The prominence of powerful goddesses (Hathor, Mut, and Isis), the reverence awarded to the queen mother of Kush, a series of sole-ruling queens (one of whom led her army in battle againstthe invading Roman), highlight the unusually high status of women in this ancient African society and serve as a fitting focus for the study of female poweri the ancient world.
This course will examine more closely the queens, priestesses, and mothers who formed an sacred sexualities, and family lineages, both royal and non-royal. Examining the rich funerary traditions and goods found in royal burials, and temple tomb imagery, we will explore how ancient Africans of the Nile Valley understood female power and presence to the an essential enlivening element in maintaining Maat, the balance of male and female energies, in order to cultivate "divine right order" in the world and in the cosmos.
About the Instructor:
Professor Ashby received her Ph.D. in Egyptology with a specialization in ancient Egyptian language and Nubian religion from the University of Chicago. Dr. Ashby’s expertise in sacred ancient languages including Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Coptic, Ethiopic, Biblical Greek and Biblical Hebrew underpins her research into the history of religious transformation in Northeast Africa and the Middle East. Her first book, Calling Out to Isis: The Enduring Nubian Presence at Philae, explores the temple of Philae’s history as a Nubian sacred site. Her current research describes the roles of women – queens, priestesses, mothers – in traditional Nubian religious practices.