Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The Cosmic Order used their ultimate might to force peace onto the universe. Related Content Amenhotep IV may have been co-regent with his father, Amenhotep III, and it has been noted that the sun-disk known as the 'Aten' is displayed on a number of inscriptions from this period of the earlier king's reign. Few personalities of the ancient world excite as much interest for scholars, artists, religious believers and general public as Akhenaten, the Egyptian ruler who carried out a fundamental reform of religion and political ideology in the mid-14th century BCE. Pharaoh Akhenaten died in his seventeenth year on the throne and his reforms did not survive for much longer. Please select which sections you would like to print: Alternate titles: Akhenaton, Akhnaton, Amenhotep IV, Amenophis IV, Ikhnaton. Aten created and fashioned the cosmos, authorized life, created people and languages and light and dark. Unlike the images from other dynasties of Egyptian history, the art from the Amarna Period depicts the royal family with elongated necks and arms and spindly legs. Dynasty: 18 Religious Revolution. "Akhenaten: Heretic and Pharaoh of New Kingdom Egypt." In the middle of the 14th Century BC, the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten adopted the main worship of a single god, the sun-disk or Aten, eradicating Egyptian traditions that had lasted for millennia and drastically altering the art style to reflect this new freedom of expression. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. When Amenhotep IV took the throne in 1352 or 1353 B.C.E . In 1334 B.C., after a 17 year reign, Akhenaten was abducted by the alien Cosmic Order, who had two millennia before discovered and accessed the vast power of the Heart of the Infinite. The Hittites from the north began to make gains and this led to a general disintegration of the empire. Amenhotep III ruled over a land whose priesthood, centered on the god Amun, had been steadily growing in power for centuries. Akhenaten chose this name for himself after his conversion to the cult of Aten. When Akhenaten died, he was succeeded briefly by Smenkhkare, his favorite, and then by Tutankhaten who change his name to Tutankhamun, dropping the Aten and embracing Amun. Little is known about his life as a crown prince. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Akhenaten became best known to modern scholars for the new religion he created that centered on the Aten. The Egyptologist Zahi Hawass writes: Dating to this point in Akhenaten's reign was a campaign to excise the name of gods other than the Aten, especially Amun, from the monuments of Egypt. ), Unlock the world of Marvel Digital Comics! In this lesson, we'll explore the reign of Akhenaten, his policies, and how his own fervent obsession shaped Egypt during his time as pharaoh. The polytheism of the ancient Egyptians encouraged a worldview where peace and balance (ma'at) were emphasized and religious tolerance was not considered an issue; there is not even a word directly corresponding to the concept of `religious tolerance' in the ancient Egyptian texts. - Act of a Pharaoh determined to keep his political power in face of the threats from the Amun cult. His son succeeded him as Pharaoh, only to be murdered by General Horemheb, who eradicated all traces of Akhenaten and restored worship of the gods of old. The local princes, who had been loyal to Egypt, no longer saw any advantage in trading with Egypt. These deaths greatly affected Akhenaten, causing him to redouble his dedication to Aten and his campaign against the other gods of ancient Egypt. To consider these images as realistic depictions of the royal family, afflicted with some disorder, seems to be a mistake in that there would be no reason for Nefertiti to share in the king's supposed disorder. was a revolutionary who transformed Egyptian society by instituting history's first monotheistic religion. At or shortly after the time of his accession, Amenhotep IV seems to have married the chief queen of his reign, Nefertiti. Pharaoh during Egypt's 18th Dynasty, Amenhotep established a monotheistic religion worshipping the sun god Aten, alleged creator of the universe. He strongly rebuked Abdiashirta for his actions against Ribaddi and for his friendship with the Hittites who were then Egypt's enemy. Mark, published on 17 April 2014. However, the ancient Egyptians were a deeply religious people who loved their ancient traditions and were not ready to embrace such radical changes. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. The Cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Answer YOUR Questions! Akhenaton started his reign as most Egyptian kings. AKHENATON. This would mark the beginning of the dramatic changes Akhenaten would make to religion in Egypt. His legacy of monotheism, however, if Freud and others are correct, influenced other religious thinkers to emulate his ideal of one true god and reject the polytheism which had characterized human religious belief for millennia. Biography of Queen Nefertiti, Ancient Egyptian Queen, Most Important Figures in Ancient History, Dynastic Egypt Timeline - 2,700 Years of Change in Egyptian Society, The Symbolism Behind the Double Crown of Egypt, Pharaoh Thutmose III and the Battle of Megiddo, Egyptian View of Death and Their Pyramids, Old Kingdom: Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom Period, Step Pyramid of Djoser - Ancient Egypt's First Monumental Pyramid, The Ptolemies: Dynastic Egypt From Alexander to Cleopatra, The Kingdom of Kush: Sub-Saharan African Rulers of the Nile, Life, Death and Beyond in Akhenaten's Egypt: Excavating the South Tombs Cemetery at Amarna, Biological Age of Skeletonized Mummy from Tomb KV 55 at Thebes. Nefertiti means "The beautiful one has come.". Akhenaten, also spelled Akhenaton, Akhnaton, or Ikhnaton, also called Amenhotep IV, Greek Amenophis, king (1353-36 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, who established a new cult dedicated to the Aton, the sun's disk (hence his assumed name, Akhenaten, meaning "beneficial to Aton"). Your hypothesis might have some merit, had both Akhenaten and Moses lived during the same period. 220 lessons His reign is known as the Amarna Period because he moved the capital of Egypt from the traditional site at Thebes to the city he founded, Akhetaten, which came to be known as Amarna (also Tell el-Amarna). In this, as in many other aspects of their lives that have come to us through art and texts, Akhenaten and Nefertiti were seen, or at least saw themselves, as deities in their own right. The Wilbour Plaque, limestone plaque, c. 1352-1336 BCE, Brooklyn Museum . Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. They sought local humans to guide each space sector through this transition, and Akhenaten's ruthless leadership history and vision for the future made him an ideal candidate. We know very little about Akhenaten's early life, except that he was born in Egypt's 18th Dynasty at some point in the mid-14th century BCE. Tutors may have included the Egyptian high priest Parennefer (Wennefer); his uncle, the Heliopolitan priest Aanen; and the builder and architect known as Amenhotep son of Hapu. Reign: 1350 - 1334 BC. Without Egyptian influence in the region, traditional Egyptian enemies, such as the Hittites, grew in stature and expanded their territory at the expense of Egypt's allies. They sought local humans to guide each space sector through this transition, and . Ikhnaton was the first individual in history.. Akhenaten did not become Akhenaten until later in his reign. To those who came after him in Egypt, however, he was the 'heretic king' and 'the enemy' whose memory needed to be eradicated. Amenhotep III's heir was to be his eldest son, Thutmosis, but when he died unexpectedly, Amenhotep IV was made heir and at one point co-regent to his father for perhaps the last two or three years of his reign. Whit Schroder Amarna Final.doc. It is believed that it was her influence and power that made Akhenaten king. Biography >> Ancient Egypt. Hi Andriana, Great question! Akhenatens exclusive worship of the sun god Aton led early Egyptologists to claim that he created the worlds first monotheistic religion. Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep IV on . He created a new monotheistic religion devoted to a single god named the Aten. As the pharaoh Amenhotep IV, he came to power during the New . Freud recognizes that the cult of Aten existed long before Akhenaten raised it to prominence but points out that Akhenaten added a component unknown previously in religious belief: "He added the something new that turned into monotheism, the doctrine of a universal god: the quality of exclusiveness" (24). There were so many temples required that Amenhotep IV's architects invented a new building style to speed things up, using smaller blocks (talatats). In devising a radically different cult based on the worship of the suns natural form, the king was forced to develop a new artistic idiom with which to express it. Amenhotep IV succeeded his father after Amenhotep III's death at the end of a 38-year reign, possibly after a co-regency between the two for up to 12 years. The young prince and future king grew up in this new and changing Egypt. Corrections? However, one pharaoh tried to overthrow these gods and replace them with his own system. After a brutal reign of 17 years, Akhenaten died and his successorwho may have been Nefertitiimmediately but slowly began dismantling the physical elements of Akhenaten's religion. Later Horemheb razed the city to the ground and Rameses II reused the stone blocks of its temples for his work at nearby Hermopolis. The Aten was seen as the one true god who presided over all and infused all living things. We care about our planet! 1379 BCE). But this is incorrect. https://www.worldhistory.org/Akhenaten/. He abandoned work on a temple dedicated to Re-Harakhte and began to build a new temple to worship the sun god Aten. Akhenaten's tomb was uncovered by the great archaeologist Flinders Petrie in 1907 CE and Tutankhamun's tomb, more famously, by Howard Carter in 1922 CE. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. This was done with violence: hieroglyphs were brutally hacked from the walls of temples and tombs. Updates? In addition, the enormous expanse of the exterior temple wall provided a stone canvas on which experiments in large-scale composition were undertaken. Occupation: Pharaoh of Egypt Born: Around 1380 BC Died: 1336 BC Reign: 1353 BC to 1336 BC Best known for: Changing the religion of Ancient Egypt and building the city of Amarna Biography: Akhenaten was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. The Amarna Letters preserve an inside look at Egyptian diplomacy, revealing how power brokers maneuvered, alliances were forged, and pharaohs were flattered. Expert Answer. These steps toward cultural revolution culminated in Akhenatens decision to move Egypts capital from Thebes to a previously unoccupied site he named. From documents and letters of the time, it is known that other nations, formerly allies, wrote numerous times asking Egypt for help in various affairs and that most of these requests were ignored by the deified king. During the reign of the New Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep IV, also called Akhenaten, the art of ancient Egypt underwent a considerable change. Each day, Akhenaten and Nefertiti processed in their chariots from one end of the city to the other, mirroring the journey of the sun across the sky. Akhenaten became best known to modern scholars for the new religion he created that centered on the Aten. The 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt was full of intrigue. Your key for reading. In this lesson we explore the reign of Akhenaten, the religiously zealous son of Amenhotep III who tried to initiate a profound shift in Egyptian religion, culture, and governance. Akhenaten and the Royal Family Blessed by AtenTroels Myrup (CC BY-NC-ND). ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/akhenaten-4769554. Akhenaten's lack of concern for foreign policy unraveled some of the hard-fought alliances made by his father, Amenhotep III. Nefertiti's name was expanded to Neferneferuaten ("Beautiful Is the Beauty of Aton")-Nefertiti. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. This effectively ended the priesthood of Amen-Re. That Amenhotep IV was personally involved in these changes seems clear: the biographical text of one of the reigns master sculptors indicates that he was instructed by the king himself. Not only was it rich, but it was at peace with its neighbors and well-positioned for long-term stability. Furthermore, Akhenaten sought to remove the power of the priesthood and so he moved the capital from Thebes to a new ground where he made a new capital for his own god Aten: Akhetaten or El-Amarna. Omissions? However, like many topics pertaining to Akhenaten, this issue remains the subject of much scholarly debate. The mad Titan Thanos, seeking the Heart of the Infinite's power for his own ends, teamed with the Defenders (Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Silver Surfer) and Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) to infiltrate the Cosmic Order's space station. Things took a turn for the worse for Akhenaten when he held a massive celebration in the 12th year of his reign dedicated to Aten. He is also known as 'Akhenaton' or 'Ikhnaton' and also 'Khuenaten', all of which are translated to mean 'successful for' or 'of great use to' the god Aten. A kind of "Gladiator" set in the desert, it tells the story of Moses (played by Christian Bale), the Hebrew orphan raised in blissful ignorance and wealth in Pharaoh's palace. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Monotheism or Monopoly? He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. The temples there had gateways to keep out the masses, hundreds of altars open to the air and no roofs over the sanctuaryvisiting dignitaries complained about having to stand in the sun for a long time. In an attempt to stop the lingering influence of this discourse, some tentative alternate suggestions are made regarding two areas of this application: 1) Akhenaten's religious reforms and change of capital; 2) The hacking out of Akhenaten's name and the reaction to his rule.
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