Amenirdis I

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. Kashta arranged to have Amenirdis I adopted by the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, Shepenupet I, at Thebes as her successor. This shows that Kashta already controlled Upper Egypt prior to the reign of Piye, his successor.

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. She also held the priestly titles of Divine Adoratrice of Amun and God's Hand. Upon her death, she was buried in a tomb in the grounds of Medinet Habu.

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. 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.

References

References

1. von Beckerath, Jürgen. (1999). "Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen". Von Zabern.
2. Kawai, Nozomu. (1998). "Royal Tombs of the Third Intermediate and Late Periods". Orient.
3. {{dodson, p.238
4. Shaw, Ian. (2003). "The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt". Oxford University Press.
5. Peden, Alexander J.. (2001). "The Graffiti of Pharaonic Egypt: Scope and Roles of Informal Writings (c. 3100–332 B.C.)". Brill Academic Publishers.
6. Török, László. (1997). "The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization". Brill.
7. Bart, Anneke. "Ancient Egypt". Saint Louis University.
8. "Statue of "The Divine Adoratrice of Amun" Amenirdis I". UNESCO.