But this is incorrect. Instead, Akhenaten began his reign as Amenhotep IV, the son of Amenhotep III. Akhenaten's single-minded overhaul of Egyptian religion caused him to withdraw from other matters. 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. (45). He was the son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye . Hammurabi's Code is significant chiefly because it. Mark, Joshua J.. Pharaoh during Egypt's 18th Dynasty, Amenhotep established a monotheistic religion worshipping the sun god Aten, alleged creator of the universe. (137), Nefertiti Offering to the AtenElsie McLaughlin (CC BY-NC-SA). The new temples were built entirely of relatively small blocks of sandstone of uniform size, known as talatat, apparently for speed in constructionan understandable convenience, considering the scale of the project. Biography >> Ancient Egypt. Amenhotep IV likely ascended to the throne of Egypt as a teenager. However he deserves acknowledged for being a revolutionary leader. Tutankhamun eventually returned Egypt to its traditional values and Akhenatens memory was erased. The walls were decorated with reliefs executed entirely in sunk relief, a method well-suited for exterior surfaces exposed to direct sunlight. Religious persecution was new to the Egyptians, who had always worshipped many deities and were ever ready to add new gods to the pantheon. What was unique about her was the she was not a Royal, as it was rare for kings . Later Egyptian historians would refer to him only as the heretic king.. But uncertainties surround his demise. Amenhotep IV continued that practice, but his attention was focused primarily on his connection to Re-Horakhty (Horus of the two horizons or God of the East), an aspect of Re. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. Akhenaten saw himself as Atons earthly manifestation. Akhenatens artistic legacy, however, survived to influence the work of future craftsmen. Since the modern rediscovery of Akhenaten, academics have written countless studies and biographies of this so-called heretic king expounding upon his incendiary nature in ways perhaps best encapsulated by James Henry Breasted: Until Ikhnaton the history of the world had been the irresistible drift of tradition. 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. It was rich and confident, with soldiers and officials established in foreign countries. Dynasty: 18 Religious Revolution. Percy lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but found his life uprooted upon discovering his true paternity.He has black hair and sea-green eyes. Mark, Joshua J.. Akhenaten is most well-known as being a spiritual enthusiast and instigator of revolution within the . He demoted the Theban gods (Amun, Mut, and Khonsu), had their temples dismantled, and killed or sent away the priests. 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, within a few years there were changes. (111-112). 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. World History Encyclopedia. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Is usually comprehensive and extensive. Akhenaten did not become Akhenaten until later in his reign. To use the materials on this site please eMail me and ask permission. In addition, settings became less formal as well. Take note, True Believer! In the fifth year of his reign, the king changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amun is Pleased") to Akhenaten, or "Servant of the Aten" thus formally declaring his new religion. How Did Akhenaten Revolutionized Art. Discover the true identity of Avenger Prime, check out the finale of 'Strange,' get tangled in a 'Dark Web,' and more in this week's comics! Ruins of Pharaoh Akhenaton's capital Tell el-Amarna (Akhetaten). The Aton temples at Karnak therefore consisted of a series of vast open-air courts in which there was virtually no interior space at all. Any evidence that Akhenaten involved himself in matters outside of his city at Akhetaten always comes back to self-interest rather than state-interest. Plotting to betray and conquer the Cosmic Order, Akhenaten returned to Earth in recent years, proclaiming himself its ruler and slaying opposition, including many superheroes and Godheads of Earthly pantheons. The preponderance of the evidence, both from the Amarna letters and from Tutankhamun's later decree, as well as archaeological indications, strongly suggests that Akhenaten was a very poor ruler as far as his subjects and vassal states were concerned and his reign, in the words of Hawass, was "an inward-focused regime that had lost interest . Akhenaten's religious fervency had spilled over into other areas as well. Step Two was enacted when he sent his workers to remove all . Jade artifacts, especially in the form of circular discs, are primarily associated with ancient. 1336 BCE. AKHENATON (or Akhenaten) was the tenth pharaoh of Egypt's eighteenth dynasty (c. 1352 - 1336 bce) and the founder of the earliest historically documented monotheistic religion. 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. To prepare for the jubilee, Amenhotep IV began building a huge number of temples, including several near the ancient temple of Karnak. 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. Many historians agree that Egypt's status in the ancient world fell during Akhenaten's reign. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. The Hittites from the north began to make gains and this led to a general disintegration of the empire. His mother was Tiyi. Originally, he was known as Amenhotep IV, but then changed his name to reflect his link with . 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. Note: Akhenaten is distinguished from the earlier Amenhotep, later a vampire in the Legion of the Unliving. 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. Later Horemheb razed the city to the ground and Rameses II reused the stone blocks of its temples for his work at nearby Hermopolis. 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. Hi Andriana, Great question! Nefertiti's name was expanded to Neferneferuaten ("Beautiful Is the Beauty of Aton")-Nefertiti. 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). Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. 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. What is certain, though, is this new religion elevated the Aten to the position of state deity and centered largely on its worship. 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 . Each ray ended in a tiny hand with which the Aton might offer the sign of life to the king and queen or even embrace their limbs and crowns. China. Of course foreigners, in turn, came to live in Egypt, bringing new customs and ideas. It should be noted that 'cult' did not have the same meaning in this regard as it does in the present day. Several scholars have suggested that a skeleton found in tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings could belong to Akhenaten, because the tomb contained numerous grave goods (including the coffin in which the remains were found) belonging to Akhenaten and other Amarna period figures. Akhenaten believed that Aten, the sun disk, was the one true god. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout, Merlot II, OER Commons and School Library Journal. 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. Guests include Kate Spence, Richard Parkinson and Elizabeth Frood. 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 Egypts New Kingdom. Tel: 212-535-7710 A varied collection . 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. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Akhenaten's dedication to Aten died with him. Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep IV on . At the center was the god Amun of Thebes and his priests had become powerful. Mark, published on 17 April 2014. The funerary religion of Osiris was dropped, and Akhenaten became the source of blessings for people after death. 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). Moreover, the new god, Aton, was no longer portrayed in anthropomorphic form but as the suns disk itself, elevated to the heavens and extending its multiple rays down over the royal family. Amenhotep III celebrated three, beginning with his 30th year as pharaoh. Ikhnaton was the first individual in history.. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This was probably carried out, at least in part, by illiterate iconoclasts, presumably following the orders of their king. However, he soon showed his hostility for Amun. 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). His father was Amenhotep III , the King of the 18 th dynasty when Egypt was at its peak. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Akhenaten Stelewikipedia user: Maksim (Public Domain). 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").. 1379 BCE). ), Unlock the world of Marvel Digital Comics! In the long course of Egyptian history, few figures have been as polarizing as Akhenaten. He ordered the name of the previous god to be scrubbed from all official buildings and writings, to the point that some instances of his father's pharaonic name were destroyed because it began with 'Amen.' But this religious and artistic renaissance was short lived; Akhenaten made himself unpopular by closing the old temples, and his lack of enthusiasm for the practical duties of kingship was detrimental to Egypts Imperial interests. In Akhenaten's new religion, this figure generally came to be represented . Scholars have argued in favor of monotheism, henotheism, agnosticism and almost everything in between. Chris has an M.A. Scribes jot down the words of the . This can also be explained as stemming from Akhenaten's religious beliefs in that the Aten, not the pharaoh, was the most important consideration, and under the influence of the Aten's love and grace, the pharaoh and his family thrives. When Amenhotep IV took the throne in 1352 or 1353 B.C.E . 13341325, a child of the consort known as the "Younger Wife") and the earliest 19th dynasty pharaohs led by Horemheb (ruled ca. 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. Instead, Akhenaten began his reign as Amenhotep IV, the son of Amenhotep III. He was the son of Amenhotep III (1386-1353 BCE) and his wife Tiye, husband of Queen Nefertiti, and father of both Tutankhamun (by a lesser wife named Lady Kiya) and Tutankhamun's wife Ankhsenamun (by Nefertiti). 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. Aten created and fashioned the cosmos, authorized life, created people and languages and light and dark. In art, Akhenaten's reign also ushered in a decidedly different style. 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. He strongly rebuked Abdiashirta for his actions against Ribaddi and for his friendship with the Hittites who were then Egypt's enemy. His son Tutankhamun (ruled ca. In this article, you point out that Akhenaten reined between 1352 and 1336 BCE. Egypt's standing in the ancient world suffered during Akhenaten's reign. Akhenaten's revolution became ugly as time progressed. Surviving documents show that Akhenaten paid little attention to the army and navy, foreign trade began to fall off, and internal taxes began to disappear into the pockets of local officials. 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