Hatshepsut (Part V): Monuments and the Jubilee.
1485-1477. In regnal years 10-17, Hatshepsut directed a flurry of building work. Monuments were going up all over Egypt, requiring the work of thousands. These projects culminated in the year 16 sed-festival, Hatshepsut’s grand jubilee: an anniversary….but of what?
Additional vocals by Anya Banerjee (Actress).
Bibliography
- Kara Cooney, The Woman Who Would be King, 2014.
- Peter Dorman, The Monuments of Senenmut, 1988.
- Alan B. Lloyd, A Companion to Ancient Egypt, 2010.
- William Hayes, The Scepter of Egypt, volume II, 1978 (Book Online).
- Todd Gillen, The Historical Inscription on Queen Hatshepsut’s Chapelle Rouge, 2005 (Article Online).
Websites:
- UCL – Hatshepsut
- UCLA – Digital Karnak, time of Hatshepsut
- Maat-ka-ra.de – the Speos Artemidos
Maybe you mentioned it and I didn’t catch it, but do any Egyptologists argue that Hatshepsut held the Sed festival not to celebrate the coming of age of the young king, but in order to demonstrate her strength in the face of a possible rival, now that he was old enough to take over?
Hi Thomas,
Yes that has been theorised. Being cautious, Egyptologists don’t push the theory yet – not until we have more evidence for the actual *existence* of an alternate faction. Since the pharaohs didn’t publicise the existence of cousins etc, it is hard to prove what factions existed and might need to be suppressed. But it’s certainly possible, and could easily have been a factor 🙂
I have a feeling that by this point she stated to become a bit too sure of herself, her kingship.
The other princes had died, her nephew could also die, naturally, before ascending to the throne leaving her to rule alone and uncontested. In this case I believe that it was a good idea have Neferura prepared as “insurance”. If both co-rulers died, who would succeed?
There’s also the case of her simply dying on the throne. After so many years of rule I think that she overcome any guilty or shame she could have felt and was feeling very comfortable with herself. (but only if the hypothesis os the restoration of neglected northern temples is true)
I really loved your friend voicing Hatshepsut! Beautiful!
Is anyone else surprised that she didn’t marry her daughter to Thutmosis III? It would have solved a couple of problems. She could have been married to him before the rich guy’s daughter and been the King’s Great Wife and the God’s Wife just as her mother had been.
He may have been married already, at least ritually
I listen to the podcasts a few times in order to fully grasp all that I’m hearing. I noticed that when you were describing the Sed festival at the point after the marathon, you said she had to bathe and shave otherwise she risked divine “pleasure.” Surely, if she had not done those things, she would have been in big trouble with the gods? This happens at 32:49.
Thanks 🙂
Congratulations to George!
Hmm, is it not a prejudice against people who are not as slim as a young palm-tree to pick up Hatshepsut’s weight and dwelve on this, rather than the fact she had to do the running – naked.
Non-slim people can run alright.
Regarding the holding of the Sed festival, if Thutmose III was around 18/9 that definitely lines up with our understanding of the age of reaching ‘maturity’ but I was under the impression a royals maturity in this period was reached around 13-5 years of age?
Thus I would lean towards the theory that she was counting her reign as having gone for 30 years.