenirdis IAmenirdis I
Amenirdis I
Amenirdis IAmenirdis IAmenirdis I
Amenirdis I

Amenirdis (Meritmut)
Jmn-'jr-dj-sj (mrjt-Mwt)
[1]
Amenirdis, (beloved of Mut)
Dynasty 25th Dynasty
Burial Medinet Habu [2]
Father Kashta
Mother Pebatjma

Amenirdis I (throne name: Hatneferumut) was a God's Wife of Amun during the 25th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. [3] Originating from the Kingdom of Kush, she was the daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma, and was later adopted by Shepenupet I. She went on to rule as high priestess, and has been shown in several artifacts from the period.

Contents

Biography

She was a Kushite princess, the daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma. She is likely to have been the sister of pharaohs Shabaka and Piye. [3] [4] Kashta arranged to have Amenirdis I adopted by the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, Shepenupet I, at Thebes as her successor. [5] This shows that Kashta already controlled Upper Egypt prior to the reign of Piye, his successor. [6]

She ruled as high priestess approximately between 714 and 700 BCE, under the reigns of Shabaka and Shabataka, and she adopted Piye's daughter Shepenupet II as her successor. [3] She also held the priestly titles of Divine Adoratrice of Amun and God's Hand. [7] Upon her death, she was buried in a tomb in the grounds of Medinet Habu. [3]

She is depicted in the Osiris-Hekadjet ("Osiris, Ruler of Eternity") temple in the Karnak temple complex, and in Wadi Gasus, along with Shepenupet I. She is mentioned on two offering tables, five statues, a stela and several small objects including scarabs. [3] A statue of Amenirdis I carved from granitoid and decorated in gold leaf is held by the Nubian Museum in Aswan, Upper Egypt. The statue itself shows her decorated in the Egyptian style, with similarities to depictions of Isis and Hathor. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 von Beckerath, Jürgen (1999). Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen (in German). Mainz am Rhein: Von Zabern. pp. 210–11. ISBN   3-8053-2591-6.
  2. Kawai, Nozomu (1998). "Royal Tombs of the Third Intermediate and Late Periods". Orient. 33: 33–45. doi: 10.5356/orient1960.33.33 . ISSN   1884-1392.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dodson, Aidan; Hilton, Dyan (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN   0-500-05128-3., p.238
  4. Shaw, Ian (2003). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt . Oxford University Press. p.  347. ISBN   978-0-19-280458-7.
  5. Peden, Alexander J. (2001). The Graffiti of Pharaonic Egypt: Scope and Roles of Informal Writings (c. 3100–332 B.C.) . Brill Academic Publishers. p.  276. ISBN   9789004121126.
  6. Török, László (1997). The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization. Brill. p. 149.
  7. Bart, Anneke. "Ancient Egypt". Saint Louis University. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  8. "Statue of "The Divine Adoratrice of Amun" Amenirdis I". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.

Further reading

Preceded by God's Wife of Amun Succeeded by
Preceded by Divine Adoratrice of Amun Succeeded by