h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Akhenaten really stuck in my mind on a recent visit to Egypt. So here I am contributing. This is my first visit to this site so I don’t really know what to say but here goes anyway.
Here's my thoughts please don't dismiss them on the basis of bad spelling I have real difficulty with it. Love FC.

As Egypt is now 80% Muslim and 20% Christian (ish), in Egypt Akhenaten is now respected for his one God theory. He was also reputed be one of the first equalatists. His house was fairly simple and small and he lived among his fellow citizens. This all has to be taken in context, living among the people is probably defined differently for a Pharaoh. He certainly made his self unpopular with the priests kicking them out of the temples and moving the capital. This probably had a really devastating effect on the economy money can from the rich in to the temples and was then spent by the temples. It is thought that Tutankhamuns temple was not robbed because he reinstated the priests. I found when I was in Egypt that the locals seemed less mystified about the whole thing and would talk very matter of fact. This included the ideas about Akhenaten being inbred.

That's very interesting, thanks FC!

In terms of the Ancient Egyptian economy though, remember that 'money' is a misleading term. The Egyptians of the time had no currency; no coins, no credit system. The entire subsistence economy would have revolved around grain, in a land on a river, bordered by desert, easily the most valuable commodity.

The temples stored grain, and it would be paid out to workers and servants accordingly.

Hmm; a random thought - perhaps this is why so many people have interpreted the pyramid builders as slaves, because they were paid in food and lodging.

The economic use of precious items, such as gold and jewels, was almost exclusively in diplomatic prestige trade. In fact, almost all of the gold in Egypt would have come from the Hittite or Mesopotamian states.

Also on Akhenaten, while some do consider him a kind of Judeo-Christian before the fact (and Muslims probably applaud his rejection of God-images), he certainly wasn't an egalitarian. He considered himself the privaleged intercessory; the only means through which the Aten could be addressed.

What did this mean? Quite simply that he, Nefertiti and the kids (and perhaps later Smenkhare) prayed to and worshipped the Aten; everyone else got to pray to and worship Akhenaten, and noone and nothing else.

The Prophet.

P.S. - I'm a little worried that I'm coming across too harshly in response to these articles, GB, but basically this is one of the areas I studied at Uni, and I can be a little sensetive about it. I also feel I could have been more productive pitching some of this in at the University of Life research stage, rather than pointing out the mistakes I see here and now, but I only have a limited time to browse the guide, and often don't get to reading peer review and University of Life stuff.

Also, I don't often say when things are good, which much of these articles are, but that's just me. So I hope you don't take offence at my nitpicking, as none is intended.

Keep up the good work.

TP

No ofence taken, I can assure you.
Remember I wrote the articles as I see them.
There are people who believe Smenkhare was Tutankhamun's brother.
I believe it was Nefertiti.
There is nothing to stop you writing your own version.
I am glad people enjoy reading my entries & I'm very proud now to be a fully fledged University Field Researcher.

He's an odd and illusive character, Smenkhare. He pretty much appears from nowhere, and then vanishes again almost as completely. Primo secret history material; did you know that some reports suggest the Comte de Saint Germaine was of Egyptian colouration?

The only thing I would say though, is that while you are certainly entitled to your opinion, you should be very careful how you present such an uncertain issue. The article seems very much to say that Smenkhare _was_ Nefertiti; not that he _could have been_ or that you _believe_ he was.

The Prophet.

I think that's elusive actually. Oops.

My bad.

TP

Hello!
erm, just want to ask a couple of questions:
-didn't Akhenaten stop the parading of Gods around the temples, and replace it with him and his family in chariots. And need a load of guards to protect him as it was less than popular.

-Wasn't his (oh god I hope I don't mis-spell this, well I am guessing) Khartush [enclosed symbol name] removed where ever it was found, along with his image, hammer and chisels where busy in other words. And the only reason we have anything much on this period is the discovery of his new capitol.

if I am right these facts might be worth a mention.

Researcher PSG

p.s. I watched alot of documentries on this.

I believe his cartouches were defaced. I seem to recall that this was believed to be a powerful weapon against him in the after-life. However, many cartouches were defaced by coptics when various temples were turned into churches. Also, Hatshepsut's cartouches were defaced just because she was a woman (really that simple?). There is one tomb which contains a chronlogy of the Pharoahs. There's a gap, or something, where Akhenaten should be, but I don't think it has been defaced.

GB, on the subject of the art at Amarna. Don't opinions differ? I thought some egyptologists believe that the art of the Amarna period is actually the most naturalistic and the odd shape of the figures indicates a genetic disorder.

The genetic disorder in question typically results in genital atrophy and sexual disfunction. Sure, someone else _could_ have father all of Akhenaten's twenty-odd kids, but what are the odds on them having the same disfunction?

The Prophet.

Just a thought, but wasn't the most remarkable thing of all about Akhenaten the fact that, when he reonounced all the old gods, he renounced his own divinity at the same time? I can't think of any other human-deity in history to have done this entirely voulantarily. (But I look forward to being corrected on this). Insisting that he was the only true priest of Aten still seems like a major step down.

Loved the article, by the way.

Thank you
Have you read the others in my University project?