The Role of Breastfeeding in Ancient Egyptian Religion and Kingship

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This project examines the religious and political role played by the divine nursing motif (depictions of the ancient Egyptian king being breastfed by a goddess) in ancient Egyptian temples and tombs from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman period (ca. 2450 BCE - 31 CE). I am analyzing every known divine nursing scene from a temple or tomb complex during this period through an iconographic analysis of the regalia and subjects of each scene and a textual analysis of each scene's accompanying inscriptions. Additionally, certain scenes will act as case studies for a contextual analysis of their location in the temple or tomb as well as their relationship to surrounding scenes.I will focus on the following research questions:What is the role of the divine nursing motif in the context of Egyptian temples and tombs? How do these scenes relate to and interact with other scenes?What can these scenes reveal regarding the nature of divine kingship in ancient Egypt?What do these scenes reveal regarding the role of women in Egyptian religion, kingship, and worldview?For this analysis, I have begun to create a database of each appearance of the Egyptian divine nursing motif (approximately 130 scenes). As all of these scenes have not been published or were published without usable line drawings or photos, a trip to Egypt to photograph such scenes will be essential. The database and photos will be made available with the final dissertation.Divine nursing scenes are believed to have symbolized the king's adoption by the gods and his reception of the divine protection and power needed to be king. This generally accepted understanding relies largely on the writings of Jean Leclant (1951 & 1960). Leclant and later scholars (Maruejol 1983; Budin 2011; Gomez-Landero 2016) have generally focused on only a select number of scenes such as those of a certain period or location and have largely examined the scenes independent of their larger decorative context. While these methods of study have proven useful in many ways, these scenes were meant to be part of a larger program and more understanding will be gained when their context is considered. As such, the contextual analysis of the selected case studies will allow my research to make unique and important contributions to our understanding of this motif and its use in various contexts.My research will also contribute to our understanding of ancient Egyptian kingship and the role of women in religion and politics. These scenes create a personal connection between the king and a goddess. Thus, their use, iconography, and texts can illuminate beliefs regarding the king's relationship with the divine and how these beliefs may have changed over time. In addition, these scenes depict the king dependent on a goddess for nourishment and care. In this way, this study of the motif can help us better understand the roles played by women in the ancient Egyptian worldview and its application in politics and religion.