This text presents the details regarding Ancient Egypt's first move towards monotheism, a world first, and explains the political and religious background to such a transition. Delves into the life of the pharaoh Akhenatun, with interesting insights into the philosophical and mystical influences which produced such a change in world views. The belief system he expounded is explained from various points of view, some see it as a form of animism, others as deism, and sometimes it is viewed as being akin to Taoism.
The author also presents some interesting data regarding the influence of this ancient egyptian religion on the biblical texts, demonstrating how some parts not only mirror the teachings of Atenism, but copied the hymns and invocations verbatim. A fascinating work which unveils the earliest influences on the religious thinking of the last 3000 years.
Contents
Preface
I: The Parents and Grandparents of Akhnaton
Introduction - The Ancestors of Akhnaton - The Gods of Egypt - The Demigods and Spirits, the Priesthoods - Thutmosis IV and Mutemua - Yuaa and Tuau
II: The Birth and Early Years of Akhnaton
The birth of Akhnaton - The rise of Aton - The Power of Queen Tiy - Akhnation�s marriages - The Accession of Akhnaton - The first years of Akhnaton�s Reign - The New Art - The New Religion Develops - The Nature of the New Religion
III: Akhnaton Founds a New City
The Break with the Priesthood of Amon-Ra - Akhnaton selects the site of his city - The First foundation inscription - The second Foundation inscription - The Departure from Thebes - The Age of Akhnaton
IV: Akhnaton Formulates the Religion of Aton
Aton the True God - Aton the Tender Father of all Creation - Aton worshipped at sunrise and sunset - The Goodness of Aton - Akhnaton the �Son of God� by traditional right - The connections of the Aton worship with older religions - The Spiritual needs of the Soul after Death - The material needs of the Soul
V: The Tenth to the Twelfth Years of the Reign of Akhnaton
The Hymns of the Aton Worshippers - The similarity of Akhnaton�s hymn to Psalm CIV - Meryra is made High Priest of Aton - The Royal Family visit the Temple - Akhnaton in his palace - Historical events of this period of Akhnaton�s reign - Queen Tiy visit�s the city of the Horizon - Tiy visits her Temple - The Death of Queen Tiy
VI: The Thirteenth to the Fifteenth years of the reign of Akhnaton
The Development of the Religion of Aton - Akhnaton obliterates the name of Amon - The Great Temple of Aton - The Beauty of the city - Akhnaton�s affection for his family - Akhnaton�s Friends - Akhnaton�s Troubles
VII: The Last Two Years of the Reign of Akhnaton
The Hittite invasion of Syria - Akhnaton�s conscientious objections to warfare - The faithfulness of Aziru - The Fighting in Syria becomes general - Aziru and Ribaddi fight to a finish - Akhnaton continues to refuse to send help - Akhnaton�s health gives way - Akhnaton�s last days and death
VIII: The Fall of the Religion of Akhnaton
The Burial of Akhnaton - The court returns to Thebes - The reign of Horemheb - The persecution of Akhnaton�s memory - The finding of the body of Akhnaton - Conclusion
Index
Excerpts:
The Gods of Egypt
�Of these Gods, Amon, the presiding deity of Thebes, was the most powerful. He had been originally the tribal god of the Thebans, but when that city had become the capital of Egypt, he had risen to be the state god of the country. The sun-god Ra, or Ra-Horakhti, originally the deity of Heliopolis, a city not far from the modern Cairo, had been the state god in earlier times, and the priests of Amon contrived to identify the two deities under the name �Amon-Ra, King of the Gods.�
�While on earth Ra had had the misfortune to be bitten by a snake, and had been cured by the goddess Isis, who demanded in return the revealing of the gods� magical name. This was at last told her; but for fear that the secret would come to the ears of his subjects, Ra decided to bring about a general massacre of mankind. The slaughter was carried out by the goddess Hathor in her form of Sekhmet, a fierce lion-headed woman, who delighted to wade in streams of blood; but when only the half of mankind had been slain, Ra repented, and brought the massacre to an end by causing the goddess to become drunk, by means of a gruesome potion of blood and wine. Weary, however, with the cares of state, he decided to retire into the heavens, and there, as the sun, he daily sailed in his boat from horizon to horizon. At dawn he was called Khepera, and had the form of a beetle; at noon he was Ra; and at sunset he took the name of Atum, a word probably connected with the Syrian Adon, �Lord,� better known to us in its Greek translation, �Adonis.�
The Demigods and Spirits - The Priesthoods
�At Hermopolis and in other parts of Egypt the baboon was sacred, as well as the ibis, which typified the god Thoth. Cats were sacred both at Bubastis, where the cat-goddess, Bast, resided, and in various other districts.�
�..but a word need to be said of the thousand demons and spirits which, together with the gods and the sacred animals, crowded the regions of the unknown. Many were the names which the magician might call upon the hour of his need, and many were the awful forms which the soul of a man who had died, was liable to meet. Osiris, the great god of the dead, was served by four such genii, and under his authority there sat no less than forty-two terrible demons whose business it was to judge the quavering soul. The numerous gates of the underworld were guarded by monsters whose names alone would strike terror into the heart, and the unfortunate soul had to repeat endless and peculiarly tedious formulae before admittance was granted.�
Book Format:
Octavo, 8.7" tall. Book is bound blue cloth with gilt lettering to spine; deckle edges; tissue guard over frontispiece;
Pagination: 255pp;
Condition:
Very good + condition; Boards are in good + condition with minor rubbing; corners bumped; top and bottom of spine slightly bumped; small bookshop sticker to reverse side of front board; interior is excellent with no underlining, marginalia or foxing; Binding is tight.
Price: US$90.00
