
What is the Hymn to the Sun by Akhenaten?
The Great Hymn to the Sun by Akhenaten, also known as the Hymn to Aten, is an ancient Egyptian religious text dating back to the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten around 1350 BCE.The text, believed to have been composed by the Pharaoh himself, poetically praises the works of Aten, the sole deity. The hymn exists in two versions: a long and a short one. The longer version is known only from the tomb of Ay II, a member of Akhenaten's court who later became Pharaoh himself. The wall inscription in Ay II's tomb, which spanned an entire wall, was partially destroyed around 1890 but is preserved through a prior transcription.
Who Was Pharaoh Akhenaten?
Pharaoh Akhenaten (born Amenhotep IV/Amenophis IV) ruled Egypt around 1351–1334 BCE.During his 17-year reign, he elevated Aten, represented as the solar disk, to the status of the sole god and prohibited the worship of other deities. Akhenaten thereby established the first historically documented monotheistic religion in human history. He dedicated Aten to the newly founded capital, Akhetaten, which became Egypt’s largest city at the time. After Akhenaten's death, his memory was erased by his opponents, and the traditional polytheistic belief system was restored. Akhenaten was married to Nefertiti, and the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun was his son.
Connection to the Bible
Recent research, such as that by the prominent Egyptologist Jan Assmann ("Moses the Egyptian," 1998), suggests that Akhenaten's declaration of Aten as the sole god had a lasting impact in the Near East, influencing, for example, the development of Judaism.The first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah, are traditionally attributed to Moses in Jewish tradition and are also called the "Five Books of Moses." These texts can be dated based on a geographical reference in the second book, Exodus, which mentions two cities where the Israelites lived: Pithom and Ramses (Exodus 1:11). The city of Ramses (also known as Pi-Ramesses) was founded during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II (around 1278 BCE). Thus, Moses could have lived no earlier than about 50 years after Akhenaten’s death.This timeline implies that the Five Books of Moses were written at least 50 years after Akhenaten’s proclamation of Aten as the sole god. The renowned psychologist and religious critic Sigmund Freud popularized the hypothesis in his final work, Moses and Monotheism (1939), suggesting that Moses was a devoted follower of the innovative Aten religion and left Egypt to preach Aten’s message to the Semitic peoples in what is now Israel. This hypothesis has been scientifically debated since the Enlightenment era.
Shema Yisrael,
Adonai Eloheinu,
Adonai Echad
Great Hymn to the Aten
The following text is from the widely cited translation by Norman de Garis Davies of the ancient Egyptian text, which was published in his work 'The Rock Tombs of El-Amarna Part VI, Tombs of Parennefer, Tutu and Aÿ, Chapter IV Hymns and Prayers' from 1908, and refers to the long version from the tomb of Ay II. (Aÿ).
An adoration of Re-Horakhti-Aten1, who lives for ever and ever, the living and great Aten, who is within the sedfestival2, lord of all that Aten encircles, lord of heaven, lord of earth, lord of the house of Aten in Akhetaten3, (of) the King of South and North Egypt4, living on Truth, Lord of the Two Lands, Nefer-kheperu-ra-Ua-en-ra5, the Son of the Sun, living on Truth, Lord of Diadems, Akhenaten, great in his duration, (and of) the chief wife of the King, whom he loves. Lady of the Two Lands, Nefer-neferu-aten6 Nefertiti, who has life, health and youth for ever and ever.
The Bearer of the Fan on the right hand of the King, Overseer of all the horses of His Majesty, he who gives satisfaction in the whole land, the favourite of the good god, the father of the god. Ay7, saith:
Thy rising is beautiful on the horizon of heaven, O living Aten, who dispensest life. (When) thou dawnest on the eastern horizon thou fiUest every land with thy beauty. Thou art splendid, great, radiant, uplifted above every land. Thy rays embrace the lands to the extent of all that thou hast made. Thou art Ra; thou bringest them after their number and subjectest them (to) thy beloved son. Thou art distant, but thy rays are on the earth. Thou art in (their) faces, and they watch (?) thy goings.
(When) thou settest on the western hoi'izon the earth is in darkness, in the likeness of death. They lie down in a chamber with their heads wrapped up; one eye seeth not its fellow. (Though) all their goods which are under their heads be taken from them, they know (it) not. Every lion Cometh forth from his den the serpents bite; (for) the darkness is (their) ambush. The land is in silence; (for) he who made them rests in his horizon.
When the land brightens, thou dawnest on the horizon and shinest as Aten of the daytime. Thou drivest away darkness. When thou sendest thy rays the Two Lands are in festival ; mortals (?) arise and stand upon (their) feet; (for) thou hast raised them up. They cleanse their limbs ; (and) take clothes ; their arms are (uplifted) in praise at thy rising; the whole land performs its labours. Animals of all kinds rest on their pastures; trees and herbage grow green ; birds flutter in their nests, their wings (outstretched) in praise to thy spirit. All cattle leap upon their feet, all manner of flying and fluttering things have life* when thou dawnest for them. The ships, too, go down and up the stream; (for) every road opens at thy rising. The fish in the rivers glide to greet thee; thy rays penetrate the deep sea, creating (too) issue in women and producing seed in mankind, giving life to the son in his mother's womb, soothing with that which stills his weeping, being a nurse within the womb, giving air in order to put life into all that He has made.
When he issues from the womb the day of his birth, thou openest his mouth duly (?) and suppliest his needs.
A young bird in the egg chirps within the shell, (for) thou givest to him an- inside it to impart life to him; thou givest to him his full form, so that he breaks it (the egg) from (within) the egg. (When) he comes forth from the egg he can chirp with all his might; he runs on his feet when he comes forth from it.
How manifold are the things which thou hast made! They are hidden from sight, O sole god, to whom none other is rival. Thou hast created them for thy heart (when) thou wast alone, mankind, cattle, all manner of animals, all that are upon earth going on foot, and as many as are aloft flying with their wings, the nations of Syria and Kush and the land" of Egypt. Thou assignest each man to his place, thou suppliest their needs (so that) each man has his sustenance, reckoning his term of life. Their tongues are diverse in speech ; their natures, and even their complexions, are distinct. (For thus) thou distinguishest the strange peoples.
Thou makest the Nile in the under-world and bringest it at thy pleasure to give life to mankind, as thou hast made them for thyself, their lord to the uttermost who is weary because of them, (as well as) the lord of every land, who dawns for them, the Aten of the daytime, great of awe.
As to every distant nation thou makest them to live. Thou hast set a Nile in heaven which descends for them and makes waves on the mountains like the great deep, moistening their fields in their settlements. How excellent are thy ways, Lord of Eternity ! Thou art a Nile in heaven for the strange nations and for all the wild beasts that go upon foot; (but) a Nile which issues from the under-world for Egypt. Thy rays nurse every field: when thou dawnest they live and thrive for thee.
Thou makest the seasons to foster all that thou hast made: the winter to cool them and the summer heat that they (?) may taste thee. Thou hast made the heaven afar off' in which to shine and look on all that thou hast made. Thou art one; but thou shinest in thy changing forms as the living Aten, rising, gleaming, becoming distant, approaching again (?). Thou didst make millions of formations out of thy single self — cities, villages, fields, road and river. All eyes see thee opposite them. Thou art Aten of the day-time aloft. When thou didst depart, when all men whose faces thou didst create that thou mightest not see [thine (?)] own self [alone ?]
(Though) thou art in my heart, there is none that knoweth thee other than thy son, IST. Thou hast caused him to be skilled in thy ways and thy power.
The land depends on thee, even as thou hast made them;
when thou dawnest they live,
when thou settest they die.
Thou in thyself art length of days;
life is from thee.
Eyes are (fixed) on (thy) beauties until thou settest;
(then) all labours are set aside.
Thou settest on the right8;
dawning, thou bringest weal (?) for the King. All who run upon foot, since ever thou laidest the foundations of the earth, thou hast raised up for thy son who went forth from thy body, the King of South and North, Nefer-klieperu-ra5, who lives on Truth, the lord of diadems, Akhenaten, great in his duration, (and for) the great wife of the King, whom he loves, Lady of the Two Lands, who lives and thrives for ever and ever.
1 Re-Horachti-Aton
Re [or Ra, the sun god in the original polytheistic system of the Egyptians],
Horachti [a form of the god Horus, worshiped as the god of light],
Re-Horachti [later merging of the two gods into a new god],
Aton,
meaning approximately "Re and Horachti, who are Aten"
2 Sedfest, an important ceremonial festival for Egyptian pharaohs to celebrate their reign, demonstrate their suitability, and reference their divine descent. It was typically held after 30 years in power, though sometimes earlier. After his 30th anniversary, Akhenaten's father celebrated the Sedfest every three years. Akhenaten continued this practice and held his first Sedfest after just 3 years
3 Achet-Aton, now Amarna. The new capital of Egypt founded by Akhenaten, abandoned after his death
4 The division of Upper and Lower Egypt refers to the different geography of the country along the Nile. In the north, the Nile fans out into the fertile Nile Delta before flowing into the Mediterranean. The south, on the other hand, is characterized by rocky desert land, which is only fertile in a narrow strip along the Nile. Historically, smaller kingdoms existed in both regions, which were united under the first pharaoh, Narmer. The Pschent, one of the traditional pharaonic crowns, recalls the unification of the two regions and consists of two crowns: the red crown of the north and the white crown of the south. Likewise, the symbolic animals of the vulture (south) and cobra (north), whose stylized heads were placed at the forehead of the crown
5 Nefer-Kheperu-Ra-Ua-En-Ra, the royal name of Akhenaten.
Nefer [beautiful, perfect]
Kheperu [appearances, manifestations],
Ra [or Re, the sun god in the original polytheistic system of the Egyptians],
Ua [his, is],
En [the, of],
Ra [or Re, the sun god in the original polytheistic system of the Egyptians],
meaning "The perfect manifestation of Ra, is he, [the one of] Ra"
6 Nefer-Neferu-Aton, the queen's name of Nefertiti.
Nefer [beautiful, perfect]
Neferu, plural of Nefer
Aton
meaning "beautiful beauties of Aten"
7 An earlier version of the name for Pharaoh Ay II., from whose tomb the hymn to Aten originates. He was a member of Akhenaten's court and, after the early death of Akhenaten's son Tutankhamun, became pharaoh himself
8 The fertile Nile was the center of Egyptian life. Their geographical worldview was based on the view from the Nile Delta towards the interior of the country, hence the sun sets to the right, in the west, and rises to the left, in the east
Thou hast made the heaven afar off' in which to shine and look on all that thou hast made. Thou art one.
Pharaoh Akhenaten
Akhenaten came from a venerable pharaonic dynasty that, 200 years earlier, had freed northern Egypt from the rule of the Hyksos and established the "New Kingdom." This dynasty came to an end a few years after Akhenaten's death. A distinctive feature of this dynasty was the increasing deification of the Pharaoh during his lifetime and the growing worship of the sun god Ra, which reached its peak under Akhenaten. To understand Akhenaten's Aten religion, it is essential to consider his family history. His father, Amenhotep III, in particular, had himself worshipped as the solar disk, which is translated into ancient Egyptian as "Aten."
The Dream Interpreter – Akhenaten's Grandfather
Akhenaten's grandfather, Pharaoh Thutmose IV, was visited by the sun god Ra in a dream. In this dream, Ra referred to him as his son and commanded him to uncover the Sphinx, which was buried in sand near the pyramids of Giza. To commemorate this mystical experience, Thutmose IV erected a stone tablet between the paws of the Sphinx, which remains there to this day (the so-called Dream Stele). Thutmose IV subsequently avoided mentioning Amun, the then "King of the Gods," and increasingly turned his devotion to the sun god Ra. The structures he built were adorned with sun symbolism dedicated to Ra.
The Sun King – Akhenaten's Father
Akhenaten's father, Amenhotep III, intensified the sun cult centered on Ra, whom he worshipped in his manifestation as the solar disk. His actions significantly influenced Akhenaten's new religion.
Amenhotep III was Egypt’s greatest builder up to that time. Among his most famous constructions was the mortuary temple dedicated to him in Thebes, which was the largest temple complex in the world at the time. Today, only the 18-meter-tall Colossi of Memnon, originally part of the temple’s entrance, remain. For his queen, Tiye, he had a massive artificial lake constructed, measuring 1,500 x 500 meters, which she could sail for her enjoyment. All his constructions were dedicated to Ra.
As Ra’s chosen one, Amenhotep III identified himself with the solar disk, considered himself of the same essence, and adopted its titles. The term "solar disk" translates to "Aten" in ancient Egyptian. Amenhotep’s palace was named "Palace of the Gleaming Solar Disk," and statues representing the number of days in the year lined the path to it. The Pharaoh referred to himself as the "Gleaming Solar Disk of All Lands," and vassals of subjugated territories were required to address him as "My Sun." The lake built for his wife Tiye was traversed by a royal barge named the "Barge of the Gleaming Solar Disk" (The Egyptians believed that the solar disk sailed across the heavens on a barge).
Amenhotep III always presented himself as the embodiment of solar power in all its manifestations, a concept that was particularly evident during traditional throne jubilee celebrations. The "Sed festivals," held on the 30th anniversary of a king’s reign, were meant to demonstrate the Pharaoh’s continued capacity to rule. Amenhotep’s festival took place in Thebes, the traditional capital of the god-king Amun, where the Karnak Temple, the most significant temple of ancient Egypt, was located on the eastern side of the city, divided by the Nile. Specifically for this festival, the Pharaoh had massive artificial harbors excavated on both sides of the Nile, each measuring 800 x 150 meters. These harbors are now silted up or built over, but their outlines and the mounds of debris from the western harbor remain visible from the air today. On the western side of the Nile stood Amenhotep’s mortuary temple, rising on an unprecedented scale against the backdrop of the Valley of the Kings. During the jubilee celebrations, the Pharaoh donned golden clothing, boarded a solar barge, and had himself rowed from one harbor to the other. This act would have made him appear as the sun itself in the eyes of his subjects. Without a doubt, Akhenaten, his successor, witnessed this highly influential spectacle.
The Emancipated One – Akhenaten's Mother
Even in private life, Amenhotep III can be seen as a spiritual role model for Akhenaten. Amenhotep III regarded Queen Tiye as his divine counterpart and endowed her with significant power. She, like him, had the authority to issue decrees and, what was absolutely unusual, could also act as an independent representative of Egypt in foreign affairs, which until then had been the exclusive privilege of the Pharaoh. As the Amarna Letters show, Tiye maintained her significant role even after the death of Amenhotep.
Aten Religion
Images of Aten
Aten is always depicted as a circle, at the lower edge of which is a Uraeus snake. The Uraeus snake refers to an upright cobra, as seen in the various crowns of the Pharaoh. Originally, the Uraeus was the symbolic animal of Lower Egypt, the region of the Nile Delta in northern Egypt. Over time, it became increasingly associated with the sun god Ra, symbolizing power and protection.
From the Aten circle, rays extend downward, reaching the people below. The number of rays can vary, as can the angle between the two outermost rays. At the ends of the rays are stylized hands, touching whatever they encounter.
The depiction of Aten is also associated with the Ankh symbol, the hieroglyph for "life." It is often placed directly beneath the Aten circle. Additionally, where the rays of Aten touch the noses of living beings, the rays hold an Ankh symbol in their hands. This points to the life-giving power of Aten, who breathes life into them.

Akhenaten wears a blue crown (Khepresh), a symbol of his earthly power. Nefertiti wears a feathered crown with a solar disk. Their daughter, to the left of Nefertiti, is likely holding a sistrum, an ancient rattle. Here too, the rays of Aten are associated with the Ankh symbol, which appears above the noses and directly beneath the Aten circle

Akhenaten – Son of God
Akhenaten refers to himself in the Hymn to Aten as the son of Aten, and this is meant quite literally. Akhenaten is thus the son of the god and, on earth, his only legitimate representative of the new faith. At the same time, he reinterprets his biological father as an abstract, god-like being who is both one and all. His own Sed festivals (throne jubilees), which he held every three years, were staged to honor his father Aten. The father had become the sun and continued to rule for eternity. Since the sun is indeed responsible for all processes related to life on earth, the personification of God as the sun is a natural choice.
It is debated whether Akhenaten was truly a follower of his religion, or if the introduction of the Aten faith merely served his political purposes. The new faith gave him the theological justification to disempower and dispossess the very powerful priesthood of Amun, making him one of the most powerful pharaohs politically.
On the other hand, the Aten faith emerged shortly after a period in which Egypt, under Thutmose III, had reached its greatest territorial expansion. In this context, the claim of an all-encompassing god is a spiritual continuation of the worldly empire.
The fact that the Aten faith was closely tied to the personal worship of Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti, and the brutal persecution of his opponents, raises doubts about the sincerity of his proclamation of a benevolent, gentle god. On the other hand, only a pharaoh was capable of enforcing such a profound religious revolution in ancient Egypt, as only he could confront the naturally arising resistance of the traditionalists. Since a pharaoh, in the people’s view, was a living god and difficult to eliminate, it was a shrewd move by Akhenaten to tie the new faith so closely to his own person in order to gain broad acceptance.

Akhenaten wears the insignia of a pharaoh: a crown with a vulture symbolizing Upper Egypt, the pharaoh’s beard, and in his hands, a whip and a shepherd's crook. Typical of depictions of Akhenaten are his elongated head, prominent chin, and feminine chest formation, likely signs of a medical condition. After the death of the heretic pharaoh, his memory was largely erased

The bust of Akhenaten's chief queen was discovered in 1912 by the German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt, who was leading the excavations in Amarna at the time. It is possible that the bust is a modern forgery commissioned by Borchardt, who was under pressure to produce successful finds due to his excavations in Egypt

The son of Akhenaten and presumably Nefertiti was born as Tutankhaten. After his father's death, he abolished the worship of Aten, restored the old gods, and changed his name. He died at around 20 years of age for unknown reasons. His golden funerary mask was discovered in 1921 by the British archaeologist Howard Carter
The Holy Family
The depiction of Aten is almost always associated with Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The often seated parents, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, play with their children, caress and cuddle them, always accompanied by Aten, who appears as a heavenly presence above them. For the first time, Egyptian rulers are depicted in such affectionate and private scenes.
Novel was also the depiction of Nefertiti. She is shown as completely equal to her husband. To further emphasize her unique position, she wears a crown specially created for her, which no Egyptian queen had worn before or after her. She is also the first queen of a pharaoh to be depicted striking down the (female) enemies of Egypt, a representation that had previously been reserved solely for pharaohs. In this sense, she appears masculinized.
Similarly, Akhenaten is not only shown with the traditionally male symbols of a pharaoh, such as the whip and crook. Statues often depict him in a feminized form, with enlarged breasts, symbolizing a nurturing mother. However, it may also be an accurate representation, indicating a medical condition of Akhenaten. Akhenaten is always accompanied by the Aten, who is seen as a co-regent above him in wall paintings and reliefs.

Above the noses of Akhenaten and the child in his arms, as well as above Nefertiti's nose, the rays of Aten hold the Ankh symbol. It also appears directly beneath the circle symbolizing Aten

Akhenaten is seated on a stool on the left. In front of him is the eldest daughter, Meritaten, to whom a piece of jewelry is being presented. On the right is Nefertiti with the daughters Meketaten and Ankhesenpaaton (later Ankhesenamun). The rays of Aten are again associated with the Ankh symbol, which appears above the noses and beneath the Aten circle
The capital Akhetaten
In his 5th year of reign, Akhenaten left the traditional royal seats in Memphis and Thebes and founded a new capital, which he named Akhetaten ('Horizon of Aten', today Amarna). Akhetaten is located in a semicircular valley east of the Nile, surrounded by nearly vertical cliffs. Akhenaten chose this site because
- Akhenaten was led there by Aten himself
- the location was roughly halfway between Memphis and Thebes
- it was an undeveloped area
- no local god had been worshipped in the sparsely populated area before.
In massive inscriptions that Akhenaten had erected at the ends of the cliffs around Akhetaten, he elaborated further on this.
The city itself was designed as a planned city for 50,000 inhabitants. As a result, Akhetaten was meant to become the largest city in Egypt at the time. Construction began in Akhenaten's fifth year and was completed within three years. The short construction period was made possible by smaller, more manageable stones ("Talatat": 50cm x 25cm x 25cm), which replaced the typical towering stones used previously.
In the city, there was a large palace district to the north with barracks and houses for the servants, and to the south, another palace where the Pharaoh resided during the day. Opposite this, there was a large temple dedicated to Aten, with residential houses for the city's inhabitants surrounding it.
Akhetaten only existed for 12 years. After Akhenaten's death, the city was completely abandoned, and later rulers used the stones from the site as raw materials for their own building projects. As a result, very little of the original city remains today.
Worship of Light – Religious Practice
Since the memory of Akhenaten and his god Aten was largely erased, very little is known about the religion. Apart from Akhenaten's Hymn to Aten, a few surviving stelae, reliefs, and artworks, the ruins of the city of Amarna are an important testament to this period. Nevertheless, the Aten faith can generally be characterized as monotheistic.
The prominent position of Aten among the many gods of ancient Egypt was first introduced by Akhenaten's father, Amenhotep III, who had himself worshipped as the solar disk (ancient Egyptian "Aten"). Before that, Aten had only been a locally worshipped deity. With the death of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, he ascended to the sky and was thereafter worshipped as the god Aten by his son.
The attributes that the Hymn to Aten ascribes to the god characterize him, beyond the solar nature belief, as "One." That is, he is everything, and everything is from him. The Aten faith is therefore strictly monotheistic.
Aten, Akhenaten, and Nefertiti are often depicted together. This triad refers to the tradition of the mythical account of the creation of the world, as it was passed down in Heliopolis. The "City of the Sun" was the regional origin of the sun cult in ancient Egypt. According to this tradition, the primordial god Atum (god of light, not to be confused with Aten) created himself from the primeval waters of Nun, and then created the first pair of gods, Shu (air) and Tefnut (fire). Akhenaten's religion was intended to return to this beginning, in which he saw the paradisiacal primordial state of the universe. The Aten faith refers to this primordial state after creation and deliberately plays with the triad of Atum (Aten), Shu (Akhenaten), and Tefnut (Nefertiti). However, Akhenaten remained the sole mediator of his doctrine. There, all that has eyes sees the sun, but only he, Akhenaten, recognizes the god Aten in its workings.
Aten reveals himself through his constant presence as the solar disk and, most notably, through his eternal visible workings from sunrise to sunrise. In contrast to the god of the Bible, he does not speak. A story of the creation of life by Aten is not preserved. There are no heavenly hosts, no angels, no demons, or other intermediary beings, only the prophet of the new faith, Akhenaten, who acts as the mediator between the people and Aten. The Aten faith has no ethical dimension, and no specific rules or behavior codes are known for honoring him. There are no magical rituals or ceremonies. The teachings on life after death were not fundamentally changed. Only the traditionally named "Ba," the spirited soul, continued to exist after the death of the body as a spiritual being in Akhet-Aten, a heavenly city.
Aten is a living god. In contrast to the old gods, he cannot be worshipped as a dead statue. Therefore, his temples have no roofs, and the courtyards of the temples are open, as the rays of Aten are omnipresent. Akhenaten saw himself as the earthly herald of Aten, without neglecting the emphasis on his own divinity as his son. Since Aten was almighty and omnipresent, and in order not to diminish his own power, Akhenaten emphasized Aten's role as co-regent. Aten, like Akhenaten, was king over Egypt.
To honor Aten, Akhenaten celebrated the daily rebirth of the sun and, thereby, of life, through royal outings. He drove daily in his solar chariot from the palace in the north to the temple district in the center of the city, cheered on by his people. The symbolism corresponded to the wandering sun, which he embodied as its prophet. This daily procession replaced the previously known god-processions for the old gods. Furthermore, it was common to set up a home altar with statues of Akhenaten and Nefertiti to call upon them as intermediaries between the worshiper and Aten, so that their wishes could be fulfilled. For those who could not afford a home altar, there were public chapels where the divine triad of Aten, Akhenaten, and Nefertiti could be worshipped. Akhenaten and Nefertiti, through the familial character of their depictions, emphasized a home-centered ethical ideal.
Aten is not above all gods, but instead, he is instead of all gods. According to the radically new logic of one single god, no other gods could be worshipped anymore. Although the Aten religion and the old gods still coexisted, the old priests were increasingly dismissed, the old temples were deprived of resources, and eventually, they were entirely closed. Subsequently, gods like Horus and Ra were occasionally reinterpreted as manifestations of Aten, but fundamentally, the traditional cults were eventually banned, and their followers were brutally persecuted. Words like "gods" could no longer be mentioned. In the later years of Akhenaten's reign, a state-sponsored, nationwide iconoclasm was conducted, aimed at erasing the memory of the old gods. Changes in names of individuals who had references to the old gods can also be traced during this time.
Although there was great pressure on the people to confess their faith in Aten, many still held on to the old gods privately, as the myths associated with them were deeply rooted in popular belief.
Aten Persecution and Damnatio Memoriae
After the death of Akhenaten, the old religious order was restored, and the memory of him was almost completely erased. The "Damnatio Memoriae" (Latin for "Damnation of Memory") is responsible for the fact that today very little is known about Akhenaten and his god Aten. This condemnation of memory was a meticulous administrative process carried out with great precision. Essentially, it meant that all traces of Akhenaten and his worship of the god Aten were systematically removed: evacuation of the city Akhetaten, which Akhenaten had founded, destruction of statues of Akhenaten, removal of inscriptions about him (where possible), destruction of images and documents, and prohibition of mentions in chronicles. Akhenaten was referred to as "the one whose name must not be spoken." Akhenaten’s significant role only became clearer in 1921 with the discovery of the tomb of his son Tutankhamun, when many of the artifacts found there referenced Akhenaten and his god Aten.
Akhenaten's Tomb
Akhenaten's tomb itself was identified in 1907 (KV55). Given Akhenaten's radical religious zeal, it is surprising on one hand that his tomb was not desecrated by his successors, and on the other hand, that it was equipped according to traditional rites. For example, there were Ushebti figures, small wooden figurines that were meant to serve him in the afterlife, bringing him back to life after death. Additionally, there was a bowl from Pharaoh Khafre, the builder of one of the three pyramids at Giza and also the builder of the Sphinx. Khafre had already been dead for 1,000 years at the time of Akhenaten's death. Also noteworthy are four statues of Akhenaten's wife Nefertiti, placed at the four corners of his stone sarcophagus. Nefertiti had similar privileges at the royal court as Teje, Akhenaten's mother. She was probably his co-regent and, immediately after his death, succeeded him as Pharaoh Semenkhkara, ruling for another three years until she also passed away. The four statues on Akhenaten's sarcophagus emphasize her outstanding significance.
Tutankhamun – Akhenaten's Son
Akhenaten's son was the later Pharaoh Tutankhamun, who was originally born as Tutankhaten.
- Tut-Anch-Aton means 'Image of the living Aten'
- Tut-Anch-Amun, on the other hand, means 'Image of the living Amun.'
Amun was, in Egyptian mythology, the god of creation and life force, and at that time "King of the Gods." By changing his name, Tutankhamun wanted to express respect for the old gods and restore the previous religious order. It is possible that the young Pharaoh acted under the pressure of his advisors. Tutankhamun died at around 20 years of age for unknown reasons. He may have been the victim of a court intrigue, but a CT scan of his mummy carried out in the 2000s revealed that while he showed signs of injury, he could not have died from them. He became famous primarily for his tomb, discovered in 1921, which had been spared by grave robbers and revealed an unprecedented wealth of ancient Egyptian treasures.
Ankhesenamun and the End of the Dynasty
Tutankhamun was married to his sister Ankhesenamun. As the widow of a Pharaoh and the daughter of Akhenaten, her new husband had a claim to the throne. In an unprecedented action, she wrote a letter to the Hittite king Šuppiluliuma I. (modern-day Turkey). She stated that she did not want to marry any of her subjects and requested that a Hittite prince be sent to her as a husband. Prince Zannanza died on this journey under unknown circumstances. Ankhesenamun then married the much older Egyptian court official Ay II, who had likely already served as a court official under her grandfather. After the marriage, she is no longer mentioned. With her, a family dynasty of about 200 years on the pharaonic throne came to an end.

On the backrest, Aten is depicted with a symbolic circle from which stylized rays extend

Tutankhamun (formerly Tutankhaten) on a throne, with his sister and later wife Ankhesenamun (formerly Ankhesenaten) in front of him. Tutankhamun abolished the worship of Aten shortly after assuming the throne and changed his name to Tutankhamun. As a result, the word "Aten" was replaced by "Amun" throughout the throne. Tutankhamun is wearing a particularly intricately designed Hemhem crown, a special form of the Atef crown, which became especially well-known through this depiction
The temples of the gods stood abandoned from Elephantine to the swamps of the Delta, on the verge of falling apart. Their sanctuaries were on the brink of decay, having become mounds of rubble, overgrown with thistles. Their chapels seemed as if they had never existed, and their temple complexes were just pathways. The land was afflicted with severe illness, and the gods had turned their backs on this land. When soldiers were sent to Syria to expand the borders of Egypt, they were unsuccessful. When a god was called upon to ask for something, he did not come. When a goddess was worshipped, she did not come either. Their hearts had become weak within their bodies, for they had destroyed what had been created.
Sources
Norman de Garis Davies, The Rock Tombs of El-Amarna Part VI, Tombs of Parennefer, Tutu and Aÿ, Chapter IV Hymns and Prayers, 1908
Sandro Vannini, Tutankhamun - The Journey Through the Underworld, Taschen (2020)
Jan Assmann, Moses the Egyptian: Deciphering a Trace of Memory, Fischer (2000)
Highly recommended
Toby Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, Pantheon (2015)
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