All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

Akhenaten

Akhenaten was an  Egyptian pharaoh who ruled for 17 years during the 18th dynasty. In partnership  with Nefertiti, introduced a new monotheistic religion centered around the sun-disk  Aten, relocated the capital to Amarna, and promoted artistic realism. His reign  ended with a succession crisis and subsequent restoration of traditional  religious practices. What kind of world did he create?

The Abydos Kings list cartouches in the Temple of Seti, Abydos. Source: Olaf Tausch/CC BY 3.0
2 April, 2024 - 14:50 mrreese

The Abydos King List Safeguards the Identities of 76 Egyptian Kings

Abydos is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian cities (3,100 – 332 BC) and is one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Egypt. Many ancient temples and tombs can be found there, offering...
Depiction of Ramesses II slaying one enemy while trampling another, from a rock-cut relief at Abu Simbel Source: Aoineko/CC BY-SA 3.0
1 April, 2024 - 20:52 Robbie Mitchell

Five Cruelest Pharaohs in Egyptian History (Video)

Egyptian history is replete with tales of pharaonic cruelty, and among the most notorious are the 5 cruelest pharaohs who left an indelible mark on the sands of time. In the First Dynasty, rulers...
Sekhmet at Rameses III’s temple at Mabinet Habu (abrilla / Adobe Stock)
7 February, 2024 - 22:40 Nicholas Costa

The Enigma Of Egyptian Sekhmet And Leonine Deities

Typical of cats, the leonine goddesses of ancient Egypt, including Sekhmet are very elusive, despite countless research papers. A review of the attestations of the cult of feline deities in Egypt...
Egypt’s Edfu temple with its passage lined by two glowing walls full of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Source: Konstantin/Adobe Stock
18 December, 2023 - 19:54 Robbie Mitchell

Who Are The Lost Gods Of Ancient Egypt? (Video)

Exploring the ancient Egyptian pantheon reveals gods manifested in wood, paint, and stone, shaping a rich tapestry of beliefs. Shifting from a myriad of deities to the revolutionary era centered on...
Image of ancient god Akhenaten. Source: Vlad/Adobe Stock
15 December, 2023 - 00:57 Robbie Mitchell

The Mystery of Akhenaten's Revolution (Video)

In the ancient annals of Egypt, a mysterious chapter unfolds around Akhenaten , a Pharaoh who dared challenge millennia of entrenched beliefs. Around 3,000 years ago, this audacious ruler initiated a...
Seventh Plague of Egypt (1823) by John Martin, a painting of the Old Testament bible story. Source: Public domain
6 December, 2023 - 17:56 Ahmed Osman

Egypt Remembers: Where are the Ancient Accounts of the Great Exodus?

The biblical story of the Israelites’ Descent and Great Exodus speaks about important events that took place in Egypt. We should, therefore, expect to find records of these events in Egyptian sources...
A majestic sculpture of Pharaoh Akhenaten under the sun disc of Aten. Source: y EOL STUDIOS /Adobe Stock
29 November, 2023 - 16:08 Robbie Mitchell

How Akhenaten Demolished Centuries of Egyptian Tradition (Video)

In the historical upheaval orchestrated by Pharaoh Akhenaten , the once polytheistic tapestry of Egyptian beliefs unraveled. Akhenaten, a radical monarch, discarded centuries-old traditions by...
The lid of a canopic jar depicting an Egyptian queen. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.
7 October, 2023 - 21:00 Robbie Mitchell

Who Did This Majestic Egyptian Canopic Jar Belong To? (Video)

From the depths of Egypt's Valley of the Kings comes a discovery shrouded in mystery. An ancient canopic jar , uncovered in 1907 from an uninscribed tomb, beckons our curiosity. This exquisite...
Head of Tutankhamun. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.
27 September, 2023 - 02:00 Robbie Mitchell

Face of the Boy King: The Deeply Human Story Behind Tutankhamun's Head (Video)

This exquisite limestone sculpture, currently an exhibit at the New York Met, captures the youthful innocence of Tutankhamun , the boy king, at the tender age of six. Crafted with meticulous detail,...
Gold sandals and toe covers discovered in King Tut’s tomb, part of “The Discovery of King Tut" exhibition in New York City. (Mary Harrsch / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )
20 July, 2023 - 01:53 Robbie Mitchell

These Objects Reveal Intimate Details of Tutankhamun's Life (Video)

Renowned Egyptologist Professor Joanne Fletcher curated a captivating exhibition in Barnsley, exploring the life of the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun. The exhibition not only celebrated Tutankhamun's...
Representation of Egyptian super god, Ra known also as Ra-Horakhty. Source: AkuAku/Adobe Stock
3 June, 2023 - 18:57 Aleksa Vučković

The Egyptian God Ra - Lord of Life and Light

The Ancient Egyptian pantheon was filled with imaginative deities of all kinds. In fact, this pantheon numbered hundreds of different gods and goddesses, whose importance often waned over the passing...
Akhenaten plaster bust on the left and Smenkhkare plaster bust on the right of the funerary mask of Tutankhamun. Berlin’s Neues Museum. Behind is the sunrise near Amarna, Egypt. (Image: Courtesy Jonathon Perrin)
24 April, 2023 - 17:38 Jonathon Perrin

The Tut Is Not My Son!

It could be quite the talk show: Who is King Tut’s real father? The host would be handed an envelope with the paternity test results. The audience hushes, clutching their seats, biting their nails...
Fusion of elements: 1) the central city of Amarna, looking east (photo by author), a statue of Akhenaten, with the famous Minoan fresco from the Knossos Palace, “Ladies in Blue”, circa 1500 BC. (Public Domain)
27 February, 2023 - 22:32 Jonathon Perrin

Fair Winds Trade From the Aegean to Egypt’s Amarna

What do Queen Nefertari’s silver earrings , King Tutankhamun’s olive leaf collar, and an exquisite blue glass mixing vessel from Egypt have in common? They were all either a direct product of trade...
Aswan temple, completed by Ramses II of the Ramessid Dynasty. Source: Konstantin / Adobe Stock
9 February, 2023 - 14:00 Aleksa Vučković

The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt

Throughout its very long history, ancient Egypt's fate has always been decided by the great ruling dynasties. A powerful state and empire needs an equally powerful ruler, and ever since the...
Nakhtpaaten may have been the first commuter, crossing ancient Amarna to his daily job as royal vizier. Illustration of an imagined ancient Egyptian city. Source: KHBandak / Adobe Stock
26 January, 2023 - 17:49 Aleksa Vučković

Walk (to Work) Like an Egyptian: Nakhtpaaten, the First Commuter

In the modern world, traveling to and from work seems to be a relatively easy thing to do. Whether by bus, car, or metro, getting to your workplace is rarely a challenge. But what about the ancient...
The tomb of the Vizier Amenhotep-Huy in Luxor, Egypt. Source: Teresa Bedman / Institute of Ancient Egyptian Studies
7 January, 2023 - 21:57 Sahir

Egyptian Tombs Reveal 60 High-Ranking Burials from the 18th Dynasty

Right at the turn of the year, a Spanish archaeological mission made a tremendous discovery in the modern city of Luxor in Egypt, which includes the site of the ancient city of Thebes. Sixty mummies...
Avian artwork reproduced in facsimile painting from the Green Room found at Amarna’s North Palace. Source: Public domain
14 December, 2022 - 23:59 ashley cowie

Exquisite Avian Artwork Created Sensory Relaxation Chamber for Egyptian Queen

Back in the 1920s, archaeologists working at Amarna’s North Palace in Egypt uncovered a “masterpiece of ancient Egyptian art.” This was the palace of Meritaten, the daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and...
Depiction of parchment of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their children with Aten shining on them as found on the Stela of Akhenaten and his family, Egyptian Museum, Cairo (ppicasso / Adobe Stock)
14 December, 2022 - 22:34 John and Collee...

Akhenaten And Nefertiti: Egypt’s Golden Couple

The drivers arrange the chariots of the royal entourage—two to one side, two to the other side, of the royal chariot, which is distinguished by the great ostrich plumes of its span of stallions...
The lost city of Amarna found in the 19th century was built by the almost alien-like heretic pharaoh Akhenaten, who introduced the smaller, more efficient talatat blocks for building construction and changed Egyptian religion for a while. Source: Brown University
14 April, 2022 - 23:01 Khadija Tauseef

Talatat Blocks and Akhenaten’s Failed Architectural Revolution

Egypt has a rich history of architectural monuments that dot its landscape. Each monument is a testament to the pharaoh who created it. These buildings have forever cemented the names of the pharaohs...
From King Tut To The Jewish Tallit
21 March, 2022 - 22:22 Jonathon Perrin

From King Tut To The Jewish Tallit

There is perhaps no greater symbol of Judaism than the white prayer shawl, the tallit . Likewise, there is probably no greater symbol of ancient Egypt’s majesty than the golden funerary mask of the...
Pharaoh Akhenaten in the center and his family worshiping Aten personified as the rays of a solar disk; later such imagery was prohibited. Source: Egyptian Museum / Public domain
13 November, 2021 - 17:57 Aleksa Vučković

Explaining the Weirdly Alien Looking Statues of Pharaoh Akhenaten

In the history of Ancient Egypt, Akhenaten occupies a very special place. Of all the pharaohs over the many centuries, he was by far the most controversial one. His radical policies, major religious...
Composite image of Osiris and his protective sisters Isis and Nephthys, overlain by Akhenaten’s face, all overlying the Ark and the winged cherubim, from Moses and Joshua Bowing before the Ark, gouache on board, by James Tissot, 1896-1902. Now in the Jewish Museum, New York. Author created.
8 November, 2021 - 20:39 Jonathon Perrin

Was the Ark Of The Covenant A Coffin – Secret Link To Osiris God Of The Dead

Why does the Bible refer to the Ark of the Covenant as a coffin ? Was someone buried in it? Was it a symbolic coffin, or even God’s coffin? The Bible describes the Ark as a sacred chest of wood and...
Do Akhenaten’s Links with Yom Kippur Traditions Shed New Light on Moses?
17 September, 2021 - 01:54 Jonathon Perrin

Do Akhenaten’s Links with Yom Kippur Traditions Shed New Light on Moses?

The holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, means “Day of Atonement”. Marked by confession, repentance, and forgiveness, it takes place ten days after the Jewish New Year. Its origins remain to...
The Genesis Of Modern Religions In Ancient Egypt
15 September, 2021 - 20:56 Dr Edward Bruce...

The Genesis Of Modern Religions In Ancient Egypt

It is an irony of history that the three great religions of Europe and the Middle East, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, did not originate there but rather had their genesis, like the human species...

Pages