AKHENATEN

Amenhotep IV, called Amunhotep the Younger in my novel, radically broke with some of the most important traditions of his time. He created a new religion, tossing aside the gods of Egypt who had worshiped for thousands of years. In place of Amun, he instituted the religion of the Aten. Aten was sun-disk, and by creating a new religion Amunhotep IV destroyed the wealthy Amun Priests, which may have been one of his goals. Amunhotep then went so far as to change his name to Akhenaten, which means "He who acts beneficently for Aten."

AKHENATEN

Some researchers give Akhenaten credit for creating the first known monotheistic faith, but there is evidence to the contrary, since in the city of Amarna there were found statues to the goddess Tawaret as well as many other gods. Akhenaten's main purpose in creating a new religion seems to have been out of self-interest rather than any monotheistic notion. He made a concerted effort to destroy the Amun Priests and their temples, but little to no effort to eradicate any other god. It is no wonder that after he died, the reinstated Amun Priests attempted to erase all record of his reign.

AKHENATEN WITH A SMALLER NEFERTITI

Before Nefertiti grew as powerful as her husband in the court of Amarna, she was depicted on walls as smaller than him. In this scene from Amarna the royal couple are offering prayers to the sun-god Aten. The sun's rays end with hands holding the ankh of life. Only once does Mutnodjmet appear in any of these scenes, and she is not depicted as participating in the offerings. She is seen standing back, her hands at her sides, looking on.

AMARNA STATUE

Determining to be unlike any other Pharaoh, Akhenaten moved the capital from Thebes to a new city he would build called Akhet-aten (in the novel its known by its present day name of Amarna). Once the royal couple had their own city, Akhenaten and Nefertiti engraved their images on hundreds of walls, arches and structures. Archaeologists have come across over a thousand depictions of the royal couple making offerings to Aten, playing with their children, or riding chariots through the streets of Amarna.

MALE-FEMALE AKHENATEN

Akhenaten's androgynous statues were a concerted effort to create his own style of art different from that of any other Pharaoh, and an attempt to portray himself as both the male and female divine. By depicting himself as both, he could replace Isis and Amun, Hathor and Tawaret, and become the all seeing all knowing, female/male god.

AKHENATEN KISSING HIS CHILD

Akhenaten commissioned domestic scenes of himself and his wife Nefertiti with their children. He clearly wanted the people of Egypt to remember him as he was - his daily events, the foods he loved, the beautiful wife and children who populated his glittering palace. Here, Akhenaten sits on the left, kissing one of his daughters. Nefertiti, on the right, holds one daughter on her knee while another rests on her shoulder and plays with the strips of linen coming from her crown.