Ruler
Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV)
King of the Eighteenth Dynasty
c. 1352 – 1336 BCE
Approximate regnal dates after Shaw (2000).
Biography
He began his reign as Amenhotep IV, then changed his name, made the sun disc, the Aten, the centre of official religion, and founded a new capital at Amarna. After his death traditional religion returned and his city was abandoned.
Key facts
Certainty: Debated
Was Akhenaten’s religion monotheism? Scholars disagree: the Aten was raised above other gods, and Amun’s temples were closed and his name erased.
Scholarly note: Some call it monotheism; others prefer terms such as the exclusive worship of one favoured god.
- Barry Kemp (2012) “The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People” Thames & Hudson, London
- Ian Shaw (ed.) (2000) “The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt” Oxford University Press