God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun (c. 740-525 BC).

• Author: Brier, Bob
• Position: Book review

God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun (c. 740-525 BC). By MARIAM F. AYAD. London: ROUTLEDGE, 2009. Pp. xviii + 203, illus. $110.

The priesthood of Egypt was one of the largest bureaucracies the ancient world had ever seen. During the time of Ramses the Great there were more than 50,000 priests of Amun at Thebes. Most were merely temple workers--scribes who recorded donations to the temples, priests who oversaw temple lands, or weavers in workshops who produced the white linen cloth worn by higher priests. Others had important religious functions. The High Priest (First Prophet of Amun) officiated at important rituals, controlled the vast treasury of Amun, and appointed other high officials of the temple. For the most part, this was a male-dominated bureaucracy, with women filling only minor positions, such as chantress of Amun, but there were exceptions, offices held by women who wielded great power. Mariam Ayad's new book deals with perhaps the most important religious office ever held by a woman, God's Wife.

The title God's Wife is well known to Egyptologists. There are numerous references to these women in the ancient literature; they built their own chapels and mortuary temples and controlled the wealth associated with the temples of Amun. For the most part, they were daughters of the pharaoh, sent from Egypt's administrative capital in the north to Thebes, the religious capital in the south. It is generally agreed that these God's Wives were dispatched to keep an eye on things for the pharaoh, their father, but there is much more to the story than that and Ayad adds considerably to the discussion by pulling together the sources concerning the God's Wives of Amun.

The first chapter. "Historical Setting," discusses the individuals who will be the focus of the book. For the most part, they lived during the Third Intermediate Period (1069-525 B.C.), a half-millennium of decline and difficult times for Egypt. In addition to "God's Wife" these women had other titles, such as "Divine Adorer" or "God's Hand." suggesting that their roles were more complex than is generally discussed. To understand these roles one must keep in mind the function of an ancient Egyptian temple. These were not places where Egyptians would gather to worship their god. Temples were surrounded by enclosure walls, to keep the populace out. This was where the god lived and it was the God's Wife's job to keep him happy.

God's Wives are shown shaking sistra and...