Meretnebty

Meretnebty was a Queen of Egypt as a wife of Pharaoh Sahure.[1] She lived during the 5th Dynasty and was named after Two Ladies, a pair of Egyptian goddesses who protected the pharaoh.

Biography

Meretnebty's parents are not known. She is depicted with her husband in his mortuary temple at Abusir.[2] In the temple she is shown next to the mother of Sahure, Neferhetepes. Both holding their hands. That is a highly unusual depiction and might indicate a close relationship between both. Perhaps Neferhetepes was her mother.[3] In the mortuary temple several sons are mentioned. Their names are Horemsaf, Netjerirenre, Khakare and Nebankhre. It is not clear if these princes are the sons of Meretnebty or possibly of another wife.[4] Meretnebty's titles include those of great of praises, she who sees Horus and Seth, king’s wife, his beloved, and companion of Horus .[5]

Sahure and Meretnebty's children may have been Princes Ranefer and Netjerirenre. According to Miroslav Verner, Ranefer took the throne as Neferirkare Kakai, and Netjerirenre may have later taken the throne as Shepseskare.[6]

The queen was known for a long time from depictions in the pyramid temple of Sahure. However, the name there was partly destroyed and was reconstructed as Neferet-ha-Nebti or Neferetnebti. In more recent excavations blocks with depictions of the queen were found and her name is completely preserved as Meretnebty.[7]

Sources
  1. Tarek El Awady: The royal family of Sahure. New evidence. In: Miroslav Bárta, Jaromír Krejčí, Filip Coppens: Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005. Czech Institute of Egyptology - Faculty of Arts - Charles University in Prague, Prague 2006, ISBN 978-80-7308-116-4, pp. 198-203.
  2. Tyldesley, Joyce. Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2006. p. 54 ISBN 0-500-05145-3
  3. Vivienne Gae Callender: In Hathor's Image, The wives and mothers of Egyptian kings from Dynasties I-VI, Prague 2011, ISBN 978-80-7308-381-6, p. 162-168
  4. Dodson, Aidan and Hilton, Dyan. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2004. pp. 62-69, ISBN 0-500-05128-3
  5. Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Golden House Publications, London, 2005, p. 15, ISBN 978-0954721893
  6. El Awady, Tarek. The royal family of Sahure. New evidence., Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005. Proceedings of the Conference Held in Prague (June 27 – July 5, 2005). Prague: Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Oriental Institute (2006). ISBN 978-80-7308-116-4 pp.213–214
  7. Vivienne Gae Callender: In Hathor's Image I, The wives and mothers of Egyptian kings from Dynasties I-VI, Prague 2011, ISBN 978-80-7308-381-6, p. 166-171
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