Who loves the sun? Well, almost everybody does. Many early religions were based on worshipping the sun, because it was THE source of life. Without the sun we’d have to live in the shadows! So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the sun plays a central role in many cultures, such as during the ancient times of Egypt where denizens worshipped, among many other gods, the Sun in the form of falcon-headed God Ra.
The priests who worshipped those gods were powerful men in the kingdom of Egypt; they were surpassed in power only by the Pharaoh, who viewed himself as a living incarnation of a deity. However, there was one Pharaoh who went a step further than those who came before and after him: Pharaoh Akhenaten, born Amenhotep IV. He ascended tthe throne aged 18, and went down in history as a reformer of religion and creator of a new empire.
Gradually, he started on the erasure of the old gods. He demolished their temples and built new ones in memory of a new god: Aten, the sun itself! Not only did Pharaoh Akhenaten betray the ancient gods, he also left their priests with less power when he appointed himself and his wife, Nefertiti, as the only High Priests of the new deity Aten. He even went as far as to see himself as an incarnation of the sun on earth! Thus, the priests were robbed of their power and the Pharaoh and his wife remained the sole voice of the gods, the way it was at the beginning of the Egyptian civilization. Of course, he didn’t make many friends by doing this.
The people of Egypt accepted the construction of new cities and shrines dedicated to the new deity Aten with mixed feelings, because they loved the old gods so much. Although
Until now, opinions as to why he did this are divided. Many believe he was trying to create the first monotheistic religion in the world, thus unifying the people, securing his power and keeping the kingdom stable.
Following his death and supposed assassination, all his reforms were quickly reversed. The name Akhenaten was extinguished: he was only to be seen as a heretic Pharaoh. Researchers today disagree as to whether Akhenaten demonstrated wily political calculativeness, or if he was merely power-hungry and incapable. Regardless, he is still known as the man who saw himself as an incarnation of the sun god Aten.
More Info: de.wikipedia.org
