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Podcast: The Exploress
Episode: The Lady Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, Part 1: Merneith, Neferusobek, and Hatshepsut
Description: Season 2, Episode 3. In ancient Egyptian, the word "pharaoh" doesn't mean king; it means "great house". They had no word for queen at all. All royal women were defined by their relationship to that house: with titles like Great Royal Wife, Great Royal Daughter, Great Royal Mother. They were there to support, not to rule. And yet, in an ancient world where men ruled the day, Egypt saw a slew of influential females stalking the gilded royal halls. Some were royal wives and mothers, whispering in their pharaoh brother-husband's ear, and some stepped in to rule for him when he...