Akhenaten's Monotheism | 3,000 Years of Erasure

Akhenaten — born Amenhotep IV, pharaoh of Egypt's 18th dynasty around 1353-1336 BC — closed every temple in Egypt, confiscated the property of every priesthood, built a new capital city from scratch, and declared a single god: the Aten, the disk of the sun. He was so thoroughly erased by his successors that he was unknown for 3,000 years until 19th century archaeology uncovered Amarna. The Great Hymn to the Aten — found inscribed in the tomb of his courtier Ay — contains specific parallels to Psalm 104 of the Hebrew Bible that scholars have debated for 150 years. In 1939, Sigmund Freud argued in Moses and Monotheism that Moses was an Atenist priest who transmitted Egyptian monotheism to the Israelites. In 1997, Egyptologist Jan Assmann argued in Moses the Egyptian — published by Harvard University Press — that the conceptual distinction at the heart of all monotheism was first made in practice by Akhenaten, approximately 100 years before the earliest possible date for Moses. If this work matters to you, you can support the channel by becoming a member. Support is never expected — but always deeply appreciated. Join here: 👉 / @therealmidnightlibrary For those who resonate with the visual world of The Midnight Library, a curated collection of art and apparel inspired by these themes is available here: 👉 https://themidnightart.com/ For ambient, chant, and cinematic music inspired by ancient traditions, visit The Midnight Library Music: 👉 / @themidnightlibrarymusic For intimate and emotional musical compositions, explore The Romantic Guy: 👉 / @theromanticguy Every story in The Midnight Library opens another door. 🕯️🔑 #Akhenaten #AncientEgypt #Moses #Monotheism #AncientHistory #HiddenHistory #ForbiddenKnowledge #EgyptianHistory #Amarna #Aten #AncientReligion #AncientWisdom #Egyptology #JanAssmann #Freud #18thDynasty #Pharaoh #LostHistory #AncientCivilization #ReligionHistory