Isetnofret II

Isetnofret (or Isis-nofret or Isitnofret) (Ancient Egyptian: "the beautiful Isis") was one of the Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Merenptah.

Isetnofret II
Queen consort of Egypt
Great Royal Wife
Lady of The Two Lands
Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt
Isetnofret II
SpousePharaoh Merenptah
IssueSeti II
Merenptah
Khaemwaset
Egyptian name
Dynasty19th of Egypt
FatherRamesses II
MotherIsetnofret
ReligionAncient Egyptian religion

Family

Queen Isetnofret II may have been the daughter of Prince Khaemwaset. If so she married her uncle Merneptah.

Another possibility is that Isetnofret II is a daughter of King Ramesses II and possibly a daughter of Queen Isetnofret I.

Her children include:

  • Prince Sety-Merenptah, who would later take the throne as Seti II[1]
  • Prince Merenptah, King's Son, Executive at the Head of the Two Lands, and Generalissimo.[2]
  • Prince Khaemwaset, King's Son, Depicted in Karnak Temple.[3]
  • possibly Princess Isetnofret?, King's daughter mentioned in the Leiden ship log.[2]

Titles

Queen Isetnofret II's titles include: Lady of The Two Lands (nbt-t3wy), Great King’s Wife (hmt-niswt-wrt), Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (hnwt-Shm’w -mhw), King’s Wife (hmt-nisw).[4]

Life

Isetnofret II grew up during the reign of Ramesses II, her possible grandfather. If she was the daughter of Khaemwaset, she may have very well grown up in Memphis, or otherwise Piramesse.

Isetnofret II is attested several times during the reign of her husband:[5]

  • She is depicted on a statue usurped from Amenhotep III by Merenptah.
  • On a stela of the Vizier Panehesy at Gebel el Silsila. This stela is situated across the Chapel of Panehesy and depicts Merneptah, Queen Isetnofret and Sety-Merneptah with the vizier before Amun-Re and Ptah.[6]
  • Another stela situated in the Gallery of the Speos of Horemheb at Gebel el Silsila depicts Merenptah followed by Queen Isetnofret and the vizier Panehesy as they offer an image of the goddess Ma'at to Amen-Re and Mut.[7]
  • On a statuette dedicated by the Vizier Panehesy at Gebel el Silsila.

It is not known when or where Isetnofret died or where she was buried. If Isetnofret was the daughter of Khaemwaset, then she may have been buried at Saqqara. The tomb of a royal lady named Isetnofret was recently discovered in Saqqara during excavations by Waseda University.[8]

Notes
  1. Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004), p. 178, 183
  2. Dodson & Hilton, p.178, 182
  3. Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004), p.178
  4. W. Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: a hieroglyphic dictionary.
  5. Dodson & Hilton, p.182
  6. Porter and Moss Topographical Bibliography; Volume V Upper Egypt Griffith Institute, p.210
  7. Porter and Moss Topographical Bibliography; Volume V Upper Egypt Griffith Institute. p.212
  8. Tomb of Isetnofret Discovered in Saqqara Archived 2009-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
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