Isetnofret

For the given name, see Isetnofret (given name).
Isetnofret
Queen consort of Egypt
Great Royal Wife

Upper Register: King Ramesses II, Isetnofret and Khaemwaset before Khnum
Burial Thebes ?
Spouse Ramesses II
Issue Ramesses
Bintanath
Khaemwaset
Merenptah
Isetnofret ?
Egyptian name
st t
H8
nfr r&t
Dynasty 19th of Egypt
Religion Ancient Egyptian religion

Isetnofret (or Isis-nofret or Isitnofret) (Ancient Egyptian: "the beautiful Isis") was one of the Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Ramesses II and was the mother of his heir, Merneptah. She was one of the most prominent of the royal wives, along with Nefertari, and was the chief queen after Nefertari's death (around the 24th year of the pharaoh's reign).

Family

The parents of Isetnofret are not known. She must have married Ramesses II even before he came to the throne as her eldest children already appear in scenes from the time of Seti I. She had at least three sons and one daughter. Her children include:

Prince Sethi and Princess Nebettawy have been suggested as further children of Isetnofret, but they are more likely to be the children of Nefertari (or even some other mother).[4]

Titles

Queen Isetnofret's titles include: Hereditary Princess (iryt-p`t),Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt), King’s Mother (mwt-niswt), Mistress of the entire Two Lands (hnwt-t3wy-tm), King’s Wife (hmt-nisw), Great King’s Wife (hmt-niswt-wrt)

Life

Isetnofret is known from several inscriptions and small statues. She is not well attested before year 25 of Ramesses II. Most of the items and scenes mentioning Queen Isetnofret seem to be associated with her sons Ramesses, Khaemwaset and Merenptah.[5]

A daughter of her son Khaemwaset (sometimes called Isetnofret III) was named after her. It is possible that this Isetnofret was Merenptah's wife, not her aunt Isetnofret II.[3] A possible daughter of Merneptah also bears this name.[8]

Notes

  1. Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004), p.173
  2. 1 2 Dodson & Hilton, p.170
  3. 1 2 Dodson & Hilton, p.171
  4. Dodson & Hilton, p.167
  5. Queen Isetnofret
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kitchen, K.A., Rammeside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations, Volume II, Blackwell Publishers, 1996.
  7. 1 2 Porter and Moss Topographical Bibliography; Volume V Upper Egypt Griffith Institute
  8. Dodson & Hilton, p.182

Sources

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