Iset (queen)
Encyclopedia
Iset was a queen of the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
, and she was named after goddess Isis
. She was a secondary wife or concubine of Thutmose II
.
, the only son of Thutmose II. Her son died in 1425 BC and her name is mentioned on his mummy bandages and a statue found in Karnak
.
Although in these later instances Iset is referred to as Great Royal Wife
, during the reign of Thutmose II the great royal wife was Hatshepsut
. Thutmose II died in 1479 BC and, after his death, Hatshepsut became regent for the young king Thutmose III. Thutmose III became the head of the armies of Egypt as he grew up.
Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh until her death in 1458 BC when her co-regent, Thutmose III, became pharaoh. At that time Iset received the title of "King's Mother" (since her son had become pharaoh) and she may then have been designated as a royal wife if she had not been previously when he was the co-regent.
At the time Thutmose III became pharaoh Neferure
, the daughter of Hatshepsut and Thutmose II, was the God's Wife
. She had served in this role throughout the reign of her mother as pharaoh. Neferure
may have married Tuthmosis III but the sole evidence for this marriage is a stela showing Queen Satiah
whose name may have been carved over that of another queen. The great royal wife, Hatshepsut-Meryetre, became the mother of his successor.
Her son Tuthmosis III depicts his mother several times in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In KV34 there are depictions of the king with several female family members on one of the pillars. His mother Queen Isis is prominently featured.
Queen Isis is depicted behind her son on the boat. She is labeled as the King's Mother Isis. In the register below the boat Tuthmosis III is shown approaching a tree which is a representation of his mother Isis. Behind the king we see three of his wives: Queens Merytre, Sitiah, Nebtu and his daughter Nefertari.
It is not certain whether Iset was a concubine or a secondary wife of Thutmose II. She also received the title "God's Wife", but probably only posthumously.
Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
The eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt is perhaps the best known of all the dynasties of ancient Egypt...
, and she was named after goddess Isis
Isis
Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
. She was a secondary wife or concubine of Thutmose II
Thutmose II
Thutmose II was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. He built some minor monuments and initiated at least two minor campaigns but did little else during his rule and was probably strongly influenced by his wife, Hatshepsut...
.
Biography
Iset was the mother of Thutmose IIIThutmose III
Thutmose III was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. During the first twenty-two years of Thutmose's reign he was co-regent with his stepmother, Hatshepsut, who was named the pharaoh...
, the only son of Thutmose II. Her son died in 1425 BC and her name is mentioned on his mummy bandages and a statue found in Karnak
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II . Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is located near Luxor, some...
.
Although in these later instances Iset is referred to as Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
, during the reign of Thutmose II the great royal wife was Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut also Hatchepsut; meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies;1508–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt...
. Thutmose II died in 1479 BC and, after his death, Hatshepsut became regent for the young king Thutmose III. Thutmose III became the head of the armies of Egypt as he grew up.
Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh until her death in 1458 BC when her co-regent, Thutmose III, became pharaoh. At that time Iset received the title of "King's Mother" (since her son had become pharaoh) and she may then have been designated as a royal wife if she had not been previously when he was the co-regent.
At the time Thutmose III became pharaoh Neferure
Neferure
Neferure was an Egyptian princess of the eighteenth dynasty. She was the daughter of two pharaohs, Hatshepsut and Thutmose II. She served in high offices in the government and the religious administration of Ancient Egypt.-Family:...
, the daughter of Hatshepsut and Thutmose II, was the God's Wife
God's Wife
God's Wife is a term which was often allocated to royal women during the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. The term indicates an inherited sacral role, in which the role of God's Wife passed from mother to daughter...
. She had served in this role throughout the reign of her mother as pharaoh. Neferure
Neferure
Neferure was an Egyptian princess of the eighteenth dynasty. She was the daughter of two pharaohs, Hatshepsut and Thutmose II. She served in high offices in the government and the religious administration of Ancient Egypt.-Family:...
may have married Tuthmosis III but the sole evidence for this marriage is a stela showing Queen Satiah
Satiah
Satiah was an Ancient Egyptian queen, the Great Royal Wife of Thutmose III.-Family:Satiah was the daughter of the royal nurse Ipu. It is possible that her father was the important official Ahmose Pen-Nekhebet...
whose name may have been carved over that of another queen. The great royal wife, Hatshepsut-Meryetre, became the mother of his successor.
Her son Tuthmosis III depicts his mother several times in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In KV34 there are depictions of the king with several female family members on one of the pillars. His mother Queen Isis is prominently featured.
Queen Isis is depicted behind her son on the boat. She is labeled as the King's Mother Isis. In the register below the boat Tuthmosis III is shown approaching a tree which is a representation of his mother Isis. Behind the king we see three of his wives: Queens Merytre, Sitiah, Nebtu and his daughter Nefertari.
It is not certain whether Iset was a concubine or a secondary wife of Thutmose II. She also received the title "God's Wife", but probably only posthumously.