Shepenupet II

Shepenupet II
God's Wife of Amun

Head of Shepenupet II from National Museum, Alexandria, Egypt
Full name Shepenupet II
Titles Divine Adoratrice of Amun
Place of death Thebes
Buried Medinet Habu
Dynasty 26th Dynasty of Egypt
Father Piye
Mother unknown
Children none
Religious beliefs Ancient Egyptian religion
Shepenupet
in hieroglyphs

Shepenupet II (alt. Shepenwepet II, prenomen: Henutneferumut Irietre) was an Ancient Egyptian princess of the Twenty-fifth dynasty and the Divine Adoratrice of Amun from around 700 BC to 650 BC. She was the daughter of the first Kushite pharaoh Piye,[1] and sister of Piye's successors Taharqa and Shabaka. She was adopted by her predecessor in office, Amenirdis I, a sister of Piye. Shepenupet was God's Wife from the beginning of Taharqa's reign until Year 9 of Pharaoh Psamtik I. While in office she had to come to a power sharing arrangement with the mayor of Thebes, Montuemhet.[2]

Her niece Amenirdis, the daughter of Taharqa, was appointed as her heiress.[2] Shepenupet was compelled to adopt Nitocris, daughter of pharaoh Psamtik I who reunited Egypt after the Assyrian conquest. This is evidenced by the so-called Adoption Stela of Nitocris. In 656 BC, in Year 9 of the reign of Psamtik I, she received Nitocris at Thebes.[3][4]

Her tomb is located in the grounds of Medinet Habu.[5] She was succeeded by Amenirdis II who was succeeded by Nitocris I.

Images

References

  1. ^ John Boardman ed., The Cambridge Ancient History Vol.III, Cambridge University Press 1982, ISBN 0521242894, p.136
  2. ^ a b Michael Rice, Who's Who in Ancient Egypt, Routledge 2001, p.189
  3. ^ J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four: "The Adoption Stela of Nitocris" §§ 945
  4. ^ Sergio Donadoni, The Egyptians, University of Chicago Press 1997, ISBN 0226155560 p.141
  5. ^ Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004) ISBN 0-500-05128-3, p.240
Preceded by
Amenirdis I		 God's Wife of Amun Succeeded by
Nitocris I
Preceded by
Amenirdis I		 Divine Adoratrice of Amun
700–650 BCE		 Succeeded by
Amenirdis II