What Was The Significance Of King Akhenaten

Akhenaten- means beneficial to the Aten (the disk of the sun), sought to make Aten the supreme deity, he closed temples of other gods and challenged the supremacy of chief god Amon, he is sometimes credited with the creation of monotheism however it most likely a claim for power, built a new capital at modern day Amarna, halfway between Memphis and Thebes, created a new style of art, women were depicted with elongated heads and limbs with swollen abdomens, reforms were resented, after his death everything was overturned, Amon was reinstated as chief god, the capital moved back to Thebes, was succeeded by Tutankhamun (68)
Significance- Akhenaten is an example of a failed attempt to shift religious focus. He closed temples, forbid worship and forced his people to worship his
to create a stronger central authority to lead against the Philistine city-states, died in battle and the throne passed to David. (80)
Significance- As the first Israelite king, he set the precedent for his successors. He was chosen to unite and protect the Israelites from invasion, he managed to do it and pass on the throne. He is a key figure in the Bible and has a legacy that still exists today.

David- King of Israel from 1000-960 B.C.E., was a gifted musician, warrior, and politician, oversaw the transition of Israel from a tribal confederacy to a unified monarchy, made Jerusalem, which lied outside tribal boundaries, his capital city, brought with him the Ark (stone tablets from Yahweh), making it a religious center as well, facilitated a census and created a standing army, won several military battles and expanded territory (80)
Significance- David is a key figure in the Bible and by those accounts responsible for much of Israel’s success. He united and protected his land, made multiple changes to the system of government, as well as changes to military structure. Without David, Israel might have have fallen and never rose to