Amenhotep IV: The Pharaoh with Only One God

Following the death of Amenhotep the III, Amenhotep the IV took the throne.  This was the beginning of one of the  strangest periods in the history of Ancient Egypt.

Amenhotep IV

 Prince Amenhotep IV had been sickly from birth, with a disease that caused a bloated stomach, large hips and a rather feminine figure.  Today’s historians think it could have been a disease called Marfan’s syndrome, though they cannot be sure as his body has never been verified.  We know how he looked from the carvings and sculptures of him.  But this in itself is rather strange- before the time of Amenhotep, Pharaohs were always drawn with a perfect body, no matter how fat or ugly they really were.  But Amenhotep did something that no pharaoh had ever done before-  he asked his artists to depict him as he was.  And instead of having himself drawn as a god-like figure defeating enemies, he asked to be shown doing things he actually did, like cuddling his children or eating lunch.  To do this, Amenhotep must have had a very original and artistic mind,  and just perhaps he knew that he wasn’t a god, and therefore should not be drawn as one.  

This was not all that was strange about Amenhotep.  He was also monotheistic, which is extraordinary indeed for someone who had been brought up his whole life believing in many gods.  Egyptians in particular have a great deal of them, from great gods such as Ra to the minor gods such as Ament, Greeter of the Dead, and Mafdet, goddess of Scorpions and Snakes!

There are a few theories as to why Amenhotep neglected the beliefs of his forefathers. One is that when Amenhotep IV was young, there was conflict between his father, Pharaoh Amenhotep III,  and some of his priests.  It is thought that as a result, Pharaoh created a new god, Aton (which is the literal disk of the sun- the Egyptian’s main god, Ra, was thought to ride across the sky using the Aton as his chariot).

A carving of Akhenaten, showing his bloated hips and unusual figure.

Anyway, whether his father devised it or not, Amenhotep started to grow more and more devoted to Aton. He even changed his name to Akhenaten, which means, roughly, “devoted to Aton.”  Akhenaten ordered all temples to other gods destroyed, and had temples to Aten put up in their stead. The people of Egypt, especially the priests, were utterly furious.  How dare this pharaoh decide who they were allowed to worship? The people, most likely fearing the wrath of the gods, worshipped their old idols in secret.  Also, because of Akhenaten's new style of art, people found it hard to take him seriously- pharaohs were supposed to be godlike beings who crushed enemies, not normal people like themselves.  Then, to top it all off, Akhenaten decided to have a new city built for himself, away from his hometown, Thebes.  He named it the “Horizon of Aten,” and he lived there for the rest of his life.
 
What could cause this sudden turning-upside down of everything egyptians had always believed?  Akhenaten had been raised to believe in many gods.  Surely he could not have just thrown them all away, with no inspiration whatsoever!

 I think it is possible (and I’m not alone in this) that that Akhenaten was inspired by the One True God. The Jews often had dealings with egypt, and it is highly likely that Akhenaten met one.  It is even thought by some that he could have been Joseph’s pharaoh! Of course, Akhenaten may not have been a true follower of God-- he may have been only inspired by the idea of one god.

Of course, historians don’t believe in the One True God- they say that Akhenaten was simply unique, and even suggest that it was he that inspired Moses.  But, as I said in my last article, archaeology has its limits, and different people have different interpretation.  In fact, during my research of Akhenaten, it was hard to know who to believe, as each person who wrote about Akhenaten had a slightly different story to tell.  

   

 Akhenaten with his wife, Nefertiti, and three of their children.

|| “Be thou incapable of change in that which is right, and men will rely upon thee. Establish unto thyself principles of action; and see that thou ever act according to them. First know that thy principles are just, and then be thou.” - Akhénaton* ||
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*"Thy Quotes-Brainy Quote"

The Limitations of Archaeology

From gunpowder to brushes

Archaeology is undeniably wonderful - without it, we would know very little of the past deeds and customs of this world. We wouldn’t have a clue what ancient people used for tools, why Egyptian people bothered to mummify the dead, how cave-people survived, or what the Romans ate.  The past would be a misty memory, of which only a few books could, to some extent, elucidate.

It seems that archaeology has been around forever, but in fact it is a fairly new science.

When Pompeii was discovered in the 1700’s, archaeology was still in its infancy.   Though, of course, most of the archaeologists loved history, they hadn’t learnt how to care for ancient artifacts.  They sometimes used methods such as gunpowder to excavate, and often sold artifacts to use as decorations.  Because of this, a good many artifacts were lost or accidentally destroyed.
I read a story once of a farmer who found a huge collection of Ancient Egyptian mummified cats in his field.  Some were sold by children for pennies, but most were burnt down to use as fertilizer.  You can imagine the distress of today’s archaeologists at such a loss!

These days, great care is taken when excavating.  Instead of gunpowder, tools like brushes and small spades are used.  The site of the dig is carefully made into a grid with string, and dirt is sifted through a sieve-like instrument to make sure nothing is missed.  And except for   research purposes, artifacts are left in their original location.

Through archaeology, many things have been found to prove the truth of biblical records.  For instance, it is known that many ancient tribes have a worldwide flood story, and also that many word-of-mouth bloodlines go back to three forefathers, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, though sometimes they have different names.  And when I read Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green, I was surprised as to how similar the Egyptian tale of creation was to the biblical account.  Though warped, the story of Creation, handed down through generations, was still there.  The Egyptians also believed that their god Osiris would one day come back from the Land of the Dead and rule on earth, which is very similar to God’s promise!

The word “proof” is used too often

Archaeology shows us what it was like to live thousands of years ago.  But many things can never be proved, so to speak, by archaeology.   Conclusions can be come to, but in many cases, what these conclusions will be depends on the personal interpretation of the archaeologist.

For example, the city of Troy.  Most have heard the tale of the Trojan horse, which is based on Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad.   Back in the 19th century, most scholars thought Troy was merely a myth.  Then along came a man called Heinrich Schliemann, who was passionate believer in Homer’s poem.  Heinrich gave up his flourishing business to search for Troy, and, using clues in the poem, discovered it. The scholarly world was amazed.  Because Heinrich was biased, he was able to find something that was considered a myth.

Years later, further excavations were done on Troy by someone else.  He declared that he had “proof” that the city wasn’t Troy at all.  So once again there is disagreement over its existence.

Facts are interpreted in the view of the particular archaeologist.  One might find a dish and say it was specially made for a king, another might say it was stolen by a pirate. In the end, one must realize that most things cannot really be proved unless it has been seen.

Some archaeologists have tried to prove -or contradict- biblical events with archaeology.  It was apparently proved that the city of Jericho was nonexistent, until further research led to the belief that it did.  It seems that facts change about every 50 years, when someone else comes along with different interpretation and better technology.

What with all this controversy, it’s hard to know what to believe.  In the end, what the Bible says is the real truth, and it can be trusted no matter what anyone else says.  One writer put it this way:  “a faith that provides truth is much to be preferred over a research program that does not.”  And I think he’s hit the nail right on the head.

(my picture)

Book Reviews (3)

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

By Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance

Plot: The tale of a slave girl who, through many adventures and hardships, finds love and freedom.

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*warning- spoiler alert!*

Though Mara was a slave girl, she looked more like a queen, with her stately bearing and bright blue eyes. She was quick witted, being able to speak two languages, and both read and write egyptian.

Mara was clever, but she was also selfish. Other people were of little importance to her. Her life of hardship and neglect had taught her the message she constantly reminded herself of: “take care of yourself, my girl.  No one else will.”  Her master often beat her unmercifully, but she had an unbreakable spirit, and remained fiercely defiant of her rights.

Then one day, after an escapade in the town square where she cleverly filched some bread from a baker’s boy,  Mara was unexpectedly bought from her cruel owner.

At this time, Queen Hatshepsut was ruling Egypt.  McGraw was obviously of the opinion that she was a terrible ruler -selfish, cruel, and wrapped up in her own affairs, instead of taking care of her country.  There were many people who disliked “His Majesty Herself,” and would be glad to get rid of her, and put the rightful heir, Thutmose the III, back on the throne.

Mara’s new master was an agent of the queen, who was trying to find and destroy one association of people in particular who were planning a rebellion.  He needed a clever young slave to work for him, and, after seeing her cleverness with the baker boy, had decided on Mara.

With a heavy gold chain in her fingers and the promise of rewards ringing in her ears,  visions of palaces, riches, and most of all freedom floated before Mara’s eyes, and she agreed to go to Thebes to act as an interpreter, and thus gain information.  If she were to give anything away, or use the gold to her own advantage, her death was assured.

Throughout the tale, Mara had many difficulties to overcome.  Her quick mind, combined with a tongue untainted by the rule “thou shalt not lie” meat that she could always weasel her way out of sticky situations.  No-one had ever been able to match her skill... and then she met Sheftu.

Mara had known the mysterious and charming Sheftu for a few days when she found out that  was a member of the very organization she was supposed to be putting an end to.  Always one step ahead, Sheftu (who believed her to be an escaped slave) employed her to work for him!  Now a double agent, Mara decided that instead of betraying Sheftu, she would play the game of both masters.

As the storyline continues to twist and turn, Mara befriended many who were in league with Thutmose, such as Sheftu’s old nurse, and my especial pet, Nekonkh the riverman.  Slowly, Mara began to love the people of her nation, and to believe in Sheftu’s scheme- for Egypt was falling to pieces under the reign of Hatshepsut. And most of all, Mara realized she loved Sheftu.

Then one terrible night Mara’s double nature was discovered, and she was captured by Hatshepsut. Even with promises of her lifelong wishes, freedom and riches, Mara chose to endure terrible torture rather than give her friends away, and proved herself truly worthy of Sheftu’s love.