Shepenupet II

Shepenupet II (alt. Shepenwepet II, prenomen: Henutneferumut Irietre) was an ancient Egyptian princess of the 25th Dynasty who served as the high priestess, the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, from around 700 BC to 650 BC. She was the daughter of the first Kushite pharaoh Piye^[2] and sister of Piye's successors, Shabaka and Taharqa.

Shepenupet II
Head of Shepenupet II from Alexandria National Museum, Egypt
Divine Adoratrice of Amun God's Wife of Amun
Tenure	around 700–650 BC
Predecessor	Amenirdis I
Successor	Amenirdis II (as Divine Adoratrice) Nitocris I (as God's Wife) Royal titulary Praenomen Henutneferumut Irietre ẖnwt-nfrw-Mwt Jrt-Rˁ[1] Nomen Shepenupet šp-(n)-Wpt[1]
Burial	Medinet Habu
Dynasty	25th Dynasty
Father	Piye

Biography

Granite sphinx of Shepenupet II in the Altes Museum of Berlin

Shepenupet II was adopted by her predecessor in office, Amenirdis I, a sister of Piye. Shepenupet was God's Wife of Amun 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, Mentuemhat.^[3]

Her niece, Amenirdis, the daughter of Taharqa, was appointed as her heiress.^[3] 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.^[4][5]

Her tomb is located in the grounds of Medinet Habu.^[6] She was succeeded as Divine Adoratrice by Amenirdis II, who was succeeded by Nitocris I.

Images

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  Shepenupet II at Medinet Habu
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  Shepenupet II and Amenirdis II at Medinet Habu
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  Chapel of Shepenupet at Medinet Habu
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  Shepenupet's cartouche
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  Box with name of Shepenupet
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  Shepenupet and Amenirdis II