HistoryThe New Kingdom

Akhenaten and Amarna

Akhenaten made the Aten, the sun disk, the center of worship, closed temples of other gods and built a new capital at Amarna.

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Amenhotep III's son came to the throne as Amenhotep IV (c. 1352 BC). Within five years he had changed his name, his capital and the religion of the state. Few reigns in Egyptian history are so much studied and so much argued about.

Key idea

Akhenaten made the Aten, the disk of the sun, the center of worship, closed or neglected the temples of other gods, had the name of Amun cut out of monuments, and built a new capital at Amarna (Akhetaten, "Horizon of the Aten").
Amarna in Middle Egypt, about halfway between Memphis and Thebes, on land not sacred to any other god.

What changed

  • The name: Amenhotep ("Amun is content") became Akhenaten, often explained as "effective for the Aten".
  • The god: the Aten was shown as a sun disk whose rays end in hands, some holding the sign of life to the king and queen.
  • The city: Akhetaten was built quickly on empty land, marked out by boundary stelae.
  • Other gods: Amun's name and images were hacked out; temples lost support.
  • Art: royal figures were shown in a new style, with long faces and curving bodies, and in intimate family scenes.

Why it works

The sun had always been central to Egyptian religion, and the Aten was already honored under Amenhotep III. Akhenaten went much further, putting one divine power above and in place of the others. Historians still discuss his motives: religious conviction, a wish to reduce the power of Amun's priesthood, or both.

Was it monotheism?

Some scholars call Akhenaten's religion the first monotheism, worship of a single god. Others object. The Aten could be approached through the king and his family: people prayed to the royal family, and the king called himself the only one who truly knew the Aten. Some older gods were still tolerated for a while. So scholars debate whether "monotheism" is the right word, and many prefer to describe it in its own terms. The Great Hymn to the Aten, carved in a tomb at Amarna, shows its vision: one sun god who creates and sustains every land and creature.

The Amarna Period: Akhenaten's reign and the years after it.

Worked example: Reading the evidence

At Amarna, people kept small shrines with images of the royal family worshipping the Aten. What does that suggest?
  1. Ordinary people were not shown worshipping the Aten directly.
  2. Instead they honored the king and queen, who worshipped the Aten.
  3. So the king stood between the god and the people, a point in the monotheism debate.

Answer: The royal family acted as the link between the Aten and everyone else.

Common mistake

Calling Akhenaten's religion simple monotheism. Scholars debate the word: the king himself held a special place between the Aten and the people, and the change did not outlast him. Present it as a debate, with both views.
Amarna art and its meaning are explored in Religion, Art and Architecture.

Practice

Pass with 3 right answers, the last 2 in a row. Each right answer earns 2 XP.

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Sources and further reading

  • Ian Shaw, ed., The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 2000), ch. 10, The Amarna Period and the Later New Kingdom
  • Wikipedia, "Akhenaten"
  • Wikipedia, "Atenism"
  • Wikipedia, "Great Hymn to the Aten"
  • Wikipedia, "Amarna"
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