Egyptian pharaoh akhenaten biography of abraham

Also known as Amenhotep IV, Akhenaten was Pharaoh of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty between 1353-1336 BC. In his two or so decades on the throne, he fundamentally altered Egyptian religion, ushered in new artistic and architectural styles, tried to remove the names and images of some of Egypt’s traditional gods and moved Egypt’s capital city to a previously unoccupied site.

In the years after his death, his successors widely undid the changes he made, and lambasted Akhenaten as ‘the enemy’ or ‘that criminal’.

However, also due to the major changes he made during his reign, he has been described as ‘history’s first individual’.

Here are 10 facts about one of ancient Egypt’s most controversial rulers, Pharaoh Akhenaten.

1.

He wasn’t meant to be pharaoh

Akhenaten was born Amenhotep, the younger son of pharaoh Amenhotep III and his principal wife Tiye. He had four or five sisters as well as an older brother, the cr