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The
title of
Divine Wives of Amun
or Divine Adoratrice of Amun
goes back to times of Dynasty XVIII and was assumed by women holding high
offices at royal court. They might have been royal mothers, wives or daughters.
It seems that the title was hereditary and used to be passed from mother to
daughter. For instance the Divine Wife of
Amun was queen
Hatshepsut, and then her daughter Neferure. In this and
many other instances it was just title of honour. First Queen to be given
the title was Ahmes-Nefertari, consort of Ahmose. However, in Late Period it
might have been be used by Egyptian and Kushite rulers for political purposes.
Those rulers used to appoint to this office their daughters or sister and thus
secured their influences in Tebaida. Shapenewpet I started famous line of
Divine Adoratrises of Amun
in Thebes. Their power on this territory equaled the royal power. The very
Divine Adoratrises
used to write their own names in royal cartouches and assume throne names
at the moment of taking office. Sometimes, like Nitokris I, they adopted even
Horus name. |
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