HIST 025 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Indus River, Akhenaten, Kiya
6 Oct 2020
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Tried to initiate the worship of a new god, aten (aton) an ancient designation for the physical sun. He and his wife, nefertiti, espoused monotheism. Moved capital to new city of amarna. Aten had no physical shape, but was to be conceived in terms of the life-giving warming rays of the sun. Aten was a universal god and there were no others (unity) Aten was the author of the moral order and rewarded those with integrity (righteousness) Masses still devoted to the old gods. No connection with the past (egypt lives with its past) Fanaticism and persecution of atenists went against millennia of tolerant polytheism. Struck at the power and livelihood of the now outlawed priests of the other gods. Brief reign of smenkhkare, whose gender is not known (arguments range from nefertiti or kiya, the royal spouses or his daughter by nefertiti or his half-brother or even a priest)
