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Akhenaten

Egyptian eighteenth-dynasty king, formerly Amenhotep IV, who reorganized royal religion around Aten and founded Akhetaten.

Akhenaten offering a duck, limestone relief with paint, Dynasty 18, The Met 1985.328.2. Aten rays and hands survive; the complete disk is not preserved here. The museum gives a probable Amarna origin. Original preserved; display copy uncropped
Akhenaten offering a duck, limestone relief with paint, Dynasty 18, The Met 1985.328.2. Aten rays and hands survive; the complete disk is not preserved here. The museum gives a probable Amarna origin. Original preserved; display copy uncroppedThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985.328.2; Gift of Norbert Schimmel, 1985 · Public domainObject record

Metadata

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Edition
2

Text

He ruled in the fourteenth century BCE; year 17 is the highest attested, with varying absolute chronologies. His new name foregrounded AtenAtenSolar divine power central to Akhenaten’s program, depicted by disk and rays, with a history predating the king.Glossary · Click to read the explanation without proving universal adoption of his theology. [1]

The image is an original relief of a duck offering, not a modern anatomical reconstruction or medical diagnosis. “First monotheist” requires a definition and separate assessment of royal texts and household practice. [2][3]

References and notes

  1. UCL Digital Egypt (2001). “Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV).” Approximate chronology 1351–1334 BCE, parentage and year 17. Entry dates the name change to year 6; foundation proclamations begin in year 5. Different chronologies are not forced into one. Return to the text ↑
  2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Akhenaten Sacrificing a Duck,” 1985.328.2. Limestone relief with paint, king offering a duck and Aten rays; Norbert Schimmel gift, 1985; probable Amarna origin. Main image Public Domain, not one of the restricted additional views. Return to the text ↑
  3. Jacquelyn Williamson (2015). “Amarna Period.” UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Print pp.6–7 on the Karnak declaration, royal mediation, Bes and Taweret in households; p.10 on restoration. Karnak statement reported through Williamson, not an independent inspection of the inscription or cited editions. Return to the text ↑

Research history

Substantive changes are retained here. Minor copy edits remain in the internal operational log.

  1. Edition 2 · 11 October 2026 · editor:aladmin

    Substantive record update

    Read this revision in its original language (Arabic)

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IL Archive, «Akhenaten», Edition 2, https://ilarchive.com/en/people/akhenaten