Assess the Reign of Amenhotep

The pharaoh was undoubtedly the most important terrestrial figure in ancient Egypt and played a significant role in the functioning of Egyptian society. Entrusted with governing the realm of Egypt and providing a link between the Egyptian people and the gods, pharaohs were “an essential element in the maintenance of the position of society in the order of creation”. This idea has been substantiated through the various artefacts located in tombs in the Valley of the Kings, particularly that of Tutankhamun. These finds have shed light on the role and lifestyle of the pharaoh in ancient Egypt. Through the discovery and analysis of these items, historians and archaeologists alike have been able to glean considerable amounts of information in

Nonetheless, during the 12th Dynasty, there was a temple built for Amun’s worship and toward the end of the 18th Dynasty, Amun’s status increased even more and he became known as “…the great royal deity who was “Father of the Gods” and ruler of Egypt and the people of its empire (Rosalie 104).

The thirty-eight-year reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Amenhotep III was a period of unparalleled stability and wealth in the history of the New Kingdom. During the reign of Amenhotep III, Egypt grew to be the world’s “Super Power,” and had great influence on a large scale. The key features of his reign included:

Peace between the Mitanni and Egypt was secured during the reign of Amenhotep II’s reign, while Amenhotep III ensured that the peace would continue between the two kingdoms for generations. In year ten of his reign as evident from the Amarna letters and translations by historian J.H Breasted, Amenhotep III married Gilukhepa, a daughter of the Mitannian King. The Amarna letters also reflect that Egyptian-Hittite relations were friendly during this time, while further evidence also reveals that Amenhotep subsequently maintained friendly relations with Egypt’s neighbours by marrying Babylonian and Syrian princesses as well as one from Arzawa. This helped to ensure alliances between Egypt’s neighbours as relations between Egypt and other foreign powers prospered with the exchanging of gifts and diplomatic negotiations. Amenhotep’s policy of diplomacy was also important to Egyptian trade and income. The Amarna letters reflect how trade prospered during this period. Worked and raw materials were traded or brought to Egypt such as hard timber, cattle, horses, copper and ivory while Egyptian gold was highly sort after by foreign powers. Furthermore, inscriptions on statue bases during his reign also attest to Egyptian trade with Aegean

Amenhotep IV commenced his reign in 1353 BCE and was of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. When Amenhotep IV came to power, the priests of Amun had been gradually growing in power and were almost equal with the royal house in terms of wealth and influence. During the 5th year of his reign he outlawed the ancient religion which was centered on the worship and offerings to many Gods in particular those of the composite deity Ra-Amun-Horus (Ra- daytime sun, Amun- underworld sun, - Horus- the sunrise). He then changed his name to Akhenaten, proclaiming himself to be the living incarnation of the all-powerful, single deity known as ‘Aten’ (The visible sun). Traditionally, as described in the Coffin Texts of the Middle kingdom, the ‘Aten’ was the name for the sun-disk and in the "Story of Sinuhe", Amenemhat I is described to have soared into the sky, uniting with the Aten, his creator. The early stages of "Atenism" was as a henotheistic religion (devotion to a single god but recognising the existence of others), but quickly developed into a monotheistic system where the worship of all other Gods was banned, including the making and worship of idols, allowing only the rayed sun-disk to be displayed as a representation of ‘God’, for the ‘Aten' was the sole deity. Ordinary people could not worship the Aten

He is depicted in the film having an adulterous relationship with Seti I’s wife, Anck-Sun-Amun. The film’s three main characters, Seti I, Imhotep and Anck-Sun-Amun, as a matter of fact, belong to different dynasties. Imhotep who was born in the 3rd dynasty was, in fact, a physician, scribe, sage, architect, astronomer, vizier and the pharaoh’s high priest. He was even given the title “chancellor of the king of Lower Egypt”. Imhotep also played a pivotal role as the chief architect in the construction of the world’s first known monumental stone building and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Step Pyramid at Sakkara. In addition, Anck-Sun-Amun’s portrayal in the film would seem somewhat absurd if people knew that King Seti, the king she was supposedly married to, lived in the 19th Dynasty. In ancient Egyptian history, Anck-Sun-Amun who lived in the 18th Dynasty was, in fact, the daughter of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, and she even married the famous King Tutankhamen. Furthermore, Seti I had a wife, Queen Tuya and was the pharaoh responsible for restoring peace and order to Egypt after King Akhenaten’s disastrous reign where he banned polytheism and persecuted people who refused to worship the sun god,

The artworks of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are both strikingly different and similar at the same time. Consistent is the theme of serving the different gods the two cultures believed in. In Mesopotamia the various city-states each had their own protective deity, and in Egypt they sometimes differed from one dynasty to the next. Whatever the case, with the beginning of kingdoms and rulership came the need to justify a position of power and establish a hierarchy. And as more time passed came also the human need to leave an impression on their world. Looking at the example of the statues of Gudea from the Neo-Sumerian period and the Temple of Ramses II from the New Kingdom of Egypt in the 19th dynasty, will show how both rulers of

The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three blocks of time referred to as kingdoms. The kingdoms were named as the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. This essay highlights the differences among the three kingdoms in terms of politics, economics, sculpture, and architecture.

During the reign of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egyptian civilization became developed and powerful. Also, during the New Kingdom the life of Egyptians changed in a different aspects. One of the changes was renewed traditions. Another change that happened was a rise of a new aristocracy “whose wealth was acquired through warfare and the winning of the lands which they received from the pharaoh” (Western Civilization, pg.31).

This was controlled because it was directed through the rulers. It was not easy for the people to reject their old God’s, because they were centuries old. Rejecting their God’s was extremely difficult. Their religion was well-known. People had been threatened under Aten and under Amun-Re it was not it was actually more dominant. The worship under Aten never became well-known. Most Egyptians were not affected by the revolution. They remained dedicated to their old Gods. They thought there was no need to build sanctuaries to Aten. The religious leaders considered the religious rebellion unorthodox. Many of the court supporters were not dedicated to the revolution. The art and manners connected with the Amarna were considered anti cultural by conservatives and was never widely acceptable.

In conclusion this paper attempts to understand why with all the similarities between Egypt and Babylon, what is/are the reason(s) Egypt has survived and continues to do so, while the one time most powerful kingdom in the world, Babylon, lies in ruin.

Djedkare Isesi was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the eighth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty in the late 25th century to mid 24th century BCE, during the Old Kingdom period. He likely enjoyed a long reign of over 40 years, which heralded a new period in the history of the Old Kingdom. Breaking with a tradition followed by his predecessors since the time of Userkaf, Djedkare did not build a temple to the sun god Ra, possibly reflecting the rise of Osiris in the Egyptian pantheon. More significantly, Djedkare effected comprehensive reforms of the Egyptian state administration, the first undertaken since the inception of the system of ranking titles. He also reorganised the funerary cults of his forebears buried in the necropolis of Abusir and reformed

Second, I will be discussing the characteristics of Amun-Re. Re is depicted as a man with a hawk head and a headdress with a large sun disk. The sun disk on his headdress is to reference his continuous power and control of the sun. The Egyptians were not senseless; they did not think that a man or chariot raced across the sky dragging the sun to its resting point.

Amenhotep IV was the first pharaoh to challenge the Egyptian culture and religious beliefs. His decision to make Aten, “The God of the Sun Disk”, the only god, took power away from the temple priests. Before Amenhotep IV made the changes, Egypt practiced polytheism not only worshiping the Sun Disk God, but around 12 other gods with roles such as fertility, the sky, the Nile River, childbirth, etc. With Egypt practicing monotheisms the temple priest have lost control of any political or religious gain they once held. This will be the first time Egypt practices monotheism. In making this change Amenhotep IV became known as Akhenaten, “Shining Spirit of Aten”. Becoming Akhenaten was not the only changes reflected from his reign as pharaoh.

The reign of Amenophis III was the beginning of a political era of diplomatic relations and an economic upturn in Egypt. Amenophis III was original with the choice of his ‘Great Royal Wife’, Tiye, who was not born into a family of monarchs.