God's Wife, God's Servant : the God's Wife of Amun (ca. 740-525 BC)

Mariam F. Ayad explores how five women were elevated to a position of supreme religious authority. Drawing on a variety of textual, iconographic, and archaeological evidence, and containing fifty-one black and white and colour illustrations, the volume discusses this often neglected subject, placing the women within the broader context of the politically volatile, turbulent seventh and eighth centuries BCE. 1. The Historical Setting -- God's Wife: Historical Development And Associated Titles -- God's Wife Prior To The New Kingdom -- God's Wife During The New Kingdom -- The Mythic Conception I. Atum And The Heliopolitan Creation Myth -- The Mythic Conception Ii: The King's Divine Conception -- Egypt At The End Of The New Kingdom -- Egypt During The Libyan Period -- Nubians In Egypt -- Libyan And Nubian God's Wives Of Amun -- Egypt Under Saite Rule -- Nitocris -- Ankhnesneferibre: The Last God's Wife Of Amun -- Amun, Mut, And The Throne Names Of The God's Wives -- 2. Rites And Rituals -- Entertaining The Gods -- The Sistrum, The Menat-necklace And Objects Sacred To Hathor -- Provisioning The Gods: Offerings To The Gods -- Building Houses For The Gods/dedicating Shrines -- Partnering With The King 1: Symmetrically Opposed Scenes -- Partnering With The King 2: For God, King, And Country -- Other Rites Of Royal And Divine Dominion -- Celebrating The Sed Festival -- 3. Avenues To Legitimacy -- Assumption Of The Priesthood -- God's Wife And Initiation Rites -- Avenues To Legitimacy -- Adoption, Succession To Office, And Age At Appointment -- Sexuality, Celibacy And The Sexual Role Of The God's Wife -- The End Of The God's Wife As An Institution -- The Legacy Of The God's Wives Of Amun. Mariam F. Ayad. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 183-198) And Index. Drawing on textual, iconographic and archaeological evidence, this book highlights a historically documented (but often ignored) instance, where five single women were elevated to a position of supreme religious authority. The women were Libyan and Nubian royal princesses who, consecutively, held the title of God's Wife of Amun during the Egyptian Twenty-third to Twenty-sixth dynasties (c.754-525 BCE). At a time of weakened royal authority, rulers turned to their daughters to establish and further their authority. Unmarried, the princess would be dispatched from her father's distant political

Mariam F. Ayad explores how five women were elevated to a position of supreme religious authority. Drawing on a variety of textual, iconographic, and archaeological evidence, and containing 51 black and white and colour illustrations, the volume discusses this often neglected subject, placing the women within the broader context of the politically volatile, turbulent Seventh and Eighth centuries BCE.