Akhenaten Part 1

Akhenaten, also spelled as Akhenaton, Ikhnaton, and Khuenaten (meaning “Effective for Aten”), was known as Amenhotep IV (sometimes given its Greek form, Amenophis IV, and meaning “Amun is Satisfied”) before the fifth year of his reign. He was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt who ruled for 17 years, possibly passing away in 1336 BC or 1334 BC. He is particularly recognized for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten, which can be described as either monotheistic or henotheistic. An early inscription compares the Aten to the sun relative to the stars, and later official language refrains from referring to the Aten as a god, attributing to the solar deity a status surpassing that of mere gods.

While Akhenaten attempted to implement a departure from traditional religion, his efforts were ultimately not embraced. Following his death, traditional religious practices were gradually reestablished. About a dozen years later, when rulers without clear succession rights from the Eighteenth Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors. In archival records, Akhenaten himself is often referred to as “the enemy” or “that criminal”.