Ancient Egyptian Religion: To Monotheism And Back Again

Madeline Jackson

Mr. Yoder

6th Period Honors World History

26 April 2023

To Monotheism and Back Again Contrary to what one may believe, Ancient Egyptian religion was not always polytheistic. For almost all of ancient times, there was a god or goddess for everything one could think of, each with his/her own stories and powers. But, for a short time, about twenty years, in a period known as the Amarna Period, religion would transform completely. Pharaoh Akhenaten would raise his chosen god to be the only one, while other areas would also experience change. In art, figures would be depicted imperfectly and in more informal settings (Gore). The capital would be moved twice, once to a completely new city. And because of his actions, Akhenaten would

Of the multitudes of Egyptian deities at the time of Akhenaten’s ascension to power, Amun, the king of gods, was the most revered because pharaohs accredited him with their success and funded many temples (Thompson). On the other hand, Aten was a minor deity and one of many representations of the sun. In fact, the first time he gained promotion was under the previous pharaoh, Amenhotep III (Dodson 3). Yet even under Amenhotep III, who had begun to make the pharaoh more divine, Aten was beneath Amun; however, this would change with his son Akhenaten. And under his reign, Aten would become the center of a religion known as Atenism, where no other god existed, and even Amun could not compete with his status.

Within Atenism, Aten was also responsible for creating and providing for all life while capable of being worshiped by all. Atenism existed for a short time, about twenty years at the most, and consisted of few written texts. As a result, the exact workings of the religion are unknown. However, there is a surviving hymn that details some of the beliefs of Atenism. This hymn, “Akhenaton’s Great Hymn to the Aten,” details Aten’s powers. He is described to have “created the world according to . . . [his] desire” (“Akhenaton’s” VII. 4-5). These lines support that he was a creator god. In addition, the hymn

Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt : Her Life and Afterlife. The American University in Cairo Press, 2020. http://proxygsu-psgw.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=https:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2906959&site=eds-live Figure 68 (Nefertiti Smites an Enemy) in Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife, by Aidan Dodson, The American University in Cairo Press, 2020, p.61. http://proxygsu-psgw.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2906959&site=eds-live. Accessed 15 Feb. 2023.

Gore, Rick. “Pharaohs of the Sun. (Cover Story).” National Geographic, vol. 199, no. 4, Apr. 2001, p. 34. EBSCOhost, http://proxygsu-psgw.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=https:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=4251380&site=eds-live.

Mark, Joshua J. “Horemheb.” World History Encyclopedia, 22 Apr. 2014, https://www.world history.org/Horemheb/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2023.

Thompson, Stephen E. “Akhenaten’s Religious Reforms.” Calliope, vol. 5, no. 1, Sept. 1994, p.

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“Tutankhamun.” Wikipedia, 18 Feb 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun. Accessed

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