Museum Pieces - Sphinx of Shepenupet II

Photocredit: Jürgen Liepe

Sphinx of Shepenupet, "God's Wife of Amun"
Statue
25th Dynasty (Kushite)
Karnak (Tempel)
Granit
46 x 25 x 83 cm
120 kg
Ident.Nr. ÄM 7972


Shepenupet II (alt. Shepenwepet II, prenomen: Henutneferumut Irietre) was an Ancient Egyptian princess of the Twenty-fifth dynasty and the Divine Adoratrice of Amun from around 700 BC to 650 BC. She was the daughter of the first Kushite pharaoh Piye, and sister of Piye's successors Taharqa and Shabaka. She was adopted by her predecessor in office, Amenirdis I, a sister of Piye. Shepenupet was God's Wife from the beginning of Taharqa's reign until Year 9 of Pharaoh Psamtik I. While in office she had to come to a power sharing arrangement with the mayor of Thebes, Montuemhet.

Her niece Amenirdis, the daughter of Taharqa, was appointed as her heiress. Shepenupet was compelled to adopt Nitocris, daughter of pharaoh Psamtik I who reunited Egypt after the Assyrian conquest. This is evidenced by the so-called Adoption Stela of Nitocris. In 656 BC, in Year 9 of the reign of Psamtik I, she received Nitocris at Thebes.

Her tomb is located in the grounds of Medinet Habu. She was succeeded by Amenirdis II who was succeeded by Nitocris I.


Sources: Ägyptisches Museum, wikipedia.org