Abstract
A fragmentary text on a naophorous standing statue Berlin ÄM 10192, dedicated to Osiris by certain Padineith son of Udjahorresnet, contains a curious attestation of the mortuary cult of the king's mother Esiemkhebi. The statue is tentatively dated to "late 26th to early 27th Dynasty" (c. 570-486 BCE) on stylistic and iconographical grounds.
Nevertheless, it is still not clear who was Esiemkhebi herself, keeping in mind that the Saite royal women are seldom studied in modern historiography. This paper aims to re-evaluate the identity of Esiemkhebi and her position within the royal house of Sais that were essential for religious commemoration in later times, standing alone among the cults of the 26th Dynasty kings: Esiemkhebi was the only Saite royal women to receive separate mortuary cult.
This paper also argue that her cult might have been established by her namesake, the prophetess of Neith, herself being a royal princess.