The Kushite princess Amenirdis I 𓅘𓎛𓋴 𓅫𓀎 was a powerful priestess at the Temple of Amun (Nesut-Towi, Karnak) located in the city of Waset (Thebes) during the 25th Dynasty. Originating from the Kingdom of Kush, she was the daughter of Pharaoh Kashta and Queen Pebatjma, and was later adopted by Shepenupet I. She went on to rule as high priestess, and has been shown in several artifacts from the period.
God’s Wife of Amun
She ruled as high priestess under the reign of Shabaka and Shabataka, and held the priestly titles of Divine Adoratrice of Amun and God's Hand. The God's Wife of Amun was the highest ranking priestess in the cult of Amun and when Amenirdis was given the position of God's Wife, land and property was endowed to her for this priestly position.
The appointment of king Kashta’s daughter, Amenirdis I, as God’s Wife of Amun made Kushite rule in Waset (Thebes) legitimate. Occupied by a woman of the reigning royal family, the office of God’s Wife had served as a mediator between the god and the king since the time of Kemet’s New Kingdom. Each God’s Wife adopted her successor. Amenirdis would have been presented for adoption by the Kushite Pharaoh. The office of God’s Wife was a power center in its own right and controlled vast economic resources belonging to the Temple of Amun at Thebes.
Lavish coronation ceremonies marked the succession of a God’s Wife to office. God’s Wives received throne names and had their names written in cartouches just like the kings of Kemet. They were endowed with their own estates, property, staff, and administrators. Their tombs were on the grounds of Ramesses III’s temple at Medinet Habu in the city of Waset.
She would go on to adopt King Piye's daughter Shepenupet II as her successor. Shepenwepet took on the mantle of Gods Wife of Amun and served even after the Kushite Kings lost power in 671 BC during the Assyrian conquest. Kushite power and influence would continue within Upper Kemet and the Nubian bloodline would continue on in the cult of Amun well into the Greco-Roman era.
Broken Nose:
The sculpture of Amneritis was found in Karnak and photographed in 1871. At the time the picture was taken the nose was intact. Present images show her sculpture has been vandalized and her nose has been disfigured.
The phenomena of broken noses on Egyptian artifacts is quite common and has been thought to be a form of iconoclasm which took place in antiquity. However in the case of the statue Amneritis this is a clear sign of iconoclasm taking place while the artifact was in the possession of Egyptologist.
Perhaps it is time we revisit this "Theory" of iconoclasm and take a hard look into disfigured statue and how they got that way. Specially the 12th Dynasty, Wasetian (Theban) artifact as it seems they have a disproportionate amount of statues that have been defaced.
Sculpture of Amneritis, found in Karnak
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