Aspelta
Kushite King of Napata
Aspelta statue reconstruction, with Egyptian headdress. Louvre Museum
PredecessorAnlamani
SuccessorAramatle-qo
Diedc. 580 BCE
Burial
Nuri (Nu. 8)
SpouseMadiqen?, Henuttakhebit
possibly , Meqemale (?), Asata and Artaha (possible)
IssueAramatle-qo, Queen Amanitakaye
Names
Aspelta
FatherSenkamanisken ?
MotherNasalsa
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Aspelta
in hieroglyphs
Era: Late Period
(664–332 BC)

Aspelta was a ruler of the kingdom of Kush (c. 600 – c. 580 BCE). More is known about him and his reign than most of the rulers of Kush. He left several stelae carved with accounts of his reign.

Family

Aspelta was the son of Senkamanisken and Queen Nasalsa. Aspelta was the brother and successor of Anlamani. The King is thought to have had several wives, including Henuttakhebit (buried in pyramid Nuri 28), Meqemale (buried in pyramid Nuri 40), Asata (buried in pyramid Nuri 42), Artaha (buried in pyramid Nuri 58).[1] he may have also been married to his sister Madiqen.[2]

Aspelta used titles based on those of the Egyptian Pharaohs.[3]
Horus name: Neferkha ("Whose Appearances are Beautiful")
Nebty Name: Neferkha ("Whose Appearances are Beautiful")
Golden Horus Name: Userib ("Whose heart is strong")
Prenomen: Merykare ("Re is one whose ka is loved")
Nomen: Aspelta

Part of a series on
Kushite Monarchs and Rulers
Main Topics
Viceroys at Kerma
Napatan
Early Meroitic
Late Meroitic
Category

Reign

According to relevant inscriptions, Aspelta was selected as ruler by a committee of twenty-four religious and military leaders. He then set out north to Napata to be selected as king by the gods and crowned.

Another stele that might date from Aspelta's reign recounts how a group of priests were put to death, likely as punishment for conspiring against the king.

In 592 BCE, Kush was invaded by an Egyptian military expedition initiated by Pharaoh Psamtik II[4] perhaps because Aspelta posed a threat to this pharaoh's authority over Upper Egypt, to the south and close to Kush. The invaders sacked Napata, and some historians believe that because of this attack, Aspelta decided to move the Nubian capital to the more secure city of Meroe.[citation needed]

Tomb

Aspelta's tomb was located at Nuri and is the second largest burial structure here.[5] His tomb was excavated by George A. Reisner in 1916 and many items were discovered within it, most of which are now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The palace built by him and his brother was excavated by Reisner in 1920.

Monuments and items mentioning Aspelta

Nuri pyramid Nu VIII of King Aspelta, the best preserved of the pyramids in Nuri.

Aspelta is well attested. A list of items mentioning the King:[6]

Artifacts

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aspelta.

References

  1. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 232
  2. ^ Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, 2004, pp 236-239 ISBN 0-500-05128-3
  3. ^ László Török, The kingdom of Kush: handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization
  4. ^ The New Encyclopædia Britannica: Micropædia, Vol.8, 15th edition, 2003. p.817
  5. ^ Aspelta
  6. ^ Bertha Porter; Rosalind L B Moss; Ethel W Burney, Topographical bibliography of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic texts, reliefs, and paintings. VII, Nubia, the deserts, and outside Egypt, Oxford : Griffith Institute, 1995
  7. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 184
  8. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 187
  9. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 188
  10. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 193
  11. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 199
  12. ^ Kathryn Howley: Worshipping Amun in Nubia, in: Egyptian Archaeology, 58, Spring 2021, pp. 25-27
  13. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 202
  14. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 216
  15. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 217
  16. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 218
  17. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 221
  18. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 226
  19. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 227
  20. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 259
  21. ^ Porter and Moss, pg 261
  22. ^ "Statue of King Aspelta". collections.mfa.org.
  23. ^ Museum notice
Preceded byAnlamani Rulers of Kush Succeeded byAramatle-qo
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