Nubemhat

Last updated
Nubemhat
Queen consort of Egypt
Great Royal Wife
Spouse Sobekemsaf I
Issue Sobekemheb (King's Daughter)
Names
Nubemhat
Dynasty 13th Dynasty (late)
17th Dynasty (early)
Second Intermediate Period
Religion Ancient Egyptian religion
Nubemhat
Nubemhat
Nubemhat
NubemhatNubemhat
Nubemhat

nbw-m-ḥ3t [1]
Nubemhat
in hieroglyphs

Nubemhat was an ancient Egyptian queen of the Second Intermediate Period.

Contents

Biography

Nubemhat (nbw-m-ḥ3t, Gold is at the front, Gold is a name for Hathor [2] ) was the wife of king Sekhemre Wadjkhaw Sobekemsaf I. She had the title ḥm.t-nswt-wr.t (Great Royal Wife). [1] [3] Sobemeksaf I and Nubemhat may date to the transition of late 13th Dynasty and early 17th Dynasty, a period of turmoil and several rulers competing for power.

Marriage

Nubemhat held the title "Great King's Wife", meaning she was the primary wife of Sobekemsaf I and her children of the first rank would inherit the throne. Sobekemsaf I may have had several wives, the others only holding the title "King's Wife". We do not know if she had a son (royal heir) and if he managed reach adulthood and became a king.

Children

A stela attest to her daughter, King's Daughter Sobekemheb. We learn that she married "King's Son" Ameny, born of King's Wife Haankhes (secondary wife). It is unclear if Haankhes also was a wife of Sobekemsaf I or not, making this a marriage between half-siblings or if she was married to another king. Sobekemsaf I reigned at least into his Year 7 (highest attestation), indicating that his daughter must have been born before he became king if she was of age when married. The son-in-law Ameny may perhaps been a few years older, but do not hold any additional titles indicating he held high offices. The couple may have married quite young.

Attestation

Nubemhat is known from only two monuments.

  1. At Denderah, two fragments of a stela mentions Sekhemre Wadjkhau and Nubemhat with king's daughter Sobekemheb, married to king's son Ameny, son of the queen Haankhes. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] One fragment was bought at Koptos.
  2. At Kawa (Nubia), the lower part of a statue with her name and title. [9] [10] [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Grajetzki, Wolfram. Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary. London: Golden House Publications. ISBN   0-9547218-9-6 (2005) p.43
  2. Persönennamen, pp.10–191
  3. "Person Queen Nbw-m-ḥꜣt | Persons and Names of the Middle Kingdom and early New Kingdom". pnm.uni-mainz.de. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  4. Moscow I.1.b.32 + London, University College London 14326
  5. S. Hodjash, O. Berlev: Egyptian Reliefs and Stelae in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Leningrad 1982, p. 86-93, no. 41
  6. Denderah on Digital Egypt (with translation of the stela)
  7. Wolfram Grajetzki: Ancient Egyptian Queens, London 2005, p. 42 ISBN   0-9547218-9-6
  8. "Moscow I, 1б 32 + UC 14326 | Persons and Names of the Middle Kingdom and early New Kingdom". pnm.uni-mainz.de. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  9. Bruxelles E.6985
  10. "Bruxelles E.6985 | Persons and Names of the Middle Kingdom and early New Kingdom". pnm.uni-mainz.de. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  11. "Carmentis - Online museum catalogue of the RMAH - Back pillar with inscription of Nubemhet". carmentis.kmkg-mrah.be. Retrieved 2025-08-30.