Secret Societies: The God's Wife

The God’s wife was the high priestess of the cult of Amun
Ra, associated with the spiritual center of Egyptian culture at the temple at
Karnak. By the time of the new kingdom in 18th dynasty (c. 1570 –
1064 BCE.) the God’s Wife had rose to be the most powerful political figure and
held more significance in Egyptian religion than the pharaoh. These priestesses
were either the mother wife of the pharaoh or the eldest daughter of the king
and would perform the necessary rituals at ceremonies and festivals. This position
began to emerge in the Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2613 – 2181 BCE.) In those days, the
God’s Wife could enter the exclusive places and the holy of holies alongside
the high priest and the pharaoh. One of her duties was to conduct the festival
of drunkenness which was a ritualistic orgy to promote a continual flow of life-giving
water of the Nile River and for protection from Amun.

Before performing her temple rites with the high priest, she
would take a ritual bath, covering her face with her hair. This was to purify
her body in preparation for intercourse with Amun. Next, she would perform
sympathetic magic with the high priest, burning wax effigies, or fans, which depicted
enemies of the gods to maintain divine order. Lastly, she would shake the sistrum,
a representation of the penis of Amun Ra, who was also the god of fertility. The
rite was called the God’s Hand and represented the God’s Wife assisting the deity
in his self-creative masturbation.

For her office and importance, she was gifted with land,
housing, clothing, gold, silver, copper, male and female servants, wigs,
ointment, cosmetic, livestock, and oil. All of these gifts were her personal possessions separate from
the temple.

Famous God’s Wives

Sit - Kamose, Cleopatra, Hatshpsut, Ahmose 1