Ancient Essay 2

To what extent did post-Amarna pharaohs overturn the ‘Amarna’ revolution? 

Para 1: Brief Introduction in the Amarna revolution, The Failure of its limited Impact 

Discuss how Atenism lacked a popular basis across egypt, mainly revolving around the royal family and akenhaten. Could also looked at the economic power of Amun priesthood staying intact, and his over switch to a completely mono-thestic religion on a minor god and change of the capital city to a place without agrable land. Ensure to mention What is the Revolution.  

The Revolution was the overturning of the entire socitetial structure of Egypt, reorganising their religion into a mono-thestic and moving the capitial etc. 

Source 1: The archaeological site of Amarna the city and how it had very limited potential 

  • It will be a valuable source to show the illregard for practically in changing the capital to a place not fit to house thousands let alone the population of Egypt 

  • Mention Limited Potential  

Source 2: Reliefs from Amarna of Akenhaten and his family as the sole intermediaries to Aten.  

  • This showcases the self-centered nature of the religion and how the entire system relied on the Pharaohs devotion. It failed to allow regular people to participate in religion and become religious leaders within the society. It was further ineffective as a result of this as it doesn’t show a long term potential of the religion for the regular populus.  

Source 3: Paraphrase Aidan Dodson, account of how "atenism was rapidly abandoned without thought."  

  • Showcases historical opinion on the failure of the revolution. 

Option 1: To what extent did post-Amarna pharaohs overturn the ‘Amarna’ revolution? 

 

Para 2: The Religious Restoration under Tutankhamun and Ay  

Tutankhamun's abadonment of the religion must have been a major turning point of the overall valdity of Atenism and its failure. Espically since He changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.  

Source 1: Restoration Stellar quote "beloved of Atum Lord of the Two Lands of Heliopolis;" 

  • Highlights Tutankhamun's desire to reinsate the poly-thestic religion that Egyptian is well-regarded for and how he wanted the pharoahs to be at the center of the religion once again. Furthermore it showcases how Tuankhamun was originally the one to kick-start the successful overturning of the revolution within his short-reign.  

Source 2: Tutankhamun's Tomb Depictions of Religious Icongraphy on North Wall in his burial chamber showcsasing Gods such as Orisis or Ka. 

  • Allows me to bring forward his desire for the poly-thesism to return to Egypt on a massive scale. Setting up future pharoahs to follow his footsteps completely. 

Source 3: Toby Wilkinson Rise and Fall of Egypt (2010), mention how he discusses the reintegration of the Amun cult and its stablising effects on the Egyptian landscape post-chaos of the Amarna period 

  • Highlights Tut's very successful short reign in reinforcing the cult of Amun again.  

Source 4/point: Ay's Tomb (Wb23), further contained more religious inscriptions with the four sons of horus being shown. 

  • This important as Ay served as visor to Akenantem, and him going back to polytheism showcases the complete failure to convince his own political advisors who after the fact went on to build many religious inscripitions and further the temple of Karnak showcasing even his own ability to erase akenism from history.  

Para 3: Horemheb's Systematic Erasure Program 

  • Horemheb had the most significance / influential role erasing Akhenaten's status as Pharoah and overall legacy especially removing Atenism. This is evident through destroying his monuments and related places. 

Source 1: Use of Amarna-period talatat blocks in Karnak, physical evidence. 

  • It highlights the destruction of Akenhaten's monuments and reuse of the material into major religious temples such as Karnak providing archaeological evidence of Horemheb's successful erasural.  

Source 2: Great Edict of Horemheb found at 10th pylon at Karna 

  • The Edict reinforces the traditional nature of Egypt reversing all instances of Akhenaten's policy highlighting how he completely reverted almost everything he did allowing for a successful overvthrowing of the fundamentals of his reign.  

Source 3: Historian Jacobus van Dijk furthers this through the long-term impact of his policies that solidifies the rejection of Atenism for future pharoahs.  

Overall showcasing how Horemheb utilised the backing from Tutankahumen and Ay to Successfully eradicate Akentatums archelogical and written memory from Egypt restoring the ideals to the time of leaders such as Amenhotep III.  

 

Para 4: Long-term Impact and the Ramesside Reinforcement of Orthodoxy – Complete Failure 

 

After Horemheb, Seti I and Ramessess II had the role of cementing the rejction of the Amarna period and finalise the overthrowing and solidifying the failure of the revolution as a whole.  

 

Source 1: Seti I 11 year reign, showcased various constructing of temples to Amun such as the Grand Hypostyle hall at Karnak, denoucing Amarna as a period of Chaos. 

  • Highlighting the importance of Amun once again within Egyptian Society, etc going to further this point 

Source 2: Seti I's Kings list was the last construction that solidified the destruction of the Amarna Revolution, as Tutankhamen and Akhenaten name was completely removed. 

  • Showcases the importance and histiography of their own history and erasure of a period of instability to remove andsigns of infighting that could make Egypt look weak in foreign relations as Amarna revolution was a complete embarrasment for the country 

Source 3:  Ramesses II’s inscriptions at Luxor and Abu Simbel – glorify Amun and traditional gods while lacking any reference to Atenism,  

  • reinforcing the ideological rejection of Amarn, and especially since Ramessess II was remembered for his constant glorification of Amun as the major god 

Overall highlights the complete successful overturning of this brief heretical episode known as the Amarna period  as many pharoahs for decades each played an important role in reinforcing the dominance of Amun again and restoring the Polythestic side of egypt that it was remembered for. Almost erasing the entire history of  Akentahten from history as the main forms of historical evidence were in the form of hidden archaeological evidence. Ensuring the anomaly of Atenism would stay that way. 

Source 4: (if remembered and time) Historian Jacobus van Dijk, highlighted Setis religious restorations and reinforment of the theological othrodoxy completely as he comments on the nature of the success of the overturn.