Shepenupet II
{{Infobox royalty
| image = GD-EG-Alex-MuséeNat065.JPG
| caption = Head of Shepenupet II from Alexandria National Museum, Egypt
| succession = Divine Adoratrice of Amun
God's Wife of Amun
| reign = around 700–650 BC
| reign-type = Tenure
| predecessor = Amenirdis I
| successor = Amenirdis II (as Divine Adoratrice)
Nitocris I (as God's Wife)
{{Ancient Egyptian royal titulary case
| nomen=
Shepenupet
šp-(n)-Wpt | prenomen=
Henutneferumut Irietre
ẖnwt-nfrw-Mwt Jrt-Rˁ{{cite book |last=von Beckerath|first=Jürgen|author-link=Jürgen von Beckerath|year=1999|title=Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen|publisher=Mainz am Rhein, Von Zabern|isbn= 3-8053-2591-6|language=German}} pp. 210-11}}
| burial_place = Medinet Habu
| father = Piye
| dynasty = 25th Dynasty
}}
Shepenupet II (alt. Shepenwepet II, prenomen: Henutneferumut Irietre) was an ancient Egyptian princess of the 25th Dynasty who served as the high priestess, the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, from around 700 BC to 650 BC. She was the daughter of the first Kushite pharaoh PiyeJohn Boardman ed., The Cambridge Ancient History Vol.III, Cambridge University Press 1982, {{ISBN|0-521-24289-4}}, p.136 and sister of Piye's successors, Shabaka and Taharqa.
Biography
File:Berlín Shepenupet II.JPG of Berlin]]
Shepenupet II was adopted by her predecessor in office, Amenirdis I, a sister of Piye. Shepenupet was God's Wife of Amun from the beginning of Taharqa's reign until Year 9 of Pharaoh Psamtik I. While in office she had to come to a power sharing arrangement with the mayor of Thebes, Mentuemhat.Michael Rice, Who's Who in Ancient Egypt, Routledge 2001, p.189
Her niece, Amenirdis, the daughter of Taharqa, was appointed as her heiress. Shepenupet was compelled to adopt Nitocris, daughter of pharaoh Psamtik I, who reunited Egypt after the Assyrian conquest. This is evidenced by the so-called Adoption Stela of Nitocris. In 656 BC, in Year 9 of the reign of Psamtik I, she received Nitocris at Thebes.J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four: "The Adoption Stela of Nitocris" §§ 945Sergio Donadoni, The Egyptians, University of Chicago Press 1997, {{ISBN|0-226-15556-0}} p.141
Her tomb is located in the grounds of Medinet Habu.{{dodson}}, p.240 She was succeeded as Divine Adoratrice by Amenirdis II, who was succeeded by Nitocris I.
Images
File:Bas-relief at the mortuary temple of Ramesses III 1.jpg|Shepenupet II at Medinet Habu
File:Bas-relief at the mortuary temple of Ramesses III 2.jpg|Shepenupet II and Amenirdis II at Medinet Habu
File:Ch Chep II Med Habou 082005.jpg|Chapel of Shepenupet at Medinet Habu
File:Genies of Nile flood E27208 mg 8657.jpg|Shepenupet's cartouche
File:Egypte louvre 068 coffret.jpg|Box with name of Shepenupet
File:Karnak Chepenoupet II Amenirdis II.jpg|Shepenupet and Amenirdis II
References
{{Commons category|Shepenupet II}}
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
|before = Amenirdis I
|title = Divine Adoratrice of Amun
|years = around 700–650 BCE
|after = Amenirdis II
}}
{{succession box
| before = Amenirdis I
| title = God's Wife of Amun
| years =
| after = Nitocris I
}}
{{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
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Category:Princesses of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt
Category:8th-century BC Egyptian people
Category:7th-century BC Egyptian people
Category:8th-century BC Egyptian women
Category:7th-century BC Egyptian women