Nitocris I (alt. Nitiqret, Nitokris I) (died 585 BC) served as the heir to, and then, as the Divine Adoratrice of Amun or God's Wife of Amun for a period of more than seventy years, between 655 BC and 585 BC.[2]
Nitocris I
Nitokris I, Nitiqret I
Relief of the Divine Adoratice Nitocris I from her Karnak chapel
She was the daughter of the 26th Dynasty pharaoh, Psamtik I, by his queen Mehytenweskhet. Early in his reign, in March 656 BC, Psamtik I dispatched a powerful naval fleet to Thebes and compelled the then serving God's Wife of Amun, Shepenupet II, a daughter of Piye, to adopt Nitocris as her heir to this powerful office. The ceremony of the adoption and elevation of Nitocris I is commemorated in the well known Adoption Stela. It is not known at what date she assumed the office of Divine Adoratrice of Amun, but she served in this position until Year 4 of Apries in 585 BC. Prior to her career in this office, the Assyrians had invaded Egypt in 671 BC, sacked Thebes, and robbed its temples of their many treasures. The reunification of Egypt by her father was facilitated by her rise.
When she was in her eighties, she adopted her great-niece Ankhnesneferibre,[3] the daughter of Psamtik II, continuing the succession in her family line.
During her tenure, she was attested by several building works around Karnak, Luxor, and Abydos.[2] She was buried in the grounds of Medinet Habu,[4] in a tomb chapel that "she shared with her natural mother and adoptive grandmother."[2] Her sarcophagus was reused in a Ptolemaic tomb at Deir el-Medina, and today, is located in the Cairo Museum.[2]
The Adoption Stela
Nitocris adoption stela, shortly after discovery in Karnak in 1897
A stela often referred to as the "Adoption Stela", was unearthed in 1897 by Georges Legrain at Karnak and moved to the Cairo Museum. It is made from red granite and measures roughly 6 ft (1.8 m) in height and 4.5 ft (1.4 m) in width.[5]
The beginning of the inscription is lost, but the remainder continues with an inscription relating that Pharaoh Psamtik I is reporting to the court his intention to give his daughter to Amun to be a God's Wife. Psamtik acknowledged that the current God's Wife, Shepenupet II, daughter of pharaoh Piye of the 25th Dynasty, already had an heir in Taharqa's daughter Amenirdis II, who was officiating as Divine Adoratrice of Amun. Psamtik intended to compel Shepenupet to adopt Nitocris as her heir, thus supplanting Amenirdis II in the succession.[6]
The court praised the pharaoh's decision and, in his regnal “year 9, first month of the first season, day 28” (a date identified with March 2, 656 BC)[7] Nitocris departed from Sais to Thebes on a royal flotilla led by the admiral and nomarch of Herakleopolis Magna, Sematawytefnakht.[8]
After sixteen days the flotilla reached Thebes, whose population acclaimed the arrival of the princess. Both Shepenupet II and Amenirdis II met Nitocris. She was adopted formally and both agreed to convey their properties to her (and, indirectly, to Psamtik I).[9]
Then the stela reports a very detailed list with all the daily donations (mainly food) to Nitocris from several officials such as the mayor of Thebes, Mentuemhat, and his family, from the priesthood of Amun that at this time was led by the High Priest of Amun, Harkhebi, as well as from the king and many temples of the whole Land.[10]
Importance
Shepenupet II and Amenirdis II were the last vestiges of the vanished 25th Dynasty, yet they held this highest position of power in the south and practically controlled the entirety of Upper Egypt. Psamtik I chose not to remove the God's Wife in charge forcefully – an action that would be unpopular – but to make her adopt his daughter as her successor, thus ensuring the future control of Upper Egypt, as well as receiving a considerable number of properties and other goods: beyond the “facade” of the adoption of Nitocris, the stela de facto reports the reunification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the aegis of Psamtik.[5][7][11]
nitocris, divine, adoratrice, other, uses, nitocris, disambiguation, nitocris, nitiqret, nitokris, died, served, heir, then, divine, adoratrice, amun, wife, amun, period, more, than, seventy, years, between, nitocris, initokris, nitiqret, irelief, divine, ador. For other uses see Nitocris disambiguation Nitocris I alt Nitiqret Nitokris I died 585 BC served as the heir to and then as the Divine Adoratrice of Amun or God s Wife of Amun for a period of more than seventy years between 655 BC and 585 BC 2 Nitocris INitokris I Nitiqret IRelief of the Divine Adoratice Nitocris Ifrom her Karnak chapelGod s Wife of AmunDivine Adoratrice of AmunReign655 585 BC 26th Dynasty PredecessorShepenupet II as God s Wife Amenirdis II as Divine Adoratrice SuccessorAnkhnesneferibreRoyal titularyFatherPsamtik IMotherMehytenweskhet CDied585 BCBurialMedinet Habu Contents 1 Biography 2 The Adoption Stela 2 1 Importance 3 Ancestry 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksBiography EditShe was the daughter of the 26th Dynasty pharaoh Psamtik I by his queen Mehytenweskhet Early in his reign in March 656 BC Psamtik I dispatched a powerful naval fleet to Thebes and compelled the then serving God s Wife of Amun Shepenupet II a daughter of Piye to adopt Nitocris as her heir to this powerful office The ceremony of the adoption and elevation of Nitocris I is commemorated in the well known Adoption Stela It is not known at what date she assumed the office of Divine Adoratrice of Amun but she served in this position until Year 4 of Apries in 585 BC Prior to her career in this office the Assyrians had invaded Egypt in 671 BC sacked Thebes and robbed its temples of their many treasures The reunification of Egypt by her father was facilitated by her rise When she was in her eighties she adopted her great niece Ankhnesneferibre 3 the daughter of Psamtik II continuing the succession in her family line During her tenure she was attested by several building works around Karnak Luxor and Abydos 2 She was buried in the grounds of Medinet Habu 4 in a tomb chapel that she shared with her natural mother and adoptive grandmother 2 Her sarcophagus was reused in a Ptolemaic tomb at Deir el Medina and today is located in the Cairo Museum 2 The Adoption Stela Edit Nitocris adoption stela shortly after discovery in Karnak in 1897 A stela often referred to as the Adoption Stela was unearthed in 1897 by Georges Legrain at Karnak and moved to the Cairo Museum It is made from red granite and measures roughly 6 ft 1 8 m in height and 4 5 ft 1 4 m in width 5 The beginning of the inscription is lost but the remainder continues with an inscription relating that Pharaoh Psamtik I is reporting to the court his intention to give his daughter to Amun to be a God s Wife Psamtik acknowledged that the current God s Wife Shepenupet II daughter of pharaoh Piye of the 25th Dynasty already had an heir in Taharqa s daughter Amenirdis II who was officiating as Divine Adoratrice of Amun Psamtik intended to compel Shepenupet to adopt Nitocris as her heir thus supplanting Amenirdis II in the succession 6 The court praised the pharaoh s decision and in his regnal year 9 first month of the first season day 28 a date identified with March 2 656 BC 7 Nitocris departed from Sais to Thebes on a royal flotilla led by the admiral and nomarch of Herakleopolis Magna Sematawytefnakht 8 After sixteen days the flotilla reached Thebes whose population acclaimed the arrival of the princess Both Shepenupet II and Amenirdis II met Nitocris She was adopted formally and both agreed to convey their properties to her and indirectly to Psamtik I 9 Then the stela reports a very detailed list with all the daily donations mainly food to Nitocris from several officials such as the mayor of Thebes Mentuemhat and his family from the priesthood of Amun that at this time was led by the High Priest of Amun Harkhebi as well as from the king and many temples of the whole Land 10 Importance Edit Shepenupet II and Amenirdis II were the last vestiges of the vanished 25th Dynasty yet they held this highest position of power in the south and practically controlled the entirety of Upper Egypt Psamtik I chose not to remove the God s Wife in charge forcefully an action that would be unpopular but to make her adopt his daughter as her successor thus ensuring the future control of Upper Egypt as well as receiving a considerable number of properties and other goods beyond the facade of the adoption of Nitocris the stela de facto reports the reunification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the aegis of Psamtik 5 7 11 Ancestry EditAncestors of Nitocris I Divine Adoratrice 8 King Tefnakht II of Sais4 King Necho I of Sais2 Pharaoh Psamtik I5 Queen Istemabet1 Nitocris I6 Harsiese High Priest of Ra3 Queen MehytenweskhetReferences Edit a b c von Beckerath Jurgen 1999 Handbuch der Agyptischen Konigsnamen in German Mainz am Rhein Von Zabern ISBN 3 8053 2591 6 pp 218 19 a b c d Aidan Dodson amp Dyan Hilton The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt Thames amp Hudson 2004 p 247 I E S Edwards John Boardman John B Bury S A Cook The Cambridge Ancient History p 733 Pascal Vernus Jean Yoyotte The Book of the Pharaohs Cornell University Press 2003 p 1 a b Breasted James Henry 1906 Ancient records of Egypt vol IV Chicago The University of Chicago Press 935 937 Breasted 942 a b Wilkinson Toby 2011 The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt New York Random House p 560 ISBN 9780747599494 p 438 439 Breasted 943 944 Breasted 945 946 Breasted 947 ff Grimal Nicolas 1992 A History of Ancient Egypt Oxford Blackwell Books ISBN 9780631174721 p 354Further reading EditCaminos Ricardo A 1964 The Nitocris Adoption Stela Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 50 71 101 doi 10 1177 030751336405000109 S2CID 192251731 Khalil Noha 1981 Enquete sur la divine adoratrice Nitocris PhD dissertation External links EditNitocris I at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Data from Wikidata The adoption stela of NitocrisPreceded byShepenupet II God s Wife of Amun655 585 BC Succeeded byAnkhnesneferibrePreceded byAmenirdis II Divine Adoratrice of Amun656 586 BC Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nitocris I Divine Adoratrice amp oldid 1073061175, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
