Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Egoinos · 11-25-2002, 06:26 AM

I have a query. I have always heard that Akhenaten was the world's first monotheist, and banned all the other gods from Egypt during his reign.

However, apparently not all scholars actually think Akhenaten was a monotheist at all. Anybody have any good links/ideas/evidences for/against this?

Ta,

--Egoinos--

Marduk · 11-25-2002, 08:50 AM

Some think he was more of a politician, the Priests of Heliopolis were gaining too much power for his liking and they also had a form of monotheism (Ra is one with many attributes) so he had to take them down a peg.
Others see him as more of a logician, it bothered him (and only him it seems) that Egypt’s collection of religious teachings were often contradictory and mutually exclusive. One God, hundreds of gods, the ennead, 9 who are one, and multiple creation stories. He thought they should be more consistent.

Unlike Jews and Christians the Egyptians had no official cannon or Bible, just many diverse traditions from Upper and Lower Egypt and other provinces that were poorly blended together.

And of course there are those who still want to claim Moses invented monotheism

MortalWombat · 11-25-2002, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by marduck:
<strong>Others see him as more of a logician, it bothered him (and only him it seems) that Egypt’s collection of religious teachings were often contradictory and mutually exclusive.</strong>

Little did he know that such things don't get resolved any better when you go down to just one god.

Daniel_AnglumTM · 11-25-2002, 10:17 AM

I wouldnt go as far to say that he was the first Monothiest but it seems a quite probable hypothosis that it was he that greatly influenced the evolution of the Judeo-Christian tradition. I do not think he was a complete monothiest he only worshipped one god but so many thousands of years of religious baggage cannot be forgotten and changed in an instant.

Egoinos · 11-26-2002, 05:39 PM

I'm intrigued, you see, because the Aten's name was:

Quote:

Re-Harakhti who rejoices in the horizon - in his name: as Shu, who is Aten

(tr Seigfried Morenz)

Which strikes me as a little weird for a god who's supposed to be the only one existing!

Xman · 12-01-2002, 06:19 PM

Some of us would push the original monotheist all the way back to Adam, the ultimate spring of at least some of Moses' sources.

Sarpedon · 12-02-2002, 04:49 AM

Egoinos...
The egyptian custom for combining gods is quite old. Amun-Ra, Ra-Horus, etc. Even Osiris is believed to be two previous gods combined. I think the Egyptian development of Monotheism shouldn't be viewed as something new and completely different, but merely the logical conclusion of the mixing of deities.

11-25-2002, 06:26 AM	#1
Egoinos Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 423	Akhenaten & Monotheism I have a query. I have always heard that Akhenaten was the world's first monotheist, and banned all the other gods from Egypt during his reign. However, apparently not all scholars actually think Akhenaten was a monotheist at all. Anybody have any good links/ideas/evidences for/against this? Ta, --Egoinos--

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

11-25-2002, 08:50 AM	#2
Marduk Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: the 10th planet Posts: 5,065	Some think he was more of a politician, the Priests of Heliopolis were gaining too much power for his liking and they also had a form of monotheism (Ra is one with many attributes) so he had to take them down a peg. Others see him as more of a logician, it bothered him (and only him it seems) that Egypt’s collection of religious teachings were often contradictory and mutually exclusive. One God, hundreds of gods, the ennead, 9 who are one, and multiple creation stories. He thought they should be more consistent. Unlike Jews and Christians the Egyptians had no official cannon or Bible, just many diverse traditions from Upper and Lower Egypt and other provinces that were poorly blended together. And of course there are those who still want to claim Moses invented monotheism

11-25-2002, 10:17 AM	#4
Daniel_AnglumTM Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Somewhere in the Suburban Jungle of London Posts: 34	I wouldnt go as far to say that he was the first Monothiest but it seems a quite probable hypothosis that it was he that greatly influenced the evolution of the Judeo-Christian tradition. I do not think he was a complete monothiest he only worshipped one god but so many thousands of years of religious baggage cannot be forgotten and changed in an instant.

12-01-2002, 06:19 PM	#6
Xman Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Orlando Posts: 30	Some of us would push the original monotheist all the way back to Adam, the ultimate spring of at least some of Moses' sources.

12-02-2002, 04:49 AM	#7
Sarpedon Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Minnesota, the least controversial state in the le Posts: 8,446	Egoinos... The egyptian custom for combining gods is quite old. Amun-Ra, Ra-Horus, etc. Even Osiris is believed to be two previous gods combined. I think the Egyptian development of Monotheism shouldn't be viewed as something new and completely different, but merely the logical conclusion of the mixing of deities.

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.