Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt

Akhenaten was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. He is especially noted for attempting to compel the Egyptian population in the monotheistic worship of Aten. He was born to Amenhotep III and his Chief Queen Tiye and was their younger son. Akhenaten was not originally designated as the successor to the throne until the untimely death of his older brother, Thutmose. Amenhotep IV succeeded his father after Amenhotep III's death at the end of his 38-year reign. Akhenaten's chief wife was Nefertiti, made world-famous by the discovery of her exquisitely moulded & painted bust, now displayed in the Altes Museum of Berlin. Known as the Heretic King, Akhenaten lived at the peak of Egypt's imperial glory. Workers built hundreds of temples along the Nile river to pay homage to the Gods. They believed that if the Gods were pleased, Egypt would prosper. Akhenaten & his family lived in the great religious center of Thebes, city of the God Amun. There were thousands of priests who served the Gods. Religion was the 'business' of the time. Scientists are studying the fact that Akhenaten suffered from a disease called Marfan Syndrome, a genetic defect that damages the body's connective tissue. Symptoms include, short torso, long head, neck, arms, hand and feet, pronounced collarbones, pot belly, heavy thighs, and poor muscle tone. Akhenaten's reign lasted 16 years. Akhenaten initiated religious reforms, where the polytheism of Egypt was to be supplanted by monotheism centered around Aten, the god of the solar disc. He proscribed the cult of Amun, closed the god's temples, took over the revenues. He then sent his officials around to destroy Amun's statues & to desecrate the worship sites. These actions were so shocking to the established religious leaders that opposition arose against him.