Elizabeth Frood
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265420
- eISBN:
- 9780191760471
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265420.003.0009
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter analyses biographical motifs relating to sensory experience found in inscriptions largely belonging to one tenth-century bc priestly family in Thebes. The four statues which are the ...
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This chapter analyses biographical motifs relating to sensory experience found in inscriptions largely belonging to one tenth-century bc priestly family in Thebes. The four statues which are the focus of discussion (CG 42225; CG 42226; CG 42227; CG 42228) were dedicated in the temple precinct of Karnak by Hor IX for himself, his ancestor, and his wife. Inscriptions on a statue of Horakhbit I (CG 42231) from Karnak are also treated. Celebration of the senses is found in these texts through the fusion of biography with themes known from harpists' songs, a genre previously associated with tombs; the use of myrrh, a pleasurable and ritual substance; and through phraseology that mobilises the sensuous geographies of sacred space. Study of how such motifs relate to other features of biography across the statues offers insights into transformations of more than one genre and developments in the function of statues in temples.Less
This chapter analyses biographical motifs relating to sensory experience found in inscriptions largely belonging to one tenth-century bc priestly family in Thebes. The four statues which are the focus of discussion (CG 42225; CG 42226; CG 42227; CG 42228) were dedicated in the temple precinct of Karnak by Hor IX for himself, his ancestor, and his wife. Inscriptions on a statue of Horakhbit I (CG 42231) from Karnak are also treated. Celebration of the senses is found in these texts through the fusion of biography with themes known from harpists' songs, a genre previously associated with tombs; the use of myrrh, a pleasurable and ritual substance; and through phraseology that mobilises the sensuous geographies of sacred space. Study of how such motifs relate to other features of biography across the statues offers insights into transformations of more than one genre and developments in the function of statues in temples.
Lise Manniche
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163494
- eISBN:
- 9781936190065
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163494.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Some of the most fascinating sculptures to have survived from ancient Egypt are the colossal statues of Akhenaten, erected at the beginning of his reign in his new temple to the Aten at Karnak. ...
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Some of the most fascinating sculptures to have survived from ancient Egypt are the colossal statues of Akhenaten, erected at the beginning of his reign in his new temple to the Aten at Karnak. Fragments of more than thirty statues are now known, showing the paradoxical features combining male and female, young and aged, characteristic of representations of this king. Did he look like this in real life? Or was his iconography skillfully devised to mirror his concept of his role in the universe? This book presents the history of the discovery of the statue fragments from 1925 to the present day; the profusion of opinions on the appearance of the king and his alleged medical conditions; and the various suggestions for an interpretation of the perplexing evidence. A complete catalog of all major fragments is included, as well as many pictures not previously published.Less
Some of the most fascinating sculptures to have survived from ancient Egypt are the colossal statues of Akhenaten, erected at the beginning of his reign in his new temple to the Aten at Karnak. Fragments of more than thirty statues are now known, showing the paradoxical features combining male and female, young and aged, characteristic of representations of this king. Did he look like this in real life? Or was his iconography skillfully devised to mirror his concept of his role in the universe? This book presents the history of the discovery of the statue fragments from 1925 to the present day; the profusion of opinions on the appearance of the king and his alleged medical conditions; and the various suggestions for an interpretation of the perplexing evidence. A complete catalog of all major fragments is included, as well as many pictures not previously published.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774165313
- eISBN:
- 9781617971280
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774165313.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The Twenty-second Dynasty. Examines a possible coregency of Shoshenq I with Pasebkhanut II; Iuput, the last in a succession of Theban pontiffs; funereal innovations during Shoshenq I's reign, from ...
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The Twenty-second Dynasty. Examines a possible coregency of Shoshenq I with Pasebkhanut II; Iuput, the last in a succession of Theban pontiffs; funereal innovations during Shoshenq I's reign, from 'Yellow' coffins to cartonnage shell; links to Byblos and the Levant; Biblical references; Nile level records at Karnak recording kings and pontiffs of second part of the Third Intermediate Period; the importance of the god's city Herakleopolis and possibly the origin there of the Twenty-second Dynasty during this period.Less
The Twenty-second Dynasty. Examines a possible coregency of Shoshenq I with Pasebkhanut II; Iuput, the last in a succession of Theban pontiffs; funereal innovations during Shoshenq I's reign, from 'Yellow' coffins to cartonnage shell; links to Byblos and the Levant; Biblical references; Nile level records at Karnak recording kings and pontiffs of second part of the Third Intermediate Period; the importance of the god's city Herakleopolis and possibly the origin there of the Twenty-second Dynasty during this period.
Manniche Lise
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163494
- eISBN:
- 9781936190065
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163494.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
There are different types of catalog derived from sources: (1) publications as indicated; (2) the archives of the Centre Franco-Égyptien d'Étude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK); (3) the Journal ...
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There are different types of catalog derived from sources: (1) publications as indicated; (2) the archives of the Centre Franco-Égyptien d'Étude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK); (3) the Journal d'Entrée and Temporary Register at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo; (4) personal observations of the fragments displayed in museums and those stored in the Sheikh Labib storehouse in Karnak; (5) observations and photographs by Robert Partridge of some of the fragments in the late 1990s; and (6) information and photographs supplied by Edwin Brock of objects discovered during his recent excavations at East Karnak. In connection with this, the discussion about colossi and its mutilation is presented for better understanding that gives a more detailed excavation on what happened. Moreover, classification of fragments is discussed in this chapter.Less
There are different types of catalog derived from sources: (1) publications as indicated; (2) the archives of the Centre Franco-Égyptien d'Étude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK); (3) the Journal d'Entrée and Temporary Register at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo; (4) personal observations of the fragments displayed in museums and those stored in the Sheikh Labib storehouse in Karnak; (5) observations and photographs by Robert Partridge of some of the fragments in the late 1990s; and (6) information and photographs supplied by Edwin Brock of objects discovered during his recent excavations at East Karnak. In connection with this, the discussion about colossi and its mutilation is presented for better understanding that gives a more detailed excavation on what happened. Moreover, classification of fragments is discussed in this chapter.
Deborah Manley
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774164859
- eISBN:
- 9781617971273
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774164859.003.0008
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Many travelers in the days of sail stopped only briefly at Luxor when going south, spending a much longer time there and on the west bank while sailing north—carried along by the flow of the river ...
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Many travelers in the days of sail stopped only briefly at Luxor when going south, spending a much longer time there and on the west bank while sailing north—carried along by the flow of the river toward the end of their time in Egypt.Less
Many travelers in the days of sail stopped only briefly at Luxor when going south, spending a much longer time there and on the west bank while sailing north—carried along by the flow of the river toward the end of their time in Egypt.
Manniche Lise
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163494
- eISBN:
- 9781936190065
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163494.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Maurice Pillet was a French architect and director of works for the Egyptian Antiquities Service at Karnak. He was the first person in modern times to create astonishing sculptures of Akhenaten. This ...
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Maurice Pillet was a French architect and director of works for the Egyptian Antiquities Service at Karnak. He was the first person in modern times to create astonishing sculptures of Akhenaten. This was where he engaged himself in rescuing the enclosure of the eastern gate of Karnak temple that was affected by rising subsoil water. Despite the many circumstances of his discoveries, Pillet did not record any of his findings, but his successor Henri Chevrier wrote the records a year after. Because of this, Chevrier found a lot of Pillet's discoveries that he can continue in the Karnak temple. After the seasons of Chevrier works, he tidied up the plans for him to succeed wherein he had to avoid dumping soil.Less
Maurice Pillet was a French architect and director of works for the Egyptian Antiquities Service at Karnak. He was the first person in modern times to create astonishing sculptures of Akhenaten. This was where he engaged himself in rescuing the enclosure of the eastern gate of Karnak temple that was affected by rising subsoil water. Despite the many circumstances of his discoveries, Pillet did not record any of his findings, but his successor Henri Chevrier wrote the records a year after. Because of this, Chevrier found a lot of Pillet's discoveries that he can continue in the Karnak temple. After the seasons of Chevrier works, he tidied up the plans for him to succeed wherein he had to avoid dumping soil.
Manniche Lise
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163494
- eISBN:
- 9781936190065
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163494.003.0005
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
In the 1998 writing of Marc Gabolde, Karnak colossi are described as the most “unrealistic” example of the art of the Amarna period and there are reasons which are stated in this chapter. Also, the ...
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In the 1998 writing of Marc Gabolde, Karnak colossi are described as the most “unrealistic” example of the art of the Amarna period and there are reasons which are stated in this chapter. Also, the problem in identifying a pathological condition due to lack of comparison is stated in this chapter. In connection with this, the members of the medical profession have found the case of Akhenaten irresistible and have often been quoted by Egyptologists. Problems in medicine history and the analysis of their case have been one of the main focuses in this chapter. Different interpretations and representations of mummies that helped in giving clearer identity to a medical history are presented as well. These different studies started because of the suspected abnormalities of Tutankhamun.Less
In the 1998 writing of Marc Gabolde, Karnak colossi are described as the most “unrealistic” example of the art of the Amarna period and there are reasons which are stated in this chapter. Also, the problem in identifying a pathological condition due to lack of comparison is stated in this chapter. In connection with this, the members of the medical profession have found the case of Akhenaten irresistible and have often been quoted by Egyptologists. Problems in medicine history and the analysis of their case have been one of the main focuses in this chapter. Different interpretations and representations of mummies that helped in giving clearer identity to a medical history are presented as well. These different studies started because of the suspected abnormalities of Tutankhamun.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163951
- eISBN:
- 9781936190058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163951.003.0005
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
It is unclear whether the titulary of the restored Sethy II differed substantively from that used in his first years. Only one full titular is formally dated and while the king had a number of ...
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It is unclear whether the titulary of the restored Sethy II differed substantively from that used in his first years. Only one full titular is formally dated and while the king had a number of variant Horus and Nebti names and orthographies of his cartouche names, they cannot at present be shown to be chronologically significant. The state of the royal family at the time of Sethy II's return to Thebes is not fully clear. The only pieces of evidence for a named child of Sethy II are the secondary representations of Sethy-Merenptah B in the Karnak shrines. Sethy II erected a pair of obelisks on the Rameses II-built quay at the western limit of the Amun precinct, and nearby a stela. Sethy II's efforts in the Amun temple were largely confined to replacing erased cartouches of his father and those of Amenmeses with his own names.Less
It is unclear whether the titulary of the restored Sethy II differed substantively from that used in his first years. Only one full titular is formally dated and while the king had a number of variant Horus and Nebti names and orthographies of his cartouche names, they cannot at present be shown to be chronologically significant. The state of the royal family at the time of Sethy II's return to Thebes is not fully clear. The only pieces of evidence for a named child of Sethy II are the secondary representations of Sethy-Merenptah B in the Karnak shrines. Sethy II erected a pair of obelisks on the Rameses II-built quay at the western limit of the Amun precinct, and nearby a stela. Sethy II's efforts in the Amun temple were largely confined to replacing erased cartouches of his father and those of Amenmeses with his own names.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9789774166334
- eISBN:
- 9781617976537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166334.003.0002
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter provides an account and discussion of the reigns of Amenhotep II and Thutmose IV. It discusses the campaigns of Amenhotep II into Syria-Palestine, his officials, the problems surrounding ...
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This chapter provides an account and discussion of the reigns of Amenhotep II and Thutmose IV. It discusses the campaigns of Amenhotep II into Syria-Palestine, his officials, the problems surrounding that king's family and his building projects, before moving on to the issues surrounding the accession of the Thutmose IV and the probability that the latter was irregular. It then concludes with a similarly-structured treatment of Thutmose IV's reign, including the question of his role in the development of what was to become the Aten-cult.Less
This chapter provides an account and discussion of the reigns of Amenhotep II and Thutmose IV. It discusses the campaigns of Amenhotep II into Syria-Palestine, his officials, the problems surrounding that king's family and his building projects, before moving on to the issues surrounding the accession of the Thutmose IV and the probability that the latter was irregular. It then concludes with a similarly-structured treatment of Thutmose IV's reign, including the question of his role in the development of what was to become the Aten-cult.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9789774166334
- eISBN:
- 9781617976537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166334.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter describes and discusses the first part of the reign of Amenhotep IV, down to his change of name to Akhenaten. This highlights the evolution of the way in which the king was depicted, and ...
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This chapter describes and discusses the first part of the reign of Amenhotep IV, down to his change of name to Akhenaten. This highlights the evolution of the way in which the king was depicted, and how the god Aten moved from being merely a particular manifestation of Re-Horakhty to being a deity, with a unique mode of representation and universal dominion. In doing so, the king's building projects at Karnak are described and discussed, along with other memorials of this phase of the reign. There is also a treatment of the king's foreign policy, based on the Amarna Letters, and of his family relationships, before concluding with the first phase of the foundation of the new capital city at Tell el-Amarna (Akhet-Aten).Less
This chapter describes and discusses the first part of the reign of Amenhotep IV, down to his change of name to Akhenaten. This highlights the evolution of the way in which the king was depicted, and how the god Aten moved from being merely a particular manifestation of Re-Horakhty to being a deity, with a unique mode of representation and universal dominion. In doing so, the king's building projects at Karnak are described and discussed, along with other memorials of this phase of the reign. There is also a treatment of the king's foreign policy, based on the Amarna Letters, and of his family relationships, before concluding with the first phase of the foundation of the new capital city at Tell el-Amarna (Akhet-Aten).
Wafaa EL Sadik and Rüdiger Heimlich
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774168253
- eISBN:
- 9781617978173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774168253.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter details the author's introduction to a group of American women who wished to finance and undertake an excavation in Karnak. These women include television starlet Diane Smith, painter ...
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This chapter details the author's introduction to a group of American women who wished to finance and undertake an excavation in Karnak. These women include television starlet Diane Smith, painter and art dealer Mary Martin, photographer and writer Audrey Topping, former skeet-shooting champion Betje Carlson, and Gypsy Grave, a director of a private archaeological museum in Florida. They were five power women who had pulled strings to get permission for the first all-female archaeological mission. They set up the private Nile Foundation, for which they collected roughly $100,000 in sponsors' money by way of charity and fundraising events. The concession of the project had been obtained through the American Research Center in Egypt, and the standing committee of the antiquities administration had approved it only with the stipulation that it be strictly scientific.Less
This chapter details the author's introduction to a group of American women who wished to finance and undertake an excavation in Karnak. These women include television starlet Diane Smith, painter and art dealer Mary Martin, photographer and writer Audrey Topping, former skeet-shooting champion Betje Carlson, and Gypsy Grave, a director of a private archaeological museum in Florida. They were five power women who had pulled strings to get permission for the first all-female archaeological mission. They set up the private Nile Foundation, for which they collected roughly $100,000 in sponsors' money by way of charity and fundraising events. The concession of the project had been obtained through the American Research Center in Egypt, and the standing committee of the antiquities administration had approved it only with the stipulation that it be strictly scientific.
Kent Weeks and Nigel Hetherington
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789774166082
- eISBN:
- 9781617975493
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166082.003.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Methodology and Techniques
Thebes is one of the largest, richest, and best-known archaeological sites in the world. It includes the two huge temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, as well as thousands of tombs, scores of ...
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Thebes is one of the largest, richest, and best-known archaeological sites in the world. It includes the two huge temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, as well as thousands of tombs, scores of smaller temples, and numerous other buildings. This chapter briefly reviews the history of the area, discusses the sometimes debated boundaries of the protected area, and describes the general construction and decoration of the tombs.Less
Thebes is one of the largest, richest, and best-known archaeological sites in the world. It includes the two huge temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, as well as thousands of tombs, scores of smaller temples, and numerous other buildings. This chapter briefly reviews the history of the area, discusses the sometimes debated boundaries of the protected area, and describes the general construction and decoration of the tombs.
Mansour Boraik
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9789774167249
- eISBN:
- 9781617976780
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167249.003.0002
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter focuses on the Kushite sacred landscape and Twenty-fifth Dynasty finds at Karnak. It is based on the results of archaeological excavations undertaken by a team from the Supreme Council ...
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This chapter focuses on the Kushite sacred landscape and Twenty-fifth Dynasty finds at Karnak. It is based on the results of archaeological excavations undertaken by a team from the Supreme Council of Antiquities directed by the author in the western and southern parts of the Karnak temple complex. The chapter examines textual, iconographical, and archaeological sources that provide evidence of important movements of the Nile during the New Kingdom until the abandonment of the site. The excavations revealed a great embankment at least 6.5 meters high, roughly running on a north–south axis, parallel to the Nile. It was built of rough-cut blocks of sandstone and connected with two quays constructed in front of the temple. Based on the evidence, the chapter draws hypotheses as to the historical evolution of the embankments in front of the temple from the New Kingdom to the Kushito-Saite period.Less
This chapter focuses on the Kushite sacred landscape and Twenty-fifth Dynasty finds at Karnak. It is based on the results of archaeological excavations undertaken by a team from the Supreme Council of Antiquities directed by the author in the western and southern parts of the Karnak temple complex. The chapter examines textual, iconographical, and archaeological sources that provide evidence of important movements of the Nile during the New Kingdom until the abandonment of the site. The excavations revealed a great embankment at least 6.5 meters high, roughly running on a north–south axis, parallel to the Nile. It was built of rough-cut blocks of sandstone and connected with two quays constructed in front of the temple. Based on the evidence, the chapter draws hypotheses as to the historical evolution of the embankments in front of the temple from the New Kingdom to the Kushito-Saite period.
Miroslav Verner
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789774165634
- eISBN:
- 9781617975431
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774165634.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
With the reunification of the country Egypt found itself in the New Kingdom, on the threshold of its greatest era of political and cultural flowering. The political and religious center was Thebes, ...
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With the reunification of the country Egypt found itself in the New Kingdom, on the threshold of its greatest era of political and cultural flowering. The political and religious center was Thebes, although Memphis was the main administrative and, at certain periods, royal seat of the country. The Theban rulers achieved victory under the banner of their local god Amun. During the Middle Kingdom Amun had already been merged with Re, the powerful sun god of Heliopolis, in a new form: Amun-Re. The origins and initial meaning of the cult of the god Amun have been the subject of debate among Egyptologists for a long time. Amun, ‘The Kind of the Gods,’ who was honoured with many other lofty epithets, was most often represented in human form. His body was usually colored blue to signify that he is a god of the sky. He wears a crown adorned with two plumes, and sometimes also a sun disc. He was a god-creator. The temple precinct of Amun lies just a few hundred meters east of the Nile. It was originally connected to the river by a canal and the ‘Way of the Rams.’Less
With the reunification of the country Egypt found itself in the New Kingdom, on the threshold of its greatest era of political and cultural flowering. The political and religious center was Thebes, although Memphis was the main administrative and, at certain periods, royal seat of the country. The Theban rulers achieved victory under the banner of their local god Amun. During the Middle Kingdom Amun had already been merged with Re, the powerful sun god of Heliopolis, in a new form: Amun-Re. The origins and initial meaning of the cult of the god Amun have been the subject of debate among Egyptologists for a long time. Amun, ‘The Kind of the Gods,’ who was honoured with many other lofty epithets, was most often represented in human form. His body was usually colored blue to signify that he is a god of the sky. He wears a crown adorned with two plumes, and sometimes also a sun disc. He was a god-creator. The temple precinct of Amun lies just a few hundred meters east of the Nile. It was originally connected to the river by a canal and the ‘Way of the Rams.’
James K. Hoffmeier
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199792085
- eISBN:
- 9780190217693
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199792085.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World, World Religions
Akhenaten is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt, and one of the most fascinating individuals from the ancient world. His odd appearance in representations that he commissioned and his ...
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Akhenaten is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt, and one of the most fascinating individuals from the ancient world. His odd appearance in representations that he commissioned and his preoccupation with worshiping the sun-disc, or Aten, have stimulated a vast amount of academic discussion and controversy for more than a century. The focus of this book is on Akhenaten’s religion and how it developed. Here, too, opinions vary. Was he a crazy fundamentalist, a zealous ideologue, a true believer, or did politics and power motivate his actions? The main questions addressed here include: How did Akhenaten’s religion develop? What prompted his program of persecution against Amun who had been the imperial god of Egypt in the centuries prior to Akhenaten’s? What was the significance of the temples built at Karnak Temple (the domain of Amun), and what role did they play? Why did the king abandon the imperial city of Thebes and build a new capital at Amarna? Was he a monotheist? If so, what if any influence did his religion have on the origin of Israel’s religion? These probing questions will be addressed by a careful reading of texts of Akhenaten and by examining his artistic representations.Less
Akhenaten is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt, and one of the most fascinating individuals from the ancient world. His odd appearance in representations that he commissioned and his preoccupation with worshiping the sun-disc, or Aten, have stimulated a vast amount of academic discussion and controversy for more than a century. The focus of this book is on Akhenaten’s religion and how it developed. Here, too, opinions vary. Was he a crazy fundamentalist, a zealous ideologue, a true believer, or did politics and power motivate his actions? The main questions addressed here include: How did Akhenaten’s religion develop? What prompted his program of persecution against Amun who had been the imperial god of Egypt in the centuries prior to Akhenaten’s? What was the significance of the temples built at Karnak Temple (the domain of Amun), and what role did they play? Why did the king abandon the imperial city of Thebes and build a new capital at Amarna? Was he a monotheist? If so, what if any influence did his religion have on the origin of Israel’s religion? These probing questions will be addressed by a careful reading of texts of Akhenaten and by examining his artistic representations.
James K. Hoffmeier
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199792085
- eISBN:
- 9780190217693
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199792085.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World, World Religions
The emergence of Amun, the sky god of Thebes, is examined here, along with the establishment of Karnak Temple. Amun is an obscure deity whose origin remains uncertain, and yet he was elevated to the ...
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The emergence of Amun, the sky god of Thebes, is examined here, along with the establishment of Karnak Temple. Amun is an obscure deity whose origin remains uncertain, and yet he was elevated to the top position in the 12th Dynasty. Then the merger between the sun-god, Re, with Amun occurred around 2000 B.C.. This merger seems to have been initiated by Amenemhet I, who sought to unify northern and southern Egypt after the previous era of civil strife. Amun-Re’s ascendency continues into the 15th century, when he vaulted to the top of the pantheon and was the unquestioned “king of the gods.” The penetrating question is, how does Amun-Re within less than a decade go from occupying such a lofty perch by Akhenaten’s predecessors to being ostracized and then persecuted by Akhenaten?Less
The emergence of Amun, the sky god of Thebes, is examined here, along with the establishment of Karnak Temple. Amun is an obscure deity whose origin remains uncertain, and yet he was elevated to the top position in the 12th Dynasty. Then the merger between the sun-god, Re, with Amun occurred around 2000 B.C.. This merger seems to have been initiated by Amenemhet I, who sought to unify northern and southern Egypt after the previous era of civil strife. Amun-Re’s ascendency continues into the 15th century, when he vaulted to the top of the pantheon and was the unquestioned “king of the gods.” The penetrating question is, how does Amun-Re within less than a decade go from occupying such a lofty perch by Akhenaten’s predecessors to being ostracized and then persecuted by Akhenaten?
James K. Hoffmeier
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199792085
- eISBN:
- 9780190217693
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199792085.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World, World Religions
This chapter deals with the temples that Amenhotep IV built to the Aten at Karnak. He used a unique block (called talatat) for the construction. After the Amarna period, the Aten temples were ...
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This chapter deals with the temples that Amenhotep IV built to the Aten at Karnak. He used a unique block (called talatat) for the construction. After the Amarna period, the Aten temples were dismantled and the blocks were reused elsewhere, making the original location of the temples a mystery. Excavations in east Karnak in the 1970s revealed the location of the Gem-pa-Aten Temple, which was used to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival. In connection with this ceremony, the king’s name was changed to Akhenaten. The famous colossal statues of Akhenaten were originally from this temple. The Aten temples at Thebes provide important information about the early years of Akhenaten’s religion.Less
This chapter deals with the temples that Amenhotep IV built to the Aten at Karnak. He used a unique block (called talatat) for the construction. After the Amarna period, the Aten temples were dismantled and the blocks were reused elsewhere, making the original location of the temples a mystery. Excavations in east Karnak in the 1970s revealed the location of the Gem-pa-Aten Temple, which was used to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival. In connection with this ceremony, the king’s name was changed to Akhenaten. The famous colossal statues of Akhenaten were originally from this temple. The Aten temples at Thebes provide important information about the early years of Akhenaten’s religion.
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780853236580
- eISBN:
- 9781846313295
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853236580.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
On August 7, 1589, an anonymous Venetian departed from Cairo, accompanied by a crew of Nubian boatmen, to fulfill his desire to explore the southern provinces of Egypt and see its many magnificent ...
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On August 7, 1589, an anonymous Venetian departed from Cairo, accompanied by a crew of Nubian boatmen, to fulfill his desire to explore the southern provinces of Egypt and see its many magnificent buildings, churches, statues, obelisks, colossi, and columns. Neither a pilgrim nor a missionary, this Venetian could speak Arabic and had resided in Cairo for some time. Ignoring the warning of friends about the dangers that lay ahead, he embarked on a journey to get a first-hand experience of the rumoured splendours of Luxor and Karnak as well as the quarries where the obelisks were extracted. The Venetian lived to tell the tale and wrote of his odyssey in a travel account, belittling the sufferings and hardships he encountered. It is not clear how many anonymous European travellers, whether pilgrims or merchants, died on their way to Egypt, but those who survived, including the anonymous Venetian, faced up to whatever dangers lurked out there. Their sojourn was immortalised in travel literature.Less
On August 7, 1589, an anonymous Venetian departed from Cairo, accompanied by a crew of Nubian boatmen, to fulfill his desire to explore the southern provinces of Egypt and see its many magnificent buildings, churches, statues, obelisks, colossi, and columns. Neither a pilgrim nor a missionary, this Venetian could speak Arabic and had resided in Cairo for some time. Ignoring the warning of friends about the dangers that lay ahead, he embarked on a journey to get a first-hand experience of the rumoured splendours of Luxor and Karnak as well as the quarries where the obelisks were extracted. The Venetian lived to tell the tale and wrote of his odyssey in a travel account, belittling the sufferings and hardships he encountered. It is not clear how many anonymous European travellers, whether pilgrims or merchants, died on their way to Egypt, but those who survived, including the anonymous Venetian, faced up to whatever dangers lurked out there. Their sojourn was immortalised in travel literature.
