The Chaotic Reign of Akhenaten

Lives of the Pharaohs. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1968. Redford, Donald. Akhenaten - The Heretic King. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984.

"Age of Pyramids." National Geographic Jan. 1995: 6-41 BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY. New York: Crown Publishers Incorporated, 1979. Breasted, J.H. DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGION AND THOUGHT IN ANCIENT EGYPT.

Golden death masks, elaborate tombs filled with priceless artifacts, and jewelry made by the best of goldsmiths: these things were all created for the ancient rulers of egypt. From the start of Egyptian history the rulers were believed to be divine, even god-like. (Meltzer 141). Egypt’s pharaohs wore fine apparel, had many duties, and are famous for what they did. While there are many male pharaohs,however, there were few female rulers.

Edwards, I.E.S. The Pyramids of Egypt. New York: Viking Penguin. 1985. Hallibunton, Richard.

Egyptian culture is not the only culture that left us its heritage in pyramids. In America we find pyramids build by civilizations of Olmec and Maya about 7th century CE. These pyramids had different purposes and usage then the ones in Egypt but they stand as memorials to ancient civilizations as well. Egyptian people believed in life after death. One of the way pharaohs prepared themselves for the afterlife journey was by building a pyramid and putting there all their belongings and riches.

When Ramses was a child he experienced several tragic and important events within his life. The first event was when his grandfather became crowned Pharaoh. His grandfather died two years later making his father to be crowned Pharaoh. Ramses than became “First commander of the Army” (1) at age 10 by his father. Ramses was trained by his father and by the many generals on how to command an army.

New York: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1989. Montet, Pierre. Eternal Egypt. New York: The New American Library of World Literature, Inc., 1964. Peck, William H. Splendors of Ancient Egypt.

Pharaohs were governors of the Ancient Egyptian realm who broadcasted themselves as sons of gods who upheld Ma’at – the Egyptian order of life. Most pharaohs ruled in a typical and expected way carrying the beliefs of their ancestors- though not all ruled this way. Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty New Kingdom was not an “archetypal” pharaoh as seen through his goal to change Egyptian religion from polytheism to monotheism and through his building project in Amarna. Though he used traditional means to incorporate his changes he did so in an atypical way. After all his attempts at reform all was forgotten when he died and Egypt returned to the religious beliefs it had beforehand.

King Nebkheperuru Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered by an British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in 1922. King Nebkheperuru Tutankhamun lived over 3,300 years ago. The period he lived in was called the New Kingdom. During this period the Egyptians were worshipping multiple gods. Amenhotep had abolished this belief and had established a new order to worship the sun god Aten, which then he changed his name to Akhenaten, meaning “servant of the Aten.” A new religion and capital was established in Thebes.

From around 6000 BCE all the way until about 3000 BCE, gods were the main influence on the Egyptians. There were also separate civilizations in Egypt until 3000 BCE. The two civilizations were then united when king Menes of Upper Egypt trekked south and conquered Lower Egypt. This led to the Old Kingdom which lasted from 2600 BCE to 2100 BCE. This was the time when most of the monuments and pyramids were built depicting