Truth is the Soul of the Sun

Hatshepsut, the ancient Egyptian queen who was crowned king and for more than twenty years ruled on the Horus Throne of the Living as the Female Falcon, Maatkare. The name she chose for herself can be read as Maat is the Ka of Re, which translated means The True and Beautiful Manifestation of the Sun’s Divine Life-force. A more poetic but still accurate rendition is Truth is the Soul of the Sun. Before becoming Pharaoh she served as God’s Wife of Amun, an important office that holds the key to her unprecedented power. Maatkare was not only a charismatic political leader, she was a mystic who inspired the wholehearted devotion of brilliant men. One of them was Senmut, a commoner she elevated to unparalleled heights of authority. But her most influential advocate was Hapuseneb, the High Priest of Amun. Hapuseneb served under three pharaohs and yet only Maatkare is represented in his tomb. Hatshepsut’s life is a passionate story of love—for her beliefs, her country and two of its most fascinating men.