Tij

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Tij , also Tiji, Ti, Tey or Teje , was the wife of the ancient Egyptian king ( pharaoh ) Eje , who ruled at the end of the 18th Dynasty ( New Kingdom ). The hieroglyphic writing of her name is the same as that of Queen Tiy . To better distinguish them, both names are usually vocalized differently .

Origin and family

Tij's origin is unknown. She was already married to Eje before he became king and Tutankhamun's successor. Because of her title "Great Nurse (Menat Aat) of Nefertiti" it is assumed that she is the second wife of Eje and Nefertiti his daughter. As a result, Tij was not only Nefertiti's wet nurse , but also her stepmother. However, there is no evidence to support this assumption.

supporting documents

Relief from Eje's grave in Amarna; Eje and his wife receive the honor gold from Akhenaten

Tij's name is mentioned several times on finds and in the graves of her husband Eje in Amarna and in the Valley of the Kings ( WV23 ). She also names a wooden box that is now in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin . Probably the best-known depiction of her is the one on a relief block from the grave ( no. 25 ) of Eje in Amarna, which is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo . Here Tij and her husband Eje are presented with the so-called honor gold from Akhenaten . As queen she is named in the rock temple of the ruler in Achmim . Another representation of Tij can be found in the rock chapel of the god Min in Achmim.

Your life at the royal court in Achet-Aton

Like Eje, Tij gained an honorable position at the royal court through the marriage of Nefertiti with Akhenaten. Their special position is underlined by Akhenaten's extraordinary awarding of the gold of honor to them and Eje. The award of the honor gold was a high distinction and took place in public. It was usually given to victorious soldiers, but in the later 18th dynasty it was also given to statesmen and high-ranking officials. Tij is the first woman to receive this gold together with her husband.

Your life at the royal court of Memphis

Depiction from grave WV23 after Lepsius in monuments from Egypt and Ethiopia (1849)

Nothing is known about her life and her position at the new royal court in Memphis after the transfer of the capital under Pharaoh Tutankhamun. On the basis of a ring that is in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, it is assumed that Eje Tutankhamun's widow Ankhesenamun married. In Eje's grave WV23 in the Valley of the Kings, however, Tij is depicted, but not Anchesenamun.

literature

  • Aidan Dodson , Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, London 2004, ISBN 0-500-05128-3 , p. 157.
  • Lana Troy: Patterns of Queenship in ancient Egyptian myth and history (= Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Boreas. Uppsala Studies in ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Civilization. Volume 14). Almqvist & Wiksell, Uppsala 1986, ISBN 91-554-1919-4 , p. 168 (18.52), (also: Uppsala, Univ., Diss.).
  • Joyce Tyldesley : Egypt's Sun Queen. Biography of Nefertiti. Limes, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-8090-3017-1 , pp. 76-79.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The epoch of theological restoration at the end of the 18th dynasty. In: Kemet. 2/2004, p. 16.
  2. ↑ Berliner Museum, inventory no. 17 555
  3. ↑ Catalog: Nefertiti - Akhenaten. 1976. Object 49
  4. ↑ Joyce Tyldesley: Egypt's Sun Queen. Munich 1999, p. 76.
personal data
SURNAME Tij
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Teje
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ancient egyptian queen
DATE OF BIRTH 14th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 14th century BC Chr.