Akhenaten's Religious Revolution

In his article, “Akhenaten: Egyptian Pharaoh, Nefertiti’s Husband, Tut’s Father”, Jarus mentions that the Akhenaten was the son of Amenhotep III and his wife Queen Tiye. According to his article, “Akhenaten was a pharaoh who reigned over the Egypt for about 17 years between roughly 1353 B.C. and 1335 B.C. When he ascended the throne his name was Amenhotep IV, but in his sixth year of rule he changed it to Akhenaten which can be translated as the Benevolent one of the Aten.”
According to the Lorenz, “nothing is known of the early life of Prince Amenhotep IV. Amenhotep IV’s age upon becoming pharaoh is a matter of guesswork and his age was never specified in ancient texts. Amenhotep IV went through the rites of passage into adulthood at about …show more content…
According to Lorenz, “Akhenaten overthrew Egyptian polytheism in favor of the worship of a single god called Aten.” Lorenz also further discuss that the reason behind the religious revolution is unknown and that many historians have offered theories. According to his article, the first theory was that the Akhenaten’s religion was related to the Jewish religion and was inspired by Joseph or Moses. “Even though Akhenaten’s religion centered around one god, the major emphasis was on the Aten’s visibility, tangibility and undeniable realness,” Lorenz continues. The second theory was that the reasons for his religious reform were political. “During the time of Akhenaten’s rule, the priests become even more powerful and wealthy than the pharaohs,” Lorenz says. The last theory was that he was influenced by his family members, particularly his mother and wife and there were a certain trend in his family towards sun-worship. “The reasons for Akhenaten’s revolution still remain a mystery,” Lorenz …show more content…
Moreover, “the names of the god Amun and the other gods were chiseled from monuments throughout Egypt, the temples were closed, and the old practices outlawed.” Mark