Akhenaten In Ancient Egypt

Akhenaten is a famous ruler who reigned Egypt as pharaoh during 1352 BC to 1336 BC. Up until the fifth year of his reign, his name was Amenhotep IV. He then changed his name to Akhenaten which can be translated to ‘effective to the spirit of Aten’. Akhenaten can also be spelt as Akhenaton, Echnaton, Ikhnaton, and Khuenaten. He ruled the eighteenth dynasty with Queen Nefertiti for 17 years. His death occurred approximately within 1336 BC and 1334 BC.

Akhenaten lived at the crest of Egypt’s royal glory, which was Thebes, the city of the deity, Amun. Worshipping gods were a big career choice in Ancient Egypt. Thousands of preachers had practiced religion at Thebes, as it was the religious center. Near the Nile river, workers had constructed numerous amounts of shrines for gods. Ancient Egyptians had believed that if the Gods were happy, they would benefit, which they did. Akhenaten had created the most protective, dominant, and wealthy environment for Egypt.

Art from Akhenaten’s reign
A fun fact about him is that he was never designed to be a pharaoh. His older brother, Thutmose, was raised expecting to take the role of Egypt’s pharaoh in place of his father, but he had died at age 56. Akhenaten took his father’s place, and became pharaoh. Akhenaten had always ignored his family by excluding himself from traditional household events, but somehow he was still favored by his mother. The story about what happened during his lifetime was buried after he died. Genetic studies show that he was suffering from a disease called Marfan Syndrome, which is a genetic deformity which destructs his body’s connective tissue. Symptoms of this illness include : a rather small torso, a lengthy neck, head, arms, legs, hands, feet, and collarbones, as well as large stomachs, heavy thighs, and poor muscle tone. Egyptologists are currently continuing to analyze more information about the