Amenhotep iv & Egyptian

Amenhotep IV is an Egyptian king who is famous for introducing monotheistic religion in Egypt. Before his die hard, Egyptian pile worship many divinity fudges and the occasion of priest in their polytheistic religion. For a short arrest of time, he initiated a major ghost kindred revolution that moved(p) the entire terra firma. In the early period of his reign, he changed his name from Amenhotep IV to Akhenaton. He changed his name after move his gravid to the newly designed city of Akhet-Aten. (euler. slu. edu) It depicts a major change in their unearthly belief.Akhenaton means the servant of Aten. In the work of this religious revolution, Akhenaton placed him self as the intermediary between Aten and the people. This helped eliminate the posit for the priesthood. As the all one with opening to the divinity fudge, Akhenaten established himself as a god-king and became the start-off king to be called Pharoah. (Chesser, ehistory) The removal of Amum in his name is an indication that he is rejecting their nonagenarian religion. Amum is one of their old god who is besides kn knowledge as god of secrets.To sacrifice effectively distant Amun from his name sees alike(p) an all-but-open declaration of war off the beaten track(predicate)e against the dominant religious authority in the day, the Amun priesthood based in Thebes (usu. edu) Akhenaten was the son of Nebmaatre Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye. He was not the oldest royal son or the heir of the throne. His older br former(a)(a) Prince Tuthmosis was earlier the heir of the throne but he died during the reign of Amenhotep III. (euler. slu. edu) Meanwhile, his wife is the famous Nefertiti which nearly scholars believed as Akhenaten himself or her mother.Evidence suggests she was sweep up to Akhenaten as the daughter of a risque official during Amenhotep IIIs reign, or of Amenhotep himself. Similarly, debate dumb remains as to whether or not Nefertiti was in fact the actual mother of Ak henaten, and his wife at the same time. The mysteries of Nefertitis origins remain a large topic of debate. (mnsu. edu) On the other hand, it was believed that it was Nefertiti who urged Akhenaten towards religious rehabilitation. (mnsu. edu) Religious Reformation His prototypic step of religious reformation is moving his capital from Thebes to Akhenaten.He imposed a monotheistic religion by placing Aten as the only subject of worship. Later, he went so far as to order the word gods removed and changed to god, wherever it occurred on public inscriptions. (usu. edu) I was believed that the monotheistic belief of Akhenaten was inspired by Judaism through Moses or Joseph. But jibe to some scholars, Akhenaten belief is not strictly monotheistic for the Apis cult kept up(p) other gods. Because Akhenatens religious reformation was not really monotheistic, we cant conclude that it was influenced by Judaism.(ancientegyptonline. co. uk) As element of his religious reformation, he ope ned Egyptian religion for all instead of existence exclusive for Egyptian priest. The reason why he rejected Amun as god is because he is the god of secrets. rather of worshipping a god of secret, he wanted the Egyptian people to worship a god like Aten which reflects its heading through the rays of sunbathe. (usu. edu) tell apart Damen described Akhetatens god as follows The religious iconography of Akhenatens new belief clay centered around the aten as a divine presence.Representing the vivification-giving force of the universe, the sun-disk is a good deal depicted in either plagiarise or personified form, occasionally both at the same time. Though its most often pictured as a sheer circle with rays of light radiating d causeward, the aten also appears sometimes with little hands app give noticeed onto the end of its solar beams holding out to worshipers the ankh, the Egyptian sign of life. In a hardly a(prenominal) instances, the hands are even shoving the ankh kinda unceremoniously up the noses of the blessed, a poetic assertion, no doubt, that the sun offers the breath of life. It would seem less comical today if this ordinance didnt look so much like an incontinent ear-swab. (usu. edu) Although Akhenaten desired the entire Egptian people to have a relationship with Aten, quiet the said relationship became exclusive for Akhenaten and his family. Instead of worshipping Aten directly, they just worship the royal family. (ancientegyptonline. co. uk) all(a) this concurs well with Akhenatens religion, where the pharaoh was said to serve as the conduit between humanity and the Aten. In other words, its through and because of him the sun-disk bestows life on the planet.In his own words, a hymn Akhenaten claims to have collected himself about the Aten (usu. edu) bingle reason for this is the agonizing heat of the sun in Egypt. One way of worshipping is standing under its presence and ba scrapeg in its radiance. On the other hand, priests durin g his reign did not like his religious reformation. His own imposed religion disregard the moment of priest in their religious life for Akhenaten served as a priest. Threats in his kingdom During the Amama period, a widespread of famine and diseases alter the Egyptians. Scholars believed that a plague or grippe killed thousands of lives during that time.I was also believed that that was the same plague in the book of Exodus that there is no sufficient evidence for that. (ancientegyptonline. co. uk) Egyptians viewed this plague as a consequence of neglecting their other gods. expiration According to archeologist, there are indications that Akhenaten died in his middle age. Although the cause of his death is still unknown, there are assumptions that he died because of skin cancer. (usu. edu) As part of his religious duty, open(a) himself to the torturous heat of the Egyptian sun that might caused him that disease. References Akhenaten and Monotheism.Usu. edu. Febraury 6 2008 Anc ient Egypt Online. FEbraury 6 2008 Bart, Anneke. Ancient Egypt. Euler. slu. edu Febraury 6 2008 Nefertiti Queen of Dynasty XVII. Mnsu. edu. February 6 2008 Preston, Chester. E History Archive. February 6 2008