The Karnak colossi in particular show these new characteristics in notably exaggerated form, including one that apparently depicts the king without male genitalia. Marvel's Midnight Suns | Official Launch Trailer, Known only as historic figure to general public of Earth, Amenhotep III (father), Tiy (mother), Nefertiti (wife), Tutankhaten/Tutankhamen (son or step-son). Your hypothesis might have some merit, had both Akhenaten and Moses lived during the same period. Although it is unclear whether Akhenatens son, Tutankhaten, was also Nefertitis, the young prince became the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun. Even before his father's death, probably in the fourth year of his co-regency, he changed his name from Amenhotep, meaning "Amun is satisfied," to Akhenaten, probably meaning "of service to Aten.". Akhenaten did not become Akhenaten until later in his reign. Akhenaten (1367-1350 B.C.) ThoughtCo. What, then, was this new religion that motivated Akhenaten to upend so many elements of Egyptian society? Akhenatens artistic legacy, however, survived to influence the work of future craftsmen. Of course foreigners, in turn, came to live in Egypt, bringing new customs and ideas. View the full answer. Religious persecution was new to the Egyptians, who had always worshipped many deities and were ever ready to add new gods to the pantheon. Among the surviving works of this period are the colossal statues of Akhenaten, the paintings from his private residence, the bust of his wife Nefertiti, and that of his mother, Queen Tiy. 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. Submitted by Joshua J. Cu MIX za . The city of Akhenaten was abandoned and the court returned to Thebes. Expert Answer. The Amarna Letters preserve an inside look at Egyptian diplomacy, revealing how power brokers maneuvered, alliances were forged, and pharaohs were flattered. Step One of Akhenaten's plan to refocus Egypt's religious life began shortly after his rise to power in 1349 BCE, when Akhenaten instituted a cult to Aten and renamed himself to reflect this god (Akhenaten meaning "One is effective for the Aten").. He also became estranged from Nefertiti. We do know that Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti worshipped only the sun god, and the names of other gods and goddesses were removed from view. Hammurabi's Code is significant chiefly because it. John Bodsworth (CC BY) Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 BCE) was a pharaoh of 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt. The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, 10028-0198. when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? The ancient Egyptian dynasties ruled the Nile Valley for thousands of years, worshipping a diverse pantheon of gods during most of that time. 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. However, in the fifth year, he underwent a dramatic religious transformation, changed his devotion from the cult of Amun to that of Aten, and, for the next twelve years, became famous (or infamous) as the 'heretic king' who abolished the traditional religious rites of Egypt and instituted the first known monotheistic state religion in the world and, according to some, monotheism itself. His mother was Tiyi. Akhenaten became best known to modern scholars for the new religion he created that centered on the Aten. The depiction, then, could illustrate Akhenaten and Nefertiti as those who had been transformed to god-like status by their devotion to the Aten to such an extent that their faith is seen even in their children. He reigned from c. 1353 to 1336 BC, and he is best known for his dramatic changes to traditional Egyptian religion. Because of the many Jews in his court, many of whom were highly placed he introduced a monotheistic religion and carried out a religious reform in which Aten, the sun-god, was the only god. It is in part due to the tumultuous nature of Akhenatens tenure that this era in Egyptian history, known as the Amarna period, has received so much attention from scholars and the public. 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. Akhenatens new approach to religion manifested itself in other facets of Egyptian culture, most notably the artistic sphere. With the exception of Ra and Osiris, the worship of Amun was more widespread than that of any other god in the Nile Valley; but the circumstances behind the growth of his cult certainly point to its having been disseminated by political rather than religious propaganda. Further, Re's representationa falcon-headed goddisappeared to be replaced by a new form called Aten, a solar disc extending rays of light ending in curved hands bearing gifts to the king and queen. Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaton, meaning "the Servant of Aten" early in his reign. Not only was it rich, but it was at peace with its neighbors and well-positioned for long-term stability. In the fourth year of his reign, he changed his name to Akhenaten. View L04 Reading Quiz.pdf from PHIL 119 at Pennsylvania State University. Suggested dates for Akhenaten's reign (subject to the debates surrounding Egyptian chronology) are from 1353 BC-1336 BC or 1351 BC-1334 BC. The first works commissioned by the king appeared in the traditional Theban style, employed by nearly every 18th dynasty pharaoh preceding him. He built an entirely new capital, Amarna, some 200 miles north of the Egyptian capital of Thebes and ordered the relocation. 3.3 Transfer of Capital to Akhetaten: Political and Religious Motives. Aten was the life-giving and life-sustaining power of the sun. Mark, Joshua J.. Genetic testing has determined that the man buried in KV55 was Tutankhamun's father,[19] but its identification as Akhenaten has since been questioned. In just under two decades on the throne, Akhenaten imposed new aspects of Egyptian religion, overhauled its royal artistic style, moved Egypts capital to a previously unoccupied site, implemented a new form of architecture and attempted to obliterate the names and images of some of Egypts traditional gods. - Act of Religion to promote his god of choice. There is no doubt that his attention to this problem served the interests of the state but, as other similar issues were ignored, it seems that he only chose those situations which interested him personally. Watterson notes that Ribaddi (Rib-Hadda), king of Byblos, who was one of Egypt's most loyal allies, sent over 50 letters to Akhenaten asking for help in fighting off Abdiashirta (also known as Aziru) of Amor (Amurru) but these all went unanswered and Byblos was lost to Egypt (112). A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. Books During his reign the city of Akhetaten was abandoned and Amun and the other gods were reinstated. Later Horemheb razed the city to the ground and Rameses II reused the stone blocks of its temples for his work at nearby Hermopolis. (Hawass, 39). His odd appearance in representations that he commissioned and his preoccupation with worshiping the sun-disc, or Aten, have stimulated a vast amount of academic discussion and controversy for more than . Dr. Doom learned Akhenaten's origins, and traveled back in time to slay him before he gained power, but Akhenaten anticipated this and foiled him. Within the first few years of his rule, Amenhotep IV introduced sweeping changes in the spheres of religion, architecture, and art (see Amarna style). 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. Cite This Work Mark, J. J. He created a new monotheistic religion devoted to a single god named the Aten. The gods and practices of the various cults all represented the same end: eternal harmony and balance. - Act of a Pharaoh determined to keep his political power in face of the threats from the Amun cult. To prepare for the jubilee, Amenhotep IV began building a huge number of temples, including several near the ancient temple of Karnak. Akhenaten came to power as the pharaoh of Egypt in either the year 1353 or 1351 BCE and reigned for roughly 17 years during the 18th dynasty of Egypt's New Kingdom. All men had been but drops of water in the great current. However, by Year 9 of his reign Akhenaten declared that Aten was not merely the supreme god, but the only . This is unsurprising given the fact that the shift throughout Egypt in culture and religion was so immense. The historian Barbara Watterson writes: By the ninth year of his reign, Akhenaten had proscribed the old gods of Egypt, and ordered their temples to be closed, a very serious matter, for these institutions played an important part in the economic and social life of the country. Rejecting belief in Egypt's numerous traditional gods, Akhenaten worshipped the sun disk, or Aten, as the . - Mythology & Facts, Who was Telemachus? 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. 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. In addition, the enormous expanse of the exterior temple wall provided a stone canvas on which experiments in large-scale composition were undertaken. 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. Reeves argues that, far from being the idealistic founder of a new . Akhenaten was an Egyptian pharaoh during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom Period. HSC Ancient History: Exam Prep & Syllabus, Ramses II: Facts, Accomplishments & Death, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii & Herculaneum, Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses: Names & Family Tree, Egyptian Pharaohs: History, Facts & Timeline, Queen Hatshepsut: Facts, Accomplishments & Death, Queen Hatshepsut & Ramses the Great of Egypt, The Reign of Akhenaten: Accomplishments & Contributions, Egypt's Abu Simbel & The Mortuary Temples, Israel & Judah from Solomon to the Fall of Jerusalem, 4th Century Greece Till the Death of Philip II of Macedon, High School US History: Homework Help Resource, CLEP Western Civilization I: Study Guide & Test Prep, GED Social Studies: Civics & Government, US History, Economics, Geography & World, Western Civilization I: Certificate Program, High School World History: Tutoring Solution, Who is the Greek Goddess Aphrodite? The 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt was full of intrigue. Amenhotep's jubilee didn't celebrate Amun, Ptah, Thoth, or Osiris; there was only one god represented: Re, the sun god. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and University of Missouri. Instead of having a detailed pathway for people to follow, shepherded by Osiris, people could only hope to be reawakened in the morning, to bask in the sun's rays. World History Encyclopedia. But uncertainties surround his demise. Freud quotes from James Henry Breasted, the noted archaeologist, that: It is important to notice that his name, Moses, was Egyptian. Interest in Tutankhamun spread to the family of the 'golden king' and so attention was brought to bear again on Akhenaten after almost 4,000 years. There were so many temples required that Amenhotep IV's architects invented a new building style to speed things up, using smaller blocks (talatats). Akhnaten soon relocated with 20,000 people to a new capital city, named Akhetaten (and known to archaeologists as Amarna), while it was still under construction. His reign as Amenhotep IV lasted five years during which he followed the policies of his father and the religious traditions of Egypt. Amarna, Northern PalaceChanel Wheeler (CC BY-SA). Please select which sections you would like to print: Alternate titles: Akhenaton, Akhnaton, Amenhotep IV, Amenophis IV, Ikhnaton. Those 'old tribal deities' of Egypt, however, had encouraged peace, harmony, and the development of one of the greatest ancient cultures the world has ever known. 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 king ascended the throne under his birth name, Amenhotep IV, but in his fifth regnal year, he changed his name to one that better reflected his religious ideas (Amenhotep = Amun is satisfied, Akhenaten = Effective for Aten). copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Akhenaten was not the first pharaoh to show interest in the Aten. The period surrounding this Egyptian kings reign was characterized by social, political and religious upheaval - the likes of which few cultures ever experience. Stela of AkhenatenOsama Shukir Muhammed Amin (Copyright). Whether one regards Akhenaten as a hero or villain in Egypt's history, his elevation of the Aten to supremacy changed not only that nation's history, but the course of world civilization. The first changes in the artistic representation of the king and Nefertiti began early in his reign. EA SPORTS teamed up with Marvel to create a custom comic representing 21 unforgettable football legends as Marvel-inspired Heroes befitting the pages of a Marvel comic book. ), Unlock the world of Marvel Digital Comics! Instead, Akhenaten began his reign as Amenhotep IV, the son of Amenhotep III. However, one pharaoh tried to overthrow these gods and replace them with his own system. Scribes jot down the words of the . Amenhotep IV succeeded his father after Amenhotep III's death at the end of his 38-year reign, or possibly after a coregency lasting one to two years. Step Two was enacted when he sent his workers to remove all . 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"). A> Akhenaten, formerly Amenhotep IV, an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, who was married to Nefertiti, worshiped the Egyptian god Aten, renamed himself, wrote the Hymn to Aten, and, therefore, could be considered one of the first monotheists. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. "Akhenaten." Monotheism or Monopoly? Sigmund Freud, in his 1939 CE work Moses and Monotheism, argues that Moses was an Egyptian who had been an adherent of the cult of Aten and was driven from Egypt following Akhenaten's death and the return to the old religious paradigm. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. . Akhenaten married the noblewoman Nefertiti about the time he became pharaoh, in 1353 BCE. After the first 5 normal years of his reign Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten meaning 'living spirit of Aten'. Akhenaten had Abdiashirta brought to Egypt and imprisoned for a year until Hittite advances in the north compelled his release, but there seems a marked difference between his letters dealing with this situation and other king's correspondence on similar matters. Changing his name to Akhenaten, he established Aten-devoted cities in Egypt, Nubia, and Syria, attempting to obliterate all worship of the Egyptian Gods Helopolitans and Ennead. The new city had many spacious villas with trees, pools, and gardens. He moved Egypt's capital city from Thebes to the newly built Akhenaten. 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. Related Content Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten and defied tradition by establishing a new religion that believed that there is but one god; the sun god Aten. 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. For nearly two millennia, Akhenaten danced with insanity. 1379-1336 BCE) was one of the last pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom Egypt, who is known for briefly establishing monotheism in the country.Akhenaten drastically revised the religious and political structure of Egypt, developed new art and architectural styles, and generally caused great chaos during the Middle Bronze Age. Egypt's standing in the ancient world suffered during Akhenaten's reign. according to many sources. Amenhotep III's adoration of Aten had been in part political; the priests of the previously most-followed god, Amen-Re, had grown quite powerful in 14th-century Egypt. He has inherited special abilities from Poseidon which include the ability to control water, boats, and ships; to create small hurricanes; to . Brahman. Travel Grant for Underrepresented Students, Antiquities Endowment Fund (AEF) Projects, Research Supporting Members (RSM) Projects. However he deserves acknowledged for being a revolutionary leader. Hands offering Aten cartouches , ca. 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). [Akhenaten] carried out a religious revolution the like of which had never been seen before in Egypt. A hallmark of any monotheistic belief system, however, is that it encourages the belief that, in order for it to be right, other systems must necessarily be wrong. Akhenaten was an intellectual and philosophical revolutionary who had the power and wealth to indulge his ideas. Create your account. The New Kingdom (c. 1570- c.1069 BCE) is the era in Egyptian history Nefertiti (c. 1370 - c. 1336 BCE) was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten Ankhsenamun (born c. 1350 BCE and known as Ankhesenpaaten in youth Amun (also Amon, Ammon, Amen, Amun-Ra) is the ancient Egyptian Tutankhamun (also known as Tutankhamen and `King Tut', r. c.1336-c.1327 Moses the Egyptian: The Memory of Egypt in Western Monotheism, Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Hirst, K. Kris. Note: Akhenaten is distinguished from the earlier Amenhotep, later a vampire in the Legion of the Unliving. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/akhenaten-4769554. One temple at Karnak shows only Nefertiti as the primary officiant before the Aton, sometimes accompanied by Meritatonan unprecedented privilege for a mere queen. The palaces in which he and his family lived were to the north and a road led from the royal dwelling to the reception palace. Akhenaten's dedication to Aten died with him. Later Egyptian historians would refer to him only as the heretic king.. Hirst, K. Kris. Later, the faces of both he and Nefertiti are drawn down, their limbs thin and elongated and their bodies bloated. Akhenaten did not become Akhenaten until later in his reign. Son of Amenhotep III and the chief queen, Tiya, Akhenaton succeeded to the throne as Amenhotep IV and took a throne name meaning "the sun's ultimate perfection, unique one of the sun," reflecting the . 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. https://www.worldhistory.org/Akhenaten/. Akhenaten's obsession did not outlast his death, and after he died in 1336 B.C.E. (111-112). It had several royal greater-than-lifesized statues made in a new art style, located north of the temple of Amun, and near a mudbrick palace for the king. This is confirmed by the recently discovered 'Amarna Letters,' which show various foreign dignitaries and rulers writing to Akhenaten pleading for Egypt's help and assistance. Akhenaten chose this name for himself after his conversion to the cult of Aten. Akhenaten changed both religion and art in ancient Egypt. Egypt suffered a devastating military loss, losing its territories in Syria. Akhenaten is often not credited as being one of the great pharaoh's of ancient Egypt; his name is not as recognized as his son, Tutankhamen. Together they had at least six daughters. "The Great Hymn to the Aten" in Lichtheim, Miriam 1978. He ruled for 17 years during the 18th Dynasty and came to be known by some fascinating names, including Great Heretic , The Heretic Pharaoh, and Rebel Pharaoh . The royal family took on a more androgynous appearance that sometimes even obscured the difference between Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Early in his reign, Akhenaten identified himself with the sun god Aton and elevated the cult of Aton above the worship of most other gods, including Amon, the king of the gods. Some historians regard this as a predecessor of current monotheisms. Situated at the center of the enormous new city was a giant temple dedicated to Aten. Create an account to start this course today. Perhaps, then, the elongation of the figures in these images was meant to show human transformation when touched by the power of the Aten. Amenhotep IV moved his seat of power from the traditional palace at Thebes to one he built at the city he founded, Akhetaten, changed his name to Akhenaten, and continued the religious reforms which resulted in his being despised as `the heretic king' by some later writers while admired as a champion of monotheism by others. Near the main precinct of the god Amon at Karnak, he founded several new temples dedicated to Re-Harakhte, who was now provided with a lengthy epithet placed in two royal cartouches and was described as the light which is in the suns disk (aton). 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