I beleive that the Armana period wasn't so much a religious
rebellion against Amun but against his father.

Akhenaten is never pictured in anything of his father's life, nor is
he mentioned. Now, I realize that princes won't usually pictured but
they were spoke of. Even his brother is mentioned, but not him. I
believe that Amenhotep III neglected him because he was a secondary
son and because of his appearance. But this was just step one.

I believe there may have been some sexual, or even, physical, abuse,
done on the part of Amenhotep. In that time it was normal for a male
to have young boys, aw well as young girls, at his disposal. There
is no real tangable evidence to support this because this is not
something that is good for the kingdom to know. It was a palace
secret. Everyone sworn to secrecy by the pharaoh on the premise of
death. Here's where Akhenaten's epith "Living in truth" comes into
play. He wanted everyone to know what was really going on with him
and his family, not like his father did.

Here's where Amun anf the priesthood comes into play. Amun was
Amenhotep's chief god. He would have gotten all of his advise for
foreign poilcy, normal questions about the sex of the child one of
his wifes was pregnant with, or homeland policy, ect. from the
preiests of the Temple. Akhenaten probably felt that Amun was the
ones that told his father to do this to him. He took out his anger
from this by disbaring the priests, closing the temple, having
Amun's name erased wherever it appeared. Even his father's name was
destroyed. None of Akhenaten's other family had the amun destroyed
out of their names, which proves his vendetta against his father.

Another point to notice is the fact that almost everywhere Akhenaten
spoke of the Aten, he called him "father" or called himself "the son
of the sun". I belive that this is becaus the sun was always there
when his father wasn't. The suun was never going to leave him.
Akhenaten never once called himself "son of Amenhotep III". He felt
that it wasn't Amun or his father that had givin him life but the
sun, the Aten.

It is also worth to note that in Akhenaten's "religious rampage "
through the country, He only had the temples of the other worships
closed. He didn't try to erase them from the earth, like with Amun.
That in itself shows that this was not a religous war of monothesist
ideals sweeping over the country.

There are countless examples that proves some, if not all, of my
theory, including the excertion of the Amun in Amunhotep's name and
the countless inscriptions of Akhenaten's epith and the prayers to
the Aten.

I have recently read a theory that Akenaten and his children were severly deformed which accounts for the unsual appearences in their artwork. We know from examination that definately his son Tut-ankh-amun was deformed at the spinal cord. Possibly also Akenaten was blind which would explain his ''Hymn to Aten'' considering that song was a specialty to the blind. Even in modern Egypt both mueezin and arif[Coptic hymn reciter] are usually both blind.

As far as Akenaten being monthestic or introducing new reform to Egypt,I seriously doubt this because Monotheism is first seen in Egypt around the 5th dyanasty in the Hymn to Aten. Most individual nomes followed their own deities,and it would matter less if Akenaten isolated himself in his sacred city. Infact,isolation of people in sacred places is a pratice that can be seen with Thutmoses IV and later periods. Of course Egyptologist like Jan Assaman believe the solar devotion that arose around the New Kingdom means a turn towards monotheistic intentions. Your opinion on Assaman's theories?

This is not the first time we see such religious reform because around the Second dyansty in Egypt there was a great struggle between the followers of Heru and the followers of Set. There was even one pharoah around this period who changed his name from a Heru[Horus] into a Set name. He was the only pharoah during the Old Kingdom or Middle Kingdom to have a set name.

Sexual abuse from the father? From the books I read and the artworks I saw, my feeling is that affection between the father and son prevail, i.e.there is a small stela representation of his father that was found in Amarna.
(will check references)

According to his titles Akhenaten’s brother was involved with the Amun priesthood and the clergy,. They may have been a lot of abuse in the temples, and frictions, a strong Amun lobbying, worshippers inside dark rooms asking for more and more means.
It is often said that Akhenaton’s religious opinions were inspired by his mother, and I believe one of their common goals was to give religion a solar aspect again, after the lunar, dark side gained the country through the priests.

The worshipping was reintroduced in the open air, outside, not in a dark room.. The temple’s main court and sanctuary was reorganized and the temple’s limits were widened towards the west Jpt-swt, Karnak). Akenaten’s father also did many renovations in the temple. He had problems (health + other)around the end of his life, thus the Sekhmet devotion statues that some say cry,.
The ntrw’s were systematically erased, thus leaving one flag instead of three all over, I think it was done out of rage and rebellion against the abuse and multiplication of needs by the priests for the “nTrw’s”. Yet with their methods, those holes could have been covered up and forgotten. That the successors left those obvious gaps, seems strange to me..
Some say a lot of the profanations were done under the Ramesssides.

Maybe after having desperately tried to stop the abuses of the clergy, Amenhotep IV decided to move away from Karnak, closer to the temples devoted to Thot, under the attention of the scribes, artists, wise-men, to build a new capital and escape from corruption, to find measure and equity and spirituality.

I suppose it’s one of the reasons he had to delimit the territory with the boundary stelas, this may have been imposed on him after he left and as the old habits recurred...

I doubt Akhenaten was blind, for many reasons, firstly, deciding on Akhet-aten for capital: the city with the same configuration as in the city’s cartouche, the hieroglyph for –Axt- the horizon behind the rocks, I would think he designed it, and he chose the aX bird, then another factor is his love of poetry, writings, visual arts, so if Akhnaten had a handicap it was not in the visual field, imo .
An illustration from Davies shows the couple at a window, looking down at people on another I recall he handles a necklace to Meritaten, those elements give me the indication he could see. Wouldn’t it be ironic if the person who “reformed” Egyptian art were blind?

Many pharaohs have the name son of Re, it was an old habit of the ruling class, for the population to worship the highest concept of a deity under the appearance of the pharaoh. In Amarna, figurines of other deities were worshiped and tolerated, and the Aten hymn, mentions others deities, .so the anger was directed against specific deities. Why?

Sorry for being so vague, there are many maybes and no certitudes, it's another of those past situations where one should study many years before gaining a little clarity.

One suggests Akhenaten was either Moses or Moses was part of his household.

Another suggests that Akhenaten - because he was rarely shown in Tuthmoses house - was brought up by his mothers parents who were hebrew - which would make sense as to why he believed in the Aten. I have also read a book about Tuthmoses who also believed in one God - the Aten more than the other Gods so perhaps neither story is wholly correct.

In respect of the Hymn to the Aten - written well before Psalm 23 by Moses - has anyone seen the similarity - perhaps this is no coincidence.

The psalm you mention is psalm 104
Yes, they are too many correlations between the themes for it to be a coincidence, imo
i am trying to build my own opinion over this whole episode, yes, it takes time.
And evidences add
swam

Bosom is the same as heart.

John 3
5 Jesus answered, Verily/Amen, verily/Amen, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water/Nun and of the Spirit(Air of Amen), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Like I said before truth is unseen Amen. The book of John 1-18 compares with the Egyptian Memphite theology where God first creates in his heart/mind then births the elements through commands of his words. It appears that Jesus was trying to get back to the original Amen that gave birth to Aton. The circumcision of the heart was symbolic of the original covenant because the heart/mind is unseen like Amen until you see the effects of it later. The circumcision of the penis (a cross or Ankh/life) is the effect of the generation of gods heart/mind of his words/tongue.

The Memphite theology

The Gods came into being by the heart devised and the tongue/words commanded. Heka or magic/wisdom was used in the creation. The same type of magic/wisdom Solomon claimed he helped God create the heaven and earth. Solomon was a personification of Thoth/Ptah who helped the Egyptian god in the Memphite theology to create the world. Revealation defines Magic/widom as 666 with the horns of a ram. The ram is another name for the Egyptian Amen.

The Covenant

The Old testament covenant required the people to obey God;s ten commandments/Laws. Like the ark of the covenant of Amen Moses laws had no visual aspect. It was just heard. And Faith/Amen/Truth comes by hearing the word. Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgements: and all the people answered with one voice,All the words which the lord hath said will we do. Why was the law first given orally then reduced to stone. I believe the original commandments were Ten words/commandments and people later added on.

The Sabbath

Deuteronomy states the Sabbath to remind of the liberation of Jews from Egypt.
Exodus says the Sabbath is to remind Israel that God rested on the seventh day of Creation. The Egyptians began to symbolize life/resurrection with Osiris. Osiris missing penis was symbolic of Egyptian circumcision. The Jews saw nothing wrong with circumcision on the Sabbath maybe because it was apart of the Sabbath/creation.

John 7
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Faith/Amen without works is nothing a Gospel writer once said

The Sabbath/creation is part of the Ten commandents which is symbolic of Circumcision.

Akhenaton is the real source for the identity of Moses. Levite priest held positions with Akhenaton in their was a city in Egypt called Mal-Levi-City of the levites.

Akhenaton two priest were Meryre II and Panehesy. This can be found in their Egyptian records. Why does Moses have the same priest Merari see Numbers 3:17,Josh 21:34, Exodus 6:16 for his name and also Phinehas the Nubian black grandson of Aaron in numbers 31:6; Josh 22:13,30 and Exodus 6:25
King Tut succeeded Akhenaton and Joshua took command from Moses. Joshua is another name for Jesus. Joshua was a personfication of the Egyptian god Shu like Cleopatra was the personification of Isis. Shu holds up the sun and moon just like Joshua. Shu is a god of light just like Jesus was a god of light.The one thing that’s important to know is that Horus was linked with Shu and King Tut. The Jesus of the NT compares over 200 times with Horus. The most famous was turning water into wine @ Cana/Canal

Osarseph and Akhenaten

Several elements make clear that the Osarseph (osiris) story is derived from an account of Akhenateon reign. The Pharaoh involved is named Amenophis, Akhenaton original throne name as well as the name of his father; Osaarseph banned the worship of Egyptian gods and destroyed the images of the gods, one of the most important aspects of Akheantons reforms; and the period of exile lated 13 years, the number of years Akheanaton ruled after launching his revolution in the fifth year of his reign.

In regard to this last point , the 13 years of woe wrought by lepers and shepherds (Hyksos) can only be the term of Akhenaton’s stay in his new city. Note also that Manetho describes the child “Sethos also called Ramesses” as five years old in what corresponds to the fifth year of Akhenaton reign.

While the story clearly talks about Akhenaton adminstration, the heretic pharaoh seems to have been removed from responsibility. Another indication that Amenohis in the story corresponds to Akhenaton comes from the claim that he wanted to see god. To see god meant you wanted to be healed (Luke 11:34) Was Jesus referring to Moses/Akheanton when he said ‘For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”-john 1:17-18. Josephus didn’t know that Amenphis was another name for Akheanton/Moses.

Josephus states “It was also reported that the priest, who ordained their polity and their laws, was by birth of heliopolis, and his name Osarsiph from Osiris, who was the god of helipolis; but that when he was gone over to these people, his name was changed , and he was called Moses”-Against Apion book 1:26. The Egyptians associated Osiris with circumcision in the same manner the Jews did with Moses John 7:21 and this was why the made Moses into a golden calf/Apis bull which Osiris was symbolic of. Moses turned against the god Osiris and in place of Obelisks (circumcised penis) he set up pillars beneath which was a model of a boat; and the shadow cast on this basin by the statue described a circle corresponding to the course of the sun in the heaven see Josephus Against Apion Book 2:8-11. Like I said before the ark of Amen was a boat adopted by Akhenaton/Moses. Like I said before the Obelisks was symbolic of Osiris missing circumcised penis.

Note: Deuteronomy 31
25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

Its been hard making the case of linking the Creation story, covenants, circumcision, The Sabbath as components of the Egyptian religion that Moses changed. Jesus no doubt in my mind began to invoke the name of Amen against Moses who original had the name of Amen. Amen was unseen and Moses wanted to see god to get healed. Why did Jesu say Amen twice? Because in the Egyptian double Halls of truth/amen your heart and words were judged. The Christians speak in “Tongues” because they are reborn of Jesus/Amen words of water and spirit. Spirit/unseen/heart and water/visible effects.

Was Akhenaten deformed from birth - I don't think so for one moment - earlier statues of him look like any other Egyptian statue.
If he was deformed, so was Nefertiti and all of his children, as they are all portrayed in the same likeness as Akhenaten. One theory that I like for this is that as the Royal family was the only mediator between the people and the god, they had to represent both sexes - hence the strange design of the Akhenaten era. There is also a strong case for him ruling jointly with his father, for several years, before he moved to Akhetaten.

The worship of Aten was definitely encouraged by Amenhotep III - if you see his open air section of Luxor Temple, you could almost imagine rituals for the Aten being celebrated there.

I think the whole monotheist thing was a backlash against the power and riches of the Amun priesthood, who almost rivalled the pharoah in power by that time. A political movement for the pharoah to regain power. Although the revolution never gained popular appeal, after the Amarna period, it is noticeable that the later pharoahs also endowed Ptah of Memphis and Re of Heliopolis equally - so that the Amun priesthood based at Karnak never ever regained their original power over Egypt.

I think, if one is to look at the Amarna period, Nefertiti's role in the religious revolution also has to be examined - from what I can surmise, she was equally, if not more fervent in her beliefs than her husband, and in many ways led him, even to the point of succeeding him as ruler - she disappears, and Smenkhare appears - seen with Akhenaten hugging 'him' (and maybe kissing 'him' - can't be sure as it was a long time ago that I saw that particular picture)

What did develop was a struggle between the priest[hm ntr] of Amun and with Akenaten over the placement of the Aten. We know in Kemetian soceity the priests controlled temple estates,industries and served sometimes as high officals. The pharaoh was supposed to be the high priest preforming the rituals each day in various temples across Kmt.

However, by the New Kingdom the common people had begun building their own shrines and beoming their own priests. This makes it unlikely that Akenaten and family served as intermediators. The commoners already have people and hearing ear shrines across the temple to preform this fuction.

One theory I have heard is the egg symbolism became more universal for artistic cannons during the Amarna age. Thus this was apart of the Amarna theology.

quote:

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Originally posted by ausar:
However, by the New Kingdom the common people had begun building their own shrines and beoming their own priests.

This is not the first time we see such religious reform because around the Second dyansty in Egypt there was a great struggle between the followers of Heru and the followers of Set. There was even one pharoah around this period who changed his name from a Heru[Horus] into a Set name. He was the only pharoah during the Old Kingdom or Middle Kingdom to have a set name

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Kovert, you might want to check out an interesting book called Pharaoh's workers. The problem lies with our scant evidence of the commoners which we find represented at the findings at Deir El Medina. From this we know around the New Kingdom people began to take religious pratices into their own hand. No longer relaying on priests to communicating with the neteru,so they set up village shrines. Usually attended by off duty priest or community workers.

Within the villages we found that there was village women who acted as spirtual heads of the villages. Often casting sprits out of people and making fertility amulets.

See the following:

Pharaoh's Workers: The Villagers of Deir el Medina
edited by Leonard H. Lesko

The civil servants, draughtsmen, stonecutters and other workers engaged in building the pharaohs' tombs at Deir el Medina, on the banks of the Nile at Luxor, left a rich store of artefacts and documents. The six essays here discuss that material, with contributions by: B S Lesko (Rank, roles, and rights); A G McDowell (Contact with the outside world); W A Ward (Foreigners living in the village); F D Friedman (Aspects of domestic life and religion); J F Borghouts (Magical practices amongst the villagers); L H Lesko (Literature, literacy, and literati). 197p with b/w illus (Cornell University Press 1994)

http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm/ID/10573//Location/DBBC/CFID/8779480/CFTOKEN/25124616

For information about Set see Herman de Velde Seth: the God of confusion.

For more details of how the older traditions were transformed see David Frankfurther Religion in Roman Egypt.