1362 – 1346 BCE: Amunhotep IV / Akhenaten (18th Dynasty, Part 7)

A New Generation of Rebels. Around 1350 BCE, approximately, a new generation of Amurrites began to cause trouble for the empire. The sons of Abdi-Ashirta inherited his power and soon…

Abdi-Ashirta and the Rise of Amurru. In the later years of Amunhotep III (father of Akhenaten) and the early years of Akhenaten himself, events in the north began to trouble…

Summary Episode. We've covered a lot since Akhenaten abandoned the traditional capitals and moved to his new home of Akhet-Aten. Now, the second phase of pharaoh's rule lasted between regnal…

Akhenaten (Part 11): Foreigners Submit. By 1351 BCE, Akhenaten had achieved many of his early goals. His city, Akhet-Aten, was established, his religious ideas were reaching maturity, and the King…

Akhenaten (Part 10): Queen Tiye's Retirement By 1351 BCE, regnal year 12, Akhenaten's mother Tiye had been a royal lady for fifty years. Now in semi-retirement, living away from the political…

Akhenaten (Part 9): A Royal Son. Every pharaoh of ancient Egypt desired an heir, to continue the lineage of Horus and perpetuate the rule of their family bloodline. Akhenaten, we presume,…

Supporting Aten's Temples To keep their government and economy running, the pharaohs of ancient Egypt relied on allies, servants and friends. Akhenaten (Nefer-kheperu-Re) was no exception. In this episode, we…

The Temples of Aten Akhenaten changed many features of ancient Egyptian religion. But although his god was distant and universal, the Aten still needed a home. Today, we explore how…