The Reign of the God's Wife Trivia Quiz

Answer: She had to be pharaoh's daughter.

In order to insure both peaceful succession in case there was no male heir and emphasize the divinity of the royal family, the pharaoh's daughters were given the title of "god's wife". That way pharaoh could appoint a successor from outside the family if necessary, and that successor would marry the "god's wife" to legitimize his claim to the throne. Even though Hatshepsut married her half brother, Thutmose II (son of her father) she was still considered to be the "god's wife".

Her mother, Ahmes, was her father's principal wife, while Mutneferet, a secondary wife, was the mother of her husband. Hatshepsut later claimed that she was her father's designated heir; after his death she openly reigned as co-ruler with her brother until his death fourteen years later.

Answer: Tutankhamun

The pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty ruled Egypt from approximately 1570-1320 BC. The founder, Ahmose I, launched a successful campaign again the Hyksos invaders, and returned the ancient capital to Thebes. Many historians believe that Hatshepsut's father, Thutmose I, was the grandson of Ahmose I. Of course the famous relative listed is none other than Tutankhamun.

It appears (and remember with the prevalent policy of incest in pharaoh's family it is very difficult at times to determine lineage and family relationships) that Tut was the great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Thutmose I. Hatshepsut, however, is merely his great aunt. Oh, and another connection between the two pharaoahs - in 1903, long before Howard Carter found the tomb of King Tut, he found the empty funeral sarcophagus (one of the three she had prepared) of Hatshepsut.

Answer: Somalia

Although there is much discussion among historians as to the location of Punt, many agree that it was located in eastern Africa, approximately in the area of modern-day Somalia. The area had products that seemed exotic to Egyptians: leather skins, feathers, ivory, gold, hardwoods, as well as myrrh, which was supposedly Hatshepsut's favorite fragrance.

Some scholars believe the land of Punt was actually on the Arabian Peninsula; it is possible that the kingdom covered both the horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. With the trip to Punt, Hatshepsut was able to reopen trade routes that had been closed during the Hyksos' rule of Egypt, and bring revenue into her country.

Answer: Frankincense

I did find mixed opinions about the type of tree that was brought back to Egypt. Some sources say the trees were myrrh or a combination of myrrh and frankincense, however, they definitely do not mention the other three choices! Thirty-one live trees were brought back to Egypt and planted at the Deir el-Bahari temple, making this the first recorded attempt to plant foreign trees in history.

By the way, at the mortuary temples there is also a relief carving that shows the Queen of Punt in a way that is not flattering!

Answer: Obelisks

At the time of construction the two obelisks, sometimes called the Hatshepsut needles, were the tallest in the world; today the one that stands is considered to be the tallest ancient obelisk in the world. It is thought that at one time the Red Chapel, another project at Karnak, stood between the twin obelisks. The Precinct of Mut, a temple to the goddess that had been destroyed during the Hyksos Era, was also restored during this time.

Answer: The temple was dedicated to the sun god Amun.

Although Hatshepsut's temple was not the first constructed in Deir el-Bahari, it was definitely the most grand. Designed by her vizier, Senemut, the mortuary temple was situated on the West Bank of the Nile to make it easier upon death to find Osiris, whose kingdom, according to the Book of the Dead, was vaguely said to be "somewhere beyond the western desert".

It is believed that other pharaohs (and nobles alike) choose to associate their funeral complexes with hers because of its renown, and so the cemetery at the Valley of the Kings grew in size. Today more than sixty tombs have been found at the site.

Answer: They both display perfect symmetry

It took fifteen years to build the temple, called Djeser-Djeseru, or "Splendor of Splendors". The site was chosen because the area was sacred to the gods and it was near the location that Hatshepsut had chosen for her tomb. A long causeway, which was probably lined with Sphinxes, led to the temple; three terraced courtyards were decorated with sculptural reliefs.

Although the complex looks a bit spartan now, in Hatshepsut's time there were trees, fountains, and green gardens. The name of the complex comes from a Coptic monastery.

Some people believe the building was used by monks in the seventh century AD.

Answer: Uraeus

Called a postiche, the false beard, which was considered a sign of sovereignty, was held in place by a ribbon tied over the head. Hatshepsut's statues also included the uraeus, the rearing cobra, which was considered to be a sign of royal authority, deity, and divine authority in ancient Egypt. Before the time of Narmer, Egypt's first pharaoh, the uraeus was used on the crown of the leader of Lower Egypt.

The uraeus represented the goddess Wadjet, and its presence on the crown represented the protection of the goddess and the legitimacy of the ruler.

The Khat head cloth was worn by members of the nobility, and the Shendyt kilt was typical male attire for all classes.

Answer: During her reign trade expanded and monumental building projects were carried out

Even though it appears that Hatshepsut was a successful military leader early in her reign, she is generally considered to be a pharaoh who ruled during a great period of peace. During the twenty years Hatshepsut ruled, international trade was re-established in Egypt. That trade brought great wealth to the country.

The wealth enabled her to commission building projects that are considered to have raised the level of Egyptian architecture to a standard that is comparable to the classical architecture of a thousand years later.

Answer: No

Thutmose III was the son of Thutmose II and a secondary wife named Iset. (Together Thutmose II and Hatsheput only had one daughter named Neferure). Thutmose II chose his ten year-old son to be his successor. Hapshepsut was named regent for the young boy.

However, she seized control and had herself crowned pharaoh. For the time being, Thutmose III was "demoted" to head of the army. After her death, it appears that Thutmose III (who is considered to be one of the greatest military strategists of the ancient world) attempted to wipe out Hatshepsut's memory. Did he hate her? Did he resent her? As head of the military he could have probably led a successful coup against her at any time.

Some think that the defacement of her monuments might not have been because of hatred, but because of the need to "put her back in her place" as regent, or to discourage women who hoped to be future female pharaohs.

There is no strong evidence that clearly supports any of the theories at this time, but one thing is for certain. Hatshepsut left a strong, vibrant, wealthy land for Thutmose III to rule - and he made Egypt even more prosperous.