Scholars have debated the reasons for this peculiar almost other-worldly representations, but perhaps the figures represent Akhenaten's notions of the infusion of light brought from the solar disk into the bodies of the king and queen. Akce tdne. 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. 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 . This no doubt had more to do with his desire to keep friendly the buffer states between Egypt and the Land of the Hatti (Canaan and Syria, for example, which were under Abdiashirta's influence) than any sense of justice for the death of Ribaddi and the taking of Byblos. | 22 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. Akhenaten, also spelled Akhenaton, Akhnaton, or Ikhnaton, also called Amenhotep IV, Greek Amenophis, king (135336 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, who established a new cult dedicated to the Aton, the suns disk (hence his assumed name, Akhenaten, meaning beneficial to Aton). Nefertiti means "The beautiful one has come.". 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. 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. 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. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. 1336 BCE. 23 chapters | The Amarna Letters, (correspondence found in the city of Amarna between the kings of Egypt and those of foreign nations) which provide evidence of Akhenaten's negligence, also show him to have a keen sense of foreign policy when the situation interested him. Whit Schroder Amarna Final.doc. Since answer choice B refers to the evidence that the argument relies on, let's look at that evidence. Rameses I . 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. Perhaps, then, the elongation of the figures in these images was meant to show human transformation when touched by the power of the Aten. This is unsurprising given the fact that the shift throughout Egypt in culture and religion was so immense. Paperback. In the fifth year of his reign, Akhenaten rejected the traditional religion in favour of worshiping the Aten, or sun disc . Eventually, Akhenaten ordered the building of a new capital to honor Aten and secure the break with tradition he had initiated. The new city would be dedicated to Aten and built far from the capitals of Thebes and Memphis. Akhenaten's dedication to Aten died with him. 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. He strongly rebuked Abdiashirta for his actions against Ribaddi and for his friendship with the Hittites who were then Egypt's enemy. In this article, you point out that Akhenaten reined between 1352 and 1336 BCE. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Akhenaten chose this name for himself after his conversion to the cult of Aten. After the first 5 normal years of his reign Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten meaning 'living spirit of Aten'. The next year, two of their daughters died, and his mother Queen Tiy died in the 14th year. Akhenaten ruled between 1353 BC and 1336 BC, and during his reign much changed in his kingdom. Akhenaten and His Religious-Political Reform By Ji Jank . when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? Scholars have speculated that he was perhaps a eunuch or a sufferer from a genetic disorder or . This insistence on being the sole arbiter of ultimate truth leads to intolerance of other beliefs and their suppression; this is precisely what happened in Egypt. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Akhenaten/. "Akhenaten: Heretic and Pharaoh of New Kingdom Egypt." John Bodsworth (CC BY) Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 BCE) was a pharaoh of 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt. 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. Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep IV on . In addition, the enormous expanse of the exterior temple wall provided a stone canvas on which experiments in large-scale composition were undertaken. The location chosen for the new capital, named Akhetaton . One series of reliefs shows Amenhotep IV at the celebration of his jubilee, a ceremony normally observed by kings of the New Kingdom (c. 15391075 bce) only beginning in their 30th regnal year. Queen Nefertiti, famous from her portrait bust, is thought to have been an Asian princess from Mitanni. Akhenaten's obsession did not outlast his death, and after he died in 1336 B.C.E. (137), Nefertiti Offering to the AtenElsie McLaughlin (CC BY-NC-SA). To those who came after him in Egypt, however, he was the 'heretic king' and 'the enemy' whose memory needed to be eradicated. Akhenaten's lack of concern for foreign policy unraveled some of the hard-fought alliances made by his father, Amenhotep III. He moved his capital from Thebes to a place now called Tell el-Amarna or Amarna, more than 200 miles (300 km) north, on a desert bay on the east side of the Nile River. Your key for reading. Their modern interest comes partly from his connection with Tutankhamun, partly from the unique style and high quality of the . 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. It is simply the Egyptian word 'mose' meaning 'child', and is an abridgement of a fuller form of such names as 'Amen-mose' meaning 'Amon-a-child' or 'Ptah-mose' meaning 'Ptah-a-child'and the name Mose, 'child', is not uncommon on the Egyptian monuments. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout, Merlot II, OER Commons and School Library Journal. 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. In one of the surrounding walls was cut the "Window of Appearances," where Akhenaten and Nefertiti could be seen by his people. Soon after his death, Egyptians flocked back to Thebes where they resumed traditional worship and religion. 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. His mother was Tiyi. But even this was not enough for Akhenaten. All men had been but drops of water in the great current. The religious beliefs espoused by Akhenaten are not described anywhere, except that the god is far away, radiant, untouchable. NEW TRAILER: Marvel's 'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' coming to Disney+, January 18's New Marvel Comics: The Full List, 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania': Tickets On Sale Now, Storm Faces the Full Destructive Potential of Her Omega-Level Powers in Electrifying New Solo Series. The only preserved architecture from Karnak indicates that these courts were flanked by roofed porticos with colossal statues of the king placed against the pillars. However, within a few years there were changes. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Scholars have theorized that perhaps the king suffered from a genetic disorder called Marfan's syndrome (Hawass, 36) which would account for these depictions of him and his family as so lean and seemingly oddly-proportioned. This image of the Aten as an all-powerful, all-loving, deity, supreme creator and sustainer of the universe, is thought to have had a potent influence on the later development of monotheistic religious faith. Akhenaten became best known to modern scholars for the new religion he created that centered on the Aten. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Akhenaten was an intellectual and philosophical revolutionary who had the power and wealth to indulge his ideas. Cr. Ignoring the foreign political losses, Akhenaten instead sent out his agents bearing chisels and orders to destroy all carved references to Amun and Mut, even if they were carved on granite stele many stories above the ground, even if they were small hand-held personal items, even if they were used to spell Amenhotep III's name. Chris has an M.A. Akhenaten is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt, and one of the most fascinating individuals from the ancient world. 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. His priests secretly continued their polytheistic worship. Donald B. Redford dates his birth before his father Amenhotep III's 25th regnal year, c. 1363-1361 BC, based on the birth of Akhenaten's first daughter, who was likely born relatively early in his reign. He has inherited special abilities from Poseidon which include the ability to control water, boats, and ships; to create small hurricanes; to . Amarna, Northern PalaceChanel Wheeler (CC BY-SA). 3.3 Transfer of Capital to Akhetaten: Political and Religious Motives. The time for the Midnight Suns is NOW! Elongated, spindly limbs and narrow eyes figure prominently in depictions of the royal family during this period, causing some scholars to wonder whether Akhenaten had a medical condition such as Marfan syndrome. 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. The royal family took on a more androgynous appearance that sometimes even obscured the difference between Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. We also examine his actions in foreign policy and the changes in Egyptian art during his reign. - Act of Religion to promote his god of choice. 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. A total eclipse occurred on May 14, 1338 BCE, and it lasted for over six minutes, which must have seemed an omen of displeasure from the king's chosen parent. 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. The names of the god Amun and the other gods were chiseled from monuments throughout Egypt, the temples were closed, and the old practices outlawed. 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 married the noblewoman Nefertiti about the time he became pharaoh, in 1353 BCE. 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. 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