| Nodjmet | |
|---|---|
| Ancient Egyptian noblewoman | |
 Nodjmet depicted as a queen, from herBook of the Dead papyrus. | |
| Died | c. 1064 BCE |
| Burial | Thebes, eventually inTT320 |
| Spouse | possiblyPiankh, thenHerihor |
| Issue | Pinedjem I and others (see text) |
| Father | Ramesses XI? |
| Mother | Hrere |
Nodjmet,Nedjmet, orNotmit was anancient Egyptian noblewoman of the late20th-early21st dynasties of Egypt, mainly known for being the wife ofHigh Priest of Amun atThebes,Herihor.
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| Nodjmet inhieroglyphs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Era:New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC) | |||||
Nodjmet may have been a daughter of the last ramessidepharaoh,Ramesses XI, and likely evenPiankh's wife, if the latter really was Herihor's predecessor as supported by Karl Jansen-Winkeln.[1] Early in her life, she held titles such asLady of the House andChief of theHarem of Amun.[2]
According to the two Egyptologists Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton,[3] Nodjmet had several children with her first husband Piankh: Heqanefer, Heqamaat, Ankhefenmut, Faienmut (a female) and, the most famous of all, the futureHigh Priest of Amun/PharaohPinedjem I. Nodjmet became Piankh's most trusted confidant, and every time he had to fulfill his business in Nubia, the management of Thebes was left to her. When around 1070 BCE Piankh died, Herihor was proposed as his successor; Nodjmet, however, managed to keep her prerogatives marrying this man.[4] Later, Herihor adopted many royal titles previously reserved for King and acted asde facto Pharaoh – although only inside the borders of theTemple of Amun atKarnak – hence Nodjmet took position similar to that of queen consort: her name was inscribed inside acartouche and later she bore titles such asLady of theTwo Lands andKing's Mother.[2]
Nodjmet outlived even her second husband, and finally died in the first years of pharaohSmendes (c. 1064 BCE).[5]
Hermummy was discovered in theDeir el-Bahari cache (TT320). The body is that of an old woman. She had been embalmed with a new mummification technique which involved the use of fake eyes and the packing of the limbs and face. The heart was still in place inside her body.[6]With her mummy twoBooks of the Dead were found.[7]One of them, Papyrus BM 10490, now in theBritish museum, belonged to “the King’s Mother Nodjmet, the daughter of the King’s MotherHrere”. Whereas the name of Nodjmet was written in a cartouche, the name of Hrere was not. Since mostly this Nodjmet is seen as the wife of the High Priest Herihor, Herere’s title is often interpreted as “King’s Mother-in-law”,[8] although her title “who bore the Strong Bull” suggests that she actually must have given birth to a king.[9] The other Book of the Dead from her tomb can also be found in the British Museum's collection (BM 10541) and is one of the most beautifully illustrated papyri from ancient Egypt.[10]
