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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..28074ee --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #62434 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62434) diff --git a/old/62434-0.txt b/old/62434-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c3e3ec7..0000000 --- a/old/62434-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6959 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life and Times of Akhnaton, by -Arthur Edward Pearse Weigall - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Life and Times of Akhnaton - Pharaoh of Egypt - -Author: Arthur Edward Pearse Weigall - -Release Date: June 20, 2020 [EBook #62434] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AKHNATON *** - - - - -Produced by John Campbell and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have - been placed at the end of the book. - - Footnotes [79] and [82] have a translation of some heiroglyphic - words, using several accented characters. These will display, - using Unicode combining diacriticals, on this device as - ȧ (a with dot above) - ḥ and Ḥ (h and H with dot below) - a͑ and A͑ (a and A with half left circle above) - - Pages 155 and 156 of the original book have a two-column side by - side comparison of “Akhnaton’s Hymn” and “Psalm CIV”. The Psalm - has been placed under the Hymn in this etext. - - Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book. - - - - - _BY THE SAME AUTHOR._ - - - Crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. net. With numerous Illustrations. - - TRAVELS IN THE UPPER EGYPTIAN DESERTS. - - “Since the times of Eliot Warburton and Kinglake many writers - have celebrated the delights of travel in the desert. None, I - think, has realised the fascination of the desert more fully than - Mr Weigall.”--_Westminster Gazette._ - - JOHN WARD, F.S.A. (author of ‘Pyramids and Progress,’ &c.), - writes: “... The very best book of travel ... I have seen for - years; so interesting that it can be read with pleasure by people - who know not Egypt, and so unpretendingly scientific ... that - to one who is an expert Egyptologist it is a treasure-trove. - The language is so clear, the descriptive portions so graphic, - and yet the style so simple, that the work is, in its way, - a masterpiece. Then the clear type, the handy size, and the - exquisite photographs make the book a rare possession.” - - - Demy 8vo. With Illustrations. 7s. 6d. net. - - “Interesting and readable in no common degree.”--_Scotsman._ - - THE TREASURY OF ANCIENT EGYPT. - - Chapters on Ancient Egyptian History and Archæology. - - Mr Weigall has performed a remarkable literary feat. He has - truly made dry bones live, and has presented his researches in - Egyptology in a manner so fascinating as to arouse the enthusiasm - of the patrons of the circulating libraries. Of this volume it is - enough to say that it is worthy of the author of ‘The Life and - Times of Akhnaton.’ - - - WM. BLACKWOOD & SONS, EDINBURGH AND LONDON. - - - - -[Illustration: PAVEMENT DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III.] - - - - - The Life and Times of - - Akhnaton - - - - - The Life and Times of - - Akhnaton - - Pharaoh of Egypt - - - BY - - ARTHUR E. P. WEIGALL - - CHIEF INSPECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, UPPER EGYPT - - AUTHOR OF ‘A REPORT ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF LOWER NUBIA,’ - ‘A CATALOGUE OF THE WEIGHTS AND BALANCES IN THE CAIRO - MUSEUM,’ ‘A GUIDE TO THE ANTIQUITIES OF UPPER EGYPT,’ - ‘DIE MASTABA DES GEMNIKAI’ (WITH PROFESSOR VON - BISSING), ‘TRAVELS IN THE UPPER EGYPTIAN - DESERTS,’ ETC. - - - “Ye ask who are those that draw us to the Kingdom if the Kingdom - is in Heaven? The fowls of the air, and all the beasts that are - under the earth or upon the earth, and the fishes of the sea, these - are they which draw you, and the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.” - --GRENFELL AND HUNT: _Oxyrhynchus Papyri_, iv. 6. - - - SECOND IMPRESSION - - - William Blackwood and Sons - Edinburgh and London - 1911 - - _ALL RIGHTS RESERVED_ - - - - - _TO_ - - _THEODORE M. DAVIS,_ - - _THE DISCOVERER OF_ - _THE BONES OF AKHNATON_, - - This Book is Dedicated. - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - INTRODUCTION 1 - - - I. - - THE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS OF AKHNATON. - - 1. THE ANCESTORS OF AKHNATON 7 - 2. THE GODS OF EGYPT 11 - 3. THE DEMIGODS AND SPIRITS--THE PRIESTHOODS 18 - 4. THOTHMES IV. AND MUTEMUA 21 - 5. YUAA AND TUAU 25 - 6. AMONHOTEP III. AND HIS COURT 33 - - - II. - - THE BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS OF AKHNATON. - - 1. THE BIRTH OF AKHNATON 42 - 2. THE RISE OF ATON 45 - 3. THE POWER OF QUEEN TIY 49 - 4. AKHNATON’S MARRIAGE 53 - 5. THE ACCESSION OF AKHNATON 58 - 6. THE FIRST YEARS OF AKHNATON’S REIGN 62 - 7. THE NEW ART 68 - 8. THE NEW RELIGION DEVELOPS 76 - 9. THE NATURE OF THE NEW RELIGION 84 - - - III. - - AKHNATON FOUNDS A NEW CITY. - - 1. THE BREAK WITH THE PRIESTHOOD OF AMON-RA 88 - 2. AKHNATON SELECTS THE SITE OF HIS CITY 92 - 3. THE FIRST FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION 94 - 4. THE SECOND FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION 101 - 5. THE DEPARTURE FROM THEBES 105 - 6. THE AGE OF AKHNATON 110 - - - IV. - - AKHNATON FORMULATES THE RELIGION OF ATON. - - 1. ATON THE TRUE GOD 115 - 2. ATON THE TENDER FATHER OF ALL CREATION 118 - 3. ATON WORSHIPPED AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET 124 - 4. THE GOODNESS OF ATON 127 - 5. AKHNATON THE “SON OF GOD” BY TRADITIONAL RIGHT 130 - 6. THE CONNECTIONS OF THE ATON WORSHIP WITH OLDER - RELIGIONS 135 - 7. THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH 138 - 8. THE MATERIAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL 143 - - - V. - - THE TENTH TO THE TWELFTH YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON. - - 1. THE HYMNS OF THE ATON WORSHIPPERS 149 - 2. THE SIMILARITY OF AKHNATON’S HYMN TO PSALM CIV. 155 - 3. MERYRA IS MADE HIGH PRIEST OF ATON 157 - 4. THE ROYAL FAMILY VISIT THE TEMPLE 162 - 5. AKHNATON IN HIS PALACE 167 - 6. HISTORICAL EVENTS OF THIS PERIOD OF AKHNATON’S REIGN 169 - 7. QUEEN TIY VISITS THE CITY OF THE HORIZON 176 - 8. TIY VISITS HER TEMPLE 182 - 9. THE DEATH OF QUEEN TIY 184 - - - VI. - - THE THIRTEENTH TO THE FIFTEENTH YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON. - - 1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RELIGION OF ATON 189 - 2. AKHNATON OBLITERATES THE NAME OF AMON 193 - 3. THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ATON 198 - 4. THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY 202 - 5. AKHNATON’S AFFECTION FOR HIS FAMILY 208 - 6. AKHNATON’S FRIENDS 213 - 7. AKHNATON’S TROUBLES 217 - - - VII. - - THE LAST TWO YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON. - - 1. THE HITTITE INVASION OF SYRIA 223 - 2. AKHNATON’S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONS TO WARFARE 226 - 3. THE FAITHLESSNESS OF AZIRU 230 - 4. THE FIGHTING IN SYRIA BECOMES GENERAL 235 - 5. AZIRU AND RIBADDI FIGHT TO A FINISH 239 - 6. AKHNATON CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO SEND HELP 243 - 7. AKHNATON’S HEALTH GIVES WAY 246 - 8. AKHNATON’S LAST DAYS AND DEATH 252 - - - VIII. - - THE FALL OF THE RELIGION OF AKHNATON. - - 1. THE BURIAL OF AKHNATON 258 - 2. THE COURT RETURNS TO THEBES 264 - 3. THE REIGN OF HOREMHEB 268 - 4. THE PERSECUTION OF AKHNATON’S MEMORY 272 - 5. THE FINDING OF THE BODY OF AKHNATON 276 - - - INDEX 285 - - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - - PAVEMENT DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III. - (_coloured_) _Frontispiece_ - - CEILING DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III. - (_coloured_) 36 - - THOTHMES IV. SLAYING ASIATICS 22 - - TUAU, GRANDMOTHER OF AKHNATON 26 - - CHEST BELONGING TO YUAA 28 - - QUEEN TIY 30 - - YUAA, GRANDFATHER OF AKHNATON 32 - - AMONHOTEP-SON-OF-HAPU, THE “WISE MAN” OF THE COURT - OF AMONHOTEP III. 34 - - SITE OF THE PALACE OF QUEEN TIY 38 - - COFFIN OF YUAA 40 - - AMONHOTEP III. 54 - - AKHNATON 58 - - THE ART OF AKHNATON COMPARED WITH ARCHAIC ART 72 - - THE ARTIST AUTA 76 - - AKHNATON AND NEFERTITI WITH THEIR THREE DAUGHTERS 108 - - THE HEAD OF THE MUMMY OF THOTHMES IV., THE GRANDFATHER - OF AKHNATON 110 - - AKHNATON DRIVING WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER 130 - - AKHNATON AND HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN 134 - - AN EXAMPLE OF THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN SYRIA - AND EGYPT 190 - - CARVED WOODEN CHAIR, THE DESIGNS PARTLY COVERED - WITH GOLD-LEAF 202 - - AKHNATON. (_From a Statuette in the Louvre_) 206 - - HEAD OF AKHNATON’S DAUGHTER 208 - - LETTER FROM RIBADDI TO THE KING OF EGYPT, REPORTING - THE PROGRESS OF THE REBELLION UNDER AZIRU. (_British - Museum, No. 29,801_) 234 - - DEATH MASK OF AKHNATON 258 - - THE TEMPLE AT LUXOR 270 - - - MAP OF AKHETATON, THE CITY OF THE HORIZON OF ATON - (TEL EL AMARNA) _At end._ - - - - - “How much Akhnaton understood we cannot say, but he had certainly - bounded forward in his views and symbolism to a position which - we cannot logically improve upon at the present day.”--PETRIE: - ‘History of Egypt.’ - - - - - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AKHNATON. - - - - - INTRODUCTION. - - -The reign of Akhnaton, for seventeen years Pharaoh of Egypt (from -B.C. 1375 to 1358), stands out as the most interesting epoch in the -long sequence of Egyptian history. We have watched the endless line -of dim Pharaohs go by, each lit momentarily by the pale lamp of our -present knowledge, and most of them have left little impression -upon the mind. They are so misty and far off, they have been -dead and gone for such thousands of years, that they have almost -entirely lost their individuality. We call out some royal name, -and in response a vague figure passes into view, stiffly moves -its arms, and passes again into the darkness. With one there comes -the muffled noise of battle; with another there is singing and -the sound of music; with yet another the wailing of the oppressed -drifts by. But at the name Akhnaton there emerges from the darkness -a figure more clear than that of any other Pharaoh, and with it -there comes the singing of birds, the laughter of children, and the -scent of many flowers. For once we may look right into the mind -of a king of Egypt and may see something of its workings; and all -that is there observed is worthy of admiration. Akhnaton has been -called “the first individual in human history”;[1] but if he is -thus the first historical figure whose personality is known to us, -he is also the first of all human founders of religious doctrines. -Akhnaton may be ranked in degree of time, and perhaps also in -degree of genius, as the world’s first idealist; and, since in all -ancient Oriental research there never has been, and probably never -will be, brought before us a subject of such intellectual interest -as this Pharaoh’s religious revolution, which marks the first point -in the study of advanced human thought, a careful consideration of -this short reign deserves to be made. - -The following pages do not pretend to do more than acquaint the -reader with the subject, at a time when, owing to the recent -discovery of the Pharaoh’s bones, some interest may have been -aroused in his career. A series of volumes have lately been issued -by the Egypt Exploration Fund,[2] in which accurate copies are to -be found of the reliefs, paintings, and inscriptions upon the walls -of the tombs of some of Akhnaton’s disciples and followers. In the -year 1893 Professor Flinders Petrie excavated the site of the city -which the Pharaoh founded, and published the results of his work -in a volume entitled ‘Tell el Amarna.’[3] Recently Professor J. H. -Breasted has devoted some space to a masterly study of this period -in his ‘History of Egypt’ and ‘Ancient Records of Egypt.’[4] From -these publications the reader will be able to refer himself to the -remaining literature dealing with the subject; but he should bear -in mind that the discovery[5] of the bones of Akhnaton himself, -which have shown us how old he was when he died--namely, about -twenty-eight years of age,--have modified many of the deductions -there made. Those who have travelled in Egypt will probably have -visited the site of Akhnaton’s city, near the modern village of El -Amarna; and in the museums of Cairo, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, -Leiden, and elsewhere, they will perhaps have seen some of the -relics of his age. - -During the last few years an extraordinary series of discoveries -has been made in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes. -In 1903 the tomb of Thothmes IV., the paternal grandfather of -Akhnaton, was discovered; in 1905 the tomb of Yuaa and Tuau, the -maternal grandparents of Akhnaton, was found; in 1907 Akhnaton’s -body was discovered in the tomb of his mother, Queen Tiy; and -in 1908 the tomb of the Pharaoh Horemheb, one of the immediate -successors of Akhnaton, was brought to light. At all but the -first of these discoveries the present writer had the pleasure -of assisting; and a particular interest in the period was thus -engendered, of which the following sketch, prepared during an Upper -Egyptian summer, is an outcome. It must be understood, however, -that a volume written at such times as the exigencies of official -work allowed--partly in the shade of the rocks beside the Nile, -partly at railway-stations or in the train, partly amidst the ruins -of ancient temples, and partly in the darkened rooms of official -quarters--cannot claim the value of a treatise prepared in an -English study where books of reference are always at hand. It is -hoped, however, that no errors have been made in the statement of -the facts; and the deductions drawn therefrom are frankly open to -the reader’s criticism. There will certainly be no two opinions -as to the acknowledgment of the originality, the power, and the -idealism of the Pharaoh whose life is now to be outlined.[6] - - - - - I. - - THE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS OF AKHNATON. - - - 1. THE ANCESTORS OF AKHNATON. - -The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egyptian kings took possession of the -throne of the Pharaohs in the year 1580 B.C., over thirteen hundred -years after the buildings of the great pyramids, and some two -thousand years after the beginning of dynastic history in the -Nile Valley. The founder of the dynasty was the Pharaoh Aahmes I. -He drove out the Asiatics who had overrun the country during the -previous century, and pursued them into the heart of Syria. His -successor, Amonhotep I., penetrated as far as the territory between -the Orontes and the Euphrates; and the next king, Thothmes I., was -able to set his boundary-stone at the northern limits of Syria, and -thus could call himself the ruler of the entire east end of the -Mediterranean, the emperor of all the countries from Asia Minor to -the Sudan. Thothmes II., the succeeding Pharaoh, was occupied with -wars in his southern dominions; but his successor, the famous Queen -Hatshepsut, was able to devote the years of her reign to the arts -of peace. - -She was followed by the great warrior Thothmes III., who conducted -campaign after campaign in Syria, and raised the prestige of Egypt -to a point never attained before or after that time. Every year he -returned to Thebes, his capital, laden with the spoils of Asia. -From the capture of the city of Megiddo alone he carried away 924 -splendid chariots, 2238 horses, 2400 head of various kinds of -cattle, 200 shining suits of armour, including those of two kings, -quantities of gold and silver, the royal sceptre, the gorgeous tent -of one of the kings, and many minor articles. Booty of like value -was brought in from other shattered kingdoms, and the Egyptian -treasuries were full to overflowing. The temples of the gods also -received their share of the riches, and their altars groaned -under the weight of the offerings. Cyprus, Crete, and perhaps the -islands of the Ægean, sent their yearly tribute to Thebes, whose -streets, for the first time in their history, were thronged with -foreigners. Here were to be seen the long-robed Asiatics bearing -vases fresh from the hands of Tyrian craftsmen; here were chariots -mounted with gold and electrum drawn by prancing Syrian horses; -here were Phœnician merchants with their precious wares stripped -from the kingdoms of the sea; here were negroes bearing their -barbaric treasures to the palace. The Egyptian soldiers held their -heads high as they walked through these streets, for they were -feared by all the world. The talk was everywhere of conquest, and -the tales of adventure now related remained current in Egypt for -many a century. War-songs were composed, and hymns of battle were -inscribed upon the temple walls. The spirit of the age will be seen -in the following lines, in which the god Amon addresses Thothmes -III.:-- - - “I have come, giving thee to smite the princes of Zahi, - I have hurled them beneath thy feet among their highlands.... - Thou hast trampled those who are in the districts of Punt, - I have made them see thy majesty as a circling star.... - Crete and Cyprus are in terror.... - Those who are in the midst of the great sea hear thy roarings; - I have made them see thy majesty as an avenger, - Rising upon the back of his slain victim.... - I have made them see thy majesty as a fierce-eyed lion, - While thou makest them corpses in their valleys....” - -It was a fierce and a splendid age--the zenith of Egypt’s great -history. The next king, Amonhotep II., carried on the conquests -with a degree of ferocity not previously apparent. He himself was -a man of great physical strength, who could draw a bow which none -of his soldiers could use. He led his armies into his restless -Asiatic dominions, and having captured seven rebellious Syrian -kings, he hung them head downwards from the prow of his galley as -he approached Thebes, and later sacrificed six of them to Amon -with his own hand. The seventh he carried up to a distant city of -the Sudan, and there hung him upon the gateway as a warning to all -rebels. Dying in the year 1420 B.C., he left the throne to his son, -Thothmes IV., the grandfather of Akhnaton, who at his accession -was about eighteen years of age.[7] - - - 2. THE GODS OF EGYPT. - -With the reign of Thothmes IV. we reach a period of history in -which the beginnings are to be observed of certain religious -movements, which become more apparent in the time of his son -Amonhotep III. and his grandson Akhnaton. We must look, therefore, -more closely at the events of this reign, and must especially -observe their religious aspect. For this reason, and also in order -that the reader may the more readily appreciate, by contrast, the -pure teachings of the Pharaoh whose life forms the subject of the -following pages, it will be necessary to glance at the nature of -the religions which now held sway. Egypt had at this time existed -as a civilised nation for over two thousand years, during the -whole of which period these religious beliefs had been developing; -and now they were so engrained in the hearts of the people that -changes, however slight, assumed revolutionary proportions, -requiring a master-mind for their initiation, and a hand of iron -for their carrying into execution. At the time of which we now -write, this mind and this hand had not yet come into existence, and -the old gods of Egypt were at the zenith of their power. - -Of these gods Amon, the presiding deity of Thebes, was the most -powerful. He had been originally the tribal god of the Thebans, but -when that city had become the capital of Egypt, he had risen to -be the state god of the country. The sun-god Ra, or Ra-Horakhti, -originally the deity of Heliopolis, a city not far from the modern -Cairo, had been the state god in earlier times, and the priests of -Amon contrived to identify the two deities under the name “Amon-Ra, -King of the Gods.” Amon had several forms. He was usually regarded -as a man of shining countenance, upon whose head two tall feathers -arose from a golden cap. Sometimes, however, he assumed the form -of a heavy-horned ram. Sometimes, again, he adopted the appearance -of a brother god, named Min, who was later identified with the -Greek Pan; and it may be mentioned in passing that the goat-form -of the Greek deity may have been derived from this Min-Amon of the -Thebans. On occasions Amon would take upon himself the likeness of -the reigning Pharaoh, choosing a moment when the monarch was away -or was asleep, and in this manner he would obtain admittance to the -queen’s bed-chamber. Amonhotep III. himself was said to be the son -of a union of this nature, though at the same time he did not deny -that his earthly father was Thothmes IV. Amon delighted in battle, -and gave willing assistance to the Pharaohs as they clubbed the -heads of their enemies or cut their throats. It is possible that, -like other of the Egyptian gods, he was but a deified chieftain -of the prehistoric period whose love of battle had never been -forgotten. - -The goddess Mut, “the Mother,” was the consort of Amon, who would -sometimes come to earth to nurse the king’s son at her breast. By -Amon she had a son, Khonsu, who formed the third member of the -Theban trinity. He was the god of the Moon, and was very fair to -look upon. - -Such were the Theban deities, whose influence upon the court was -necessarily great. The Heliopolitan worship of the sun had also a -very considerable degree of power at the palace. The god Ra was -believed to have reigned as Pharaoh upon earth in the dim ages of -the past, and it was thought that the successive sovereigns of -Egypt were his direct descendants, though this tradition actually -did not date from a period earlier than the Fifth Dynasty. “Son of -the Sun” was one of the proudest titles of the Pharaohs, and the -personal name of each successive monarch was held by him in the -official titulary as the representative of Ra. While on earth Ra -had had the misfortune to be bitten by a snake, and had been cured -by the goddess Isis, who had demanded in return the revealing of -the god’s magical name. This was at last told her; but for fear -that the secret would come to the ears of his subjects, Ra decided -to bring about a general massacre of mankind. The slaughter was -carried out by the goddess Hathor in her form of Sekhmet, a fierce -lion-headed woman, who delighted to wade in streams of blood; but -when only the half of mankind had been slain, Ra repented, and -brought the massacre to an end by causing the goddess to become -drunk, by means of a gruesome potion of blood and wine. Weary, -however, with the cares of state, he decided to retire into the -heavens, and there, as the sun, he daily sailed in his boat from -horizon to horizon. At dawn he was called Khepera, and had the -form of a beetle; at noon he was Ra; and at sunset he took the -name of Atum, a word derived from the Syrian Adon, “Lord,” better -known to us in its Greek translation “Adonis.” As the rising and -the setting sun--that is to say, the sun near the horizon--he was -called Ra-Horakhti, a name which the reader must bear in mind. - -The goddess Isis, mentioned in the above tradition, was the consort -of Osiris, originally a Lower Egyptian deity. Like Ra, this god had -also reigned upon earth, but had been murdered by his brother Set, -his death being ultimately revenged by his son Horus, the hawk. -Thus Osiris, Isis, and Horus formed a trinity, which at this time -was mainly worshipped at Abydos, a city of Upper Egypt, where it -was thought that Osiris had been buried. Having thus ceased to -live upon earth, Osiris became the great King of the Underworld, -and all persons prayed to him for their future welfare after death. - -Meanwhile Horus, the hawk, was the tribal god of more than one -city. At Edfu he was worshipped as the conqueror of Set; and in -this manifestation he was the husband of Hathor, the lady of -Dendereh, a city some considerable distance from Edfu. At Ombos, -however, Set was worshipped, and in the local religion there was -no trace of aught but the most friendly relations between Set and -Horus. The goddess Hathor, at the same time, had become patron of -the Western Hills, and in one of her earthly forms--namely, that of -a cow--she is often seen emerging from her cavern in the cliffs. - -At Memphis the tribal god was the little dwarf Ptah, the European -Vulcan, the blacksmith, the artificer, and the potter of the gods. -In this city also, as in many other districts of Egypt, there was -a sacred bull, here called Apis, who was worshipped with divine -honours and was regarded as an aspect of Ptah. At Elephantine a -ram-headed deity named Khnum was adored, and there was a sacred -ram kept in his temple for ceremonial purposes. As Khnum had some -connection with the First Cataract of the Nile, which is situated -near Elephantine, he was regarded as of some importance throughout -Egypt. Moreover, he was supposed by some to have used the mud at -the bottom of the Nile to form the first human being, and thus he -found a place in the mythology of several districts. - -A vulture, named Nekheb, was the tribal deity of the trading city -of Eileithiaspolis; a ferocious crocodile, Sebek, was the god of -a second city of the name of Ombos; an ibis, Thoth, was that of -Hermopolis; a cat, Bast, that of Bubastis; and so on--almost every -city having its tribal god. Besides these there were other more -abstract deities: Nut, the heavens, who, in the form of a woman, -spread herself across the sky; Seb, the earth; Shu, the vastness -of space; and so forth. The old gods of Egypt were indeed a -multitude. Here were those who had marched into the country at the -head of conquering tribes; here were ancient heroes and Chieftains -individually deified, or often identified with the god whom their -tribe had served; here were the elements personified; here the orbs -of heaven which man could see above him. As intercourse between -city and city became more general, one set of beliefs had been -brought into line with another, and myths had developed to explain -the discrepancies. Thus in the time of Thothmes IV. the heavens -were crowded with gods; but standing above them all, the reader -will do well to familiarise himself with the figure of Amon-Ra, the -god of Thebes, and with Ra-Horakhti, the god of Heliopolis. In the -following pages the lesser denizens of the Egyptian Olympus play -no great part, save as a routed army hurled back into the ignorant -darkness from which they came. - - - 3. THE DEMIGODS AND SPIRITS--THE PRIESTHOODS. - -The sacred bulls and rams mentioned above were relics of an ancient -animal-worship, the origin of which is lost in the obscurity of -prehistory. The Egyptians paid homage to a variety of animals, and -almost every city or district possessed its particular species to -which special protection was extended. At Hermopolis and in other -parts of Egypt the baboon was sacred, as well as the ibis, which -typified the god Thoth. Cats were sacred both at Bubastis, where -the cat-goddess, Bast, resided, and in various other districts. -Crocodiles were very generally held in reverence, and several river -fish were thus treated. The snake was much feared and reverenced; -and, as a pertinent example of this superstition, it may be -mentioned that Amonhotep III., the father of Akhnaton, placed a -figure of the agathodemon serpent in a temple at Benha. The cobra -was reverenced as the symbol of Uazet, the goddess of the Delta, -and, first used as a royal emblem by the archaic kings of that -country, it became the main emblem of sovereignty in Pharaonic -times. It is unnecessary here to look more closely at this aspect -of Egyptian religion; and but a word need be said of the thousand -demons and spirits which, together with the gods and the sacred -animals, crowded the regions of the unknown. Many were the names -which the magician might call upon in the hour of his need, and -many were the awful forms which the soul of a man who had died -was liable to meet. Osiris, the great god of the dead, was served -by four such genii, and under his authority there sat no less -than forty-two terrible demons whose business it was to judge the -quavering soul. The numerous gates of the underworld were guarded -by monsters whose names alone would strike terror into the heart, -and the unfortunate soul had to repeat endless and peculiarly -tedious formulæ before admittance was granted. - -To minister to these hosts of heaven there had of necessity to be -vast numbers of priests. At Thebes the priesthood of Amon formed -an organisation of such power and wealth that the actions of the -Pharaoh had largely come to be controlled by it. The High Priest -of Amon-Ra was one of the most important personages in the land, -and his immediate subordinates, the Second, Third, and Fourth -Priests, as they were called, were usually nobles of the highest -rank. The High Priest of Amon was at this period often Grand Vizir -also, and thus combined the highest civil appointment with the -highest sacerdotal office. The priesthood of Ra at Heliopolis, -although of far less power than that of Amon, was also a body of -great importance. The High Priest was known as “the Great One of -Visions,” and he was probably less of a politician and more of -a priest than his Theban colleague. The High Priest of Ptah at -Memphis was called “the Great Master Artificer,” Ptah being the -Vulcan of Egypt. He, however, and the many other high priests of -the various gods, did not rank with the two great leaders of the -Amon and the Ra priesthoods. - - - 4. THOTHMES IV. AND MUTEMUA. - -When Thothmes IV. ascended the throne he was confronted by a very -serious political problem. The Heliopolitan priesthood at this -time was chafing against the power of Amon, and was striving to -restore the somewhat fallen prestige of its own god Ra, who in -the far past had been the supreme deity of Egypt, but had now to -play an annoying second to the Theban god. Thothmes IV., as we -shall presently be told by Akhnaton himself,[8] did not altogether -approve of the political character of the Amon priesthood, and it -may have been due to this dissatisfaction that he undertook the -repairing of the great Sphinx at Gizeh, which was in the care of -the priests of Heliopolis. The sphinx was thought to represent a -combination of the Heliopolitan gods Horakhti, Khepera, Ra, and -Atum, who have been mentioned above; and, according to a later -tradition, Thothmes IV. had obtained the throne over the heads of -his elder brothers through the mediation of the Sphinx--that is -to say, through that of the Heliopolitan priests. By them he was -called “Son of Atum and Protector of Horakhte, ... who purifies -Heliopolis and satisfies Ra,”[9] and it seems that they looked to -him to restore to them their lost power. The Pharaoh, however, was -a physical weakling, whose small amount of energy was entirely -expended upon his army, which he greatly loved, and which he led -into Syria and into the Sudan. His brief reign of somewhat over -eight years, from 1420 to 1411 B.C., marks but the indecisive -beginnings of the struggle between Amon and Ra, which culminated in -the early years of the reign of his grandson Akhnaton. - -[Illustration: _Thothmes IV. slaying Asiatics._] - -Some time before he came to the throne he had married a daughter -of the King of Mitanni, a North-Syrian state which acted as a -buffer between the Egyptian possessions in Syria and the hostile -lands of Asia Minor and Mesopotamia, and which it was desirable, -therefore, to placate by such a union. There is little doubt that -this princess is to be identified with the Queen Mutemua, of whom -several monuments exist, and who was the mother of Amonhotep III., -the son and successor of Thothmes IV. A foreign element was thus -introduced into the court which much altered its character, and led -to numerous changes of a very radical nature. It may be that this -Asiatic influence induced the Pharaoh to give further encouragement -to the priest of Heliopolis. The god Atum, the aspect of Ra as the -setting sun, was, as has been said, of common origin with Aton or -Adonis, who was largely worshipped in North Syria; and the foreign -queen with her retinue may have therefore felt more sympathy with -Heliopolis than with Thebes. Moreover, it was the Asiatic tendency -to speculate in religious questions, and the doctrines of the -priests of the northern god were more flexible and more adaptable -to the thinker than was the stiff, formal creed of Amon. Thus, -the foreign thought which had now been introduced into Egypt, and -especially into the palace, may have contributed somewhat to the -dissatisfaction with the state religion which becomes apparent -during this reign. - -Very little is known of the character of Thothmes IV., and -nothing which bears upon that of his grandson Akhnaton is to be -ascertained. Although of feeble health and unmanly physique, he was -a fond upholder of the martial dignity of Egypt. He delighted to -honour the memory of those Pharaohs of the past who had achieved -the greatest fame as warriors. Thus he restored the monuments of -Thothmes III., of Aahmes I., and of Senusert III.,[10] the three -greatest military leaders of Egyptian history. As a decoration for -his chariot there were scenes representing him trampling upon his -foes; and when he died many weapons of war were buried with him. -Of Queen Mutemua’s character nothing is known; and the attention -of the reader may at once be carried on to Akhnaton’s maternal -grandparents, the father and mother of Queen Tiy. - - - 5. YUAA AND TUAU. - -Somewhere about the year 1470 B.C., while the great Thothmes III. -was campaigning in Syria, the child was born who was destined to -become the grandfather of the most remarkable of all the Pharaohs -of Egypt. Neither the names of the parents nor the place of birth -are known; and the reader will presently find that it is not easy -to say whether the child was an Egyptian or a foreigner. His name -is written Aau, Aay, Aai, Ayu, A-aa, Yaa, Yau, and most commonly -Yuaa; and this variety of spelling seems rather to indicate that -its pronunciation, being foreign, did not permit of a correct -rendering in Egyptian letters. He must have been some twenty years -of age when Thothmes III. died; and thus it is quite possible that -he was one of those Syrian princes whom the Pharaoh brought back -to Egypt from the courts of Asia to be educated in the Egyptian -manner. Some of these hostages who were not direct heirs to Syrian -thrones may have taken up their permanent residence on the banks -of the Nile, where it is certain that a fair number of their -countrymen were settled for business and other purposes. During the -reign of Amonhotep II., Yuaa must have passed the prime years of -his life, and at that king’s death he had probably reached about -the forty-fifth year of his age. He had married a woman called -by the common Egyptian name of Tuau, regarding whose nationality -there is, therefore, not much question. Two children were born -of the marriage, the first a boy who was named Aanen, and the -second a girl named Tiy, who later became the great queen. Tiy was -probably a little girl some two years old when Thothmes IV. came -to the throne, and as her parents both held appointments at court, -she must have presently received those first impressions of royal -luxury which influenced her childhood and her whole life. - -[Illustration: _Tuau, grandmother of Akhnaton._] - -At this time Yuaa held the sacerdotal office of Priest of Min, one -of the most ancient of the Egyptian gods. Min, who had many of -the characteristics of, and was later identified with, the Greek -Pan, was worshipped at three or four cities of Upper Egypt, and -throughout the Eastern Desert to the Red Sea coast. He was the god -of fecundity, fertility, generation, reproduction, and the like, -in the human, animal, and vegetable worlds. In his form of Min-Ra -he was a god of the sun, whose fertilising rays made pregnant the -whole earth. He was more noble than the Greek Pan, and represented -the pristine desires of lawful reproduction in the family, rather -than the erotic instincts for which the Greek god was famous. -Were one to compare him with any of the gods of the countries -neighbouring to Egypt, he would be found to have as much likeness -to the above-mentioned Adonis, who in North Syria was a god of -vegetation, as to any other deity. This fact offers food for some -thought, for if Yuaa was a foreigner, hailing, as may be supposed, -from Syria, there would have been no Egyptian god, except Atum, -to whose service he would have attached himself so readily as to -that of Min. Although a tribal god, Min was not essentially the -protector and upholder of Egyptian rights and Egyptian prejudices. -He was, in one form or another, universal; and he must have -appealed to the sense and the senses of Syrian and Egyptian alike. - -At this time, as we have seen, the priests of Amon, whose wealth -had brought corruption in its train, were under the cloud of royal -displeasure, and the court was beginning to display a desire to -rid itself of an influence which was daily becoming less exalted. -It may be that Yuaa, upholding the doctrines of Min and of Adonis, -had some connection with this movement, for he was now a personage -of considerable importance at the palace. He may have already held -the title of Prince or Duke, by which he is called in his funeral -inscriptions; and one may suppose that he was a favourite of the -young king, Thothmes IV., and of his wife, Queen Mutemua, whose -blood was soon to unite with his own in the person of Akhnaton. -When Thothmes IV. died at the age of twenty-six, and his son -Amonhotep III., a boy of twelve years of age, came to the throne, -Yuaa was a man of over fifty, and his little daughter Tiy was a -girl of marriageable age according to Egyptian ideas, being about -ten years old.[11] - -[Illustration: _Chest belonging to Yuaa._] - -The court at this time was more or less under the influence of -the now Queen-Regent Mutemua and her advisers, for Amonhotep III. -was still too young to be allowed to go entirely his own way, -and amongst those advisers it seems evident that Yuaa was to be -numbered. Now the boy-king had not been on the throne more than a -year, if as much, when, with feasting and ceremony, he was married -to Tiy; and Yuaa and Tuau became the proud parents-in-law of the -Pharaoh. - -It is necessary to consider the significance of the marriage. -The royal pair were the merest children; and it is impossible -to suppose that the marriage was not arranged for them by their -guardians. If Amonhotep at this early age had simply fallen in love -with this girl, with whom probably he had been brought up, he, no -doubt, would have insisted on marrying her, and she would have been -placed in his _harîm_. But she became his Great Queen, was placed -on the throne beside him, and received honours which no other queen -of the most royal blood had ever received before. It is clear that -the king’s advisers would never have permitted this had Tiy been -but the pretty daughter of a noble of the court. There must have -been something in her parentage which entitled her to these honours -and caused her to be chosen deliberately as queen. - -There are several possibilities. Tuau may have had royal blood in -her veins, and may have been, for instance, the granddaughter of -Thothmes III., to whom she bears some likeness in face. Queen Tiy -is often called “Royal Daughter” as well as “Royal Wife”; and it is -possible that this is to be taken literally. In a letter sent by -Dushratta, King of Mitanni, to Akhnaton, Tiy is called “my sister -and thy mother”; and though it is possible that the word “sister” -is here used to indicate the general cousinship of royalty, it -is more probable that some real connection is meant, for other -relationships, such as “daughter,” “wife,” and “father-in-law,” -are precisely stated in the letter. Yuaa may have been indirectly -of royal Egyptian blood, or he may have been, as we have seen, -the offspring of some Syrian royal house, such as that of Mitanni, -related by marriage with the Pharaoh; and thus Tiy may have had -some distant claim to the throne, and Dushratta would have had -reason for calling her his sister. Queen Tiy, however, has so often -been called a foreigner for reasons which have now been shown to be -quite erroneous that we must be cautious in adopting any of these -possibilities. It has been stated that her face is North-Syrian -in type,[12] and, as the portrait upon which this statement is -based is, in all features except the nose, reminiscent of Yuaa, -that noble would also resemble the people of that country; and in -this connection it must be remembered that the marriage of Tiy -and Amonhotep took place under the regency of Mutemua, herself -probably a North-Syrian princess. Be this as it may, however, the -two children, not yet in their ’teens, ruled Egypt together, and -Yuaa and Tuau stood behind the throne to advise them. - -[Illustration: _Queen Tiy._] - -Tuau now included amongst her titles those of “Royal Handmaid,” or -lady-in-waiting, “the favoured-one of Hathor,” “the favourite of -the King,” and “the Royal mother of the great wife of the King,” a -title which may indicate that she was of royal blood. Amongst the -titles of Yuaa one may mention those of “Master of the Horse and -Chariot-Captain of the King,” “the favourite, excellent above all -favourites,” and “the mouth and ears of the King,”--that is to say, -his agent and adviser. He was a personage of commanding presence, -whose powerful character showed itself in his face. One must -picture him now as a tall man, with a fine shock of white hair; a -great hooked nose, like that of a Syrian; full, strong lips; and -a prominent, determined jaw. He has the face of an ecclesiastic, -and there is something about his mouth which reminds one of the -late Pope, Leo XIII. One feels, in looking at his well-preserved -features, that here perhaps may be found the originator of the -great religious movement which his daughter and grandson carried -into execution. - -[Illustration: _Yuaa, grandfather of Akhnaton._] - - - 6. AMONHOTEP III. AND HIS COURT. - -Besides Yuaa and Tuau and the Queen-Dowager Mutemua, there was -a certain noble, named Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu, who may have -exercised considerable influence upon the young Pharaoh. So good -and wise a man was he, that in later times he was regarded almost -as a divinity, and his sayings were treasured from generation -to generation. It may be that he furthered the cause of the -Heliopolitan priesthood against that of Amon; and it is to be -observed in this connection that, in the inscription engraved upon -his statue, he refers to the Pharaoh as the “heir of Atum” and -the “first-born son of Horakhti,” those being the Heliopolitan -gods. When, presently, a daughter was born to Tiy, who was named -Setamon, this philosopher was given the honorary post of “Steward” -to the princess; while at the same time he filled the office of -Minister of Public Works, and held various court appointments. At -this period, when religious speculation was beginning to be freely -indulged in, the influence of a “wise man” of this character -would necessarily be great; and should any of his sayings come to -light, they will perhaps be found to bear upon the subject of the -religious changes which were now taking place. A late tradition -tells us that this Amonhotep had warned the Pharaoh that if he -would see the true God he must drive from his kingdom all impure -persons; and herein one may perhaps observe some reference to the -corrupt priests of Amon, whose ejection from their offices was -daily becoming more necessary. - -[Illustration: _Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu, the “wise man” of the Court -of Amonhotep III._] - -At the time of which we write Egypt still remained at that height -of power to which the military skill of Thothmes III. had raised -her. The Kings of Palestine and Syria were tributaries to the -young Pharaoh; the princes of the sea-coast cities sent their -yearly impost to Thebes; Cyprus, Crete, and even the Greek islands, -were Egyptianised; Sinai and the Red Sea coast as far south as -Somaliland were included in the Pharaoh’s dominions; and the -negro tribes of the Sudan were his slaves. Egypt was indeed the -greatest state in the world, and Thebes was a metropolis at which -the ambassadors, the merchants, and the artisans from these -various countries met together. Here they could look upon buildings -undreamed of in their own lands, and could participate in luxuries -unknown even in Babylon. The wealth of Egypt was so enormous that -a foreign sovereign who wrote to the Pharaoh asking for gold -mentioned that it could not be considered as anything more valuable -than so much dust by an Egyptian. Golden vases in vast quantities -adorned the tables of the king and his nobles, and hundreds of -golden vessels of different kinds were used in the temples. - -The splendour and gaiety of the court at Thebes remind one of the -tales from the Arabian Nights. One reads of banquets, of splendid -festivals on the water, of jubilee celebrations, and of hunting -parties. When the scenes depicted on the monuments are gathered -together in the mind, and the ruins which are left are there -reconstructed, a life of the most intense brilliancy is shown. This -was rather a development of the period than a condition of things -which had been derived from an earlier _régime_. The Egyptians -had always been a happy, light-hearted people; but it was the -conquests of Thothmes III. that had given them the security and -the wealth to live as luxuriously as they pleased. The tendency of -the nation was now to break away from the old, hardy traditions of -the earlier periods of Egyptian history; and virtually no other -body, except the priesthood of Amon, held them down to ancient -conventionalities. But while the king and his court made merry -and amused themselves in sumptuous fashion, that god Amon and his -representatives towered over them like some sombre bogie, holding -them to a religion which they considered to be obsolete, and -claiming its share of royal wealth. - -[Illustration: CEILING DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III.] - -About the time of his marriage Amonhotep built a palace on the -western bank of the Nile, on the edge of the desert under the -Theban hills, and here Queen Tiy held her brilliant court. The -palace was a light but roomy structure of brick and costly woods, -exquisitely decorated with paintings on stucco, and embellished -with delicate columns. Along one side ran a balcony on which were -rugs and many-coloured cushions, and here the king and queen could -sometimes be seen by their subjects. Gardens surrounded the -palace, almost at the gates of which rose the splendid hills. On -the eastern side of the building the king later constructed a huge -pleasure-lake especially for the amusement of Tiy. The mounds of -earth which were thrown up during its excavation were purposely -formed into irregular hills, and these were covered with trees and -flowers. Here the queen floated in her barge, which, in honour of -the Heliopolitan god, she called “Aton-gleams”; and as she watched -the reflections of the hills and the trees in the still water, she -may well have imagined herself in those fair lands of Syria from -which Aton or Adonis had come. - -The name Aton was Syrian. The setting sun, as we have seen, was -called in Egypt Atum, which was derived from the Asiatic Adon or -Aton; and it is now that we first find the word introduced into -Egypt as a synonym of Ra-Horakhti-Khepera-Atum of Heliopolis. -Presently we find that one of the Pharaoh’s regiments of soldiers -is named after this god Aton, and here and there the word now -occurs upon the monuments. Thus, gradually, the court was bringing -a new-named deity into prominence, closely related to the gods -of Heliopolis; and it may be supposed that the priesthood of Amon -watched the development with considerable perturbation. The Pharaoh -himself does not seem to have worried very considerably with regard -to these religious matters. He was, it seems, a man addicted to -pleasure, whose interests lay as much in the hunting-field as in -the palace. He loved to boast that during the first ten years of -his reign he had slain 102 lions; but as he was a mere boy when he -first indulged in this form of sport, it is to be presumed that his -nobles assisted him handsomely in the slaughter on each occasion. -In one day he is reported to have killed fifty-six wild cattle, and -a score more fell to him a few days later; but here again one may -suppose that the glory and not the deed was his. - -[Illustration: _Site of the Palace of Queen Tiy._] - -In the fifth year of his reign he led an expedition into the -Sudan to chastise some tribe which had rebelled, and he records -with pride the slaughter which he had made. It is stated that -these negroes “had been haughty, and great things were in their -hearts; but the fierce-eyed lion, this prince, he slew them by the -command of Amon-Atum.” It is interesting to notice that Atum is -thus brought into equal prominence with Amon, and one may see from -this the trend of public opinion. - -At this time the Vizir, a certain Ptahmes, held also the office of -High Priest of Amon; but when he died he was not succeeded in his -duties as Vizir by the new head of the Amon priesthood, as was to -be expected. The Pharaoh appointed a noble named Rames as his prime -minister, and thus separated the civil and the religious power: -a step which again shows us something of the movement which was -steadily diminishing the power of Amon. - -Queen Tiy seems to have borne several daughters to the king, and -it is possible that she had also presented him with a son. But, -if this is so, he had died in early childhood, and no heir to -the throne was now living. It may have been partly due to this -fact that Amonhotep, in the tenth year of his reign, married -the Princess Kirgipa or Gilukhipa, daughter of the King of -Mitanni, and probably niece of the Dowager-Queen Mutemua.[13] The -princess came to Egypt in considerable state, bringing with her -317 ladies-in-waiting; but she seems to have been thrust into -the background by Tiy, who, even in the official record of the -marriage, is called the king’s chief wife. The marriage may have -been purely political, as was that of Thothmes IV.; and there is -certainly no record of any children born to Gilukhipa. She and -her ladies but added a further foreign element to the life of the -palace, and swelled the numbers of those who had no sympathy with -the old gods of Thebes. - -[Illustration: _Coffin of Yuaa._] - -It must have been somewhere about the year 1390 B.C. that Tiy’s -aged father, Yuaa, died; and Tuau soon followed him to the grave. -They were buried in a fine sepulchre in the Valley of the Tombs -of the Kings at Thebes; and if they are not to be considered as -royal, this will have been the first time that persons not of royal -blood had been buried in a tomb of large size in this valley. -A quantity of funeral furniture was placed around the splendid -coffins in which their mummies lay, and amongst this there were -a few objects which evidently had been presented by the bereaved -king and queen and by the young princesses, Setamon and another -whose name is now lost. Yuaa and his wife had evidently been much -beloved at the court, and as the parents of the great queen they -had commanded the respect of all men. To us they are remarkable as -the grandparents of that great teacher, Akhnaton, whose birth has -now to be recorded. - - - - - II. - - THE BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS OF AKHNATON. - - - 1. THE BIRTH OF AKHNATON. - -It has been seen that Queen Tiy presented several children to the -king; but it was not until they had reigned some twenty-five or -twenty-six years that the future monarch was born. As the years -had passed the queen must have grown more and more anxious for a -son, and many must have been the prayers she offered up that a -male child might be vouchsafed to her. In Egypt at the present -day the desire to bear a son holds dominion in the heart of every -young woman; and those to whom this privilege has not been granted -forsake the laws of the prophet and still lay their passionate -appeal before the old gods. The present writer was asked recently -by a young peasant to allow his wife to walk round the outer wall -of an ancient temple, in order that she might perchance bear a male -child thereafter; and on another occasion three young women were -seen sliding down the plinth of an overturned statue of Rameses -the Great for the same purpose. With similar emotion, though with -greater intelligence, Queen Tiy must have turned in her grief from -one god to another, promising them all manner of gifts if they -would grant her desire. To Ra-Horakhti Aton she appears to have -turned with the most confidence; and perhaps, as will presently -be seen, she vowed that if a son were granted to her she would -dedicate him to the service of that god. - -It is probable that the little prince first saw the light in the -royal palace at Thebes, which was situated on the edge of the -desert at the foot of the western hills. It was, as has been said, -an extensive building, lightly constructed and gaily decorated. -The ceilings and pavements of its halls were fantastically painted -with scenes of animal life: wild cattle ran through reedy swamps -beneath the royal feet, and there many-coloured fish swam in the -water; while overhead flights of pigeons, white against a blue sky, -passed across the hall, and wild duck hastened towards the open -casements. Through curtained doorways one might obtain glimpses of -the garden planted with flowers foreign to Egypt; and on the east -of the palace shone the great pleasure-lake, surrounded by the -trees of Asia. - -In all the world there are few places more beautiful than the site -of this palace. Here one may sit for many an hour watching the -changing colours on the wonderful cliffs, the pink and the yellow -of the rocks standing out from the blue and the purple of the deep -shadows. In the fields which now surround the ruined palace, where -the royal gardens were laid out, one obtains an impression of -colour, of beauty, and of gaiety--if it can be so expressed--which -is not easily equalled. The continuous sunshine and the bracing -wind render one intensely awake to natural joys; and here, indeed, -was a fitting birthplace, one feels, for a king who taught his -people to study the beauties of nature. - - - 2. THE RISE OF ATON. - -The little prince was named Amonhotep,[14] “the Peace-of-Amon,” -after his father; but though the supremacy of Amon was thus -acknowledged, the Heliopolitan deity appears to have been -considered as the protector of the young boy. While the luxurious -court rejoiced at the birth of their future king, one feels that -the ancient priesthood of Amon-Ra must have looked askance at the -baby who was destined one day to be their master. This priesthood -still demanded implicit obedience to its stiff and ancient -conventions, and it refused to recognise the growing tendency -towards religious speculation. - -Probably stronger measures would have been taken by it to resist -the growing power of Ra-Horakhti, had it not been for the fact that -Ra was also a form of Amon, and had been identified with him under -the name of Amon-Ra. The god Amon was originally but the local -deity of Thebes; and, when the Theban Pharaohs of the Eighteenth -Dynasty had elevated him to the position of the state god of all -Egypt, they made him acceptable to the various provinces, as we -have seen, by pointing to his identification with Ra, the sun-god, -who, under one form or another, found a place in every temple and -held high rank in every variety of mythology. As Amon-Ra he was -able to be appreciated by the sun-worshippers of Syria and by those -of Nubia, for there were few races who would not do homage to the -great giver of warmth and light. - -It is possible that those more thoughtful members of the court -who were quietly attempting to undermine the influence of the -priesthood of Amon, and who were beginning to carry into execution -the schemes of emancipation which we have already noticed, now -endeavoured to strip Amon of his association with the sun; for -that identity was really his simple claim to acceptance by any -but Thebans. The priesthood, on their part, it may be supposed, -drew as much attention as possible to the connection of their -deity with Ra; for they knew that none but the Heliopolitan god -could be advanced with success as a rival of Amon by those who -desired to overthrow the Theban god. Thus one finds that the High -Priest of Ra at Heliopolis was given, and was obliged to accept, -the honorary office of Second Priest of Amon at Thebes,[15] which -at once placed him under the thumb of the Theban High Priest. The -propounders of the new thought, however, met this move by bringing -into greater prominence the claims, not of Ra-Horakhti, but of -Aton, which was merely a more elusive form of the sun-god. The -priesthood of Amon had always checked the individual growth of -Ra-Horakhti by regarding him simply as an aspect of Ra, and hence -of Amon-Ra. One of the essential features of the new movement was -the regarding of Ra as an aspect of Ra-Horakhti, and the calling -of Ra-Horakhti by the uncontaminated name of Aton. Aton, in fact, -was originally introduced into the matter largely for the purpose -of preventing any identification between Amon-Ra and Ra-Horakhti. -Soon the name of Aton, entirely supplanting that of Atum, was heard -with some frequency at Thebes and elsewhere, but always, it must -be remembered, as another word for Ra-Horakhti. - -The desire of the court for a change of religion is understandable. -The cult of the god Amon, as has been said, was so hedged about -with conventionalities that free thought was impossible. We have -seen, however, that the upper classes were passing through a phase -of religious speculation, and they were ready to revolt against the -domination of a priesthood which forbade criticism. The worship of -the intangible power of the sun, under the name of Aton, offered -endless possibilities for the exercise of those tendencies towards -the abstract which were now beginning to be felt all over the -civilised world. This was man’s first age of philosophical thought, -and for the first time in history the gods were being endued with -ideal qualities. - -Apart from all questions of religion, the priesthood of Amon had -obtained such power and wealth that it was a very serious menace -to the dignity of the throne. The great organisation which had its -headquarters at Karnak had become an incubus which weighed heavily -upon the state. For political reasons alone, therefore, it was -desirable to push the priests of Heliopolis into a more prominent -position. - -There was, moreover, a third consideration. The god Aton, with -whom Ra and Ra-Horakhti were now being identified, was, we have -seen, originally the same as the Syrian and Greek Adonis, the word -“Adon” or “Aton” meaning simply “lord.” Thus the propounders of the -new doctrines must have dreamt of an Egypto-Syrian empire bound -together by the ties of a common religion. With one god understood -and worshipped from the cataracts of the Nile to the distant -Euphrates, what power could destroy the empire? - - - 3. THE POWER OF QUEEN TIY. - -In Amonhotep III. one may see the lazy, speculative Oriental, too -opinionated and too vain to bear with the stiff routine of his -fathers, and yet too lacking in energy to formulate a new religion. -On the other hand, there is every reason to suppose that Queen -Tiy possessed the ability to impress the claims of the new thought -upon her husband’s mind, and gradually to turn his eyes, and those -of the court, away from the sombre worship of Amon, “the unknown -god,” into the direction of the brilliant cult of the sun. Those -who have travelled in Egypt will realise how completely the land -is dominated by the sun. The blue skies, the shining rocks, the -golden desert, the verdant fields, all seem to cry out for joy of -the sunshine. The extraordinary energy which one may feel in Egypt -at sunrise, and the deep melancholy which sometimes accompanies the -red nightfall, must have been felt by Tiy also in her palace at -Thebes. - -As the years passed the power and influence of Queen Tiy increased; -and now that she had borne a son to the king there was added to -her great position as royal wife the equally great _rôle_ of -royal mother. Never before had a queen been so freely represented -on all the king’s monuments, nor had so fine a series of titles -been given before to the wife of a Pharaoh. At Sedênga, far up in -the Sudan, her husband erected a temple for her; and in distant -Sinai a beautiful portrait head of her was recently found. All -visitors to Thebes have seen her figures by the side of the legs of -the two great colossi at the edge of the Western Desert; and the -huge statues of herself and her husband, now in the Cairo Museum, -will have been seen by those who have visited that collection. Of -Grilukhipa,[16] however, and the king’s other wives, one hears -nothing at all: Queen Tiy relegated them to the background almost -before their marriage ceremonies were over. - -By the time that Amonhotep III. had reigned for thirty years or -so, he had ceased to give much attention to state affairs, and -the power had almost entirely passed into the capable hands of -Tiy. Already an influence, which we may presume to have been to a -large extent hers, was being felt in many directions: Ra-Horakhti -and Aton were being brought into the foreground, a tone of -thought which can hardly be regarded as purely Egyptian was being -developed, the art was undergoing modifications and had risen to a -pitch of excellence never attained before or after. The exquisite -low-reliefs of the end of the reign of Amonhotep III.--for example, -those to be seen at Thebes in the tombs of Khaemhat and Rames,[17] -both of which are definitely dated to the close of the reign--stir -one almost as do the works of the early Florentine masters. There -is an elusive grace in the dainty figures there sculptured, which, -through another medium and under other laws of convention, cause -them to appeal with the same force of indefinable sweetness as do -the figures in the works of Filipino Lippi and Botticelli. In the -mass of Egyptian painting and sculpture of secondary importance -such gems as these have been overlooked and have not been -appreciated by the public; but the present writer ventures to think -that some day they will set the heart of all art-lovers dancing as -danced those of Queen Tiy’s great masters. - -The court in which the little prince passed his earliest years was -more brilliant than ever it had been before, and Queen Tiy presided -over scenes of indescribable splendour. Amonhotep III. has been -truly called “the Magnificent”; and at no period, save that of -Thothmes III., were the royal treasuries so full or the nobles so -wealthy. Out of a pageant of festivities, from amidst the noise -of song and laughter, the little sad-eyed prince first emerges on -to the stage of history, led by the hand of Queen Tiy; but as he -appears before us, above the clink of the golden wine-bowls, above -the sound of the timbrels, one seems to hear the lilt of a more -simple song, and the peaceful singing of a lark. - - - 4. AKHNATON’S MARRIAGE. - -During the last years of his reign the Pharaoh, although well under -fifty years of age,[18] seems to have suffered from permanent -ill-health. On two occasions the King of Mitanni sent to Egypt a -miracle-working statuette of the goddess Ishtar, apparently in the -hope that Amonhotep might be cured of his illness by it. It is -probable that the king had never been a very strong man. Having -been born when his father--himself extremely delicate--was but -a child, he had had little chance of enjoying a robust middle -age, and he passed on to his children this inherent weakness. One -hears no more of his daughters,[19] whom we have seen mourning for -their grandparents Yuaa and Tuau, and there is some likelihood -that they died young. The little Prince Amonhotep was already -developing constitutional weaknesses which rendered his life very -precarious. His skull was misshapen, and he must have been subject -to occasional epileptic fits. And now Queen Tiy gave birth to a -daughter, who was named Baketaton in honour of the new god, and who -seems to have lived less than a score of years, since nothing more -is heard of her after her twelfth or thirteenth year. - -[Illustration: _Amonhotep III._] - -As Amonhotep, at the age of forty-eight or forty-nine, felt his -end approaching, he seems to have shown considerable anxiety in -regard to the succession. Here was his only son--now a boy of ten -or eleven years of age--in so sad a state of health that he could -not be expected to live to manhood, and in the event of his -death the throne would be without an occupant in the direct line. -Obviously it was necessary that he should be married as soon as -possible, in order that he might become a father as early as that -was naturally possible. Amonhotep III. himself had been married to -Tiy when he was about twelve years of age, and his father Thothmes -IV. had likewise been married at that early age.[20] The little -Prince Amonhotep should, therefore, also be given a wife at once; -and the Pharaoh now began to look around for a suitable consort -for him. He had heard that Dushratta, King of Mitanni, had a small -daughter who was said to be a comely maiden; but it appears that -she was only eight or nine years of age,[21] and therefore could -not be expected to provide an heir for at least another four years. -Nevertheless there were many political reasons for proposing the -union. Mitanni was, as we have seen, the buffer state between -the Pharaoh’s Syrian possessions and the lands of the Hittites -and of the Mesopotamians. Thothmes IV. had asked a bride from -Mitanni, and Amonhotep III. himself had obtained Gilukhipa from -thence, if not Queen Tiy also: both these being probably political -matches, designed for the welfare of the Syrian empire. The Pharaoh -therefore decided upon this marriage for his sickly son, and sent -an embassy to Dushratta to negotiate the union between these two -children. - -The reply of Dushratta has, fortunately, been preserved to us. The -Mitannian king acknowledges the arrival of the envoy, and is much -rejoiced at this further binding together of the two countries. In -a subsequent letter it is evident that the princess has already -been sent to Egypt, and we are led to suppose that Prince Amonhotep -has at once been married to her. The little princess was named -Tadukhipa, but on her arrival in Egypt she was renamed Nefertiti. -Her age, as mentioned above, is apparent from the fact that, -although in after life she gave birth to children at very regular -intervals, her first child was not born until nearly five years -after her marriage.[22] So young was she that she did not at once -cohabit with the prince, but was put under the care of a certain -lady of the court named Ty, the wife of a noble of the name of Ay, -who afterwards usurped the throne. This lady Ty called herself in -later years “great nurse and nourisher of the Queen,” and Ay always -called himself the king’s father-in-law (_neter at_). It would thus -seem that they had become the actual foster-parents of the little -Syrian girl. It was not at all unusual in Egypt for a child to be -adopted thus; and it is a curious fact that if a woman gave the -breast to a child of any age but for a moment, or if a man placed -his finger in the child’s mouth, a formal adoption was considered -to have been made.[23] - -The court had hardly settled down after the celebration of the -marriage of Amonhotep and Tadukhipa-Nefertiti, when it was thrown -into mourning by the death of Amonhotep “the Magnificent,” which -occurred in the thirty-sixth year of his reign. Queen Tiy at -once assumed control of state affairs, on behalf of her barely -eleven-year-old son, who as Amonhotep IV. now ascended the throne -of the Pharaohs. - - - 5. THE ACCESSION OF AKHNATON. - -On coming to the throne the young king fixed his titulary in the -following manner:-- - - Mighty Bull, Lofty of Plumes; Favourite of the Two Goddesses, - Great in Kingship in Karnak; Golden Hawk, Wearer of Diadems - in the Southern Heliopolis; King of Upper and Lower Egypt, - Beautiful-is-the-Being-of-Ra, the Only-One-of-Ra; Son of the - Sun, Peace-of-Amon (Amonhotep), Divine Ruler of Thebes; Great in - Duration, Living for Ever and Ever, Beloved of Amon-Ra, Lord of - Heaven. - -These titles were drawn up on more or less prescribed lines, and -conformed to the old custom of the Pharaohs. Like his ancestors, -he was called “Beloved of Amon-Ra,” although, as we have seen, the -power of that god was already much undermined. To counterbalance -this reference to the god of Thebes, however, one finds the -surprising title-- - - High Priest of Ra-Horakhti, rejoicing in the horizon in his name, - “Heat-which-is-in-Aton.” - -Let the boy be said to be beloved of Amon-Ra till the walls of -Thebes reverberate with the cry; let Amon-Ra be called Lord of -Heaven till the priestly heralds can shout no more: the doom of the -god of Thebes cannot now be averted, for the reigning Pharaoh is -dedicated to another god. - -[Illustration: _Akhnaton._] - -It is obvious that a boy of eleven years of age could not himself -have claimed the office of the High Priest of Ra-Horakhti. -Queen Tiy and her advisers must have deliberately endowed the -youthful king with this office, largely in order to set the seal -upon the fate of Amon. There were, perhaps, other reasons why -this remarkable step was decided upon. It may be, as has been -said, that the queen, before the birth of her son, had vowed him -to Ra-Horakhti. Again, the boy was epileptic, was subject to -hallucinations; and it may be that while in this condition he had -seen visions or uttered words which led his mother to believe -him to be the chosen one of the Heliopolitan god, whose name the -prince must have been constantly hearing. In a palace where the -mystical “Heat-which-is-in-Aton,” which was the new elaboration of -the god’s name, was being daily invoked, and where the youthful -master of Egypt was constantly falling into what appeared to be -holy frenzy, it is not unlikely that the rising deity would be -connected with the eccentricities of the young Pharaoh. The High -Priest of Ra-Horakhti was always called “The Great of Visions,” and -was thus essentially a visionary prophet either by nature or by -circumstance; and the unfortunate boy’s physical condition may have -been turned, thus, to account in the struggle against Amon-Ra. - -One may now imagine the Pharaoh as a pale, sickly youth. His head -seemed too large for his body; his eyelids were heavy; his eyes as -one imagines them were wells of dream. His features were delicately -moulded, and his mouth, in spite of a somewhat protruding lower -jaw, is reminiscent of the best of the art of Rossetti. He seems -to have been a quiet, studious boy, whose thoughts wandered in -fair places, searching for that happiness which his physical -condition had denied to him. His nature was gentle; his young heart -overflowed with love. He delighted, it would seem, to walk in the -gardens of the palace, to hear the birds singing, to watch the fish -in the lake, to smell the flowers, to follow the butterflies, to -warm his small bones in the sunshine. There was a grave dignity -in his gait, or the artists have lied; and his words were already -fraught with wisdom. The great crown of the Pharaohs sat easily -upon his head, for his every movement was royal. He accepted as -his due the homage of the court; yet he does not seem to have -acted with arrogance, and was ever a tender-hearted, impulsive -child. Already he was sometimes called “Lord of the Breath of -Sweetness”;[24] and already he was so much beloved by his subjects -that their adherence to him through the rough places of his future -life was assured. For the first years of his reign he was, of -course, entirely under the regency of his mother. Dushratta, the -King of Mitanni, writing to congratulate the boy on his accession, -addressed himself to Queen Tiy, as though he thought the king -would hardly yet be able to understand a letter; and in a later -communication he asks the Pharaoh to inquire of his mother as to -certain matters of international policy. But although so young, the -king was wise beyond his years, as the reader will presently see. - - - 6. THE FIRST YEARS OF AKHNATON’S REIGN. - -In a subsequent chapter it will be the writer’s purpose to show -to what heights of ideal thought, and to what profundities of -religious and moral philosophy, this boy, in the years of his -early manhood, attained; and it will but enhance our respect for -his abilities when he reached maturity, if we find in his early -training all manner of shortcomings. The beautiful doctrines of -the religion with which this Pharaoh’s name is identified were -productions of his later days; and until he was at least seventeen -years of age neither his exalted monotheism nor any of his future -principles were really apparent. Some time after the eighth year of -his reign one finds that he had evolved a religion so pure that one -must compare it with Christianity in order to discover its faults; -and the reader will presently see that this superb theology was not -derived from his education. - -One of the first acts of the king’s reign, undertaken at the -desire of Queen Tiy or of the royal advisers, was the erection of -a temple to Ra-Horakhti Aton at Karnak.[25] This was in no way an -insult to Amon, for Thothmes III. and other Pharaohs had dedicated -temples at Karnak to gods other than Amon. The priesthood of -Amon-Ra recognised the existence of the many deities of Egypt, and -gave them their place in the constitution of heaven, reserving for -their own god the title of “King of the Gods.” There was a temple -of Ptah here; there were shrines set apart for the worship of Min; -and other gods, unconnected with Amon, were here accommodated. The -priests of Amon-Ra thus could not offer any serious objection to -the project. The building[26] was to be constructed of sandstone, -and therefore various officials were dispatched to the great -quarries of Gebel Silsileh, which lie on the river between Edfu -and Kom Ombo, and to those near Esneh. Large tablets were there -carved upon the cliffs towards the close of the work, and on them -the figure of the Pharaoh was represented worshipping Amon, who -was thus still the state god. Above the king’s figure, however, -the disk of the sun is seen, and from it a number of lines, -representing rays, project downwards towards the royal figure. -These rays terminate in hands, which thus seem to be distributing -the “Heat-which-is-in-Aton” around the Pharaoh. This is the first -representation of the afterwards famous symbol of the religion of -Aton, and it is significant that it should make its _début_ in a -scene representing the worship of Amon. - -The king is called the High Priest of Ra-Horakhti; but the title -“Living in truth,” which he took to himself in later years, and -which had reference to the religion of Aton which he was soon to -evolve, does not yet appear. - -A large number of fragments from this shrine have been -discovered, and on these one sees references to the gods Horus, -Set, Wepwat, and others. The king is still called by the name -Amonhotep, which was later banned, and the names of Aton, -afterwards always written within the royal ovals or cartouches, -are still lacking in that distinction. The temple was called -“Aton-is-found-in-the-House-of-Aton,” a curious name of which -the meaning is not clear.[27] A certain official named Hataay was -“Scribe and Overseer of the Granary of the House of the Aton,” -by which this temple is probably meant; and in the tomb of Rames -a reference is made to the building by its full name, and a -picture of it is given, but otherwise one knows little about it. -The rapidity with which it was desired to be set up is shown by -the fact that the great, well-trimmed blocks of stone usually -employed in the construction of sacred buildings were largely -dispensed with, and only small easily-handled blocks were used. The -imperfections in the building were then hidden by a judicious use -of plaster and cement, and thus the walls were smoothed for the -reception of the reliefs. The quarter in which the temple stood was -now called “Brightness of Aton the Great,” and Thebes received the -new name of “City of the Brightness of Aton.” - -There are two other monuments which date from these early years of -the king’s reign: both are tombs of great nobles. At this period -one of the greatest personages in the land was the above-mentioned -Rames, the Vizir of Upper Egypt. This official was now engaged in -constructing and decorating a magnificent sepulchre for himself in -the Theban necropolis. In the great hall of this tomb the artists -were busy preparing the beautiful sculptures and paintings which -were to cover the walls, and ere half their work was finished they -set themselves to the making of a fine figure of Amonhotep IV. -seated upon his throne, with the goddess Maat standing behind him. -The scene was probably executed a few months before the making of -the tablets at the quarries. The sun’s rays do not appear, and -the work was carried out strictly according to the canons of art -obtaining during the last years of Amonhotep III. and the first of -his son. But hardly had the figures been finished before the order -came that the Aton rays had to be included, and certain changes in -the art had to be recognised; and therefore the artists set to work -upon another figure of the king standing under these many-handed -beams of “heat,” and now accompanied by his, as yet, childless -wife. The two scenes may be seen by visitors to Thebes standing -side by side, and nowhere may the contrast between the old order -of things and the new be so clearly observed. - -While Rames was providing a tomb for himself at Thebes, another -great noble named Horemheb, who ultimately usurped the throne, was -constructing his sepulchre at Sakkârah, the Memphite necropolis -near Cairo. Horemheb was commander-in-chief of the army, and in his -tomb some superb reliefs are carved showing him receiving rewards -in that capacity from the king. Some of the scenes represent the -arrival of Asiatic refugees in Egypt, who ask to be allowed to take -up their abode on the banks of the Nile, and the figures of these -foreigners rank amongst the finest specimens of Egyptian art. In -the inscriptions, Horemheb, who is supposed to be addressing the -king, states that the Pharaoh owes his throne to Amon,[28] but yet -we see that the figure of the king is drawn in that style of art -which is typical of the new religion.[29] - - - 7. THE NEW ART. - -This sudden change in the style of the reliefs which we have -observed in these two tombs and on the quarry tablets seems to be -attributable to about the fourth year of the king’s reign. The -reliefs which were now carved upon the walls of the new temple of -Ra-Horakhti at Karnak show us a style of art quite different from -that of the king’s early years. The figure of the Pharaoh, which -the artists in the tomb of Rames represented as standing below the -newly-invented sun’s rays, is as different from the earlier figure -there executed as chalk is from cheese. The Pharaoh whom we see -in the tomb of Horemheb and on the quarry tablets is represented, -according to canons of art, entirely different from those existing -at the king’s accession. - -In the drawing of the human figure, and especially that of the -Pharaoh, there are three very distinct characteristics in this new -style of art. Firstly, as to the head: the skull is elongated; -the chin, as seen in profile, is drawn as though it were sharply -pointed; the flesh under the jaw is skimped, thus giving an upward -turn to the line; and the neck is represented as being long and -thin. Secondly, the stomach is made to obtrude itself upon the -attention by being drawn as though from a fat and ungainly model. -And thirdly, the hips and thighs are abnormally large, though -from the knee downwards the legs are of more natural size. This -distortion of human anatomy is marked in a lesser degree in all the -lines of the body; and the whole figure becomes a startling type -of an art which seems at first to have sprung fully developed from -the brain of the boy-Pharaoh or from one of the eccentrics of the -court. - -The king was now fifteen years old, and seems to have been -extraordinarily mature for his age. It may be that he had objected -to be represented in the conventional manner, and had told his -artists to draw him as he was. The elongated skull, the pointed -chin, and even, perhaps, the protruding paunch, may thus have -originated. But the ungainly thighs could only be accounted for -by some radical deformity in the royal model, and that he was a -well-made man in this respect his recently discovered bones most -clearly show. - -Purely tentatively a suggestion may here be offered to account for -this peculiar treatment of the human body. It is probable that the -king had now, in a boyish way, become deeply interested in the -religious contest which was beginning to be waged between Amon-Ra -and Ra-Horakhti Aton. Having listened to the arguments on both -sides, it may have occurred to him to study for himself the ancient -documents and inscriptions bearing on the matter. In so doing, he -would have found that Amon had become the state god only some few -hundred years before his own time, and that previous to his ascent -to this important position, previous even to the earliest mention -of his name, Ra-Horakhti had been supreme. Carrying his inquiries -back, past the days of the pyramid kings to the archaic Pharaohs -who reigned at the dim beginning of things, he would still have -found the Heliopolitan god worshipped. One of the Pharaohs’ most -cherished titles was “Son of the Sun,” which, as we have seen, had -been borne by each successive sovereign since the days of the Fifth -Dynasty, whose kings claimed descent from Ra himself. Such studies -would inevitably bring two matters into prominence: firstly, -that Amon was, after all, but a usurper; and, secondly, that as -Pharaoh he was the descendant of Ra-Horakhti, and was that god’s -representative on earth. - -On these grounds, more than on any others, all things connected -with Amon would become distasteful to him. He was too young to -understand fully which of the two religions was the better morally -or theologically; but he was old enough to be moved by the romance -of history, and to feel that those great, shadowy Pharaohs who -lived when the world was young, and who at the dawn of events -worshipped the sun, were the truest and best examples for him to -follow. They were his ancestors, and as they were the sons of Ra, -so he, too, was the proud descendant of that great god. In his -veins there ran the blood of the sun, that “Heat-which-is-in-Aton” -pulsed through and through him; and the more he read in those old -documents the more he was stirred by the glory of that distant -past when men worshipped the god whose rights Amon had usurped. -Now the canons of art were regarded as a distinctly religious -institution, and the methods of treating the human figure then in -vogue had in the first place the sanction of the priesthood of -Amon; and few things would be more upsetting to their _régime_ -than the abandoning of these canons. This was probably recognised -by those who were furthering the cause of Ra-Horakhti, and the -young king may have been assisted and encouraged in his views. -Presently it may have been brought home to him that, since he was -thus the representative of those archaic kings and the High Priest -of their god, it was fitting that the canons acknowledged by those -far-off ancestors should be recognised by him. Here, then, he would -both please his own romantic fancy and deal a blow at the Amon -priesthood by banning the art which they upheld, and by infusing -into the sculptures and paintings of his time something of the -spirit of the most ancient art of Egypt. - -[Illustration: _The Art of Akhnaton compared with Archaic Art._ - - 1. The head of Akhnaton. From a contemporary drawing. - 2. The head of a king. From an archaic statuette found by - Professor Petrie at Abydos. - 3. The head of Akhnaton. From a contemporary drawing. - 4. The head of a prince. From an archaic tablet found by - Professor Petrie at Abydos. - 5. An archaic statuette found by Professor Petrie at Diospolis, - showing the large thighs found in the art of Akhnaton.] - -In the old temples of Heliopolis and elsewhere a few relics of -that period, no doubt, were still preserved; and the king was thus -able to study the wood and slate carvings and the ivory figures of -archaic times. We of the present day can also study such figures, -a few specimens having been brought to light by modern excavators; -and the similarity between the treatment of the human body in this -archaic art and the new art of Akhnaton at once becomes apparent. -In the accompanying illustrations some archaic figures are shown, -and one may perhaps see in them the origin of the idiosyncrasies -of the new school. Here and in all representations of archaic men -one sees the elongated skull so characteristic of the king’s style; -in the ivory figure of an archaic Pharaoh one sees the well-known -droop of Akhnaton’s head and his pointed chin; in the clay and -ivory figures is the prominent stomach; and here also, most -apparent of all, are the unaccountably large thighs and ponderous -hips. - -Akhnaton’s art might thus be said to be a kind of renaissance--a -return to the classical period of archaic days; the underlying -motive of this return being the desire to lay emphasis upon the -king’s character as the representative of that most ancient of all -gods, Ra-Horakhti. - -Another feature of the new religion now becomes apparent. In the -worship of Ra-Horakhti Aton there was an endeavour to do honour to -the Pharaoh as the son of the sun, and to the god as the founder of -the royal line. Tradition stated that Ra or Ra-Horakhti had once -reigned upon earth, and that his spirit had passed from Pharaoh to -Pharaoh. This god was thus the only true King of Heaven, and Amon -was but a usurper of much more recent date. It was for this reason -that the names of the new god were placed within royal cartouches; -and for this reason the king was so careful to call Ra-Horakhti -his “father,” and to name him “god and king.” For this reason also -Akhnaton often wore the crown of Lower Egypt which was used at -Heliopolis, but never the crown of Upper Egypt, which history told -him did not exist when Ra ruled on earth.[30] - -Apart from the representation of the human form, the new art is -chiefly characterised by its freedom of poses. An attempt is made -to break away from tradition, and a desire is shown to have done -with the conventions of the age. Never before had the artists -caught the swing of a walk, the relaxation of a seated figure, so -well or so truthfully. Sculpture in the round now reached a height -of perfection which places it above all but the art of the Greeks -in the old world; and there is a grace and naturalness in the -low-reliefs which command one’s admiration. - -There are only two artists of the period who are known by name. -The one was a certain Auta, who is represented in a relief dating -from some eight years after the change in the art had taken place. -It is a significant fact that this personage held the post of -master-artist to Queen Tiy; and it is possible that in him and his -patron we have the originators of the movement. The king, however, -was now old enough to take an active interest in such matters; and -the other artist who is known by name, a certain Bek, definitely -states that the king himself taught him. Thus there is reason to -suppose that the young Pharaoh’s own hand is to be traced in the -new canons, although they were instituted when he was but fifteen -years old. - - - 8. THE NEW RELIGION DEVELOPS. - -There is an interesting record, apparently dating from about -this period, which is to be seen upon the rocks near the breccia -quarries of Wady Hammamât. Here there are three cartouches standing -upon two _neb_ signs, symbolic of sovereignty, and above them is -the disk and rays of the new religion. One of these cartouches, -surmounted by the tall feathers worn by the queens of this period, -contains a very short name, which can only be that of Queen -Tiy.[31] The other two cartouches contain the names Amonhotep (IV.) -and the Pharaoh’s second designation. Thus we see that after the -new religious symbol had been introduced, and just before the king -took the name of “Akhnaton,” Queen Tiy still held equal royal rank -with him, and was evidently Regent. - -[Illustration: _The Artist Auta._] - -During the fifteenth to the seventeenth years of his age the king -devoted a considerable amount of time and thought to the changes -which were taking place. With the enthusiasm of youth he threw -himself into the new movement, and one may suppose that it required -all Queen Tiy’s tact and diplomacy to keep him from offending his -country by some rash action against the priesthood of Amon. Those -priests were by no means reconciled to the king’s devotion to -Ra-Horakhti; and although he still nominally served the Theban god, -they felt that every day he was becoming more estranged from that -deity. No doubt there were many passages of arms between the High -Priest of Amon-Ra and this royal High Priest of the sun, young as -he was. The new art, upsetting all the old religious conventions, -was distasteful to the priests; the new religious thought did not -conform to their stereotyped doctrines; and much that the king said -was absolutely heretical to their ears. The tide of new thought, -directed in so eager and boyishly unreserved a manner, was sweeping -them from their feet, and they knew not whither they were being -carried. - -The court officials blindly followed their young king, and to -every word which he spoke they listened attentively. Sometimes -the thoughts which he voiced came direct from the mazes of his -own mind; sometimes perhaps he repeated the utterances of his -deep-thinking mother; and sometimes there passed from his lips the -pearls of wisdom which he had gleaned from the wise men of his -court. It had been the boy’s desire to listen to the dreams of -the East, to receive into his brain those speculations which ever -meander so charmedly through the lands more near the sunrise. At -his behest the dreamers of Asia related to him their visions; the -philosophers made pregnant his mind with the mystery of knowledge; -the poets sung to him harp-songs in which echoed the cry of the -elder days; the priests of strange gods submitted to him the -creeds of strange people. To him was made known the sweetness of -the legends of Greece. The laughter of the woods rang in his ears, -though never in narrow Egypt had he felt the enchantment of great -forests. He had not seen the mountains, and the wooded slopes which -rise from the Mediterranean were scenes but dreamed of; and yet it -was the flute of Pan and the song of the nymphs in the mountain -streams which set the thoughts dancing within his misshapen skull. -He had not walked in the shadow of the cedars of Lebanon, nor had -he ascended the Syrian hills; but nevertheless the hymns of Adonis -and the chants of Baal were as familiar to him as were the solemn -chants of Amon-Ra. The rose-gardens of Persia, the incense-groves -of Araby, added their philosophies to his dreams, and the -haunting lips of Babylon whispered to him tales of far-off days. -From Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus there came to him the -doctrines of those who had business in great waters; and Libya and -Ethiopia disclosed their mysteries to his eager ears. The fertile -brain of the Pharaoh was thus sown at an early age with the seed of -all that was wonderful in the world of thought. - -It must always be remembered that the king had much foreign blood -in his veins. On the other hand, those men to whom he spoke, though -highly educated, were but superstitious Egyptians who could not -relieve themselves of the belief that a divine power rested upon -the Pharaoh. Thus his speculative young brain poured its fantasies -into attentive minds unbiassed by rival speculations, though -narrowed by conventions. Egyptians, ever lacking in originality, -have always possessed the power to imitate and adapt; and those -nobles whose fortunes were dependent upon the royal favour soon -learnt to attune their minds to the note of their king. Daily they -must have gone about their business, ostentatiously attempting to -hold to the difficult path of truth; laboriously telling themselves -what wonders the new thought revealed to them; loudly praising the -wisdom of the boy-Pharaoh; and nervously asking themselves whether -and when the wrath of Amon would smite them. - -Thus encouraged, the king and his mother developed their -speculations, and drew into their circle of followers some of -the greatest nobles of the land. A striking example of this -proselytising is to be found in the tomb of the Vizir Rames. It has -already been stated that that official had constructed for himself -a sepulchre in the Theban necropolis, upon the walls of which he -had first caused a portrait of the young king to be sculptured in -the old conventional style, and later had added another portrait -of the Pharaoh standing beneath the radiating beams of the sun, -executed in the new style. Rames now added various other scenes and -inscriptions, and he records a certain speech made by the king to -him, and his own reply. - - “The words of Ra,” the king had said, “are before thee.... My - august father[32] taught me their essence and [revealed] them - to me.... They were known in my heart, opened to my face. I - understood....” - - “Thou art the Only One of Aton; in possession of his designs,” - replied Rames. “Thou hast directed the mountains. The fear of - thee is in the midst of their secret chambers, as it is in the - hearts of the people. The mountains hearken to thee as the people - hearken.” - -Thus one sees how the king was already formulating some kind of -doctrine in his head, and that the nobles were receiving it; but it -is significant that there are here representations of Rames loaded -with gifts by the Pharaoh, as though in reward for his allegiance. -The Pharaoh seems, indeed, to have showered honours upon those -who appeared to grasp intelligently the thoughts which were -still immature in his own head; and there must have been many an -antagonist who rallied to his standard from the sheer love of gold. -The king was in need of all the support which he could muster, -for an open break with the priesthood of Amon-Ra grew more and -more probable as his doctrines shaped themselves in his mind; and -although the people of Egypt as a whole would, without question, -follow their Pharaoh for the one reason that he _was_ Pharaoh, -there was every probability that the Amon priesthood and the Theban -populace would make something of a stand against any infringement -of the rights of their local god. - -The young Pharaoh seems to have been very popular, and one may -presume that he inherited, from his illustrious fathers, the -charm of manner which there is not a little evidence to show they -possessed. Throughout his life, and for some years after his death, -he retained the affection of his people; and when one considers -how faithfully his nobles followed him so long as he had strength -and health to lead them, and how completely lost they were at his -death, one realises how great an influence he must have exerted -over them. Even at this early age they seem to have possessed a -deep regard for the grave, thoughtful boy; and behind all the -pretence, the hypocrisy, and the merely conventional loyalty, one -surely catches a glimpse of a strong, personal affection for the -king. - -We must here record the birth of the king’s first daughter, which -occurred in about the fifth year of his reign, when he was some -sixteen years of age, and when Nefertiti was about thirteen years -old. The child was named Merytaton, “Beloved of Aton”; and though -the advent of a daughter instead of a son must have been a -grave disappointment to the royal couple, a remarkable degree of -affection was lavished upon the little girl, as will be apparent in -the sequel. - - - 9. THE NATURE OF THE NEW RELIGION. - -There was nothing strikingly exalted in the religion which was -now so filling the king’s mind. Ra-Horakhti Aton was in no -wise considered as the only god: there were as yet no ideas of -monotheism in the doctrine. In the new temple at Karnak, as we have -seen, Horus, Set, Wepwat, and other gods were named; and elsewhere -Amon was reluctantly recognised. The goddess Maat, in the tomb -of Rames, was not obliterated from the walls, but still stood -protecting the king; and in the same tomb Horus of Edfu is invoked. -In the tomb of Horemheb, Horus, Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Hathor -are mentioned, and the gods of the Necropolis still receive honour; -Horemheb himself still holds the honorary post of High Priest of -Horus, Lord of Alabastronpolis; Thoth and Maat are referred to; -and there is a magical prayer to Ra, which is by no means of -lofty character. Scarabs of this period speak of the Pharaoh as -beloved of Thoth. And in a letter to the king dated in the fifth -year of his reign, Ptah and “the gods and goddesses” of Memphis are -referred to. - -This letter is of such interest that a fuller account of it must -here be given. It was addressed to the king, who is still called -Amonhotep, by a royal steward named Apiy, who lived at Memphis. -Two copies of the letter were found at Gurob,[33] both dated in -the fifth year of the king’s reign, the third month of winter, -and the nineteenth day. The letter begins with the full titles of -the Pharaoh, including the phrase “living in truth,” which from -this time onwards was always added to his name. Then follows the -invocation: “May Ptah of the beautiful countenance work for thee, -who created thy beauties, thy true father who raised (?) thee from -his house to rule the orbit of the Aton.” Next comes the real -business of the letter: “A communication is this to the Master, -[to whom be] life, prosperity, and health, to give information -that the temple of thy father Ptah ... is sound and prosperous; the -house of Pharaoh ... is flourishing; the establishments of Pharaoh -... are flourishing; the residence of Pharaoh ... is flourishing -and healthy; the offerings of all the gods and goddesses who are -upon the soil (?) of Memphis are ... complete; complete [are they] -there is nothing delayed from them.” Again the titles of the king -are given, and the letter ends with the date. - -Thus in the fifth year of the king’s reign, when he was about -sixteen years of age, the various gods of Egypt were still -acknowledged; and, though the art had been changed and the worship -of Ra-Horakhti under the name of Aton had made great strides -towards supremacy, there is as yet no sign of the lofty monotheism -which the Pharaoh was soon to propound. - -In the portions of the tomb of Horemheb which date from -this period, Ra-Horakhti is invoked in the following words: -“Ra-Horakhti, great god, Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, who cometh -forth from his horizon and illuminateth the Two Lands [of Egypt], -the sun of darkness as the great one, as Ra;” and again: “Ra, -Lord of Truth, great god, sovereign of Heliopolis, ... Horakhti, -only god, king of the gods, who rises in the west and sendeth -forth his beauty.” From other sources, which we have seen, the -god is called “Ra-Horakhti rejoicing in the horizon in his name -Heat-which-is-in-Aton.” - -Here we have simply the old religion of Heliopolis, to which has -been grafted something of the doctrines of the Syrian Adonis or -Aton. At Heliopolis there was a sacred bull, known as Mnevis, which -was regarded as the living personification of Ra-Horakhti, and -which was treated with divine honours, like the more famous Apis -bull of Memphis. Even this superstition was accepted by the king at -this time, and continued to be acknowledged by him for yet another -year or two.[34] The “Heat-which-is-in-Aton” offered food for much -speculation, and, by directing the attention to an intangible -quality of the sun, opened up the widest fields for religious -thought. But, with this exception, there was nothing as yet in the -new religion to command one’s admiration. - - - - - III. - - AKHNATON FOUNDS A NEW CITY. - - “A brave soul, undauntedly facing the momentum of immemorial - tradition ... that he might disseminate ideas far beyond and - above the capacity of his age to understand.”--BREASTED: ‘History - of Egypt.’ - - - 1. THE BREAK WITH THE PRIESTHOOD OF AMON-RA. - -The expected break with the priesthood of Amon was not long in -coming. One knows nothing of the details of the quarrel, but it may -be supposed that Akhnaton himself flung down the gauntlet, making -the rash attempt to rid himself of the weight of an organisation -which had proved such a drag upon his actions. There is no evidence -to show that he disbanded the priesthood, or prohibited the -worship of Amon at this period of his reign; but as the ultimate -persecution of that god, some years later, commenced very soon -after the death of his mother, one may suppose that it was her -restraining influence which prevented him from precipitating a -struggle to the death with the god of Thebes. The king was now -entering upon the sixth year of his reign and the seventeenth of -his age, and he was already developing in his mind theories and -principles which were soon to produce radical changes in the new -religion of the Court. He found, no doubt, that it was hopeless -to attempt to convert the people of Thebes to the new doctrines; -and daily he realised the more clearly that the development either -of the faith of Ra-Horakhti Aton, or of the ideals which he was -beginning to find therein, was cramped and checked by the hostility -of the influences which pressed around his immediate circle. From -the walls of every temple, from pylons and gateways, pillars and -obelisks, the figure of Amon stared down at him in defiance; -and everywhere he was confronted with the tokens of that god’s -power. His little temple at Karnak was overshadowed by the larger -buildings of Amon; and the few priests who served at the new altar -were lost amidst the crowds of the ministers of the Theban god. How -could the flower thrive and bloom in such uncongenial soil? How -could the sun shine through such density of conventional tradition? - -The king, no doubt, endeavoured to cripple the priesthood of Amon -by cutting down its budget as much as possible, and by attempting -to win over to his side some of the priests of high standing. Had -he succeeded in reducing it to the rank of the smaller cults, it -is probable that he would have been satisfied so to leave it; for -at this time he wished only to place Ra-Horakhti in a position of -undoubted supremacy above all other gods. But the vast resources of -Amon seemed unconquerable, and there appeared to be little chance -of reducing the priesthood to a position of inferior rank. - -In this dilemma the king took a step which had been for some -time considered in his mind and in the minds of his advisers. He -decided to abandon Thebes. He would build a city far away from all -contaminating influences, and there he would hold his court and -worship his god. On clean, new soil, he would establish the earthly -home of Ra-Horakhti Aton, and there, with his faithful followers, -he would develop those schemes which now so filled his brain. Thus -also, by reducing Thebes to the position of a provincial town, he -might lessen the power of the priesthood of Amon; for no longer -would Amon be the royal god, the god of the capital. He would shake -the dust of Thebes from off his sandals, and never again would -he allow himself to be baffled and irritated by the sight of the -glories of Amon. - -The first step which he took was that of changing his -name from Amonhotep, “The-Peace-of-Amon,” to Akhnaton, -“The-Glory-of-Aton”; and from that time forth the word Amon hardly -passed his lips. He retained two of his other names,--_i.e._, -“Beautiful-is-the-Being-of-Ra,” and “The-Only-One-of-Ra,” the -latter being often used by him; but such titles and names as that -which made mention of Karnak be entirely dispensed with. He now -laid more stress upon the nature of his god as “Aton” or “the -Aton”[35] than as Ra-Horakhti; and from this time onwards the -name Ra-Horakhti becomes less and less prominent, though retained -throughout the king’s reign. - - - 2. AKHNATON SELECTS THE SITE OF HIS CITY. - -Down the river it would seem that the young Pharaoh now sailed -in his royal _dahabiyeh_, looking to right and left as he went, -now inspecting this site and now examining that. At last he came -upon a place which suited his fancy to perfection. It was situated -about 160 miles above the modern Cairo. At this point the limestone -cliffs upon the east bank leave the river and recede for about -three miles, returning to the water some five or six miles farther -along. Thus a bay is formed which is protected on its west side -by the river in which there here lies a small island, and in all -other directions by the crescent of the cliffs. Upon the island -he would erect pavilions and pleasure-houses. Along the edge of -the river there was a narrow strip of cultivated land whereon he -would plant his palace gardens, and those of the nobles’ villas. -Behind this verdant band the smooth desert stretched, and here -he would build the palace itself and the great temples. Behind -this again, the sand and gravel surface of the wilderness gently -sloped up to the foot of the cliffs, and here there would be roads -and causeways whereon the chariots might be whirled in the early -mornings. In the face of the cliffs he would cut his tomb and those -of his followers; and at intervals around the crescent of these -hills he would cause great boundary-stones to be made, so that all -men might know and respect the limits of his city. What splendid -quays would edge the river, what palaces reflect their whiteness -in its waters! There would be broad shaded avenues, and shimmering -lakes surrounded by the fairest trees of Asia. Temples would raise -their lofty pylons to the blue skies, and broad courts should lie -stretched in the sunlight. - -In Akhnaton’s youthful mind there already stood the temples and -the mansions; already he heard the sound of sweet music. The -laughter of maidens was added to the singing of the birds which -he heard in the trees; the pomp of imperial Egypt displaced the -farm-houses and the fields of corn which now occupied the site; -and the song of the shepherd in the wilderness was changed to the -rolling psalms of the Aton. Fair was this dream and enthralling to -the dreamer. To Queen Tiy it probably did not appeal so strongly; -for Thebes was full of associations to her, and her palace beside -the lake was very dear. There is, indeed, every reason to suppose -that the dowager-queen lived on at Thebes after her son had -abandoned it. - - - 3. THE FIRST FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION. - -Preparations were soon made for the laying out of the city, and -in a very short time Akhnaton was called upon to visit the site -in order to perform the foundation ceremonies. Fortunately the -inscriptions upon some of the boundary tablets in the desert tell -us something of the manner in which the king marked the limits of -the city.[36] The first inscription reads as follows:-- - - Year 6, fourth month of the second season, day 13.[37] ... On - this day the King was in the City of the Horizon of Aton.[38] His - Majesty ascended a great chariot of electrum, [appearing] like - Aton when he rises from his [eastern] horizon and fills the land - with his love; and he started a goodly course [from his camping - place] to the City of the Horizon.... Heaven was joyful, earth - was glad, and every heart was happy when they saw him. And his - Majesty offered a great sacrifice to Aton, of bread, beer, horned - bulls, polled bulls, beasts, fowl, wine, incense, frankincense, - and all goodly herbs on this day of demarcating the City of the - Horizon.... - - After these things, the good pleasure of Aton being done, ... - [the King returned from] the City of the Horizon, and he rested - upon his great throne with which he is well pleased, which - uplifts his beauties. And his Majesty continued in the presence - of his father Aton, and Aton shone upon him in life and length of - days, invigorating his body each day. - - And his Majesty said, “Bring me the companions of the King, the - great ones and the mighty ones, the captains of soldiers, and - the nobles of the land in its entirety.” And they were conducted - to him straightway, and they lay on their bellies before his - Majesty, kissing the ground before his mighty will. - - And his Majesty said unto them, “Ye behold the City of the - Horizon of Aton, which the Aton has desired me to make for him as - a monument in the great name of my Majesty for ever. For it was - the Aton, my father, that brought me to this City of the Horizon. - There was not a noble who directed me to it; there was not any - man in the whole land who led me to it, saying, ‘It is fitting - for his Majesty that he make a City of the Horizon of Aton in - this place.’ Nay, but it was the Aton, my father, that directed - me to it to make it for him.... Behold the Pharaoh found that - [this site] belonged not to a god, nor to a goddess, it belonged - not to a prince, nor to a princess. There was no right for any - man to act as owner of it.” ... - - [... And they answered and said] “Lo! it is Aton that putteth - [the thought] in thy heart regarding any place that he desires. - He doth not uplift the name of any King except thy Majesty; he - doth not [exalt] any other except [thee.] ... Thou drawest unto - Aton every land, thou adornest for him the towns which he had - made for his own self, all lands, all countries, the Hanebu[39] - with their products and their tribute upon their backs for him - that made their life, and by whose rays one lives and breathes - the air. May he grant eternity in seeing his rays.... Verily, the - City of the Horizon will thrive like Aton in heaven for ever and - ever.” - - Then his Majesty lifted his hand to heaven unto Him that formed - him, saying, “As my father Ra-Horakhti Aton liveth, the great - and living Aton, ordaining life, vigorous in life, my father, - my rampart of a million cubits, my remembrancer of eternity, - my witness of that which pertains to eternity, who formeth - himself with his own hands, whom no artificer hath known, who is - established in rising and in setting each day without ceasing. - Whether he is in heaven or in earth,[40] every eye seeth him - without [failing,] while he fills the land with his beams and - makes every face to live. With seeing whom may my eyes be - satisfied daily, when he rises in this temple of Aton in the City - of the Horizon, and fills it with his own self by his beams, - beauteous in love, and lays them upon me in life and length of - days for ever and ever. - - “I will make the City of the Horizon of Aton for the Aton, my - father, in this place. I will not make the City south of it, - north of it, west of it, or east of it. I will not pass beyond - the southern boundary-stone southward, neither will I pass beyond - the northern boundary-stone northward to make for him a City of - the Horizon there; neither will I make for him a city on the - western side. Nay, but I will make the City of the Horizon for - the Aton, my father, upon the east side, the place which he did - enclose for his own self with cliffs, and made a plain (?) in - the midst of it that I might sacrifice to him thereon: this is - it. Neither shall the Queen say unto me, ‘Behold, there is a - goodly place for the City of the Horizon in another place,’ and - I hearken unto her. Neither shall any noble nor [any one] of all - men who are in the whole land [say unto me], ‘Behold, there is a - goodly place for the City of the Horizon in another place,’ and - I hearken unto them. Whether it be down-stream or southwards, - or westwards, or eastwards, I will not say ‘I will abandon this - City of the Horizon and will hasten away and make the City of - the Horizon in this other goodly place’ for ever. Nay, but I did - find this City of the Horizon for the Aton, which he had himself - desired, and with which he is pleased for ever and ever. - - “I will make a temple of Aton for the Aton, my father, in this - place. I will make a ... of Aton for the Aton, my father, in this - place. I will make a Shadow-of-the-Sun[41] of the Great Wife of - the King, Nefertiti, for the Aton, my father, in this place. I - will make a House of Rejoicing for the Aton, my father, on the - island of ‘Aton illustrious in Festivals’ in this place.... I - will make all works which are necessary for the Aton, my father, - in this place. I will make ... for the Aton, my father, in this - place. I will make for myself the Palace of Pharaoh; and I will - make the Palace of the Queen in this place. There shall be made - for me a sepulchre in the eastern hills; my burial shall be - made therein ... and the burial of the Chief Wife of the King, - Nefertiti, shall be made therein, and the burial of the King’s - daughter Merytaton shall be made therein. If I die in any town - of the north, south, west, or east, I will be brought here and - my burial shall be made in the City of the Horizon. If the Great - Queen, Nefertiti, who lives, die in any town of the north, south, - west, or east, she shall be brought here and buried in the City - of the Horizon. If the King’s daughter Merytaton die in any town - of the north, south, west, or east, she shall be brought here - and buried in the City of the Horizon. And the sepulchre of - Mnevis shall be made in the eastern hills and he shall be buried - therein. The tombs of the High Priests and the Divine Fathers - and the priests of the Aton shall be made in the eastern hills, - and they shall be buried therein. The tombs of the officers, and - others, shall be made in the eastern hills, and they shall be - buried therein. - - “For as my father Ra-Horakhti Aton liveth ... [the words?] of - the priests, more evil are they than those things which I heard - until the year four, more evil are they than those things which I - have heard in ... more evil are they than those things which King - [Nebmaara[42]] heard, more evil are they than those things which - Menkheperura[43] heard....” - -The rest of the inscription is so much broken that only a few -words here and there can be read. They seem to refer to the king’s -further projects,--how he will make ships to sail to and from the -city, how he will build granaries, celebrate festivals, plant -trees, and so on. - -The reference to the year four is very interesting, and it would -seem that it was at about that date that the king’s eyes were -opened to the necessity of making war upon the priesthood of Amon. -As we have seen, it was in about the fourth year of his reign that -the great changes in the art took place, and the symbol of the -sun’s rays was introduced into the sculptures. The mention of the -two previous Pharaohs shows that troubles were already brewing -then; but it had remained for the energetic young Akhnaton to bring -matters to a head. - - - 4. THE SECOND FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION. - -The inscription recording these events was probably not written -until some months after they had occurred. Just when the engravers -had made an end of their work a second daughter was born to the -king and queen, whom they named Meketaton; and orders were given -that her figure should be added upon the boundary tablet beside -that of her sister, which already appeared there with Akhnaton and -Nefertiti. The king was somewhat distressed that a son had not been -granted to him; for the thought was bitter that, in the event of -his death, all his projects would fall to the ground. He therefore -altered the wording of the inscriptions about to be written on the -other boundary tablets; and, by including his oath in the text, -he added an even greater integrity to the decree. The name of the -second daughter was now inserted in this inscription, which reads:-- - - Year six, fourth month of the second season, thirteenth day. - - On this day the King was in the City of the Horizon of Aton, in - the parti-coloured tent made for his Majesty in the City of the - Horizon, the name of which is “The Aton is well pleased.” And his - Majesty ascended a great chariot of electrum, drawn by a span - of horses, and [he appeared] like Aton when he rises from the - horizon and fills the two lands with his love. And he started - a goodly course to the City of the Horizon, on this the first - occasion, ... to dedicate it as a monument to the Aton, even as - his father Ra-Horakhti Aton had given command.... And he caused - a great sacrifice to be offered. - - And his Majesty went southward, and halted on his chariot before - his father Ra-Horakhti Aton, at the [foot of the] south-east - hills, and Aton shone upon him in life and length of days, - invigorating his body every day. - - Now this is the oath pronounced by the King:-- - - “As my father Ra-Horakhti Aton liveth, as my heart is happy in - the Queen and her children--as to whom may it be granted that - the Chief Wife of the King, Nefertiti, living for ever and ever, - grow aged after a multitude of years, in the care of the Pharaoh, - and may it be granted that the King’s daughter Merytaton and the - King’s daughter Meketaton, her children, grow old in the care of - the Chief Wife of the King, their mother.... - - “This is my oath of truth which it is my desire to pronounce, and - of which I will not say ‘It is false’ eternally for ever. - - “The southern boundary-stone which is on the eastern hills. It is - the boundary-stone of the City of the Horizon, namely this one by - which I have made halt. I will not pass beyond it southwards for - ever and ever. Make the south-west boundary-stone opposite it on - the western hills of the City of the Horizon exactly. - - “The middle boundary-stone which is on the eastern hills. It is - the boundary-stone of the City of the Horizon by which I have - made halt on the eastern hills of the City of the Horizon. I will - not pass beyond it eastwards for ever and ever. Make the middle - boundary-stone which is to be on the western hills opposite it - exactly. - - “The north-eastern boundary-stone by which I have made halt. It - is the northern boundary-stone of the City of the Horizon. I will - not pass beyond it down-stream for ever and ever. Make the north - boundary-stone which is to be on the western hills opposite it - exactly. - - “And the City of the Horizon of Aton extends from the south - boundary-stone as far as the north boundary-stone, measured - between boundary-stone and boundary-stone on the eastern, hills - [which measurement] amounts to 6 _ater_,[44] ¾ _khe_, and 4 - cubits. Likewise from the south-west boundary-stone to the - north-west boundary-stone on the western hills [the measurement] - amounts to 6 _ater_, ¾ _khe_, and 4 cubits likewise exactly. - - “And the area within these four boundary-stones from the eastern - hills to the western hills is the City of the Horizon of Aton - in its proper self. It belongs to my father Ra-Horakhti Aton: - mountains, deserts, meadows, islands, high-ground, low-ground, - land, water, villages, embankments, men, beasts, groves, and all - things which the Aton my father shall bring into existence for - ever and ever. - - “I will not neglect this oath which I have made to the Aton my - father for ever and ever; nay, but it shall be set on a tablet - of stone as the south-east boundary, likewise as the north-east - boundary of the City of the Horizon; and it shall be set likewise - on a tablet of stone as the south-west boundary, likewise as the - north-west boundary of the City of the Horizon. It shall not be - erased, it shall not be washed out, it shall not be kicked, - it shall not be struck with stones, its spoiling shall not be - brought about. If it be missing, if it be spoilt, if the tablet - on which it is shall fall, I will renew it again afresh in the - place in which it was.” - - - 5. THE DEPARTURE FROM THEBES. - -From the above inscription one sees that Akhnaton had now decided -to include the west bank of the river, opposite to the original -site, in the new domain; and the great boundary tablets are there -to be found as on the eastern side. By the time these decrees were -engraved the Pharaoh was nearly eighteen years of age; and these -developments in his plans are the natural signs of the progress of -his brain towards that of a grown man. - -Having laid the foundations of the city, the king probably -returned to Thebes, where he waited as patiently as possible for -his dream to take concrete form. This period of waiting must have -been peculiarly trying to him, for his troubles with the Amon -priesthood must have embittered his days. He seems, however, to -have been extremely devoted to his wife, Nefertiti, who had now -grown, it would seem, into a beautiful young woman of fifteen or -sixteen years of age; and the arrival of the second baby afforded -an interest which meant much to him. One may now picture the king -and queen living, in the seclusion of the palace, a homely, simple -existence, ever dwelling in a happy day-dream upon the future -glories of the new city, and the rising power of the religion of -Aton. Akhnaton’s ill-health, of course, must have caused both -his friends and himself much anxiety; but even this had its -compensations, for those who suffer from epilepsy are by the gods -beloved, and Akhnaton, no doubt, believed the hallucinations due to -his disease to be god-given visions. There must have been a very -considerable amount of business to be worked through in connection -with the building of the city, and he could have had little time to -brood upon what he now considered to be the wrongs inflicted upon -him and his house by the priests of Amon. - -So passed the seventh year of his reign without any particular -records to mark it. At Aswan there is a monument which perhaps -dates from about this period. The king’s chief sculptor, Bek, -was there employed in obtaining red granite for the decoration -of the new city; and he caused to be made upon a large rock a -commemorative tablet. On it one sees him before Akhnaton, whose -figure has been erased at a later date; and the altar of the Aton, -above which are the usual sun’s rays, stands beside them. Bek calls -himself “The Chief of the Works in the Red [Granite] Hills, the -assistant whom his Majesty himself taught, Chief of the Sculptors -on the great and mighty monuments of the King in the house of Aton -in the City of the Horizon of Aton.” Here also one sees Men, the -father of Bek, who was also Chief of the Sculptors, presenting an -offering to a statue of Amonhotep III., under whom he had served. - -The eighth year of Akhnaton’s reign, and the nineteenth year of -his age, was memorable, for it would seem that he now took up his -permanent residence in the City of the Horizon. On some of the -boundary tablets a repetition of the royal oath is recorded; and, -as this is the last mention of _a visit_ made by Akhnaton to the -new capital, one may suppose that henceforth he was resident there. -The inscription reads:-- - - This oath (of the sixth year) was repeated in year eight, first - month of the second season, eighth day. The King was in the - City of the Horizon of Aton, and Pharaoh stood mounted on a - great chariot of electrum, inspecting the boundary-stones of the - Aton.... - -Then follows a list of these boundary-stones, and the inscription -ends with the words:-- - - And the breadth of the City of the Horizon of Aton is from cliff - to cliff, from the eastern horizon of heaven to the western - horizon of heaven. It shall be for my father Ra-Horakhti Aton, - its hills, its deserts, all its fowl, all its people, all its - cattle, all things which the Aton produces, on which his rays - shine, all things which are in ... the City of the Horizon, they - shall be for the father, the living Aton, unto the temple of - Aton in the City of the Horizon for ever and ever; they are all - offered to his spirit. And may his rays be beauteous when they - receive them. - -[Illustration: _Akhnaton and Nefertiti with their three Daughters._] - -Thus was the king’s city planned and laid out. The two years -of feverish work had probably produced considerable results, and -already we may picture the city taking form. The royal palace was -perhaps almost finished by now, and the villas of some of the -nobles were habitable. With many a sigh of relief Akhnaton must -have bade farewell to Thebes. A third daughter, who was named -Ankhsenpaaton, had just been born; and one may thus picture the -royal party which sailed down the river as being very distinctly -a family. One sees Akhnaton, a sickly young man of nineteen years -of age, walking to and fro upon the deck of the royal vessel, -with his hand upon the shoulder of his fair young wife, now some -seventeen years old, in whose arms the baby princess is carried. -Toddling beside them are the two other princesses, one somewhat -over two years of age, the other about four years. The queen’s -sister, Nezemmut, records of whose existence soon become apparent, -was perhaps also of the party, having left the court of Mitanni -to be a companion to Nefertiti. Ay and Ty, the foster-parents of -Nefertiti, were doubtless with the royal family now as they sailed -down the river; and several of the nobles who play a part in the -following pages no doubt formed the suite which attended to the -royal commands. - - - 6. THE AGE OF AKHNATON. - -We have spoken of the king as being nineteen years old. The story -has now reached a point at which we must pause to consider this -vexed question of Akhnaton’s age. In the above pages it has been -said that the Pharaoh was about eleven years old at his marriage -and accession to the throne; was fifteen when the canons of art -were changed and the symbols of the Aton religion introduced; was -seventeen when the foundations of the new city were laid; and was -nineteen when he took up his residence there. Let us study these -ages in the above order. - -[Illustration: _The Head of the Mummy of Thothmes IV., the -grandfather of Akhnaton._] - -Firstly, then, as to the king’s marriage. The mummy of Thothmes -IV., the grandfather of Akhnaton, has been shown by Dr Elliot -Smith to be that of a man not more than about twenty-six years of -age. That king was succeeded by his son Amonhotep III., who is -known to have been married to Queen Tiy before the second year -of his reign, and to have been old enough at that time to begin -to hunt big game. It would be difficult to believe that he would -be permitted to join any hunting party, however secure against -accident, before the twelfth year of his age; but, on the other -hand, if he was more than that age, his father would have to have -been less than twelve at _his_ marriage. Thus the only possible -conclusion is that both Thothmes IV. and Amonhotep III. were barely -thirteen when they were married, and very possibly even younger. -This is shown to be a correct conclusion by the fact that the mummy -of Amonhotep III. has been pronounced by Dr Elliot Smith to be -that of a man of forty-five or fifty; and as he reigned thirty-six -years he must have been _at most_ fourteen, and probably some years -younger, at his accession and marriage. - -There is not sufficient evidence to show at what ages the previous -Pharaohs of the dynasty had married, but as Akhnaton’s father and -grandfather entered into matrimony at this early age, it would not -be safe to suppose that he himself delayed his marriage till a -later age. Queen Tiy was in all probability married when she was -ten or eleven years old.[45] Akhnaton’s daughter Merytaton, who -was born in the fourth or fifth year of his reign, was, as will -be seen in due course, married before the seventeenth year of the -reign--that is to say, when she was twelve or younger. The Princess -Ankhsenpaaton, who was born in the eighth year, was married, at -latest, two years after Akhnaton’s death--_i.e._, when she was -eleven. Another of Akhnaton’s daughters, Nefernefernaton, who has -not yet appeared, was born in her father’s eleventh year and was -married before the fifteenth, and therefore could only have been -four or five years of age. - -Child-marriages such as these are common in Egypt, even at the -present day. Those who have lived on the Nile, and have studied the -national habits, will assuredly fix the probable age of a royal -_mariage de convenance_ at about thirteen years, and will agree -that eleven and twelve are also highly likely ages. - -Secondly, as to Akhnaton’s age at the changing of the art. In the -biography of Bakenkhonsu, the High Priest of Amon under Rameses -II., that official tells us that he arrived at the state of manhood -at the age of sixteen, and one may therefore suppose that this was -the recognised legal age at which a man became a responsible agent -in Egypt. Now it has been clearly seen that Akhnaton was under the -regency of his mother during the first years of his reign, and -mention has been made of the inscription at Wady Hammamât, where, -although the new symbol of the religion is shown, Queen Tiy’s name -is placed beside that of her son in an equally honourable position. -She was thus still Queen Regent when the art was changed, and her -son could not yet have come of age--_i.e._, he must then have been -under sixteen. - -Thirdly, we have to consider the question of his age when he laid -the foundations of the new city. This was the first decisive action -performed by the king in which his mother has no concern, and of -which she perhaps even disapproved, and it surely marks the period -at which he took the government into his own hands. If, like -Bakenkhonsu, he came of age at sixteen, in the fifth year of his -reign, the founding of the new capital in the following year would -well fit in with the supposition that the abandoning of Thebes -marks the date of the king’s arrival at maturity. - -It may be asked how so young a person could conceive that great -dream of the new city dedicated to the Aton. But, after all, he was -seventeen years of age when the idea came to him, nineteen when he -had properly developed the plan, and perhaps as much as twenty when -he took up his residence there. Akhnaton’s greatness, as will be -seen later, dates from the height of his reign in the City of the -Horizon, and not from his early years. Still, when one calls to -mind the infant prodigies, the child preachers who stir an audience -at the age of twelve, one may credit a boy of sixteen or seventeen -with the planning of a new city. Even in the cold Occident such -youthful wiseacres are not rare, and surely they blossom forth less -infrequently in the maturing warmth of the Orient. - - - - - IV. - - AKHNATON FORMULATES THE RELIGION OF ATON. - - “No such grand theology had ever appeared in the world before, so - far as we know; and it is the forerunner of the later monotheist - religions.”--PETRIE: ‘The Religion of Ancient Egypt.’ - - - 1. ATON THE TRUE GOD. - -Amidst the fair palaces and verdant gardens of the new city, -Akhnaton, now a man of some twenty years, turned his thoughts fully -to the development of his religion. It is necessary, therefore, for -us to glance at the essential features of this the most enlightened -doctrine of the ancient world, and in some degree to make ourselves -acquainted with the creed which the king himself was evolving out -of that worship of Ra-Horakhti Aton in which he had been educated. - -Originally the Aton was the actual sun’s disk; but, as has been -said, the god was now called “Heat-which-is-in-Aton,” and Akhnaton, -concentrating his attention on this aspect of the godhead, drew -the eyes of his followers towards a force far more intangible -and distant than the dazzling orb to which they bowed down. -Akhnaton’s conception of God, as we now begin to observe it, was -as the power which created the sun, the energy which penetrated -to this earth in the sun’s heat and caused all things to grow. -At the present day the scientist will tell you that God is the -ultimate source of life, that where natural explanation fails there -God is to be found: He is, in a word, the author of energy, the -primal motive-power of all known things. Akhnaton, centuries upon -centuries before the birth of the scientist, defined God in just -this manner. In an age when men believed, as some do still, that a -deity was but an exaggerated creature of this earth, having a form -built on material lines, this youthful Pharaoh proclaimed God to -be the formless essence, the intelligent germ, the loving force, -which permeated time and space. Let it be clearly understood that -the Aton as conceived by the young Pharaoh was in no sense one of -those old deities which our God ultimately replaced in Egypt. The -Aton is God as we conceive Him. There is no quality attributed by -the king to the Aton which we do not attribute to our God. Like a -flash of blinding light in the night-time the Aton stands out for -a moment amidst the black Egyptian darkness, and disappears once -more,--the first signal to this world of the future religion of the -West. No man whose mind is free from prejudice will fail to see a -far closer resemblance to the teachings of Christ in the religion -of Akhnaton than in that of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The faith of -the patriarchs is the lineal ancestor of the Christian faith; but -the creed of Akhnaton is its isolated prototype. One might believe -that Almighty God had for a moment revealed himself to Egypt, and -had been more clearly, though more momentarily, interpreted there -than ever He was in Syria or Palestine before the time of Christ. - - - 2. ATON THE TENDER FATHER OF ALL CREATION. - -Amon-Ra and the old gods of Egypt were, for the most part, but -deified mortals, endued with monstrous, though limited, powers, and -still having around them traditions of aggrandised human deeds. -Others, we have seen, had their origin in natural phenomena: the -wind, the Nile, the starry heavens, and the like. All were terrific -or revengeful, if so they had a mind to be, and all were able -to be moved by human emotions. But to Akhnaton, although he had -absolutely no precedent upon which to launch his thoughts, God -was the intangible and yet ever-present Father of mankind, made -manifest in sunshine. The youthful high priest called upon his -subjects to search for their God not in the confusion of battle -or behind the smoke of human sacrifices, but amidst the flowers -and the trees, amidst the wild duck and the fishes. He preached an -enlightened nature-study: in some respects he was, perhaps, the -first apostle of the Simple Life. - -He strove to break down conventional thought, and ceaselessly he -urged his people to worship “in truth,” simply, without an excess -of ceremonial. While the elder gods had been apparent in natural -convulsions and in the more awful incidents of life, Akhnaton’s -kindly father could be seen in the little details of existence, in -the growing poppies, in the soft wind which filled the sails of the -ships, in the fish which leapt from the river. Like a greater than -he, Akhnaton taught his disciples to address their maker as their -“Father which art in Heaven.” The Aton was the joy which caused -the young sheep “to dance upon their legs,” and the birds “to -flutter in their marshes.” He was the god of the simple pleasures -of life; and although Akhnaton himself was indeed a man of sorrows, -plenteously acquainted with grief, happiness was the watchword -which he gave to his followers. - -Akhnaton did not permit any graven image to be made of the Aton. -The True God, said the king, had no form; and he held to this -opinion throughout his life. The symbol of the religion was -the sun’s disk, from which there extended numerous rays, each -ray ending in a hand; but this symbol was not worshipped. To -Christians, in the same way, the cross is the symbol of their -creed; but the cross itself is not worshipped. Never before had -man conceived a formless deity, a god who was not endowed with the -five human senses. The Hebrew patriarchs believed God to be capable -of walking in a garden in the cool of the evening, to have made -man in his own image, to be possessed of face, form, and hinder -parts. But Akhnaton, stemming with his hand the flood of tradition, -boldly proclaimed God to be a life-giving, intangible essence: the -_heat_ which is in the sun. He was “the living Aton,”--that is to -say, the power which produced and sustained the energy and movement -of the sun. Although he was so often called “the Aton,” he was -more closely defined as “the Master of the Aton.”[46] The flaming -glory of the sun was the most practical symbol of the godhead, and -the warm rays of sunshine constituted the most obvious connection -between heaven and earth; but always Akhnaton attempted to raise -the eyes of the thinkers beyond this visible or understandable -expression of divinity, to strain them upwards in the effort to -discern that which was “behind the veil.” In lighting on a motive -power more remote than the sun, and acting through the sun, the -young Pharaoh may be said to have penetrated as far behind the -eternal barrier as one may ever hope to penetrate this side the -churchyard. But though so remote, the Aton was the tender, loving -Father of all men, ever-present and ever-mindful of his creatures. -There dropped not a sigh from the lips of a babe that the -intangible Aton did not hear; no lamb bleated for its mother but -the remote Aton hastened to soothe it. He was the loving “Father -and Mother of all that He had made,” who “brought up millions by -His bounty.” - -The destructive qualities of the sun were never referred to, and -that pitiless orb under which Egypt sweats and groans for the -summer months each year had nothing in common with the gentle -Father conceived by Akhnaton. The Aton was “the Lord of Love.” -He was the tender nurse who “creates the man-child in woman, and -soothes him that he may not weep”; whose love, to use an Egyptian -phrase of exquisite tenderness, “makes the hands to faint.” His -beams were “beauteous with love” as they fell upon His people and -upon His city, “very rich in love.” “Thy love is great and large,” -says one of Akhnaton’s psalms. “Thou fillest the two lands of Egypt -with Thy love;” and another passage runs: “Thy rays encompass the -lands.... Thou bindest them with Thy love.” - -Surely never in the history of the world had man conceived a god -who “so loved the world.” One may search the inscriptions in vain -for any reference to a malignant power, to vengeance, to jealousy, -or to hatred. The Hebrew psalmist said of God, “Like as a father -pitieth his children, even so is the Lord merciful”; and Akhnaton, -many a century before those words were written, attributed just -such a nature to the Aton. The Aton was compassionate, was -merciful, was gentle, was tender; He knew not anger, and there -was no wrath in Him. His overflowing love reached down the paths -of life from mankind to the beasts of the field and to the little -flowers themselves. “All flowers blow,” says one of Akhnaton’s -hymns, “and that which grows on the soil thrives at Thy dawning, O -Aton. They drink their fill [of warmth] before Thy face. All cattle -leap upon their feet; the birds that were in the nest fly forth -with joy; their wings which were closed move quickly with praise to -the living Aton.” - -One stands amazed as one reads in pompous Egypt of a god who -listens “when the chicken crieth in the egg-shell,” and gives him -life, delighting that he should “chirp with all his might” when -he is hatched forth; who finds pleasure in causing “the birds to -flutter in their marshes, and the sheep to dance upon their feet.” -For the first time in the history of man the real meaning of God, -as we now understand it, had been comprehended; and the idea of a -beneficent Creator who, though remote, spiritual, and impersonal, -could love each one of His creatures, great or small, had been -grasped by this young Pharaoh. God’s unspeakable goodness and -loving-kindness were as clearly interpreted by Akhnaton as ever -they have been by mortal man; and the wonder of it lies in this, -that Akhnaton had absolutely nothing to base his theories upon. He -was, so far as we know, the first man to whom God revealed Himself -as the passionless, all-loving essence of unqualified goodness. - - - 3. ATON WORSHIPPED AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET. - -In order to prevent the more ignorant of his disciples from -worshipping the sun itself, Akhnaton seems to have selected the -sunrise and the sunset as the two hours for ceremonial adoration; -for then the light, the beauty, the tenderness, of the celestial -phenomenon could be appreciated, and the awful majesty of the sun -was not in great prominence. Akhnaton attempted to cultivate in -his followers an appreciation of the gentle hues of daybreak and -of evening; and he taught them to believe that the oft-mentioned -“beauties” of the Aton were only to be fully understood at these -times. In the gladness of sunrise and in the hush of the sunset, -the emotions are most apt to be touched and moved; for in Egypt -there is always praise in the heart in the cool opalescence of the -dawn, and in the red dusk there is many and many a dream. - -Phrases such as the following may be gleaned from Akhnaton’s hymns: -“Thy rising is beautiful in the horizon of heaven, O living Aton, -who dispensest life; shining from the eastern horizon of heaven, -Thou fillest Egypt with Thy beauty.” “Thy setting is beautiful, O -living Aton, ... who guidest ... all countries that they may make -laudations at Thy dawning and at Thy setting.” “When the Aton rises -all the land is in joy; His rays produce eyes for all that He has -created; and men say, ‘It is life to see Him, there is death in not -seeing Him.’” “When Thou settest alive,[47] O Aton, West and East -give praise to thee.” “Thou settest behind the western horizon; -Thou settest in life and gladness, and every eye rejoices though -they are in darkness after Thou settest.” “When Thou hast risen -they live; when Thou settest they die.” - -The ceremonial side of the religion does not seem to have been -complex. The priests, of whom there were very few, offered -sacrifices, consisting mostly of vegetables, fruit, and flowers, to -the Aton, and at these ceremonies the king and his family often -officiated. They then sang psalms and offered prayers, and, with -much sweet music, gave praise to the great Father of joy and love. -The Aton, however, was not thought to delight in these ceremonies -as He did in more natural thanksgivings. Why should God be praised -in set phrases and studied poses when all the fair world was -shouting for the joy of Him? The young calf frisking through the -poppy-covered meadows, the birds singing upon the trees, the clouds -racing across the sky, were the true worshippers of God. - -One of the recently discovered sayings of Christ closely parallels -Akhnaton’s utterances. “Ye ask,” it runs, “who are those that draw -us to the kingdom if the kingdom is in heaven? The fowls of the -air, and all the beasts that are under the earth or upon the earth, -and the fishes in the sea, these are they which draw you, and the -kingdom is within you.” The contemplation of nature was more to -Akhnaton than many ceremonies, and his thoughts were more easily -drawn upwards by the rustle of the leaves than by the shaking of -the systrum. - - - 4. THE GOODNESS OF ATON. - -In the gardens of the City of the Horizon Akhnaton was surrounded -on all sides by the joyous beauties of nature. Here the birds -sang merrily in the laden trees, here the cool north wind rustled -through the leaves, setting them dancing upon their stems, here -the many-coloured blossoms nodded to their reflections in the -still lakes; and, as he watched the sunlight playing with the blue -shadows, his heart seemed to fill to repletion with gratitude to -God. “O Lord, how manifold are Thy works!” was his constant cry. -“The whole land is in joy and holiday because of Thee. They shout -to the height of heaven, they receive joy and gladness when they -see Thee.” How “fair of form” was the formless Aton, how “radiant -of colour”! “All that Thou hast made,” said the king, “leaps before -Thee.” “Thou makest the beauty of form through Thyself alone.” -“Eyes have life at sight of Thy beauty; hearts have health when the -Aton shines.” - -As the psalmist sang, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not -want,” so Akhnaton, in the fulness of his heart, cried, “There is -no poverty for him who hath set Thee in his heart; such an one -cannot say, ‘O, that I had.’” “When Thou bringest life to men’s -hearts by Thy beauty, there is indeed life.” The Aton “gave health -to the eyes by His rays,” and, “bright, great, gleaming, high -above all the earth,” he was “the cause of plenty,”--the very -“food and fatness of Egypt.” To David, several centuries later, -God seemed to be “a strong tower of defence”; and, thinking along -the same lines, Akhnaton called the Aton his “wall of brass of a -million cubits.” The Aton was “the witness of that which pertains -to eternity,” and to those whose thoughts had strayed he was “the -remembrancer of eternity.” He was the “Lord of Fate,” the “Lord -of Fortune,” the “Master of that which is ordained,” the “Origin -of Fate,” the “Chance which gives Life”; and in so describing him -Akhnaton reached a philosophical position which even to-day is -quite unassailable. - -Unlike Jehovah, who was described as “great above all other gods,” -the Aton was conceived as being without rivals; and Akhnaton now -never mentions the word “gods.” “The living Aton beside whom there -is no other,” is one of the common phrases; and of Him again it is -written, “Thou art alone, but infinite vitalities are in Thee by -means of which to give life to Thy creatures.” - -Unlike Jehovah again, who was not infrequently thought to be a -wrathful god, surrounded by clouds and darkness, and speaking -through the roar of the thunders, the Aton was the “Lord of Peace,” -who could not tolerate battle and strife. Akhnaton was so opposed -to war that he persistently refused to offer an armed resistance -to the subsequent revolts which occurred in his Asiatic dominions. -The Aton was a deity to whose tender heart human bloodshed made no -appeal. In an age of martial glory, when the sword and buckler, -the plumed helmet and the shirt of mail, glittered in every street -and upon every highway, Akhnaton set himself in opposition to all -heroics, and saw God without melodrama. - -Above all things the Aton loved truth. Frankness, sincerity, -straightforwardness, honesty, and veracity were qualities not -always to be found in the heart of an Egyptian; and Akhnaton, in -antagonism to the sins of hypocrisy and deception which he saw -around him, always spoke of himself as “living in truth.” “I have -set truth in my inward parts,” says one of his followers, “and -falsehood is my loathing; for I know that the King rejoiceth in -truth.” - - - 5. AKHNATON THE “SON OF GOD” BY TRADITIONAL RIGHT. - -It may be understood how the boy longed for truth in all things -when one remembers the thousand exaggerated conventions of Egyptian -life at this time. Court etiquette had developed to a degree -which rendered life to the Pharaoh an endless round of unnatural -poses of mind and body. In the preaching of his doctrine of truth -and simplicity Akhnaton did not fail to call upon his subjects -to regard their Pharaoh not as a celestial god, as had been the -custom, but as a man, though, of course, one of divine origin. -It was usual for the Pharaoh to keep aloof from his people: -Akhnaton was to be found in their midst. The court demanded that -their lord should drive in solitary state through the city: -Akhnaton stood in his chariot with his wife and children, and -allowed the artist to represent him joking therein with his little -daughter. In portraying the Pharaoh the artist was expected to draw -him in some conventional attitude of dignity: Akhnaton insisted -upon being shown in all manner of natural attitudes--now leaning -languidly upon a staff, now nursing his children, and now eating -his dinner. Thus again one sees his objection to heroics, and his -love of naturalness. - -[Illustration: _Akhnaton driving with his Wife and Daughter._] - -But while he strove for truth and sincerity in this manner he -did not attempt to remove from his mind the belief in which he -had been brought up, that as Pharaoh of Egypt he was himself -partly divine. Not only was he by reason of his religion the -representative, and hence, in a manner of speech, the “son” of -God, but by right of royal descent he was the “son of the Sun.” -The names of the Pharaohs were always surrounded by an oval band, -known as a cartouche, which was the distinguishing mark of a royal -name. Akhnaton wrote the name of the Aton within such an oval, -thus indicating that the Pharaoh’s royal rights were also held -by, and therefore derived from, God Himself. There was thus, as -Christ later taught His disciples to believe, a kingdom of heaven -over which God presided; and although impersonal, intangible, and -incomprehensible, the Aton was the very “King of kings, the only -ruler of princes.” Amon-Ra and other of the old deities had been -called at various times “King of the gods.” Akhnaton, however, -applied to Aton the words “King and God.” - -Akhnaton is spoken of as “the unique one of Ra, whose beauties -Aton created,” and as “the beloved son of Aton,” whom “Aton bare.” -Addressing the Aton, his courtiers were wont to say, “Thy rays -are on Thy bright image, the Ruler of Truth (_i.e._, the King), -who proceeded from eternity. Thou givest to him Thy duration and -Thy years; Thou hearkenest to all that is in his heart, because -Thou lovest him. Thou makest him like the Aton, him Thy child, the -King.” “Thou lookest on him, for he proceeded[48] from Thee.” -“Thou hast placed him beside Thee for ever and ever, for he loves -to gaze upon Thee.... Thou hast set him there till the swan shall -turn black and the crow turn white, till the hills rise up to -travel and the deeps rush into the rivers.” “While heaven is, -he shall be.” Some of the Pharaohs had called themselves “the -beautiful child of Amon”; and Akhnaton, borrowing this phrase, was -sometimes spoken of as “the beautiful child of the Aton.”[49] - -[Illustration: _Akhnaton and his Wife and Children._] - -In his capacity as Pharaoh and “son of God,” Akhnaton demanded -and received a very considerable amount of ceremonial homage; but -he never blinded himself to the fact that he was primarily but a -simple man. He most sincerely wished that his private life should -be a worthy example to his subjects, and he earnestly desired that -it should be observed in all its naturalness and simplicity. He -did his utmost to elevate the position of women and the sanctity -of the family by displaying to the world the ideal conditions of -his own married life. He made a point of caressing his wife in -public, putting his arm around her neck in the sight of all men. As -we have seen, one of his forms of oath was, “As my heart is happy -in the Queen and her children....” He spoke of his wife always as -“Mistress of his happiness, ... at hearing whose voice the King -rejoices.” “Lady of grace” was she, “great of love” and “fair -of face.” Every wish that she expressed, declared Akhnaton, was -executed by him. Even on the most ceremonious occasions the queen -sat beside her husband and held his hand, while their children -frolicked around them; for such things pleased that gentle father -more than the savour of burnt-offerings. It is seldom that the -Pharaoh is represented in the reliefs without his family; and, in -opposition to all tradition, the queen is shown upon the same scale -of size and importance as that of her husband. Akhnaton’s devotion -to his children is very marked, and he taught his disciples to -believe that God was the father, the mother, the nurse, and the -friend of the young. Thus, though “son of God,” Akhnaton -preached the beauty of the human family, and laid stress on the -sanctity of marriage and parenthood. - - - 6. THE CONNECTIONS OF THE ATON WORSHIP WITH OLDER RELIGIONS. - -In developing his religion Akhnaton must have come into almost -daily conflict with the priesthoods of the old gods of Egypt; -and even the Heliopolitan Ra-Horakhti, from which his own faith -had been evolved, now fell far short of his ideals. He does not -seem, however, to have yet imposed the worship of the Aton upon -the provinces, nor to have persecuted the various priesthoods. -He hoped, no doubt, that he would be able to persuade the whole -country to his views as soon as those views were thoroughly -matured; and, secure in his new city, he was free to purge his -religion of its faults before declaring all other creeds illegal. - -It is probable that the sacred bull, Mnevis, was banished from his -ceremonies at an early date, for no tombs seem to have been made -for these holy creatures, and they are not referred to after the -sixth year of the king’s reign. The priests of Heliopolis would -now have hardly recognised their doctrines in the exalted faith of -the Aton, though here and there some point of close contact might -have been observed. One may also detect slight resemblances to the -Adonis religions of Syria, from whence the Aton had originally -come. Mention has already been made of the worship of Adonis. So -widespread was that deity’s power that it very naturally affected -many other religions. In the Biblical Psalms one finds several -echoes of this old pagan worship, as for example in the lines from -Psalm xix., which read:-- - - The heavens declare the glory of God.... - In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, - Which is a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, - And he rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. - There is nothing hid from the heat thereof. - -Here one surely must recognise the youthful Adonis, the bridegroom -of Venus. And similarly in the Heliopolitan worship, at the -commencement of Akhnaton’s reign, the sun, Ra, is referred to in -the following terms: “Thou art beautiful and youthful as Aton -before thy mother Hathor [Venus].” - -In Akhnaton’s religion one may still catch a fleeting glimpse of -Adonis. One of the king’s courtiers, named May, held the office of -“Overseer of the House for sending Aton to rest.”[50] Akhnaton’s -queen is mentioned in the tomb of Ay under the peculiar title of -“She who sends the Aton to rest with a sweet voice, and with her -two beautiful hands bearing two systrums.” This “house” was, no -doubt, the temple at which the vesper prayers to the Aton were -said at sunset, and from the above title of the queen it would -seem that she had particular charge of these evening ceremonies. -One cannot contemplate the fact that it was a woman who officiated -at a ceremony which consisted of a lament[51] for the death of -the sun without seeing in it some connection, however faint, -with the story of Venus and Adonis. The lament of Venus for the -death of Adonis--_i.e._, the setting of the sun--was one of the -fundamental ceremonies of the Mediterranean religions. Here again -was a connection with an older religion for Akhnaton to consider -and perhaps to purge away; and one may suppose that all such -derivatives from earlier faiths were gradually eliminated as the -young king developed his creed. Soon not a scrap of superstition -remained in the religion; and one may credit this Pharaoh of three -thousand years ago with as great a freedom from the trammels of -traditional superstition as that of the advanced thinker of to-day. - - - 7. THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH. - -“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes -to behold the sun,” says Holy Writ in words which might have fallen -from the lips of Akhnaton; “but though a man live many years and -rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for -they shall be many.” As Akhnaton had completely revolutionised the -beliefs of the Egyptians as to the nature of God, so he altered -and purged their theories regarding the existence of the soul after -death. According to the old beliefs, as we have seen, the soul of -a man had to pass through awful places up to the judgment throne -of Osiris, where he was weighed in the balances. If he was found -wanting he was devoured by a ferocious monster, but if the scales -turned in his favour he was accepted into the Elysian fields. So -many were the spirits, bogies, and demigods which he was likely to -meet before the goal was reached that he had to know by heart a -tedious string of formulæ, the correct repetition of which, and the -correct making of the related magic, alone ensured his safe passage. - -Akhnaton flung all these formulæ into the fire. Djins, bogies, -spirits, monsters, demigods, demons, and Osiris himself with all -his court, were swept into the blaze and reduced to ashes. Akhnaton -believed that when a man died his soul continued to exist as a kind -of astral, immaterial ghost, sometimes resting in the dreamy halls -of heaven, and sometimes visiting, in shadowy form, the haunts -of the earthly life. By some of the inscriptions one is led to -suppose that, as in the fourth article of the Christian faith, so -in the teachings of Akhnaton, the body was thought to take again -after death its “flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to -the perfection of man’s nature.” But just as there is some doubt -and some vagueness in the mind of Christian thinkers as to the -meaning of this article, so in Akhnaton’s doctrine there was some -uncertainty as to whether the body was entirely spiritual or in a -manner material in its hazy existence in the Hills of the West. -The disembodied soul still craved the pleasures of earthly life -and shunned its sorrows; still felt hunger and thirst and enjoyed -a draught of water or a meal of solid food; still warmed itself in -the sunshine or sought coolness in the shadows. - -We hear nothing of hell; for Akhnaton, in the tenderness of his -heart, could not bring himself to believe that God would allow -suffering in any of His creatures, however sinful. The inscriptions -seem rather to indicate that there was no future life for the -wicked,--that they were annihilated; though in almost every man one -may suppose that there was enough good to recommend him to the -mercy of a God so loving as the Aton. - -The first great wish of the deceased was that he might each day -leave the dim underworld in order to see the light of the sun -upon earth. This had been the prayer of the Egyptians from time -immemorial, and to suit the religion of the Aton its wording alone -was changed. The disciple of Akhnaton asked to be allowed “to go -out from the underworld in the morning to see Aton as he rises.” -He prayed insistently, passionately, in varied language, that his -spirit might “go forth to see the sun’s rays,” that his “two eyes -might be opened to see the sun,” that there might be “no failure -to see it,” that the “vision of the sun’s fair face might never be -lost to him,” that he “might obtain a sight of the beauty of each -recurring sunrise,” and that “the sun’s rays might spread over -his body.” Sometimes it is the Aton whom the soul thus craves to -see; sometimes it is Ra, the sun; but always it seems to be the -actual light and warmth of the sunshine which is so passionately -desired. The abstract conditions of the future life could but be -interpreted in terms of human experience; and in contemplating -that cold, desolate mystery of death, Akhnaton could find no better -means of banishing the gloom than by praying for a continuance of -the blessed light of the day. And the man who prayed that his soul -might see the sunshine but asked that he might still know the joy -of the presence of God, for God was the light of the world. - -His second wish was that he might retain the favour of the king and -queen after death, and that his soul might serve their souls in the -palaces of the dead. He asks for “readiness in the presence of the -King” to do his bidding; he prays that he may be admitted into the -palace, “entering it in favour and leaving it in love”; that he may -“attend the King every day”; and that he may “receive honour in the -presence of the King.” - -For his mental contentment in the underworld he earnestly desired -that “his name might be remembered and established on earth,” that -there might be “a happy memory of him in the King’s palace,” and -“a continuance of his name in the mouths of the courtiers,” where -he hoped that it “might be welcome.” “May my name thrive in the -tomb-chapel,” he says. “May my name not be to seek in my mansion. -May it be celebrated for ever.” So, too, at the present day the -words _In Memoriam_ are goodly words; and that a man’s memory may -be kept green is a thing very generally desired. - - - 8. THE MATERIAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL. - -In order that the soul might have its link with earth, the -worshipper of the Aton prayed that his mummy might remain “firm” -and uncorrupted, that the “flesh might live upon the bones,” and -that his limbs might remain “knit together.” The Egyptians of -other days believed that the body itself would live again at the -resurrection, this being the reason why they attempted so carefully -to preserve it; and Akhnaton does not appear to have altered this -conception of the nature of the material body. So, too, in the -Christian faith it is thought that at the last day the graves will -give up their dead. - -The spiritual body retained the form and the individuality of the -material body, and therefore, in a somewhat vague manner, it was -thought that the needs of the soul would not be very dissimilar -from those of the body upon earth. Christ, after His resurrection, -asked for food; and the feasts of Paradise are more than allegory -to many a Christian. Likewise the follower of Akhnaton believed -that material food, or its spiritual equivalent, would be necessary -to the soul’s welfare in the next world. “May I be called by my -name,” says he, “and come at the summons, in order to feed upon the -good things provided upon the temple altar.” It would seem that -through fidelity to the Aton creed he might have the privilege of -partaking of the offerings made at the great ceremonies in the -temple; for, after these sacrifices had been offered, the food, -probably, was distributed to the priests and to those attached to -the tombs, who represented the interests of the dead. Thus the -deceased prays that he may enjoy “a reception of that which has -been offered in the temple”; “a reception of offerings of the -King’s giving in every shrine”; “a drink-offering in the temple of -Aton”; “food deposited on the altar every day”; and “everything -that is offered in the sanctuary of Aton in the City of the -Horizon of Aton.” He further asks that “wine may be poured out” for -him, and that “the children of his house may spill a libation for -him at the entrance of his tomb.” - -While life lasted God was very apparent to those who sought Him. -Wherever the sun shone, wherever the great pulse of the earth beat -beneath one, wherever the river flowed or the garden bloomed, there -was God to be found; for God was happiness, was beauty, was love. -But when the cold mists of death had enveloped a man, when there -was no longer any spring-time nor any opening of the blossoms, how -should there be contentment any more? From the depths of his heart -Akhnaton urged his followers to pray God that He might provide this -happiness, though it could only be voiced in very human words. It -was not “sweet perfume” nor “the smell of incense” that the soul -required; but how else could the pleasure of light-heartedness -be worded? They prayed that their “limbs might be provided with -pleasure every day.” In the stagnant air of the tomb they craved -for the touch of the “sweet breeze,” for “the breath of the -pleasant airs of the north wind.” They hoped in shadowy form to be -able to visit the beloved scenes of their lifetime. “May I raise -myself up and forget languor,” prays one. “May I leave and enter -my mansion,” says another. “May my soul not be shut off from that -which it desires. May I walk as I will in the grove that I have -made upon earth. May I drink the water at the edge of my lake every -day without ceasing.” “May water be poured out from my cistern,” -cries a third; “may I receive fruit from my trees.” Incessantly -each man implores God to grant that he may cool his parched lips -with water. “A draught of water at the banks of the river,” is -his desire; “a draught of water at the swirl of the stream.” -While he smells “the scent of the wind” blowing amidst the petals -of “a bouquet of Aton,” and while there runs “a brook of water” -by his side, he need not know the horror of death. And thus, by -receiving “everything good and sweet,” he may hope for “health and -prosperity” in the hills and the valleys of the West; for a “happy -life, provided with pleasure and joy,” for “amusement, merriment, -and delight,” and for a “daily rejoicing” throughout eternity. - -It may be argued that this material conception of the life after -death is not equal in purity of tone to the faith of the Aton. -But is it, then, less lofty to believe in a heaven in which there -is joy and laughter, a scent of flowers, and a breath of north -wind, than in one where the streets are paved with gold, and -where there are many mansions? By no religion in the world is -Christianity so closely approached as by the faith of Akhnaton; and -if the Pharaoh’s doctrines as to immortality are not altogether -convincing, neither are the Christian doctrines, as they are -now interpreted, altogether without fault. In the above pages -it has been necessary always to compare Akhnaton’s creed with -Christianity, since there is so much common to the two religions; -but it should be remembered that this comparison must of necessity -be unfavourable to the Pharaoh’s doctrine, revealing as it does -its shortcomings. Let the reader remember that Akhnaton lived some -thirteen hundred years before the birth of Christ, at an age when -the world was steeped in superstition and sunk in the fogs of -idolatry. Bearing this in mind, he will not fail to see in that -tenderly loving Father whom the boy-Pharaoh worshipped an early -revelation of the God to whom we of the present day bow down; and -once more he will find how true are the words-- - - “God fulfils Himself in many ways.” - -Since writing the above, another point in Akhnaton’s teaching -has become apparent, from the scenes, recently discovered by the -present writer, in the tomb of Rames. There is a scene often -represented upon the walls of tombs of Dynasty XVIII. which seems -to represent human sacrifice. The figure of a man is seen dragged -to the tomb upon a sledge, and Sir Gaston Maspero has pointed out -that this can hardly be anything else than such a sacrifice. This -scene was shown on one of the walls of the tomb of Rames, and -evidently dated from a period previous to Akhnaton’s revolution. -When, however, the young king had formulated his religion of love -he could not tolerate a barbaric and cruel ceremony of this kind. -We thus find that the entire scene is here obliterated, almost -certainly by the king’s agents. The objection to human sacrifice is -closely in accord with his objection to human suffering as recorded -on page 175. - - - - - V. - - THE TENTH TO THE TWELFTH YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON. - - “One must be moved with involuntary admiration for the young king - who in such an age found such thoughts in his heart.”--BREASTED: - ‘History of Egypt.’ - - - 1. THE HYMNS OF THE ATON WORSHIPPERS. - -In the tombs of rich persons who had lived and died previous to the -time of Akhnaton, a large portion of the walls had been covered -with religious inscriptions; and when at first the nobles of the -City of the Horizon of Aton were planning their sepulchres they -must have been at a loss to know what to substitute for these -forbidden formulæ. Soon, however, it became the custom to write -there short extracts from the hymns which were sung in the temples -of the Aton. In a few cases these inscriptions supply us with a -definite psalm which, although short, seems to be complete. In one -tomb--that of Ay--however, there is a copy of a much more elaborate -hymn; and it would thus seem that there were two main psalms in -use in the temples, a longer and a shorter version of the same -composition. - -It was not unusual for the Egyptians to compose hymns in honour of -their gods, and a few such have been preserved to us upon the walls -of the old temples. Like the Hebrew psalms of later date, they are -not always of a very high moral tone. They are often but chants -of victory, dealing in battles, in thunders, and in tempests, and -glorying in the wrath of heaven. The longer hymn to the Aton, which -is here given in full, is quite unlike any of these compositions, -and both in purity of tone and in beauty of style it must rank high -amongst the poems of antiquity. - - [52]“Thy dawning is beautiful in the horizon of heaven, - O living Aton, Beginning of life! - When Thou risest in the eastern horizon of heaven, - Thou fillest every land with Thy beauty; - For Thou are beautiful, great, glittering, high over the earth; - Thy rays, they encompass the lands, even all Thou hast made. - Thou art Ra, and Thou hast carried them all away captive; - Thou bindest them by Thy love. - Though Thou art afar, Thy rays are on earth; - Though Thou art on high, Thy footprints are the day. - - When Thou settest in the western horizon of heaven, - The world is in darkness like the dead. - Men sleep in their chambers, - Their heads are wrapped up, - Their nostrils stopped, and none seeth the other. - Stolen are all their things that are under their heads, - While they know it not. - Every lion cometh forth from his den, - All serpents, they sting. - Darkness reigns, - The world is in silence: - He that made them has gone to rest in His horizon. - - Bright is the earth, when Thou risest in the horizon, - When Thou shinest as Aton by day. - The darkness is banished - When Thou sendest forth Thy rays; - The two lands [of Egypt] are in daily festivity, - Awake and standing upon their feet, - For Thou hast raised them up. - Their limbs bathed, they take their clothing, - Their arms uplifted in adoration to Thy dawning. - Then in all the world they do their work. - - All cattle rest upon the herbage, - All trees and plants flourish; - The birds flutter in their marshes, - Their wings uplifted in adoration to Thee. - All the sheep dance upon their feet, - All winged things fly, - They live when Thou hast shone upon them. - - The barques sail up-stream and down-stream alike. - Every highway is open because Thou hast dawned. - The fish in the river leap up before Thee, - And Thy rays are in the midst of the great sea. - - Thou art He who createst the man-child in woman, - Who makest seed in man, - Who giveth life to the son in the body of his mother, - Who soothest him that he may not weep, - A nurse [even] in the womb. - Who giveth breath to animate every one that He maketh. - When he cometh forth from the body ... - On the day of his birth, - Thou openest his mouth in speech, - Thou suppliest his necessities. - - When the chicken crieth in the egg-shell, - Thou givest him breath therein, to preserve him alive; - When Thou hast perfected him - That he may pierce the egg, - He cometh forth from the egg, - To chirp with all his might; - He runneth about upon his two feet, - When he hath come forth therefrom. - - How manifold are all Thy works! - They are hidden from before us, - O Thou sole God, whose powers no other possesseth. - Thou didst create the earth according to Thy desire, - While Thou wast alone: - Men, all cattle large and small, - All that are upon the earth, - That go about upon their feet; - All that are on high, - That fly with their wings. - The countries of Syria and Nubia - The land of Egypt; - Thou settest every man in his place - Thou suppliest their necessities. - Every one has his possessions, - And his days are reckoned. - Their tongues are divers in speech, - Their forms likewise and their skins, - For Thou, divider, hast divided the peoples. - - Thou makest the Nile in the nether world, - Thou bringest it at Thy desire, to preserve the people alive. - O Lord of them all, when feebleness is in them, - O Lord of every house, who risest for them, - O sun of day, the fear of every distant land, - Thou makest [also] their life. - Thou hast set a Nile in heaven, - That it may fall for them, - Making floods upon the mountains, like the great sea, - And watering their fields among their towns. - - How excellent are Thy designs, O Lord of eternity! - The Nile in heaven is for the strangers, - And for the cattle of every land that go upon their feet; - But the Nile, it cometh from the nether world for Egypt. - Thus Thy rays nourish every garden; - When Thou risest they live, and grow by Thee. - - Thou makest the seasons, in order to create all Thy works; - Winter bringeth them coolness, - And the heat [the summer bringeth]. - Thou hast made the distant heaven in order to rise therein, - In order to behold all that Thou didst make, - While Thou wast alone, - Rising in Thy form as Living Aton, - Dawning, shining afar off, and returning. - - Thou makest the beauty of form through Thyself alone, - Cities, towns, and settlements, - On highway or on river, - All eyes see Thee before them, - For Thou art Aton of the day over the earth. - - Thou art in my heart; - There is no other that knoweth Thee, - Save Thy son Akhnaton. - Thou hast made him wise in Thy designs - And in Thy might. - The world is in Thy hand, - Even as Thou hast made them. - When Thou hast risen they live; - When Thou settest they die. - For Thou art duration, beyond mere limbs; - By Thee man liveth, - And their eyes look upon Thy beauty - Until Thou settest. - All labour is laid aside - When Thou settest in the west. - When Thou risest they are made to grow.... - Since Thou didst establish the earth, - Thou hast raised them up for Thy son, - Who came forth from Thy limbs, - The King, living in truth, ... - Akhnaton, whose life is long; - [And for] the great royal wife, his beloved, - Mistress of the Two Lands, ... Nefertiti, - Living and flourishing for ever and ever.” - - - 2. THE SIMILARITY OF AKHNATON’S HYMN TO PSALM CIV. - -In reading this truly beautiful hymn one cannot fail to be struck -by its similarity to Psalm civ. A parallel will show this most -clearly:-- - - AKHNATON’S HYMN. - - The world is in darkness - like the dead. Every lion - cometh forth from his den; - all serpents sting. Darkness - reigns. - - When Thou risest in the - horizon ... the darkness is - banished.... Then in all - the world they do their work. - - All trees and plants flourish, - ... the birds flutter in their - marshes.... All sheep dance - upon their feet. - - The ships sail up-stream and - down-stream alike.... The - fish in the river leap up before - Thee; and Thy rays are in the - midst of the great sea. - - How manifold are all Thy - works!... Thou didst create - the earth according to Thy desire,--men, - all cattle, ... all - that are upon the earth.... - - Thou hast set a Nile in - heaven that it may fall for - them, making floods upon the - mountains ... and watering - their fields. The Nile in - heaven is for the service of - the strangers, and for the - cattle of every land. - - Thou makest the seasons.... - Thou hast made the - distant heaven in order to - rise therein, ... dawning, - shining afar off, and returning. - - The world is in Thy hand, - even as Thou hast made them. - When thou hast risen they live; - when Thou settest they die.... - By Thee man liveth. - - - PSALM CIV. - - Thou makest the darkness - and it is night, wherein all - the beasts of the forest do - creep forth. The young lions - roar after their prey; they seek - their meat from God. - - The sun riseth, they get them - away, and lay them down in - their dens. Man goeth forth - unto his work, and to his - labour until the evening. - - The trees of the Lord are - full of sap, ... wherein the - birds make their nests.... - The high hills are a refuge for - the wild goats. - - Yonder is the sea, great and - wide, wherein are ... both - small and great beasts. There - go the ships.... - - O Lord, how manifold are - Thy works! In wisdom hast - Thou made them all. The - earth is full of Thy creatures. - - He watereth the hills from - above: the earth is filled with - the fruit of Thy works. He - bringeth forth grass for the - cattle, and green herb for the - service of men. - - He appointed the moon for - certain seasons, and the sun - knoweth his going down. - - These wait all upon Thee.... - When Thou givest them [food] - they gather it; and when Thou - openest Thy hand they are filled - with good. When Thou hidest - Thy face they are troubled: - when Thou takest away their - breath they die. - -In face of this remarkable similarity one can hardly doubt that -there is a direct connection between the two compositions; and it -becomes necessary to ask whether both Akhnaton’s hymn and this -Hebrew psalm were derived from a common Syrian source, or whether -Psalm civ. is derived from this Pharaoh’s original poem. Both -views are admissible; but in consideration of Akhnaton’s peculiar -ability and originality there seems considerable likelihood that he -is the author in the first instance of this gem of the Psalter. - -When the young Pharaoh composed this hymn he was probably neither -much more nor less than twenty or twenty-one years of age,--a -period of life at which many of the world’s greatest poets have -written some of their fairest poems. One sees that he believed -himself to be the only man to whom God had revealed Himself; and -the fact that he never admits that he was in any way taught to -regard God as he did, but always speaks of himself, and is spoken -of, as the originator and teacher of the faith, indicates that the -ideas expressed in the hymn were entirely his own. - - - 3. MERYRA IS MADE HIGH PRIEST OF ATON. - -The religion of the Aton had now assumed shape and symmetry, and -had been firmly established in the new capital as the creed of the -court. Akhnaton was thus able to intrust its administration and -organisation there to one of his nobles who had hearkened to his -teaching, and to turn his attention to other affairs, and more -especially to the conversion of the rest of Egypt. As head of the -state a thousand matters daily claimed his consideration, and his -high principles led him to stray further along the by-paths of -administration than had been the wont of the Pharaohs before him. -His ill-health did not permit him to tax his brain with impunity, -and yet there was never a king of Egypt before or after him whose -mind was so fruitful of thoughts and of schemes. The young king -himself expounded to his followers the doctrines which he wished -them to embrace, and one may suppose that he sat for many an hour -in the halls of his palace, or under the trees in the gardens -beside the Nile, earnestly telling of the beauties of the Aton to -officials and nobles. - -No one had accepted the king’s teaching with greater readiness -than a certain Meryra, who seems to have early associated himself -with the movement; and it was to him that Akhnaton now handed -over the office of “High Priest of the Aton in the City of the -Horizon of Aton,” in order to free himself for the great task of -administering his kingdom and converting it to his way of thinking. -Unfortunately we know very little of the career of Meryra, but on -the walls of his tomb in the hills behind the capital there are a -few reliefs which may here be described as illustrating events in -his life and in the life of Akhnaton. - -One of these scenes shows us the investiture of Meryra as High -Priest. The king is seen with his wife and one of his daughters -standing at a window of the gaily decorated _loggia_ of the palace. -The sill of the window is massed with bright-coloured cushions, -and over these the royal personages lean forward to address -Meryra and the company assembled in the pillared gallery outside. -The outer surface of the _loggia_ wall is brightly ornamented -either with real or painted garlands of lotus-flowers, and with -the many-coloured patterns usual upon such buildings in ancient -Egypt. Ribbons, fluttering in the breeze, hang from the delicate -lotus-pillars which support the roof, and vie in brilliancy with -the red and blue ostrich-plume fans and standards carried by the -officials. - -Leaning from the window, with arm outstretched, Akhnaton bids -Meryra rise from his knees, on to which he had cast himself on -reaching the royal presence. Then solemnly the king addresses his -favoured disciple in the following words:--“Behold, I make thee -High Priest of the Aton for me in the Temple of the Aton in the -City of the Horizon of Aton. I do this for love of thee, and I say -unto thee: O my servant who hearkenest to the teaching, my heart is -satisfied with everything which thou hast done. I give thee this -office, and I say unto thee: thou shalt eat the food of Pharaoh, -thy lord, in the Temple of Aton.” - -Immediately the assembled company crowd round Meryra and lift him -shoulder-high, while the new High Priest cries, “Abundant are the -rewards which the Aton knows to give when his heart is pleased.” -The king then presents Meryra with the insignia of his office, -and with various costly gifts, which are taken charge of by the -servants and attendants who stand outside the gallery. Behind these -attendants, at the outskirts of the scene, one observes the chariot -which is to convey the High Priest back to his villa; fan-bearers -who shall run before and behind him; women of the household who -shall beat upon tambourines at the head of the procession, and who -already dance with excitement as they see Meryra hoisted on to his -friend’s shoulder; and still other women who shall make the roadway -rich with flowers. - -This is no solemn and occult initiation of an ascetic into the -mystery of the new religion, but rather the elevation of a good -fellow to a popular post of honour. There was no mystery in the -faith of the Aton. Frankness, openness, and sincerity were the -dominant themes of Akhnaton’s teaching,--a worship of God in the -blessed light of the day, the singing of merry psalms in the -open courts of the temple; and the chosen High Priest was more -likely to have been a deep-thinking, clean-lived, honest-hearted, -God-fearing, family man, than an ascetic who had abandoned the -pomps and the vanities of this world. The point at which Akhnaton’s -religion differs most widely from Christianity is here to be -observed: the Pharaoh, while encouraging the Simple Life, did -not preach the mortification of the flesh, but only the control -of the body. The comforts of life, the brilliancy of decoration, -the charms of music, the beauties of painting and sculpture, -the pleasure of good company, the tonic of a bowl of wine, were -all as acceptable to him, in moderation, as to the Preacher in -Ecclesiastes. - - - 4. THE ROYAL FAMILY VISIT THE TEMPLE. - -When Meryra had been installed, the king and royal family made -a formal visit to the temple at the time of sunset, and this is -likewise represented in the High Priest’s tomb. For the first time -in the history of Egypt one is permitted to see the Pharaoh as he -drove through the streets of the capital in his chariot. No king -before Akhnaton had allowed an artist to represent him in aught but -celestial poses; but out of his love for truth and reality Akhnaton -had dispensed with this convention, and encouraged the regarding of -himself as a mortal man. On this occasion we see him standing in -his gorgeously decorated chariot, reins and whip in hand, himself -driving the two spirited horses, the coloured ostrich plumes on -whose heads nod and toss as the superb animals prance along. The -queen, also driving her own chariot, follows close behind; and -after her again come the princesses, heading a noble group of -chariots belonging to the court officials and ladies-in-waiting, -these being driven by charioteers. The shining harness, the dancing -red and blue plumes of the horses, the many-coloured robes, the -feathered standards of the nobles, the fluttering ribbons, all go -to make the cavalcade a sight to bring the townspeople running from -their houses. A guard of soldiers, armed with spears, shields, -battle-axes, bows, and clubs, races along on foot in front of the -royal party to clear the road. Here, besides Egyptians, are bearded -Asiatics from the king’s Syrian dominions, befeathered negroes from -the Mazoi tribes of Nubia, and Libyans from the west, wearing the -plaited side-lock of hair hanging from their heads. - -The party is seen to be nearing the temple, and Meryra stands -before the gateway ready to greet his lord. Four men kneel near -him holding aloft the coloured ostrich-plume fans, which will be -wafted to and fro above the king’s head when he has alighted from -his chariot; and others kneel, lifting their hands in reverent -salutation. Great bulls, fattened like the prize cattle of modern -times, are led forth, garlands of flowers thrown around their huge -necks, and bouquets of flowers fastened between their horns. These -are attended by grooms, also bearing bunches of flowers. Two groups -of female musicians, clad in flowing robes, wave their arms and -beat upon tambourines. - -The temple, which will be described later, is this day garlanded -with flowers, and every altar is heaped high with offerings. Now -the king has entered the building, and a further scene shows the -royal family worshipping at the high altar, which is piled up with -offerings of joints of meat, geese, vegetables, fruit, and flowers, -surmounted by bronze bowls filled with burning oil. Akhnaton and -Nefertiti stand before the altar, each with the right arm raised in -the act of sprinkling the fragrant gums of Araby upon the flames. -The upper part of the king’s body is bare, but from his waist -depends a graceful skirt of fine linen, ornamented with sash-like -ribbons of a red material, which flutter about his bare legs. The -queen’s robe covers the whole of her body, but is so transparent -that one can see her fair form with almost the distinctness of -nudity. A red sash is bound round her waist, and the two ends fall -almost to the ground. Neither of the two wears any jewels; and -the simplicity of the soft, flowing robes, with their bright-red -sashes, is extremely marked. Two little princesses stand behind the -king and queen, each shaking from a systrum a note of praise to -God. Meryra, accompanied by an assistant, stands bowing before the -king, and near by another priest burns some sweet-smelling incense. -Not far away there sits a group of eight blind musicians,--fat -elderly men, who clap their hands and sing to the accompaniment -of a seven-stringed harp, giving praise to the sunlight which -they cannot see, but yet can feel as “the heat which is in Aton” -penetrates into their bones. - -In still another series of reliefs we are shown a scene -representing the reward of Meryra by Akhnaton on some occasion -when he had been particularly successful in collecting the yearly -dues of the temple from the estates on the opposite bank of the -river. The ceremony took place in the granary buildings at the edge -of the water. One sees a group of boats moored at the quay, and on -the shore are several cattle-pens filled with lowing cattle. The -granaries are stored with all manner of good things, and Meryra -stands triumphant in front of them as the king addresses him. - -“Let the Superintendent of the Treasury of the Jewels take Meryra,” -says Akhnaton, “and hang gold on his neck at the front, and gold -on his feet, because of his obedience to the teaching of Pharaoh;” -and immediately the attendants literally heap the gold collars and -necklaces one above the other upon the High Priest’s neck. Scribes -write down a rapid summary of the events; the attendants and -fan-bearers bow low; and Meryra is conducted back to his village -with music and with dancing, while Akhnaton returns to his palace, -and, no doubt, sinks exhausted on to his cushions. - - - 5. AKHNATON IN HIS PALACE. - -The reliefs and paintings upon the tombs often show the Pharaoh -reclining thus, in a languid manner, as though the duties of his -high calling had sapped all the strength from him. Never before had -a Pharaoh been represented to his subjects in such human attitudes. -The privacy of the palace is penetrated in these scenes, and we -see the king, who loved to teach his followers the beauty of -family life, in the midst of his own family. One or two of these -representations must here be described. In one instance the royal -family is shown inside a beautiful pavilion, the roof of which is -supported by wooden pillars painted with many colours and having -capitals carved in high relief to represent wild geese suspended by -their legs, and above them bunches of flowers: just such a grouping -as one might see in some sporting house of the present day. The -pillars are hung with garlands of flowers, and from the ceiling -there droop festoons of flowers and trailing branches of vines. The -roof of the pavilion on the outside is edged by an endless line of -gleaming cobras, probably wrought in bronze. - -Inside this fair arbor stand a group of naked girls playing upon -the harp, the lute, and the lyre, and, no doubt, singing to that -accompaniment the artless love-songs of the period. Servants are -shown attending to the jars of wine which stand at the side of the -enclosure. The king is seen leaning back upon the cushions of an -arm-chair, as though tired out and sick at heart. In the fingers -of his left hand he idly dandles a few flowers, while with his -right hand he languidly holds out a delicate bowl in order that the -wine in it may be replenished. This is done by the queen, who is -standing before him, all solicitous for his comfort. She pours the -wine from a vessel, causing it to pass through a strainer before -flowing into the bowl. Three little princesses stand near by: one -of them laden with bouquets of flowers, another holding out some -sweetmeat upon a dish, and a third talking to her father. - -In another scene the king and queen are both shown seated upon -comfortable chairs, while a servant waits upon them. The king is -eating a roasted pigeon, holding it in his fingers; and Nefertiti -is represented drinking from a prettily shaped cup. The light, -transparent robes which they wear indicate that this is the midday -meal; but unfortunately the painting is so much damaged that -nothing but the royal figures remains. - - - 6. HISTORICAL EVENTS OF THIS PERIOD OF AKHNATON’S REIGN. - -There is very little historical information to be procured for -these years of the king’s reign. When he had been about ten or -eleven years upon the throne, and was some twenty-one years of -age, his fourth daughter, Nefernefernaton, was born. The queen had -presented no son to Akhnaton to succeed him, but he does not seem -in this emergency to have cared to turn to any secondary wives; -and, as far as we can tell, he remained all his life a monogamist, -although this was in direct opposition to all traditional custom. -Steadily during these years the king’s health seems to have grown -more precarious, for almost daily he must have overtaxed his -strength. His brain was so active that he could not submit to be -idle; and even when he reclined amidst the flowers in his garden, -his whole soul was straining upwards in the attempt to pierce the -barrier which lay between him and the God who had caused those -flowers to bloom. The maturity of his creed at this period leads -one to suppose that he had given to it his very life’s force; and -when it is remembered that at the same time his attention was -occupied by the administration of a kingdom which he had twisted -out of all semblance to its former shape, the wonder is that his -brain was at all able to stand the incessant strain. Rare indeed -must have been those idle moments which the artists of the City of -the Horizon attempted to represent. - -In the twelfth year of his reign, the tribute of the vassal -kingdoms reached such a high value that a particular record was -made of it, and scenes showing its reception were sculptured in the -tombs of Huya and Meryra II.[53] An inscription beside the scene -in the tomb of Huya reads thus:-- - - Year twelve, the second month of winter, the eighth day.... The - King ... and the Queen ... living for ever and ever, made a - public appearance on the great palanquin of gold, to receive the - tribute of Syria and Ethiopia, and of the west and the east. All - the countries were collected at one time, and also the islands - in the midst of the sea; bringing offerings to the King when he - was on the great throne of the City of the Horizon of Aton, in - order to receive the imposts of every land and granting them [in - return] the breath of life. - -The king and queen are shown seated in the state palanquin side -by side; and although Akhnaton holds the insignia of royalty, -and is evidently very much upon his dignity, the queen’s arm has -found its way around his waist, and there lovingly rests for all -the world to see. The palanquin, probably made of wood entirely -covered with gold foil, is a very imposing structure: a large -double throne, borne aloft by stout poles upon the shoulders of the -court officials. The arm-rests are carved in the form of sphinxes, -which rise above a glistening hedge of cobras, and the throne is -flanked on either side by the figure of a lion carved in the round. -A priest walks in front of the palanquin sending up a cloud of -incense from a censer, and professional mummers dance and skip in -the roadway in advance of the procession. Behind the royal couple -walk the princesses, attended by their nurses and ladies; and on -all sides are arrayed courtiers, officers, soldiers, and servants. - -Soon the ground marked out for the ceremony is reached, and the -king and queen betake themselves to a gorgeous little pavilion -which has been erected for them, and here they sit together upon a -double throne, their feet supported upon hassocks. The queen sits -upon Akhnaton’s left, and in the picture her figure is hidden by -that of her husband; but as her right arm is seen to encircle his -waist, and her left hand to hold his left hand, one may suppose -that she is reclining against him, with her royal head upon his -shoulder. Nefertiti was the mother of a family of children, but was -not more than about twenty[54] years of age; and as she is said to -have been extremely beautiful, one may presume that this scene of -conjugal affection was not without its charm. The little princesses -cluster round the throne, one of them holding a young gazelle in -her arms, while another strokes its head. - -In front of this pavilion the deputations from the vassal kingdoms -pass by; and in order that the king may not be wearied by their -ceremonious homage, a group of professional wrestlers, boxers, -and fencers is provided for his diversion; while near them some -buffoons and mummers dance and tumble to the accompaniment of -castanets and hand-clapping. The tribute of Syria is brought -by long-robed Asiatics, who cast themselves upon their knees -before the throne with hands uplifted in salutation. Splendid -Syrian horses are led past, and behind them chariots are wheeled -or carried along. Then come groups of slaves, handcuffed, but -not cruelly bound nor maltreated, as was the custom under other -Pharaohs. Bows, spears, shields, daggers, elephant-tusks, and other -objects, are carried past and deposited upon the ground near the -pavilion; while beautiful vases of precious metal or costly stone -are held aloft for the king to admire. Wild animals are led across -the ground by their keepers, and amongst these a tame mountain lion -must have caused something of a sensation. Several nude girls, -selected probably for their beauty, walk past; and one may suppose -that they will find subsequent employment amongst the handmaidens -in the palace. - -From the “islands in the midst of the sea” come beautiful vases, -some ornamented with figures in the round. From Libya ostrich -eggs and ostrich feathers are brought. The tribute of Nubia and -the Sudan is carried past by befeathered negroes, and consists -mainly of bars and rings of gold and bags of gold-dust, procured -from the mines in the Eastern Desert. Shields, weapons, tusks, and -skins are also to be seen, and cattle and antelopes are led before -the throne. As the Asiatics had startled the assembly by bringing -with them a lion, so the negroes cause a stir by leading forward a -panther of large size. Finally, male and female slaves, the latter -carrying their babies in baskets upon their backs, are marched past -the pavilion; but here again these slaves are not maltreated. It is -particularly noticeable that the groups of miserable captives which -one sees in all such scenes of other periods, with their arms bound -in agonising positions and their knees giving way under them, are -entirely absent from the representations of Akhnaton’s ceremonies. -Human suffering was a thing hateful to the young Pharaoh who knew -so well the meaning of physical distress; and the tortures of the -prisoners, or the beheading of some rebel, such as would have been -a feature of an occasion of this kind under Amonhotep II., or even, -perhaps, under Amonhotep III., would have been as revolting to -Akhnaton as it would be to us. - - - 7. QUEEN TIY VISITS THE CITY OF THE HORIZON. - -Akhnaton had left Thebes, as we have seen, in about the eighth -year of his reign; but his mother, Queen Tiy, seems to have been -unwilling to accompany him, and to have decided to remain in her -palace at the foot of the Theban hills. It is probable that she had -not encouraged her son to create the new capital, and the removal -of the court from Thebes must have been something of a grief to -her, though no doubt she recognised the necessity of the step. -In spite of advancing years she must have sorely missed the pomp -and circumstance of the splendid court over which she had once -presided. Up to the fourth year of her son’s reign she had been -dominant, and the whole known world had bowed the knee to her. The -luxuries of the many kingdoms over which she held sway had been -hers to enjoy; but now, with the king and the nobles gone to the -City of the Horizon, and every penny which could be collected gone -with them, the old queen must have been obliged to live a quiet, -retired life in a palace which was probably falling into rapid -ruin. Her little daughter, Baketaton, appears to have lived with -her; and it may be that some of her other daughters were still with -her, though of them we hear nothing, and it is more probable that -they had already died. It seems likely that she paid occasional -state visits to her son, and permanent accommodation was provided -for her in the City of the Horizon should she at any time desire to -stay there. Her major-domo, an elderly man named Huya, appears to -have lived for part of the year at the new capital, where a tomb -was made for him; and it is from the reliefs on the walls of this -tomb that we obtain the knowledge of one of these state visits made -by the old queen to Akhnaton. There is no evidence to show in what -year the visit which forms the subject of the representations was -made; but as the twelfth year of Akhnaton’s reign is mentioned in -this tomb, it is probable that the visit took place somewhere about -that time. - -The queen must now have been between fifty and sixty years of -age,[55] and her daughter Baketaton, born just before the death -of her husband, was probably not much more than twelve years old. -Akhnaton received his mother and sister with apparent joy and -festivity, and the major-domo, Huya, was called upon to organise -many a _fête_ in their honour. Some of them are shown in the -reliefs, where even the conventionalities of the artist have -not been able to hide from us the luxury of the scene. One sees -Akhnaton, his wife Nefertiti, his mother Tiy, his sister Baketaton, -and his two daughters Merytaton and Ankhsenpaaton, seated together -on comfortable cushioned chairs, their feet resting on elaborate -footstools. Akhnaton is clad in a skirt of clinging linen, but the -upper part of his body seems to have been bare. On his forehead -there gleams a small golden serpent, and on his feet there are -elaborate sandals; but with customary simplicity he wears no -jewellery. Queen Nefertiti wears a flowing robe of fine linen, and -on her forehead also there is the royal serpent. Queen Tiy wears -the elaborate wig which was in vogue during the days of the old -_régime_, and upon it there rests an ornamental crown consisting -of a disk, two horns, two tall plumes, and two small serpents, -probably all wrought in gold. A graceful robe of some almost -transparent material falls lightly over her figure. The little -girls appear to be naked. - -Around this happy family group there stand graceful tables upon -which food of all kinds is heaped. Here are joints of meat, dishes -of confectionery, vegetables, fruit,[56] bread, cakes of various -kinds, and so on. The tables are massed with lotus-flowers, -according to the charming custom of the ancient Egyptians of all -periods. Beside the tables stand jars of wine and other drinkables, -festooned with ribbons. At the moment selected by the artist for -reproduction, Akhnaton is seen placing his teeth in the neatly -trimmed meat adhering to a large bone which he holds in his hand. -To this day it is the custom in Egypt thus to eat with the hands. -Nefertiti has a small roast duck in her hands at which she daintily -nibbles. Tiy’s morsel cannot now be seen, but as she places it to -her mouth with one hand she presents a portion to her daughter, -Baketaton, with the other. The two little princesses feed by -Nefertiti’s side, and appear to be sharing the meal. Meanwhile Huya -hurries to and fro superintending the banquet, carefully tasting -each dish before it is presented to the royal party. Two string -bands play alternately, the one Egyptian and the other apparently -Syrian. The former consists of four female performers, the first -playing on a harp, the second and third on lutes, and the fourth on -a lyre. The main instrument in the foreign band is a large standing -lyre, about six feet in height, having eight strings, and being -played with both hands. Courtiers clad in elaborate dresses, and -holding ostrich-plume standards, are grouped around the hall in -which the banquet takes place. - -Another set of reliefs in the tomb of Huya shows us an evening -entertainment in honour of Queen Tiy. Again the same members of -the royal family are represented, but against the cool night air -more clothes are worn by each person, and the upper part of the -king’s body is now seen to be covered by a mantle of soft linen. -The king, queen, and queen-dowager are all shown drinking from -delicate bowls, probably made of gold. This being an evening -festival, little solid food appears to have been eaten, but there -are three flower-decked tables piled high with fruit. From these -the little princesses, now wearing light garments, help themselves -liberally; and the small Ankhsenpaaton stands upon the footstool of -her mother’s chair, holding on to her skirts with one hand, while -with the other she crams an apricot or some similar fruit into her -mouth. Two string bands make music as before, and again the groups -of courtiers stand about the hall; while Huya hastens to and fro -directing the waiters, who, with napkins thrown over their arms, -replenish the drinking-bowls from the wine-jars. The hall is lit -by several flaming lamps set upon tall stands, near each of which -these jars have been placed. - - - 8. TIY VISITS HER TEMPLE. - -One more scene from this state visit is shown. Here we observe -Akhnaton leading his mother affectionately by the hand to a temple -which had been built in her honour, as her private place of -worship, and which was called the “Shade of the Sun.” This temple -appears to have been a building of great beauty and considerable -size. One passed through two great swinging doors fixed between the -usual two pylons, and so entered the main court, which stood open -to the sunlight. A pillared gallery passed along either side of -this court, and between each of the columns there stood statues of -Akhnaton, Amonhotep III., and Queen Tiy. In the middle of the court -rose the altar, to which one mounted by a flight of low steps. At -the far end of the court another set of pylons and swinging doors -led into the inner chambers. Passing through these doors one -entered a small gallery, on either side of which there were again -statues of the Pharaoh and his mother. Beyond stood the sanctuary, -closed by swinging doors; and inside this was the second altar, -flanked by statues of the king and queen-dowager. To right and left -of the sanctuary there were small chapels; and a passage led round -behind the sanctuary to the usual shrines, where more royal statues -were to be seen. - -The building seems to have been brilliant with colours; and on -this particular occasion the altars were heaped up with offerings. -Great jars of wine, decked with garlands of flowers and ribbons, -stood in the shadow of the colonnades; and meat, bread, fruit, and -vegetables were piled on delicate stands, ornamented with flowers. - -Akhnaton and Tiy were accompanied by the little Princess Baketaton, -Akhnaton’s sister, and her two ladies-in-waiting. Before them -walked the queen’s major-domo, Huya, accompanied by a foreign -official wearing what appears to be Cretan costume.[57] Behind -them walked a noble group of courtiers bearing ostrich-plume fans -and standards; and outside the temple precincts waited a crowd of -policemen, servants, charioteers and grooms in charge of the royal -chariots, fan-bearers, porters, and temple attendants. These people -shout and cheer loyally as the royal party arrives. “The ruler of -the Aton!” they cry. “He shall exist for ever and ever!” “She who -rises in beauty!” “To him on whom the Aton rises!” “She who is -patron of this temple of Aton!” The old queen must have felt as -though she were back once more in the days of her glory; and yet -how different the simplicity of the religious ceremonies to those -of the old priests of Amon-Ra. There was now but a prayer or two -at the altar, a little burning of incense, a little bowing of the -head, and then the procession back to the palace, and the silent -closing of the holy gates. - - - 9. THE DEATH OF QUEEN TIY. - -It is possible that Queen Tiy took up her residence at the City -of the Horizon in recognition of the lavish arrangements which -her son had made for her. But whether this is so or not, it -does not seem that she lived very long to enjoy such renewals -of the pomps which she had known in her younger days. Her death -appears to have taken place shortly after these celebrations, -and, probably by her express commands, she was embalmed at Thebes -and carried from her palace up the winding valley to the royal -burying-ground amongst the rugged Theban hills. Akhnaton showed -his affection for her by presenting the furniture for the tomb, -and in the inscriptions on the outer coffin one reads that “he -made it for his mother.” The queen-dowager had evidently expressed -a wish to be buried near her father and mother, Yuaa and Tuau; -for the tomb, which is situated on the east side of the valley, -is within a stone’s-throw of the sepulchre where they lay. It -was entered by a steep flight of steps leading down to a sloping -passage, at the end of which was the large burial chamber, the -walls of which were carefully whitewashed. On passing into this -chamber a great box-like shrine, or outer coffin, was to be found, -occupying the greater part of the room. The door to the shrine -was made of costly cedar of Lebanon covered with gold, and was -fitted with an ornamental bolt. Many of the nails which held the -woodwork together were made of pure gold,--a fact which plainly -shows us the wealth of the royal treasuries at this time. Scenes -were embossed on the panels showing the queen standing under the -rays of the Aton. The shrine itself was also made of cedar, covered -with gold, and on all sides were scenes of the Aton worship. Here -Akhnaton was shown with Tiy, and the life-giving rays of the sun -streamed around their naturally drawn figures. Inside this outer -box the coffin containing the great queen’s mummy was laid. The -usual funeral furniture was placed at the sides of the room: gaily -coloured boxes, alabaster vases, faience toilet-pots, statuettes, -&c. Some of the toilet utensils were made in the form of little -figures of the grotesque god Bes, which indicates that Akhnaton -still tolerated the recognition by other persons of some of the -old gods. In the inscriptions upon the outer coffin he had been -careful to call his father, Amonhotep III., by his second name, -Nebmaara, as often as possible, in order to avoid the writing -of the word Amon, his dislike of everything to do with that god -being profound. He allowed it to be written, however, here and -there, as it seemed right to him that it should appear. Akhnaton’s -prejudice against the old state god is also shown in another -manner. Amon’s consort was the goddess Mut “the Mother,” whose -name is written in hieroglyphs by a sign representing a vulture. -Now when the inscription mentioned the king’s _mother_, Tiy, the -word _mut_, “mother,” had to be written; but in order to avoid a -similarity--even in spelling--to the name of the goddess, Akhnaton -had the word written out phonetically, letter by letter, and -thus dispensed with the use of the vulture sign.[58] Again, in -the name Nebmaara, the meaning of which is “Ra, Lord of Truth,” -the sign _maa_, “truth,” represented the goddess of that name. -Akhnaton’s religion was much concerned with the quality of truth, -which he regarded as one of the greatest necessities to happiness -and well-being; and the fallacy of supposing that there was an -actual deity of truth was particularly apparent to him. He was, -therefore, careful to write the sign _maa_ in letters instead of -with the hieroglyph of the goddess. - -When the funeral ceremonies came to an end, when the last prayer -was said and the last cloud of incense had floated to the roof, -the golden door of the shrine was shut and bolted, the outer -doorways were walled up, and an avalanche of stones, let down -from the chippings heaped near by, obliterated all traces of the -entrance. Thus Akhnaton paid his last tribute to his mother and -to the originator, it may be, of the schemes which he had carried -into effect; and his last link with the past was severed. With the -death of this good woman a restraining influence, as kindly as it -was powerful, slipped from his arm, and a new and fiercer chapter -of his short life began. - - - - - VI. - - THE THIRTEENTH TO THE FIFTEENTH YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON. - - “The episode of the retirement of the king with his whole - court to the new palace and city, ... and the strange life of - religious and artistic propaganda which he led there, ... is - one of the most curious and interesting in the history of the - world.”--BUDGE: ‘History of Egypt.’ - - - 1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RELIGION OF ATON. - -In the Pharaoh’s hymn to the Aton we read these words-- - - “Thou didst create the earth according to Thy desire, ... - The countries of Syria and Nubia, - The land of Egypt....” - -It is certainly worthy of note that Syria and Nubia are thus named -before Egypt, and seem to take precedence in Akhnaton’s mind. In -the same hymn the following lines occur:-- - - “The Nile in heaven is for the strangers, ... - But the Nile [itself,] it cometh from the nether world for Egypt.” - -Here Akhnaton refers to the rain which falls in Syria to water -the lands of the stranger, and compares it with the river which -irrigates his own country. Thus again his thoughts are first for -Syria and then for Egypt. This is the true imperial spirit: in -the broadness of the Pharaoh’s mind his foreign possessions claim -as much attention as do his own dominions, and demand as much -love. The sentiments are entirely opposed to those of the earlier -kings of this dynasty, who ground down the land of the “miserable” -foreigner and extracted therefrom all its riches, without regard to -aught else. - -Akhnaton believed that his God was the Father of all mankind, and -that the Syrian and the Nubian were as much under His protection -as the Egyptian. This is a greater advance in ethics than may be -at once apparent; for the Aton thus becomes the first deity who -was not tribal or not national ever conceived by mortal mind. -This is the Christian’s understanding of God, though not the -Hebrew conception of Jehovah. This is the spirit which sends the -missionary to the uttermost parts of the earth; and it was such -an attitude of mind which now led Akhnaton to build a temple -for the Aton in the heart of Syria, and another far up in the -Sudan.[59] The site of the Syrian temple is now lost, but the -Nubian buildings were recently discovered and seem to have been of -considerable extent. - -[Illustration: _An Example of the Friendly Relations between Syria -and Egypt._ - -A Syrian Soldier named Terura, and his wife, Aariburæ, attended by -an Egyptian servant, who assists him to hold the tube through which -he is drinking wine from a jar. From a tablet found at El Amarna. -(Zeit. Aeg. Spr. xxxvi. 126.)] - -At the same time temples were being erected in various parts of -Egypt. At Hermonthis a temple named “Horizon of Aton in Hermonthis” -was built; at Heliopolis there was a temple named “Exaltation of -Ra in Heliopolis,” and also a palace for the king; at Hermopolis -and at Memphis temples were erected; and in the Fayum and the Delta -“Houses” of Aton sprang up. Few real converts, however, seem to -have been made; for the religion was far above the understanding -of the people. In deference to the king’s wishes the Aton was -accepted, but no love was shown for the new form of worship; -and, indeed, not even in the City of the Horizon itself was it -understood. - -A certain change was now made by Akhnaton in the name of the -Aton. The words “Heat which is in Aton” did not seem to him to -be very happily chosen. They had been used in the earliest years -of the movement, and had evidently not been coined by Akhnaton -himself. The word “heat” was in spelling very reminiscent of the -name of one of the old gods, and, to the uninitiate, might suggest -some connection. The name of the Aton was therefore changed to -“Effulgence which comes from Aton,” the new words introducing into -the spelling the hieroglyph of Ra, the sun. The exact significance -of the alteration is not known; but one may suppose that the -new words better conveyed the meaning which Akhnaton wished to -imply. Even now it is not easy to find a phrase to express that -vital energy, that first cause of life, which the king so clearly -understood. - -The date of this change is somewhat uncertain, though it is -definitely to be placed between the tenth and thirteenth year of -the reign, the probability being that it took place at the end -of the twelfth year, when Akhnaton was about twenty-three years -old. The inscriptions upon the outer coffin, or shrine, of Queen -Tiy show the older form of wording, and the change, therefore, -took place after her death. Now the queen did not die till the -middle or end of the twelfth year, for in the tomb of Huya events -of that year are recorded,[60] and he still holds the office of -steward to the queen, while a letter from Dushratta, mentioning -Tiy, was docketed in the twelfth year. On the other hand, the -new name of the Aton occurs in tombs which, by the number of -Akhnaton’s daughters represented in them, might be thought to have -been constructed earlier than this.[61] Thus there is a slight -discrepancy; but the point of significance is that the change -occurred after the queen’s death, and was thus concurrent with -another change which must here be recorded. - - - 2. AKHNATON OBLITERATES THE NAME OF AMON. - -Up till this time it will have been observed that Akhnaton had -behaved with great leniency towards the worshippers of the older -gods, and had not even persecuted the priesthood of Amon-Ra. It -now becomes apparent that this restraint was due to his mother’s -influence, for no sooner was she dead than Akhnaton turned with the -fierceness of a fanatic upon the latter institution. He issued an -order that the name of Amon was to be erased wherever it occurred, -and this order was carried out with such amazing thoroughness that -hardly a single occurrence of the name was overlooked. Although -thousands of inscriptions, accessible to Akhnaton’s agents, are -now known in which the name of Amon occurs, there are but a few -examples in which the god’s name has not been mutilated. His agents -hammered the name out on the walls of the temples throughout Egypt; -they penetrated into the tombs of the dead to erase it from the -texts; they searched through the minute inscriptions upon small -statuettes and figures, obliterating the name therefrom; they -made journeys into the distant deserts to cut out the name from -the rock-scribbles of travellers; they clambered over the cliffs -beside the Nile to erase it from the graffiti; they entered -private houses to rub it from small utensils where it chanced to be -inscribed. - -Akhnaton was always thorough in his undertakings, and half-measures -were unknown to him. When it came to the question of his own -father’s name, he seems not to have hesitated to order the -obliteration of the word Amon in it, though one may suppose that -in most cases he painted over it the king’s second name, Nebmaara. -His agents burst their way into the tomb of Queen Tiy and removed -the name Amonhotep from the inscriptions upon the shrine, writing -Nebmaara in red ink over each erasure. Having scratched out the -name even upon one of the queen’s toilet-pots of minute size they -retired from the tomb, building up the wall at the entrance, and -continued their labours elsewhere. The king was now asked whether -his own name, Amonhotep,--which had been used before he adopted the -better known Akhnaton,--was to suffer the same fate, and the answer -seems to have been in the affirmative. Upon the quarry tablet at -Gebel Silsileh[62] the king’s discarded name is thus erased, though -it was not damaged in the tomb of Rames. The names of the various -nobles and officials, male and female, which were compounded with -Amon--Amonhotep, Setamon, Amonemhat, Amonemapt, and so on--were -ruthlessly destroyed; while living persons bearing such names were -often obliged to change them. - -In thus mutilating his father’s name Akhnaton did not in any way -intend to disparage his forbears. He was but desirous of utterly -obliterating Amon from the memory of man, in order that the true -God might the better receive acceptance. He was proud of his -descent, and, unlike most of his ancestors, he showed a desire to -honour the memory of his father. We have seen[63] how one of his -artists, Bek, represented the figure of Amonhotep III. upon his -monument at Aswan. Huya, Queen Tiy’s steward, was authorised by -Akhnaton to show that king upon the walls of his tomb;[64] and in -the private temple of Queen Tiy, it will be remembered that there -were statues of Amonhotep III.[65] Likewise, the earlier kings of -the dynasty received unusual recognition. An official named Any -held the office of Steward of the House of Amonhotep II.;[66] and -there is a representation of Akhnaton offering to Aton in “the -House of Thothmes IV. in the City of the Horizon.”[67] Upon his -boundary tablet Akhnaton refers to Amonhotep III. and Thothmes IV. -as being troubled by the priesthood of Amon. - -It would seem from the above that there were shrines dedicated to -Akhnaton’s ancestors in the City of the Horizon, each of which had -its steward and its officials; and it is probable that Akhnaton -arranged that a memorial shrine of the same kind should be erected -for himself against his death, for we read of a personage who was -“Second Priest” of the king.[68] It was his desire in this manner -to show the continuity of his descent from the Pharaohs of the -elder days, and to demonstrate his real claim to that title “Son -of the Sun” which had been held by the sovereigns of Egypt ever -since the Fifth Dynasty, and which was of such vital importance -in the new religion. It was in this manner that he claimed descent -from Ra, who was to him the same with Aton; and just as the great -religious teachers of the Hebrews made careful note of their -genealogies in order to prove themselves descended from Adam, and -hence in a manner from God, so Akhnaton thus demonstrated the -continuity of his line in order to show his real right to the -titles “Child of Aton” and “Son of the Sun.” - - - 3. THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ATON. - -The City of the Horizon of Aton must now have been a very city -of temples. There were these shrines dedicated to the king’s -ancestors; there was the temple of Queen Tiy; there was a shrine -for the use of Baketaton, the king’s sister; there was the “House -of putting the Aton to Rest,” where Queen Nefertiti officiated; and -there was the great temple of Aton, in which probably were included -other of the buildings named in the inscriptions. The great temple -may here be briefly described, as the reader has so far made the -acquaintance only of the building belonging to Queen Tiy. - -The temple was entirely surrounded by a high wall, and in this -respect was not unlike the existing temple of Edfu, which the -visitor to Egypt will assuredly have seen. Inside the area thus -enclosed there were two buildings, the one behind the other, -standing clear of the walls, thus leaving a wide ambulatory around -them. Upon passing through the gates of the enclosing wall there -was seen before one the façade of the first of the two temples, -while to right and left there stood a small lodge or vestry. The -façade of the temple was most imposing. Two great pylons towered -up before one, rising from behind a pillared portico, and between -them stood the gateway with its swinging doors. Up the face of -each pylon shot five tall masts, piercing the blue sky above, and -from the heads of each there fluttered a crimson pennant. Passing -through the gateway one entered an open court, in the midst of -which stood the high altar, up to which a flight of steps ascended. -On either side of this sun-bathed enclosure stood a series of small -chapels or chambers; while in front of one, in the axial line, -there was another gateway leading on into the second court, from -which one passed again into a third court. Passing through yet -another gateway, a fourth division of the temple was reached, this -being a pillared gallery or colonnade where one might rest for a -while in the cool shadow. Then onwards through another gateway into -the fifth court, crossing which one entered the sixth court, where -stood another altar in the full sunshine. A series of some twenty -little chambers passed around the sides of this court, and looking -into the darkness beyond each of their doorways one might discern -the simple tables and stands with which the rooms were furnished. -A final gateway now led one into the seventh and last court, where -again there was an altar, and again a series of chambers surrounded -the open space. - -Behind this main temple, and quite separate from it though standing -within the one enclosure, stood the lesser temple, which was -probably the more sacred of the two. It was fronted by a pillared -portico, and before each column stood a statue of Akhnaton, beside -which was a smaller figure of his wife or one of his daughters. -Passing through the gateway, which was so designed that nothing -beyond could be seen, one entered an open court in which stood the -altar, and around the sides of which were small chambers. Here the -temple ended, save for a few chambers of uncertain use, approached -from the ambulatory. - -Both buildings were gay with colours, and at festivals there were -numerous stands heaped high with flowers and other offerings, -while red ribbons added their notes of brilliant colour on all -sides. There was nothing gloomy or sombre in this temple of Aton; -and it contrasts strikingly with the buildings in which Amon was -worshipped. There vast halls were lit by minute windows, and -a dim uncertainty hovered around the worshipper. Such temples -lent themselves to mystery, and amidst their gloomy shadows -many a supplicant’s heart beat in terror. Dark stairways led to -subterranean passages, and these passages to black chambers built -in the thickness of the wall, from whence the hollow voice of the -priest throbbed as from mid-air upon the ears of the crouching -congregation. But in Akhnaton’s temple each court was open to the -full blaze of the sunlight.[69] There was, there could be, no -mystery; nor could there be any terror of darkness to loosen the -knees of the worshipper. Akhnaton, true scientist that he was, -had no sympathy for the occult and no interest in spiritualism. -Boldly he looked to God as a child to its father; and having solved -what he deemed to be the riddle of life, there was no place in -his mind for aught but an open, fearless adoration of the Creator -of that vital energy which he saw in all things. Akhnaton was the -sworn enemy of the table-turners of his day, and the tricks of -priestcraft, the stage effects of religiosity, were anathema to his -pure mind. - - - 4. THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY. - -The City of the Horizon of Aton was now a place of surpassing -beauty. Eight or nine years of lavish expenditure in money and -skill had transformed the fields and the wilderness into as fair -a city as the world had ever seen. One of the nobles who lived -there, by name May, describes it in these words: “The mighty City -of the Horizon of Aton, great in loveliness, mistress of pleasant -ceremonies, rich in possessions, the offering of the sun being in -her midst. At the sight of her beauty there is rejoicing. She is -lovely and beautiful: when one sees her it is like a glimpse of -heaven.” - -[Illustration: _Carved Wooden Chair, the designs partly covered -with gold-leaf._] - -There was almost constant music in her streets, and the scent of -flowers was wafted upon every breeze. Besides the temples and -public buildings the city was adorned with numerous palaces, each -standing in fair gardens. One of these mansions,[70] represented in -the tomb of Meryra, seems to have constituted a happy combination -of comfort and simplicity, as may be seen from its pictures. One -entered a walled court, and so passed to the main entrance of -the house. A portico, the roof of which was supported by four -decorative columns festooned with ribbons, sheltered the elaborate -doorway from the sunshine. Passing through this doorway, from the -top of which a row of cobras gleamed down upon one, a pillared -hall was reached; and beyond this the visitor entered the great -dining-hall. Twelve columns supported the ceiling, which was -probably painted with flights of birds; and under a kind of kiosk -in the middle of the hall stood the dining-table and several -comfortable arm-chairs, cushioned in bright colours. Beyond this -hall there was a court, at the back of which were several chambers, -one being a bedroom, as a great cushioned bedstead clearly shows. -The owner’s womenfolk probably occupied another portion of the -building not shown in the representations. - -The palace of Ay, Akhnaton’s father-in-law, was a more pretentious -building. It was entered by a fine doorway which led into a court. -A second door gave entrance to the large, pillared dining-hall, -and through this one passed into a court from which bedrooms and -boudoirs led off. In one of these rooms two women, clad in airy -garments, are seen to be dancing with one another, while a man -plays a harp. In another room a girl likewise dances to the strains -of a harp, while a servant dresses the hair of one of the gentlemen -of the household. Other rooms contain lutes, harps, and lyres, as -well as objects of the toilet. A little court is now reached, where -fragrant flowers grow, and tanks of water, sunk in the decorated -pavement, give a sense of coolness to the air. Beyond this are more -apartments, and finally the kitchens are reached. Throughout the -house stand delicate tables upon which jars of wine or dishes of -fruit are to be seen; and cushioned arm-chairs, with footstools -before them, are ready for the weary. Servants are seen passing to -and fro bearing refreshments, or stopping to dust the floor, or -again idly talking in the passages. - -Akhnaton’s palace is not very clearly shown in the tomb reliefs or -paintings, but portions of it were found in the modern excavations -on the site[71]. Like all the residential buildings of the -period, it was an airy and light structure made of brick. The -walls, ceilings, and floors were covered with the most beautiful -paintings; and delicate pillars, inlaid with coloured glass and -stone, or covered with realistically painted vines and creepers, -supported the light roofs of its halls. Portions of the pavement -are still preserved, and the visitor to the site of the city may -still see the paintings there depicted. A young calf, frisking -in the sunlight, gallops through a field of red poppies; wild -geese rise from the marshes and beat their way through the reeds, -disturbing the butterflies as they do so; amidst the lotus-flowers -resting upon the rippling water the sinuous fish are seen to -wander. These are but fragments of the paintings which once -delighted the eyes of the Pharaoh, or brought a sigh to the lips of -his queen. - -The art of the painter of this period excels in the depiction of -animal and plant life. The winding, tangled stems and leaves of -vines were carefully studied; the rapid motions of animals were -correctly caught; and it has been said that in these things the -artists of Akhnaton were greater than those in any other Oriental -art[72]. Sculpture in the round, too, reached a pitch of excellence -never before known. The statue of Akhnaton illustrated opposite is -the work of one who may rank with Donatello, if not with Cellini. - -[Illustration: _Akhnaton._ - -(From a statuette in the Louvre.)] - -It is possible that Auta, the chief sculptor of Queen Tiy,[73] is -the creator of this statue, and perhaps also of the head, probably, -of Akhnaton’s daughter shown opposite next page. In the tomb of -Huya there is a scene representing this artist seated in his studio -giving the final touches to a statue of Princess Baketaton. He sits -upon a low stool, palette in hand, and, as was the custom, colours -the surface of the statue. Unlike the stiff conventional poses of -earlier work, the attitude of the young girl is easy and graceful. -One hand hangs by her side: in the other she holds a pomegranate, -which she is about to raise to her lips. Auta’s assistant stands -beside the figure, and near by two apprentices work upon objects of -less importance, their chisels on a table by their side. - -Works such as these which Auta and his companions were turning out -are permanent memorials of the reign of Akhnaton, which will carry -his name through the years until, as he would say, “the swan turns -black and the crow turns white.” There must surely come a time, -and soon, when the art of Egypt will receive more attention; and -one may then hear Akhnaton’s name coupled with that of the Medici -as the patron, if not the teacher, of great masters. It was he -who released them from convention, and bade their hands repeat -what their eyes saw; and it was he who directed those eyes to the -beauties of nature around them. He, and no other, taught them to -look at the world in the spirit of life, to infuse into the cold -stone something of the “effulgence which comes from Aton”; and, -if these few treasures which have survived the utter wreck of the -City of the Horizon have put one’s heart to a happy step, it was -Akhnaton who first set the measure. - - - 5. AKHNATON’S AFFECTION FOR HIS FAMILY. - -In about the thirteenth year of the reign a fifth daughter was -born, who was named Neferneferura. This seems to have been the -first daughter born after the changes in the religion recorded -at the beginning of this chapter[74] had taken place; and it is -significant that the name of Aton, of which all the previous -daughters’ names had been compounded, now gives place to Ra. -A sixth daughter seems to have made her appearance somewhat over -a year later, some time during the fourteenth year of the reign. -Again Ra is used in the name instead of Aton, she being called -Setepenra. It is impossible to say what was the meaning of this -slight change in the theological aspect of the religion at this -period, but it seems evident that certain developments in which Ra -figured were now introduced. - -[Illustration: _Head of Akhnaton’s Daughter._] - -No son was yet forthcoming, and both the king and the queen -must now have suffered six successive disappointments. It may -be mentioned here that the next child born to the unfortunate -couple in the following year proved to be a seventh girl and a -seventh disappointment; and in the remaining two years of the -reign no other child was born, or at any rate was weaned, so that -Akhnaton died sonless. It is strange to picture this lofty-minded -preacher in his home, with his six little girls around him, as -he is shown upon the monuments. No other Pharaoh thus portrayed -himself surrounded by his family; but Akhnaton seems to have -never been happy unless all his children were with him and his -wife by his side. The charm of family life, and the sanctity of -the relationship of husband and wife, parents and children, seems -to have been an important point of doctrine to him. He urged his -nobles, also, to give their attention to their families; and in the -tomb of Panehesy, for example, one may see representations of that -personage sitting with his wife and his three daughters around him. - -Akhnaton’s affection for his daughters is now shown to us in -another manner. When Amonhotep III. had asked the King of Mitanni -for one of his daughters to be given in marriage to Akhnaton, the -little Nefertiti was at once dispatched, although she was not yet -old enough to cohabit with her husband. He had no scruples about -sending the child of eight years old to a foreign country, and -seems to have packed her off without a thought. Now, however, we -obtain a glimpse of Akhnaton’s actions under similar circumstances, -and the difference is marked. The King of Babylon, Burraburiash, -wrote to Akhnaton in about the fourteenth or fifteenth year of -the reign, asking for one of the Pharaoh’s daughters as a wife -for his son. Wishing to be on friendly terms with Babylonia, -Akhnaton consented to the union, and selected probably his fourth -daughter, Nefernefernaton, as the future Queen of Babylon. His -eldest daughter subsequently married a noble named Smenkhkara, who -succeeded to the throne after the death of Akhnaton; and his third -daughter was later married to another noble named Tutankhaton, who -usurped the throne, as we shall see in the sequel. The fact that -neither of these daughters was now chosen to marry the Babylonian -prince indicates that they were already betrothed to their future -husbands, and hence this event could not have taken place much -earlier than at the date mentioned above. The second daughter, -Meketaton, was not selected for the reason that she seems to have -been in a precarious state of health. The little princess who was -chosen was born in the tenth year of the reign, and was now not -more than five years of age. Akhnaton, unlike the King of Mitanni, -did not at once send the child to her future home, but arranged -the marriage by proxy, and thus kept his daughter with him for yet -a few years. This is made evident from the fact that in a letter -from Burraburiash to Akhnaton, the Babylonian king states that he -is sending a necklace of over a thousand stones to the “Pharaoh’s -daughter, the wife of his son,” who is thus evidently still -resident in Egypt. - -Besides Akhnaton’s six, and presently seven, daughters there were -two other princesses probably in residence at the palace. One of -these, his young sister Baketaton, whom we have seen visiting the -City of the Horizon with her mother, is not again heard of, and -perhaps did not long survive the dowager-queen’s death. The other -was Nezemmut, the sister of Queen Nefertiti, who seems to have -lived in Egypt continuously since the time of the founding of the -new city, when we last saw her.[75] Her portraits are shown in -the tombs of May, Panehesy, and Ay; and she is generally seen to -be accompanied by two female dwarfs, named Para and Reneheh, who -appear to have waddled after her wherever she went. She was still, -no doubt, very young, and these two grotesque attendants were -entrusted with her safety as well as her amusement. - - - 6. AKHNATON’S FRIENDS. - -The simple and homely manner in which Akhnaton is represented by -his artists, surrounded by his children, is an indication that -although he demanded much homage from his subjects in his capacity -as their Pharaoh, he but asked for their sympathy and affection in -all other connections. As Pharaoh his person was inapproachable and -his attitude aloof, but as a man he never failed to set an example -of what he considered a man should do; and even upon his throne, -to which one might but advance with bowed head and bended knee, -he displayed his mortal nature to all beholders by joking with -his children or paying fond attention to his wife. So, also, many -of his disciples and courtiers, who so ceremoniously approached -the steps of his throne, were in reality his good friends and -intimates. Akhnaton did not care a snap of the fingers for -aristocratic traditions, and although he demanded the conventional -respect of his subjects, and upheld the less tiresome rules of -court etiquette, many of his closest friends were of peasant -origin, and the hands which now held the jewelled ostrich-plume -standards could as easily grasp the pick or the plough. - -May, a high official of the city, speaks of himself in the -following words: “I was a man of low origin both on my father’s -and on my mother’s side, but the King established me.... He caused -me to grow ... by his bounty when I was a man of no property; ... -he gave me food and provisions every day, I who had been one that -begged bread.” Huya, Queen Tiy’s steward, speaks of the king as -selecting his officials from the ranks of the yeomen. Panehesy -tells us that Akhnaton is one “who maketh princes and formeth the -humble,” and he adds: “When I knew not the companionship of princes -I was made an intimate of the King.” But if the Pharaoh raised men -from the ranks, he was also capable of degrading those who offended -against the standards which he had set up. Thus May seems to have -been disgraced and turned out of the city. - -The tomb of the police official, Mahu, who was a favourite of the -king, though probably not of exalted origin, has provided us with -some scenes relating to his official work which are of considerable -interest. In one series of these we are shown the capture of some -foreigners, or perhaps Beduin, who may have belonged to some gang -of thieves or anarchists. Mahu has been awakened in the early -hours of a winter morning by the news of the disturbance, and as -he listens to the report a servant blows a small fire into flame, -since the morning air is chilly. He then sends for his chariot and -drives to the scene of the crime, whatever it may be; and soon he -has effected the arrest of some of the culprits. These men are then -conveyed to the Vizir, who, with his staff, receives Mahu with -exclamations of approval. “Examine these men, O Princes,” says the -police officer, “whom the foreigners have instigated.” From these -words it might seem that the prisoners were foreign spies, or even -assassins plotting against the life of the Pharaoh. - -Whether from fear of a revolt in Egypt or from mere custom, the -City of the Horizon was closely defended at this time, and there -is a scene in this same tomb in which Akhnaton is shown inspecting -the fortifications. He drives in his chariot with his wife and -his eldest daughter Merytaton; and although the spirited horses -would appear to be difficult to manage, the more so because the -mischievous Merytaton is poking them with a stick, Akhnaton is a -sufficiently good driver to be able to carry on a conversation with -the queen, and to address a few words to Mahu, who runs by the -side of the chariot. In striking contrast to the custom of other -Pharaohs, Akhnaton is accompanied by an unarmed bodyguard of police -as he drives round the defences; and in this we may perhaps see an -indication of his popularity. The fortifications, it may be noted, -consist of blockhouses built at regular intervals, and defended by -wire or rope entanglements. - -In several of the tombs there are representations of their -owners receiving rewards from the king for their diligence in -their official works, or for their intelligent acceptance of his -teaching. A high official named Pentu has left us a scene in -which Akhnaton is shown seated in the hall of his palace, while -Pentu stands before him to receive numerous golden collars at the -royal hands in recognition of his services. A part of the palace -is shown, but the scene is much damaged: a small pond or tank -surrounded by flowers is shown in one corner of the enclosure, but -the plan of the various rooms is confused, and is quite subsidiary -to the representation of the hall where the Pharaoh receives the -happy Pentu. Akhnaton seems to have been a good friend, as he was -a stern enemy; and those who assisted him in the difficult tasks -which he had set himself were lavishly rewarded for their pains. - - - 7. AKHNATON’S TROUBLES. - -Akhnaton’s health was so very uncertain that he hastened to -construct for himself a tomb in the cliffs behind the City of the -Horizon. He selected as the site of his last resting-place a gaunt -and rugged valley which here cuts into the hills, leading back, -around tumbled rocks and up dry watercourses, to the Arabian desert -beyond. It is - - “A savage place!--as holy and enchanted - As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted - By woman wailing for her demon-lover.” - -Here Akhnaton elected to be buried, where hyænas prowled and -jackals wandered, and where the desolate cry of the night-owls -echoed over the rocks. In winter, the cold wind sweeps up this -valley and howls around the rocks; in summer the sun makes of it -a veritable furnace unendurable to man. There is nothing here to -remind one of the God who watches over him, and the tender Aton of -the Pharaoh’s conception would seem to have abandoned this place -to the spirits of evil. There are no flowers where Akhnaton cut -his sepulchre, and no birds sing; for the king believed that his -soul, caught up into the noon of Paradise, would need no more the -delights of earth. - -The tomb consisted of a passage descending into the hill, and -leading to a rock-cut hall, the roof of which was supported by -four columns. Here stood the sarcophagus of pink granite in which -the Pharaoh’s mummy would lie. The walls of this hall were covered -with scenes carved in plaster,[76] representing various phases of -the Aton worship. From the passage there led another small chamber -beyond which a further passage was cut, perhaps to lead to a second -hall in which the queen should be buried; but the work was never -finished. - -The construction of the tomb was interrupted by the death of -Akhnaton’s second daughter, Meketaton, who had barely lived to see -her ninth birthday. It has already been seen that she seems to have -been ailing for some time, and her death was perhaps no surprise -to her parents. Their grief, however, was none the less acute for -this; and when the body of the little girl had been laid to rest in -one of the chambers of her father’s tomb, the walls were covered -at Akhnaton’s order with scenes representing the grief of the -bereaved family. Here Queen Nefertiti is seen holding in her arms -her lately born seventh daughter, whose name, ending in ... t, is -now lost; while the five other little girls weep with their parents -beside the bier of their dead sister. It is a pathetic picture, and -one which stirs our sympathy for a Pharaoh who, unlike all other -kings of Egypt, could weep for the loss of a daughter. - -This was not Akhnaton’s only grief. His doctrines were not being -accepted in Egypt as readily as he had hoped, and he was probably -able to detect a considerable amount of insincerity in the attitude -of those around him. There was hardly a man whom he could trust to -continue in the faith should he himself die; and even as he put the -last touches to his temples and his palaces he was aware that he -had built his house upon the sand. The empire which he had dreamed -of, bound together by the ties of a common worship of Aton, was -fast fading out of sight, and the news which reached him from Syria -was disquieting in the extreme. - -At this time the King of Babylon, whose son had married Akhnaton’s -daughter, seems to have been on bad terms with his neighbour, -the King of Mitanni, the father of the Pharaoh’s much-loved Queen -Nefertiti; and Akhnaton came nigh to being drawn into the quarrel. -The Babylonian king had been ill for some time, and in the course -of the international correspondence Nefertiti had never once sent -her condolences to him, apparently because he was a poor friend to -her father. This was much resented, and the King of Babylon at last -sent an insulting letter to Akhnaton, in which he states that he is -sending him the usual present of decorative objects which etiquette -required of him, but that he wishes it to be understood that only a -fraction of the gift is intended for the “mistress of his house,” -_i.e._, Nefertiti, since she had not troubled to ask after his -health. - -Shortly after this he wrote another letter to Akhnaton making -various complaints, and stating that his messengers had been robbed -in territory belonging to the Pharaoh, who must therefore make good -their losses. A third letter makes similar complaints, and hints -at future trouble. Meanwhile the King of Mitanni was on none too -friendly terms with Akhnaton, and appears to have detained the -Pharaoh’s envoy, named Mani, thereby causing Akhnaton considerable -anxiety. There was, in fact, a general tendency to disparage -the Egyptian king, which must have been exceedingly galling to -Akhnaton, who had the power to let loose upon Asia an army which -would silence all insult, but did not find such a step consistent -with his principles. In a letter which he wrote to one of the -Syrian princes whose fidelity was doubtful, Akhnaton ends his -despatch with the words: “I am very well, I the sun in the heavens, -and my chariots and soldiers are exceedingly numerous; and from -Upper Egypt even unto Lower Egypt, and from the place where the -sun riseth even unto the place where he setteth, the whole country -is in good cause and content.” Thus we see that Akhnaton knew his -power, and wished that others should know it; and it is therefore -the more surprising that, as we shall presently find, he never -chose to use it. - - - - - VII. - - THE LAST TWO YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON. - - “I know, he said, what you like is to look at the mountains, - or to go up among them and kill things. But I like the running - water in a quiet garden, with a rose reflected in it, and the - nightingale singing to it. Listen!”--MIRZA MAHOMED in ‘The Story - of Valeh and Hadijeh.’ - - - 1. THE HITTITE INVASION OF SYRIA. - -The eastern end of the Mediterranean is bounded on the south by -Egypt and the desert, on the east by Palestine and Syria, and on -the north by Asia Minor, these roughly forming the three sides of -a square. The conquests of the great warrior-Pharaoh Thothmes III. -had carried the Egyptian power as far as the north-east corner of -this formation--that is to say, to the point where Syria meets Asia -Minor. The island of Cyprus is in shape not unlike a hand with -index finger extended; and this finger may be said to be pointing -to the limit of Egyptian conquest, somewhere in the neighbourhood -of the Amanus Mountains. The kingdom of Mitanni, the home of Queen -Nefertiti, was situated on the banks of the Euphrates some distance -inland from these mountains; and as it acted as a buffer state -between the Egyptian possessions in Syria and the unconquered -lands beyond, the Pharaohs had taken care to unite themselves by -marriage, as we have seen, with its rulers. Behind Mitanni to the -north-east, the friendly kingdoms later known as Assyria marked -the limits of the known world; while to the north the hostile -lands of Asia Minor lay in the possession of the Hittites, a -warlike confederacy of peoples, perhaps the ancestors of the modern -Armenians. From these hardy warriors the greatest danger to the -Egyptian Empire in Syria was to be expected; and the statesmen of -Egypt must have cast many an anxious look towards those forbidding -mountains which loomed beyond Mitanni. A southern movement of the -Hittites, indications of which were already very apparent, would -bring them swarming over and around the Amanus Mountains, either -along the eastern and inland route through Mitanni, or along the -western route beside the sea and over the Lebanon, or again, midway -between these two routes, past the great cities of Tunip, Kadesh, -and others, which stood to block the way. - -When Akhnaton ascended the throne, Seplel was king of the Hittites, -and was by way of being friendly to Egypt. Some of his people, -however, crossed the frontiers of Mitanni and were repulsed by -Dushratta, the king of that country, who was father-in-law to -Akhnaton. This caused some coldness between Seplel and the Pharaoh; -and although the former sent an embassy to the City of the Horizon, -the correspondence between the two monarchs presently ceased. The -young idealist of Egypt seems to have held warfare in horror; and -the Hittites were so essentially a fighting race that Akhnaton -could have had no friendly feelings towards them. Soon we find -that these Hittites, unable to overflow into the land of Mitanni, -have moved along the eastern route and have seized the land of -Amki, which lay on the sea-coast between the Amanus Mountains and -the Lebanon. This movement might have been stopped by Aziru, an -Amorite prince who ruled the territory between Amki and Mitanni, -and whose duty, as an Egyptian vassal, was to check the southern -incursions of the Hittites. But Aziru, like his father Abdashirta -before him, was a man as ambitious as he was faithless, and his -dealings both with the Hittites and with the Egyptians during the -following years were unscrupulous in the extreme. It was his policy -to play the one nation against the other, and to extend the scope -of his own power at the expense of both. - - - 2. AKHNATON’S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONS TO WARFARE. - -Akhnaton’s policy in Syria, when considered from the point of -view of an ordinary man, was of the weakest. Ideals cannot govern -an empire, and those who would apply the doctrine of “peace and -goodwill” to subject races endanger the very principles which they -would teach. While the young Pharaoh was singing his imperial -psalms to the Atom in his growing capital, the princes of Syria -were whistling the revolutionary ditties which presently were to -ring in the ears of the isolated Egyptian garrisons. Little did -they care for that tender Father of Mankind to whom Akhnaton’s thin -finger so earnestly pointed. They knew nothing of monotheism; they -found no satisfaction in One who was the gentle ruler of all men -without distinction of race. A true god to them was a vanquisher -of other gods, a valiant leader in battle, a relentless avenger of -insult. The furious Baal, the bloodthirsty Tishub, the terrible -Ishtar--these were the deities that a man could love. How they -scorned that God of Peace who was called the Only One! How they -laughed at the young Pharaoh who had set aside the sword for the -psalter, who hoped to rule his restless dominions by love alone! - -Love! One stands amazed at the reckless idealism, the beautiful -folly, of this Pharaoh who, in an age of turbulence, preached a -religion of peace to seething Syria. Three thousand years later -mankind is still blindly striving after these same ideals in -vain. Nowadays one is familiar with the doctrine: a greater than -Akhnaton has preached it, and has died for it. To-day God is known -to us, and the peace of God is a thing hoped for; but at that -far-off period, thirteen hundred years before the birth of Christ, -two or three centuries before the age of David and Solomon, and -many a year before the preaching of Moses, one is utterly surprised -to behold the true light shining forth for a short moment like -the sun through a rift in the clouds, and one knows that it has -come too soon. Mankind, even now not ready, was then most wholly -unprepared, and the price which Egypt paid for the ideals of her -Pharaoh was no less than the complete loss of her dominions. - -Akhnaton believed in God, and to him that belief meant a practical -abhorrence of war. Marshalling the material available for the study -of this period of history, one can interpret the events in Syria in -only one way: Akhnaton definitely refused to do battle, believing -that a resort to arms was an offence to God. Whether fortune or -misfortune, gain or loss, was to be his lot, he would hold to his -principles, and would not return to the old gods of battle. - -It must be remembered that at this time the empire was the personal -property of the Pharaoh, as every kingdom was of its king. Nobody -ever considered a possession as belonging to the nation which had -laid hands upon it, but only to that nation’s king. It mattered -very little to the Syrian peoples whether their owner was an -Egyptian or a Syrian, though perhaps they preferred to be possessed -by one of their own race. Akhnaton was thus doing his will with his -own property. He was refusing to fight for his own possessions; he -was acting literally upon the Christian principle of giving the -cloak to him who had stolen the coat. Patriotism was a sentiment -unknown to the world: devotion to the king’s personal interest was -all that actuated loyalty in the subject, and the monarch himself -had but his own interests to consider. Thus Akhnaton cannot be -accused of ruining his country by his refusal to go to war. He was -entitled to do what he liked with his own personal property, and -if he sacrificed his possessions to his principles, the sacrifice -was made upon God’s high altar, and the loss would be felt by him -alone. Such a loss, it is true, would probably break his heart; for -he loved Syria dearly, and he had had such great hopes of uniting -the empire by the tie of a common religion. But for good or ill, he -was determined to stand aloof from the struggles upon which Syria -was now entering. - - - 3. THE FAITHLESSNESS OF AZIRU. - -While Aziru, the Amorite, schemed on the borders of Asia Minor, a -Syrian prince named Itakama suddenly set up an independent kingdom -at Kadesh and joined hands with the Hittites, thus cutting off -the loyal city of Tunip, the friendly kingdom of Mitanni, and the -territory of the faithless Aziru from direct intercourse with the -Lebanon and Egypt’s remaining possessions in Palestine and Syria. -Three loyal vassal kings, perhaps assisted by Dushratta of Mitanni, -attacked the rebels, but were repulsed by Itakama and his Hittite -allies. - -Aziru at once turned the situation to his own advantage. Hemmed in -between the Hittites on the north and this new kingdom of Kadesh -on the south, he collected his armies and marched down the Orontes -to the Mediterranean coast, capturing the cities near the mouth of -that river and adding them to his possessions. Should the Hittites -ask him to give an account of these proceedings, he could reply -that he was, as it were, the advance-guard of the Hittite invasion -of Syria, and was preparing the road for them. Should Itakama -question him, he could say that he was, with friendly hands, -linking the Hittites with Kadesh. And should Akhnaton call upon him -for an explanation, he could answer that he was securing the land -for the Egyptians against the Hittite advance. - -No doubt Aziru preferred to keep his peace with the Hittites the -most secure, for it was obvious that they were the rising people; -but at the same time he did not yet dare to show any hostility -to Egypt, whose armies might at any moment be launched across -the Mediterranean. Unable to hold a position of independence, -he now thought it most prudent to allow the northmen to swarm -southwards through his dominions, from Amki over and around the -Lebanon to Kadesh, where their ally Itakama dwelt. In return for -this assistance he seems to have been allowed a free hand in the -forwarding of his own interests, and we now find him turning his -attention to the sea-coast cities of Simyra and Byblos, which -nestled at the western foot of the Lebanon. Here, however, he -received a check, and failed to obtain a footing. He therefore -marched eastwards to the city of Niy, which he captured, slaying -its king; and both to the Hittites and to the Egyptians he seems to -have pretended that he had taken this step in their interests. - -On hearing of the fall of this city the governor of Tunip wrote a -pathetic appeal to Akhnaton, asking for help; for he was now quite -isolated, and he knew that Aziru was a free-lance who cared not a -jot for any but his own welfare. - - “To the King of Egypt, my lord,” runs the letter. “The - inhabitants of Tunip, thy servant. May it be well with thee, and - at the feet of our lord we fall. My lord, Tunip, thy servant, - speaks, saying: Who formerly could have plundered Tunip without - being plundered by Thothmes III.? The gods ... of the King of - Egypt, my lord, dwell in Tunip. May our lord ask his old men [if - it be not so.] Now, however, we belong no more to our lord, the - King of Egypt.... If his soldiers and chariots come too late, - Aziru will make us like the city of Niy. If, however, we have - to mourn, then the King of Egypt will mourn over these things - which Aziru has done, for he will turn his hand against our lord. - And when Aziru enters Simyra Aziru will do to us as he pleases, - in the territory of our lord the King, and on account of these - things our lord will have to lament. And now Tunip, thy city, - weeps, and her tears are flowing, and there is no help for us. - For twenty years we have been sending to our lord the King, the - King of Egypt, but there has not come to us a word--no, not one.” - -Several points become apparent from this letter. One sees that in -the more distant cities of Syria the significance of Akhnaton’s -new religion was not understood. The governor of Tunip refers -to the old gods of Egypt worshipped in that town, and he knows -not, or cannot be brought to believe, that Akhnaton has become -a monotheist. One sees that the memory of the terrible Thothmes -III. and his victorious armies was still in men’s minds, and was -probably one of the main causes of the long-continued peace in -Syria. Akhnaton’s father, Amonhotep III., had not concerned himself -greatly with regard to his foreign dominions, and, as the people -of Tunip had been asking for assistance for twenty years, it would -seem that the danger which now beset them was already feared before -that Pharaoh’s death. - -[Illustration: _Letter from Ribaddi to the King of Egypt, reporting -the progress of the rebellion under Aziru._ - -(British Museum, No. 29,801.)] - -How, one asks, could Akhnaton read such a letter as this, and yet -refuse to send a relieving army to Syria? Byblos and Simyra were -still loyally holding out; and troops disembarked at these ports -could speedily be marched inland to Tunip, could crush Hakama at -Kadesh, and could frighten Aziru into giving real assistance to -Dushratta and other loyal kings in holding the Hittites back behind -the Amanus Mountains. But this was Akhnaton’s Gethsemane, if one -may say so with reverence; and like that greater Teacher who, -thirteen hundred years later, was to preach the self-same doctrine -of personal sacrifice, one may suppose that the Pharaoh suffered a -very Agony as he realised that his principles were leading him to -the loss of all his dearest possessions. His restless generals -in Egypt, eager to march into Syria, must have brought every -argument to bear upon him; but the boy would not now turn back. -“Put up thy sword into his place,” he seems to have said; “for all -they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” - - - 4. THE FIGHTING IN SYRIA BECOMES GENERAL. - -At this time the King of Byblos was one named Ribaddi, a fine old -soldier who was loyal to Egypt in his every thought and deed. He -wrote to Akhnaton urging him to send troops to relieve the garrison -of Simyra, upon which Aziru was again pressing close; for if Simyra -fell, he knew that Byblos could not for long hold out. Presently -we find that Zimrida, the king of the neighbouring port of Sidon, -has opened his gates to Aziru, and has marched with him against -Tyre. Abimilki, the King of Tyre, at once wrote to Akhnaton asking -for assistance; but on receiving no reply he, too, appears to have -thrown in his lot with Aziru. Ribaddi was now quite isolated at -Byblos; and from the beleaguered city he wrote to the Pharaoh -telling him that “Simyra is like a bird in a snare.” Akhnaton made -no reply; and in a short time Ribaddi wrote again, saying, “Simyra, -your fortress, is now in the power of the Khabiri.” - -These Khabiri were the Beduin from behind Palestine, who were -being used as mercenaries by Aziru, and who themselves were making -small conquest in the south on their own behalf. Thus the southern -cities of Megiddo, Askalon, Gezer, and others, write to the Pharaoh -asking for aid against them. Exasperated, however, by Akhnaton’s -inaction, Askalon and Gezer, together with the city of Lachish, -threw off the Egyptian yoke and attacked Jerusalem, which was still -loyal to Egypt, being held by an officer named Abdkhiba. This loyal -soldier at once sent a despatch to Akhnaton, part of which read as -follows:-- - - The King’s whole land, which has begun hostilities with me, will - be lost. Behold the territory of Seir, as far as Carmel, its - princes are wholly lost; and hostility prevails against me.... - As long as ships were upon the sea the strong arm of the King - occupied Naharin and Kash, but now the Khabiri are occupying - the King’s cities. There remains not one prince to my lord, the - King; every one is ruined.... Let the King take care of his land, - and ... let him send troops.... For if no troops come in this - year, the whole territory of my lord the King will perish.... If - there are no troops in this year, let the King send his officer - to fetch me and my brothers, that we may die with our lord, the - King. - -To this letter the writer added a postscript addressed to -Akhnaton’s secretary, with whom he was evidently acquainted. “Bring -these words plainly before my lord the King,” runs this pathetic -appeal. “The whole land of my lord, the King, is going to ruin.” - -The letters sent to Akhnaton from the few princes who remained -loyal form a collection which even now moves the reader. To -Akhnaton they must have been so many sword-thrusts, and one may -picture him praying passionately for strength to set them aside. -Soon it would seem that the secretaries hardly troubled to show -them to him; and ultimately they were so effectually pigeon-holed -that they have only recently been discovered. The Pharaoh -permitted himself to answer some of them, and seems to have asked -questions as to the state of affairs; but never does he offer any -encouragement. Lapaya, one of the princes of the south, who had -evidently received a communication from Akhnaton in which his -fidelity was questioned, wrote saying that if the Pharaoh ordered -him to drive a sword of bronze into his heart he would do so. It is -a commentary upon the veracity of the Oriental that in subsequent -letters this prince is stated to have attacked Megiddo, and -ultimately to have been slain while fighting against the Egyptian -loyalists. - -Addudaian, a king of some unknown city of south Judea, acknowledges -the receipt of a letter from Akhnaton in which he was asked to -remain loyal; and he complains, in reply, of the loss of various -possessions. Dagantakala, the king of another city, writes -imploring the Pharaoh to rescue him from the Khabiri. Ninur, a -queen of a part of Judea, who calls herself Akhnaton’s handmaid, -entreats the Pharaoh to save her, and records the capture of one of -her cities by the Khabiri. - -And so the letters run on, each telling of some disaster to the -Egyptian cause, and each voicing the bitter complaint of those who -were being sacrificed to the principles of a king who had grasped -the meaning of civilisation too soon. - - - 5. AZIRU AND RIBADDI FIGHT TO A FINISH. - -Meanwhile Ribaddi was holding Byblos valiantly against Aziru’s -armies, and many were the despatches which he sent to Akhnaton -asking for assistance against Aziru. Nothing could have been easier -than the despatch of a few hundred men across the Mediterranean -to the beleaguered port, and the number which Ribaddi asks for is -absurdly small. Akhnaton, however, would not send a single man, but -instead wrote a letter of gentle rebuke to Aziru, telling him to -come to the City of the Horizon to explain his conduct. Aziru wrote -at once to one of Akhnaton’s courtiers who was his friend, telling -him to speak to the Pharaoh and to set matters right. - -He explained that he could not leave Syria at that time, for he -must remain to defend Tunip against the Hittites. The reader, -who has seen the letter written by the governor of Tunip asking -for help against Aziru, will realise the perfidy of this Amorite, -who was now, no doubt, preparing to capture Tunip for the sake of -its riches, and, having done so, would tell Akhnaton that he had -entered it to hold it against the Hittites. - -Akhnaton then wrote to Aziru insisting that he should rebuild the -city of Simyra, which he had destroyed; but Aziru again replied -that he was too busy in defending Egyptian interests against the -inroads of the Hittites to give his attention to this matter for -at least a year. To this Akhnaton sent a mild reply; but Aziru, -fearing that the letter might contain some matter which it would be -better for him not to hear, contrived to evade the messenger, and -the despatch was brought back to Egypt. He wrote to the Pharaoh, -however, saying that he would see to it that the cities captured by -him should continue to pay tribute as usual to Egypt. - -The tribute seems to have reached the City of the Horizon in -correct manner until the last years of the reign,[77] though -probably it was much less in quantity than had been customary. -There was general confusion in Syria, as we have seen; but, as in -the case of the struggle between Aziru and Ribaddi, where both -professed their loyalty to Egypt, so, in all the chaos, there was -a make-believe fidelity to the Pharaoh. The tribute was thus paid -each year by a large number of cities, and it was probably not -till the seventeenth and last year of Akhnaton’s reign that this -pretence of loyalty was altogether discarded. - -In desperate straits at Byblos, Ribaddi made a perilous journey -to the neighbouring city of Beyrût in order to attempt to -collect reinforcements. No sooner had he left, however, than an -insurrection occurred at Byblos, and Ribaddi paid for his loyalty -to Egypt by losing the support of his own subjects. Presently -Beyrût surrendered to Aziru, and Ribaddi was forced to fly. After -many an adventure the stout old king managed to regain control of -Byblos, and to set about the further defence of the city. - -Meanwhile Aziru had paid a rapid visit to Egypt, partly to justify -his conduct and partly, no doubt, to ascertain the condition of -affairs on the Nile. With Oriental cunning he managed to satisfy -Akhnaton that his intentions were not hostile to Egypt, and so -returned to the Lebanon. Ribaddi, hearing of this, at once sent -his son to the City of the Horizon to expose Aziru’s perfidy and -to plead for assistance against him. At the same time he wrote to -Akhnaton a pathetic account of his misfortunes. Four members of -his family had been taken prisoners; his brother was constantly -conspiring against him; old age and disease pressed heavily upon -him. All his possessions had been taken from him, all his lands -devastated; he had been reduced by famine and the privations of a -long siege to a state of utter destitution, and he could not much -longer hold out. “The gods of Byblos,” he writes, “are angry with -me and sore displeased; for I have sinned against the gods, and -therefore I do not come before my lord the King.” Was his sin, one -wonders, the adoption for a while of Akhnaton’s faith? To this -communication Akhnaton seems to have made no reply. - - - 6. AKHNATON CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO SEND HELP. - -The messengers who arrived at the City of the Horizon of Aton, -dusty and travel-stained, to deliver the many letters asking for -help, must have despaired indeed when they observed the manner -in which the news was received. Hateful to these hardy soldiers -of the empire were the fine quays at which their galleys moored; -hateful the fair villas and shaded avenues of the city; and thrice -hateful the rolling hymns to the Aton which came to them from -the temple halls as they hurried to the Pharaoh’s palace. The -townspeople smiled at their haste in this city of dreams; the court -officials delayed the delivery of their letters, scoffing at the -idea of urgency in the affairs of Asia; and finally these wretched -documents, written--if ever letters were so written--with blood -and with tears, were pigeon-holed in the city archives and utterly -forgotten save by Akhnaton himself. Instead of the brave music of -the drums and bugles of the relieving army which these messengers -had hoped to muster, there rang in their maddened ears only the -ceaseless chants of the priestly ceremonies and the pattering -love-songs of private festivals. Newly come from the sweat and the -labour of the road, their brains still racked with the horror of -war and yet burning with the vast hopes of empire, they looked with -scorn at the luxury of Egypt’s new capital, and heard with disgust -the dainty tales of the flowers. The lean, sad-eyed Pharaoh, with -his crooked head and his stooping shoulders, would speak only of -his God; and, clad in simple clothes unrelieved by a single jewel, -there was nothing martial in his appearance to give them hope. From -the beleaguered cities which they had so lately left there came to -them the bitter cry for succour; and it was not possible to drown -that cry in words of peace, nor in the jangle of the systrum or -the warbling of the pipes. Who, thought the waiting messengers, -could resist that piteous call: “Thy city weeps, and her tears are -flowing”? Who could sit idle in the City of the Horizon when the -proud empire, won with the blood of the noblest soldiers of the -great Thothmes, was breaking up before their eyes? What mattered -all the philosophies in the world, and all the gods in heaven, when -Egypt’s great dominions were being wrested from her? The splendid -Lebanon, the white kingdoms of the sea, Askalon and Ashdod, Tyre -and Sidon, Simyra and Byblos, the hills of Jerusalem, Kadesh and -the great Orontes, the fair Jordan, Tunip, Aleppo, the distant -Euphrates.... What counted a creed against these? God? The truth? -The only god was He of the Battles, who had led Egypt into Syria; -the only truth the doctrine of the sword, which had held her there -for so many years. - -Looking back across these thirty-two centuries, can one yet say -whether the Pharaoh was in the right, or whether his soldiers were -the better minded? On the one hand there is culture, refinement, -love, thought, prayer, goodwill, and peace; on the other hand, -power, might, health, hardihood, bravery, and struggle. One knows -that Akhnaton’s theories were the more civilised, the more ideal; -but is there not a pulse which stirs in sympathy with those who -were holding the citadels of Asia? We can give our approval to the -ideals of the young king, but we cannot see his empire fall without -bitterly blaming him for the disaster. Yet in passing judgment, -in calling the boy to account for the loss of Syria, there is the -consciousness that above our tribunal sits a judge to whom war -must assuredly be abhorrent, and in whose eyes the struggle of -the nations must utterly lack its drama. Thus, even now, Akhnaton -eludes our criticism, and but raises once more that eternal -question which as yet has no answer. - - - 7. AKHNATON’S HEALTH GIVES WAY. - -It is possible that the Pharaoh now realised his position, and one -may suppose that he tried as best he could to pacify the turbulent -princes by all the arts of diplomacy. It does not seem, however, -that he yet fully appreciated the catastrophe which was now almost -inevitable--the complete loss of Syria. He could not bring himself -to believe that the princes of that country would play him false; -and he could have had no idea that he was being so entirely fooled -by such men as Aziru. But when at last the tribute ceased to come -in regularly, then, too late, he knew that disaster was upon him. - -The thoughts which now must have held sway in his mind could not -have failed to carry him down the dark steps of depression to the -very pit of despair, and one may picture him daily cast prone upon -the floor before the high altar of the Aton, and nightly tossing -sleepless upon his royal bed. It seems that he had placed great -reliance upon a certain official, named Bikhuru, who was acting as -Egyptian commissioner in Palestine; but now it is probable that he -received news of that unfortunate personage’s flight, and later of -his murder.[78] Then came the report that Byblos had fallen, and -one is led to suppose that that truly noble soldier Ribaddi did -not survive the fall of the city which he had so tenaciously held. -The news of the surrender of other important Egyptian strongholds -followed rapidly, and still there came the pathetic appeal for help -from the minor posts which yet held out. - -Akhnaton was now about twenty-eight years of age, and already the -cares of the whole world seemed to rest upon his shoulders. Lean -and lank was his body; his face was thin and lined with worry; and -in his eye one might, perhaps, have seen that hunted look which -comes to those who are dogged by disaster. It is probable that he -now suffered acutely from the distressing malady to which he was a -victim, and there must have been times when he felt himself upon -the verge of madness. His misshapen skull came nigh to bursting -with the full thoughts of his aching brain, and the sad knowledge -that he had failed must have pressed upon his mind like some -unrelenting finger. The invocations to the Aton which rang in his -head made confusion with the cry of Syria. Now he listened to -the voices of his choirs lauding the sweetness of life; and now, -breaking in upon the chant, did he not hear the solemn voices of -his fathers calling to him from the Hills of the West to give -account of his stewardship? Could he then find solace in trees and -in flowers? Could he cry “Peace” when there was red tumult in his -brain? - -His moods at this time must have given cause for the greatest -alarm, and his behaviour was, no doubt, sufficiently erratic -to render even those nobles who had so blindly followed him -mistrustful of their leader. In a frenzy of zeal in the adoration -of the Aton, Akhnaton now gave orders that the name of all other -gods should suffer the same fate as that of Amon, and should be -erased from every inscription throughout the land. This order was -never fully carried out; but one may still see in the temples -of Karnak, Medinet Habu, and elsewhere, and upon many lesser -monuments, the chisel marks which have partially blurred out the -names of Ptah, Hathor, and other deities, and have obliterated the -offending word “gods.” - -The consternation which this action must have caused was almost -sufficient to bring about a revolution in the provinces, where -the old gods were still dearly loved by the people. The erasing -of the name of Amon had been, after all, a direct war upon a -certain priesthood, and did not very materially affect any other -localities than that of Thebes. But the suppression of the numerous -priesthoods of the many deities who held sway throughout Egypt -threw into disorder the whole country, and struck at the heart -not of one but of a hundred cities. Was the kindly old artificer -Ptah, with his hammer and his chisel, to be tumbled into empty -space? Was the beautiful, the gracious Hathor--the Venus of the -Nile--to be thrown down from her celestial seat? Was it possible to -banish Khnum, the goat-headed potter who lived in the caves of the -Cataract, from the life of the city of Elephantine; the mysterious -jackal Wepwat from the hearts of the men of Abydos; or the ancient -crocodile Sebek from the ships and the fields of Ombos? Every town -had its local god, and every god its priesthood; and surely the -Pharaoh was mad who attempted to make war upon these legions of -heaven. This Aton, whom the king called upon them to worship, was -so remote, so infinitely above their heads. Aton did not sit with -them at their hearth-side to watch the kettle boil; Aton did not -play a sweet-toned flute amongst the reeds of the river; Aton did -not bring a fairy gift to the new-born babe. Where was the sacred -tree in whose branches one might hope to see him seated?--where -was the eddy of the Nile in which he loved to bathe?--and where -was the rock at whose foot one might place, as a fond offering, a -bowl of milk? The people loved their old gods, whose simple ways, -kind hearts, and quick tempers made them understandable to mortal -minds. But a god who reigned alone in solitary isolation, who, more -remote even than the Jehovah of the Hebrews, rode not upon the -clouds nor moved upon the wings of the wind, was hardly a deity to -whom they could open their hearts. True, the sunrise and the sunset -were the visible signs of the godhead; but let the reader ask any -modern Egyptian peasant whether there is aught to stir the pulses -in these two great phenomena, and he will realise that the glory -of the skies could not have appealed particularly to the lesser -subjects of Akhnaton, who, moreover, were not permitted to bow the -knee to the flaming orb itself. When the Christian religion took -hold of these peasants, and presented for their acceptance the same -idea of a remote though loving and considerate God, it was only by -the elevation of saints and devils, angels and powers of darkness, -almost to the rank of demigods, that the faith prospered. But -Akhnaton allowed no such tampering with the primary doctrine, and -St George and all the saints would have suffered the erasure of -their very names. - - - 8. AKHNATON’S LAST DAYS AND DEATH. - -The troubles which Akhnaton by such actions gathered around -himself, while disturbing to his adherents, must have given some -degree of pleasure to those nobles who saw in the king’s downfall -the only hope of Egypt. Horemheb, the commander-in-chief of the -inactive armies, could now begin to prepare himself against the -time when he should lead a force into Syria to restore Egyptian -prestige. Tutankhaton, betrothed to Akhnaton’s third daughter, -could dream of the days when he would make himself Pharaoh, and -carry the court back to glorious Thebes. Even Meryra, the High -Priest of Aton, seems to have allowed his thoughts to drift away -from the City of the Horizon wherein the sun of Egypt’s glory -had set, for it does not seem that he ever made use of the tomb -there prepared for him. These last stages of Akhnaton’s life must -thus have been embittered by a doubt of the sincerity of his -closest friends, and by the knowledge that, in spite of all their -protestations, he had failed to plant “the truth” in their hearts. - -The queen had borne him no son to succeed to the throne, and there -appeared to be nobody to whom he could impart what he felt to -be his last instructions. There can be no question that he was -still greatly loved by those who surrounded his person, but there -were few who hoped that his religion, so disastrous to Egypt, -would survive him. In this extremity Akhnaton turned to a certain -noble, probably not of royal blood, whose name seems to have been -Smenkhkara, though some have read it Saakara.[79] Nothing is known -regarding his previous career, but one may suppose that he appeared -to Akhnaton to be the least unreliable of his followers. To him -the king imparted his instructions, revealing all that words could -draw from his teeming brain. The little Princess Merytaton, now -but twelve years of age, was called from her games, and with pomp -and ceremony was married to this Smenkhkara, thus making him the -legitimate heir to the throne, Merytaton being the eldest daughter -and sole heiress of the Pharaoh. - -Feeling that his days were numbered, Akhnaton then associated -Smenkhkara upon the throne with him as co-ruler, and was thus able -to familiarise the people with their future lord. In later years, -after Akhnaton’s death, Smenkhkara was wont to write after his name -the words “beloved of Akhnaton,” as though to indicate that his -claim to the throne was due to Akhnaton’s affection for him, as -well as to the rights derived from his wife. - -But what mattered the securing of the succession to the throne when -that throne had been shaken to its very foundations, and now seemed -to be upon the verge of utter wreck? Akhnaton could no longer stave -off the impending crash, and from all sides there gathered the -forces which were to overwhelm him. His government was chaotic. The -plotting and scheming of the priests of Amon showed signs of coming -to a successful issue. The anger of the priesthoods of the other -gods of Egypt hung over the palace like some menacing storm-cloud. -The soldiers, eager to march upon Syria as in the days of the great -Thothmes III., chafed at their enforced idleness, and watched with -increasing restlessness the wreck of the empire. - -Now through the streets of the city there passed the weary -messengers of Asia hurrying to the palace, no longer bearing the -appeals of kings and generals for support, but announcing the fall -of the last cities of Syria and the slaughter of the last left of -their rulers. The scattered remnants of the garrisons staggered -back to the Nile at the heels of these messengers, pursued to -the very frontiers of Egypt by the triumphant Asiatics. From the -north the Hittites poured into Syria; from the south the Khabiri -swarmed over the land. As the curtain is rung down on the turbulent -scene, one catches a glimpse of the wily Aziru, his hands still -stained with the blood of Ribaddi and of many another loyal prince, -snatching at this city and trampling on that. At last he has cast -aside his mask, and with the tribute which had been promised to -Egypt he now, no doubt, placates the ascending Hittites, whose -suzerainty alone he admits. - -The tribute having ceased, the Egyptian treasury soon stood empty, -for the government of the country was too confused to permit of the -proper gathering of the taxes, and the working of the gold-mines -could not be organised. Much had been expended on the building of -the City of the Horizon, and now the king knew not where to turn -for money. In the space of a few years Egypt had been reduced from -a world power to the position of a petty state, from the richest -country known to man to the humiliating condition of a bankrupt -kingdom. - -Surely one may picture Akhnaton now in his last hours, his jaw -fallen, his sunken eyes widely staring, as the full realisation of -the utter failure of all his hopes came to him. He had sacrificed -Syria to his principles; but the sacrifice was of no avail, since -his doctrines had not taken root even in Egypt. He knew now that -the religion of the Aton would not outlive him, that the knowledge -of the love of God was not yet to be made known to the world. Even -at this moment the psalms of the Aton were beating upon his ears, -the hymns to the God who had forsaken him were drifting into his -palace with the scent of the flowers; and the birds which he loved -were singing as merrily in the luxuriant gardens as ever they sang -when they had inspired a line in the king’s great poem. But upon -him now there had fallen the blackness of despair, and already the -darkness of coming death was closing around him. The misery of -failure must have ground him down as beneath the very mountains of -the west themselves, and the weight of the knowledge of all that he -had lost could not be borne by his enfeebled frame. - -History tells us only that, simultaneously with the fall of his -empire, Akhnaton died; and the doctors who have examined his body -report that death may well have been due to some form of stroke or -fit. But in the imagination there seems to ring across the years a -cry of complete despair, and one can picture the emaciated figure -of this “beautiful child of the Aton” fall forward upon the painted -palace-floor and lie still amidst the red poppies and the dainty -butterflies there depicted. - - - - - VIII. - - THE FALL OF THE RELIGION OF AKHNATON. - - “Thus disappeared the most remarkable figure in early Oriental - history.... There died with him such a spirit as the world had - never seen before.”--BREASTED: ‘History of Egypt.’ - - - 1. THE BURIAL OF AKHNATON. - -The body of Akhnaton was embalmed in the city which he had founded; -and while these mortal parts of the great idealist were undergoing -the lengthy process of mummification, the new Pharaoh Smenkhkara -made a feeble attempt to retain the spirit of his predecessor in -the new _régime_. Practically nothing is known of his brief reign, -but it is apparent from subsequent events that he entirely failed -to carry on the work of Akhnaton, and the period of his sovereignty -is marked by a general tendency to abandon the religion of the -Aton. Smenkhkara had dated the first year of his reign from the -day of his accession as co-ruler with Akhnaton, and thus it is -that there are no inscriptions found which record his first year, -although there are many references to his second year. The main -event must have occurred some three months after the commencement -of his sole reign, when the body of Akhnaton was carried in solemn -state through the streets of the city and across the desert to the -tomb which had been made for him in the distant cliffs. - -[Illustration: _Death Mask of Akhnaton._] - -The mummy had been wrapped, as was usual, in endless strips of -linen; and amongst these there was placed upon the royal breast a -necklace of gold, and over the face an ornament cut in flat gold -foil representing a vulture with wings outstretched--a Pharaonic -symbol of divine protection. In many burials of this dynasty a -vulture such as this was placed upon the mummy; and representations -of an exactly similar ornament are shown in the tombs of Sennefer -and others at Thebes. It is somewhat surprising that the body -of Akhnaton, who was so averse to all old customs, should thus -have this royal talisman upon it; and it would seem that some of -the strict rules of the Aton worshipper had already been relaxed -by his successor. Akhnaton had retained but three of the ancient -divine symbols, so far as one can tell from the reliefs and -paintings--namely, the uræus or cobra, the sphinx, and the hawk, -which were often used as ornaments. But one may ask whether the -vulture had really been dispensed with by him. It is true that -he banned the vulture-hieroglyph in the inscriptions, as we have -already seen on the outer coffin of Queen Tiy;[80] but his reason -for so doing was that by such a hieroglyph the name of the goddess -Mut was called to mind, and that goddess, being the consort of -Amon, was not to be tolerated. The vulture which was laid upon -the mummy, however, had nothing to do with Mut, nor had it any -likeness to the hieroglyph. It was originally a representation of -the presiding genius of Upper Egypt, and corresponded to the uræus, -which primarily represented the power of Lower Egypt. It is true, -again, that it was the custom for the Pharaohs to be shown in the -sculptures and paintings with this vulture hovering in protection -over their heads, and that Akhnaton seems to have dispensed with -such a symbol. But this was perhaps due to the fact that the disk -and rays, symbolic of Aton, had taken its place above the royal -figure. There is no reason, after all, to suppose that this form -of vulture was absolutely banned, since the uræus and the hawk -were retained;[81] and though, as will presently be seen, it will -be natural to think that it was placed on Akhnaton’s mummy at his -successor’s suggestion, there is nothing to show that Akhnaton -himself did not desire it to be laid there. - -Over the linen bandages on the body there were placed ribbons of -gold foil encircling the mummy--probably around the shoulders, the -middle, and the knees,--joined to other ribbons running the length -of the body at the back and front. These ribbons were inscribed -with Akhnaton’s name and titles, and thus recorded for all time the -identity of the mummy to which they adhered. Money being somehow -found, the body was wrapped in sheets of pure gold, sufficiently -thin to be flexible, and was placed in a splendid coffin, designed -in the usual form of a recumbent figure, and inlaid in a dazzling -manner with rare stones and coloured glass. Down the front of this -coffin ran a simple inscription, the hieroglyphs of which were -also inlaid. It read: “The beautiful prince, The Chosen One of -Ra, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living in Truth, Lord of -the Two Lands, Akhnaton, the beautiful child of the living Aton, -whose name shall live for ever and ever.”[82] There is one curious -feature about this inscription. When Akhnaton made the outer coffin -for his mother, in or about the twelfth year of his reign, he was -particularly careful not to use the hieroglyph representing the -goddess Maat when writing the word _maat_, “truth.” But this sign -is employed now upon his own coffin; and one can only presume, -therefore, that the coffin was made after Akhnaton’s death, and -that the new Pharaoh Smenkhkara had not the same objection to the -representation of the goddess as had his predecessor. We may now -better understand the presence of the vulture symbol also; for -it is obvious that before Akhnaton’s funeral had taken place his -strict _régime_ had been relaxed. - -The royal mummy was now carried to its tomb and there deposited, -together with such funeral furniture and offerings as were -considered necessary. The four alabaster canopic jars, always -conspicuous in an Egyptian burial, were here not wanting. The -stopper of each jar was exquisitely carved to represent the head -of Akhnaton, wearing the usual male wig of the period, and having -the royal cobra upon the forehead. From these heads one sees that -the art of Akhnaton was modified immediately after his death, and -its more pronounced characteristics were already being toned down. -This slackening in the rules which Akhnaton had made shows us how -entirely dependent the movement had been upon its leader; and we -realise the more clearly how strong a character was his. Ere even -the king’s burial had taken place the death of his religion was -assured. - - - 2. THE COURT RETURNS TO THEBES. - -Smenkhkara died, or was deposed, about a year after Akhnaton’s -death. He was succeeded by another noble, Tutankhaton,[83] who, in -order to legitimise his accession, obtained in marriage Akhnaton’s -second daughter Ankhsenpaaton, a girl barely twelve years old. Thus -Smenkhkara’s wife, Merytaton, became a dowager-queen at the age -of thirteen or so, and her little sister took her place upon the -throne. - -By this time the priests of Amon had begun to hold up their heads -once more, and to scheme for the downfall of Aton with renewed -energy. Pressure was soon brought to bear on Tutankhaton, and he -had not been upon the throne more than a year or so when he was -persuaded to consider the abandonment of the City of the Horizon -and his return to Thebes. He did not yet turn entirely from the -religion of the Aton, but attempted to take a middle course between -the two factions, giving full licence both to the worshippers of -the Aton and to those of Amon. Horemheb, the commander-in-chief -of the idle army, seems to have been one of the leaders of the -reactionary movement. He did not concern himself so much with the -religious aspect of the question: there was as much to be said on -the one side as on the other. But it was he who knocked at the -doors of the heart of Egypt and urged the nation to awake to the -danger in Asia. For him there were no scruples as to warfare, and -the doctrine of the sword found favour in his sight. An expedition -was fitted out, and the reigning Pharaoh was persuaded to lead it. -Thus we read that Horemheb was “the companion of his Lord upon -the battlefield on that day of the slaying of the Asiatics.”[84] -Akhnaton had dreamed of the universal peace which still is a -far-off wraith to mankind; but Horemheb was a practical man in -whom that dream would have been but weakness which was such mighty -strength in the dead king. - -The new Pharaoh now changed his name from Tutankhaton to -Tutankhamon, and, to the sound of martial music, returned to -Thebes. The City of the Horizon was left to its fate, and it was -not long before the palaces and the villas became the home of the -jackals and the owls, while the temples were partly pulled down to -provide stone for other works. However much the reigning Pharaoh -differed in views from Akhnaton, it would not have been possible -to leave the royal body lying in sight of this wreck of all the -hopes that had been his. Akhnaton, moreover, was Tutankhamon’s -father-in-law, and it was only through the rights of Akhnaton’s -daughter that the Pharaoh held the throne. His memory was still -regarded with reverence by many of his late followers, and there -could be no question of leaving his body in the deserted city. It -was therefore carried to Thebes in its coffin, together with the -four canopic jars, and was placed, for want of a proper sepulchre, -in the tomb of Queen Tiy, which had been reopened for the purpose. - -Tutankhamon showed the trend of his policy by both restoring the -temple of the Aton at Karnak and at the same time repairing the -damage done by Akhnaton to the works of Amon. The style of art -which he favoured was a modified form of Akhnaton’s method, and the -influence of his movement is still apparent in the new king’s work. -He did not reign long enough, however, to display much originality, -and after a few years he disappears, almost unnoticed, from the -stage. On his death the question of inviting Horemheb to fill the -vacant throne must have been seriously considered, but there was -another candidate in the field. This was Akhnaton’s father-in-law, -Ay, who had been one of the most important nobles in the group of -courtiers at the City of the Horizon. It was he who had sheltered -Queen Nefertiti before she had passed into Akhnaton’s palace, and -it was in his tomb that the great hymn to the Aton was inscribed. -He had been loudest in the praises of the preacher king and of his -doctrines, and he still retained the title “Father-in-law” as his -most cherished designation. - -Religious feeling at this time was running high, for the partisans -of Amon and those of Aton seem still to have been struggling -for the supremacy, and Ay appeared to have been regarded as the -most likely man to bridge the gulf between the two factions. A -favourite of Akhnaton, and still tolerant of all that was connected -with the late movement, he was not averse to the cult of Amon, -and by conciliating both parties he managed to obtain the throne -for himself. His power, however, did not last for long, and as -the priests of Amon regained the confidence of the nation at the -expense of the worshippers of the Aton, so the prestige of Ay -declined. His past relationship to Akhnaton, which even as king -be carefully recorded within his cartouche, now told against him -rather than for him, and about eight years after the death of -Akhnaton he disappeared like his predecessors. - - - 3. THE REIGN OF HOREMHEB. - -There was now no question who should succeed. All eyes were turned -to Horemheb, who had already almost as much power as the Pharaoh. -The commander-in-chief at once ascended the throne, and was -received by the populace with the utmost rejoicings. At this time -there was living at Thebes the Princess Nezemmut, the sister of -Akhnaton’s Queen Nefertiti, and hence the daughter of Dushratta, -King of Mitanni. Owing to previous inter-marriages between the -royal house of Egypt and that of Mitanni, both Nefertiti and -Nezemmut were descendants of Pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty. -Nezemmut had come to Egypt early in the reign of Akhnaton, and -later had perhaps married some Egyptian nobleman; but she was now -a widow, and had recently been appointed to the post of “Divine -Consort,”--that is to say, High Priestess--of Amon. As she was -probably the younger sister of Nefertiti, she may have been about -six years of age when Nefertiti was married to Akhnaton at the -age of eight. Hence she would have been about twenty-three at his -death, and would now be just over thirty. - -To this princess, as representing both the rights of the old line -of Pharaohs and those of the god Amon, without the now condemning -close relationship to Akhnaton which characterised the other -existing royal princesses, Horemheb was at once married. The -religion of the Aton was now fast disappearing. In a tomb dating -from the third year of Horemheb’s reign, the words “Ra whose -body is Aton” occur; but this is the last mention of the Aton, -and henceforth Amon-Ra is unquestionably supreme. A certain -Pa-atonemheb, who had been one of Akhnaton’s favourites, was at -about this time appointed High Priest of Ra-Horakhti at Heliopolis, -and thus the last traces of the religion of the Aton were merged -into the Heliopolitan theology, from which that religion at the -beginning had emanated. - -[Illustration: _The Temple at Luxor._] - -The neglected shrines of the old gods once more echoed with -the chants of the priests throughout the whole land of Egypt. -Inscriptions tell us that Horemheb “restored the temples from -the pools of the Delta marshes to Nubia. He fashioned a hundred -images ... with all splendid and costly stones. He established for -them daily offerings every day. All the vessels of their temples -were wrought of silver and gold. He equipped them with priests -and with ritual priests, and with the choicest of the army. He -transferred to them lands and cattle, supplied with all necessary -equipment.” By these gifts to the neglected gods Horemheb was -striving to bring Egypt back to its natural condition; and with a -strong hand he was guiding the country from chaos to order, from -fantastic Utopia to the solid old Egypt of the past. He was, in -fact, the preacher of sanity, the very apostle of the Normal. - -He led his armies into the Sudan, and returned with a procession -of captive chieftains roped before him. He had none of Akhnaton’s -qualms regarding human suffering, and these unfortunate prisoners -are seen to have their arms bound in the most cruel manner. Finding -the country to be lawless he drafted a number of stern laws, and -with sound justice administered his kingdom. Knowing that Syria -could not long remain quiet, he organised the Egyptian troops, -and so prepared them that, but a few years after his death, the -soldiers of the reigning Pharaoh were swarming once more over the -lands which Akhnaton had lost. - - - 4. THE PERSECUTION OF AKHNATON’S MEMORY. - -The priests of Amon-Ra had now begun openly to denounce Akhnaton as -a villain and a heretic, and as they restored the name of their god -where it had been erased, so they hammered out the name and figure -of Akhnaton wherever they saw it. Presently they pulled down the -Aton temple at Karnak, and used the blocks of stone in the building -of a pylon for Amon-Ra. Soon it was felt that Akhnaton’s body -could no longer lie in state, together with that of Queen Tiy, in -the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings. The sepulchre was therefore -opened once more and the name “Akhnaton” was everywhere erased from -the inscriptions, as was his figure from the scenes upon the shrine -of Queen Tiy. The mummy was lifted from its coffin and the royal -name was cut out of the gold ribbons which passed round it, both -at the back and the front. It was then replaced in the coffin, and -from this the name was also erased. - -The question may be asked why it was that the body was not torn to -pieces and scattered to the four winds, since the king was now -so fiercely hated. The Egyptians, however, entertained a peculiar -reverence for the bodies of their dead, and it would have been a -sacrilege to destroy the mummy even of this heretic. No thought -could be entertained of breaking up the body upon which the divine -touch of kingship had fallen: that would have been against all the -sentiments which we know the Egyptians to have held. The cutting -out of the name of the mummy was sufficient punishment: for thereby -the soul of the king was debarred from all the benefits of the -earthly prayers of his descendants, and became a nameless outcast, -wandering unrecognised and unpitied through the vast underworld. -It was the name “Akhnaton” which was hated so fiercely; and one -may perhaps suppose that the priests would have been willing to -substitute the king’s earlier name, Amonhotep, upon the mummy had -they been pressed to do so. His name and figure as Amonhotep IV. is -not damaged upon the monuments; but only the representations of him -after the adoption of the name Akhnaton have been attacked. - -The tomb, polluted by the presence of the heretic, was no longer -fit for Tiy to rest in; and the body of the queen was therefore -carried elsewhere, perhaps to the sepulchre of her husband -Amonhotep III. The shrine, or outer coffin, in which her mummy had -lain was pulled to pieces, and an attempt was made to carry it out -of the tomb to its owner’s new resting-place, but this arduous -task was presently abandoned, and one portion of the shrine was -left in the passage, while the rest remained in sections in the -burial-chamber. Some of the queen’s toilet utensils which had been -buried with her were also left, probably by mistake. The body of -Akhnaton, his name taken from him, was now the sole occupant of -the tomb. The coffin in which it lay rested upon a four-legged -bier some two feet or so from the ground, and in a niche in the -wall above it stood the four canopic jars. And thus, with a curse, -the priests left their great enemy. The entrance of the tomb was -blocked with stones, and sealed with the seal of the necropolis; -and all traces of its mouth were hidden by rocks and _débris_. - -The priests would not now permit the name of Akhnaton to pass -a man’s lips, and by the end of the reign of Horemheb, the -unfortunate boy was spoken of in official documents as “that -criminal.” Not forty years had passed since Akhnaton’s death, yet -the priesthood of Amon was as powerful as it had ever been at any -period of its existence. There were still living men who had been -old enough at the time of the Aton power to grasp its doctrines; -and those same eyes which had looked upon the fair City of the -Horizon might now disturb the creatures of the desert in the ruined -courts where the grave boy-Pharaoh had presided so lately. These -men joined their voices to that crowd of priests who, not daring -to allow the word Akhnaton to form itself upon their lips, poured -curses upon the excommunicated and nameless “criminal.” Through -starry space their execrations passed, searching out the wretched -ghost of the boy, and banning him, as they supposed, even in the -dim uncertainties of the Lands of Death. Over the hills of the -west, up the stairs of the moon, and down into the caverns under -the world, the poor twittering shadow was hunted and chased by the -relentless magic of the men whom he had tried to reform. There -was no place for his memory upon earth, and in the under-world -the priests denied him a stone upon which to lay his head. It -is not easy now to realise the full meaning to the Egyptians -of the excommunication of a soul: cut off from the comforts of -human prayers; hungry, forlorn, and wholly desolate; forced at -last to whine upon the outskirts of villages, to snivel upon the -dung-heaps, to rake with shadowy fingers amidst the refuse of mean -streets for fragments of decayed food with which to allay the pangs -of hunger caused by the absence of funeral-offerings. To such a -pitiful fate the priests of Amon consigned “the first individual in -history”; and as an outcast amongst outcasts, a whimpering shadow -in a place of shadows, the men of Thebes bade us leave the great -idealist, doomed to the horrors of a life which will not end, to -the misery of a death that brings no oblivion. - - - 5. THE FINDING OF THE BODY OF AKHNATON. - -Thus, sheathed in gold, the nameless body lay, while the fortunes -of Egypt rose and fell and the centuries slid by. A greater -teacher than Akhnaton arose and preached that peace which the -Pharaoh had foreshadowed, and soon all Egypt rang with the new -gospel. Then came the religion of Muhammed, and the days of the -sword returned. So the years passed, and many a wise man lived his -life and disappeared; but the first of the wise men of history lay -undiscovered in the heart of the Theban hills. - -Now it happened that there was a fissure in the rocks in which the -sepulchre was cut, and during the rains of each season a certain -amount of moisture managed to penetrate into the chamber. This -gradually rotted the legs of the bier upon which Akhnaton’s body -lay, and at last there came a time when the two legs at the head -of the coffin gave way and precipitated the royal body on to the -ground. The bandages around the mummy had already fallen almost to -powder, and this jerk sent the golden vulture which was resting -upon the king’s face on to his forehead, where it lay with the tail -and claws resting over the left eye-socket of the skull. Presently -the two remaining legs of the bier collapsed, and the whole -coffin fell to the ground, the lid being partly jerked off, thus -revealing the king’s head at one end and his feet at the other, -from all of which the flesh had rotted away. - -In January 1907 the excavations in the Valley of the Tombs of the -Kings which were being conducted by Mr Theodore Davis, of Newport, -Rhode Island, U.S.A., on behalf of the Egyptian Government, brought -to light the doorway of the tomb, and it was not long before an -entrance was effected. A rough stairway led down into the hillside, -bringing the excavators[85] to the mouth of the passage, which was -entirely blocked by the wall which the priests had built after they -had entered the tomb to erase Akhnaton’s name. Beyond this wall -the passage was found to be nearly choked with the _débris_ of the -three earlier walls, the first of which had been built after Queen -Tiy had been buried here, the second after Akhnaton’s agents had -entered the tomb to erase the name of Amon, and the third after -Akhnaton’s body had been laid beside that of his mother. On top -of this heap of stones lay the side of the funeral shrine of the -queen which the priests had abandoned after attempting to carry it -out with her mummy. In the burial-chamber beyond, the remaining -portions of this shrine were found. Upon these one saw the figures -of Akhnaton and his mother worshipping beneath the rays of the -Aton. The inscriptions showed the erasure of the name of Amonhotep -III., and the substitution in red ink of that king’s second name, -Nebmaara; and one observed that at a later date the name and -figures of Akhnaton had been hammered out. - -At one side lay the coffin of Akhnaton, as it had fallen from the -bier. The name of Akhnaton upon the coffin had been erased, but -was still readable; and the gold ribbons from which his name had -been cut out still encircled the body, back and front. The golden -vulture lay as has been described above, and the necklace still -rested on the breast, while the whole decaying body was found to be -wrapped in sheets of gold. In a recess above this coffin stood the -canopic jars, and in another part of the tomb Queen Tiy’s toilet -utensils were found, from one of which the name of Amonhotep III. -had been erased. - -The bones, when examined by Dr Elliot Smith, F.R.S., were found -to be those of a young man of not more than about twenty-eight -years of age,--that is to say, the age at which Akhnaton has been -shown in the above pages to have died. The skull was pronounced -to be that of a man who suffered from epileptic fits, and who -was probably subject to hallucinations. Curiously enough, the -idiosyncrasies of this misshapen skull are precisely those which -Lombroso has stated to be so usual in a religious reformer. The -face had crumbled away, but the lower jaw was intact; and when this -was placed in position one could see at once the great resemblance -to the well-known portraits of Akhnaton which had survived the -wreck of his city. - -There could thus be no doubt that the mummy of this wonderful -Pharaoh had at last been found; but since Akhnaton had always been -thought, though without particular reason, to have been a much -older man, the identity was questioned. It was suggested that the -body was perhaps that of Smenkhkara, the successor of Akhnaton, -which by some error had managed to be placed in Akhnaton’s coffin. -But how, then, did the gold ribbons inscribed with Akhnaton’s -name manage to be placed around the body? And apart from the -extreme improbability that the mummy which was thus labelled with -Akhnaton’s name, and which lay in his coffin, should be that of any -other king but Akhnaton, one may ask in this case how it is that -the body has the well-known physical characteristics of the great -heretic if it be that of Smenkhkara, who was not related to the -king? - -It has been stated that the presence of the vulture upon the body -is against the identification with Akhnaton. This has already been -shown to be capable of explanation; but it may here be noted that -if Smenkhkara would not have placed the vulture upon Akhnaton’s -body, then by the same token the mummy is not likely to be that of -Smenkhkara, and there is certainly no other prince of this period -with whom to identify the body. In conclusion, it may be added -that of all the royal mummies now known there is not one which -can be so clearly shown to belong to the Pharaoh with whom it has -been identified as this mummy can be shown to belong to Akhnaton. -The body was lying in a coffin inscribed with Akhnaton’s name; it -was bound round with ribbons inscribed with his name; it had the -physical characteristics of the portraits of Akhnaton; it had the -idiosyncrasies of a religious reformer such as he was; it was that -of a man of Akhnaton’s age as deduced from the monuments; it lay -in the tomb of Akhnaton’s mother; those who had erased the names -must have thought it to be Akhnaton’s body, unless one supposes an -utter chaos of cross-purposes in their actions; and finally, there -is nobody else who, with any degree of probability, it could be. - -Thus one may say that, without the vaguest shadow of a doubt, the -body of this the most remarkable figure of early Oriental history -has been brought to light; and with this assurance we may close -this sketch of his life, which has been written partly for the -purpose of thus explaining the significance of Mr Davis’s great -discovery, and partly to introduce the general reader to one of -the most interesting characters ever known. In this brief outline -it has only been possible to touch upon the main characteristics -which the few remaining inscriptions and monuments seem to reveal; -but to the most casual reader it will be apparent that there -stands before him a personality of surprising vigour and amazing -originality, and one deserving of careful study. In an age of -superstition, and in a land where the grossest polytheism reigned -absolutely supreme, Akhnaton evolved a monotheistic religion -second only to Christianity itself in purity of tone. He was the -first human being to understand rightly the meaning of divinity. -When the world reverberated with the noise of war, he preached -the first known doctrine of peace; when the glory of martial pomp -swelled the hearts of his subjects, he deliberately turned his back -upon heroics. He was the first man to preach simplicity, honesty, -frankness, and sincerity; and he preached it from a throne. He was -the first Pharaoh to be a humanitarian; the first man in whose -heart there was no trace of barbarism. He has given us an example -three thousand years ago which might be followed at the present -day: an example of what a husband and a father should be, of what -an honest man should do, of what a poet should feel, of what a -preacher should teach, of what an artist should strive for, of what -a scientist should believe, of what a philosopher should think. -Like other great teachers he sacrificed all to his principles, and -thus his life plainly shows--alas!--the impracticability of his -doctrines; yet there can be no question that his ideals will hold -good “till the swan turns black and the crow turns white, till the -hills rise up to travel, and the deeps rush into the rivers.” - -[Illustration: MAP OF AKHETATON, THE CITY OF THE HORIZON OF ATON. -(TEL EL AMARNA) - - SURVEY DEP. CAIRO 1909 (151) _FROM THE CAIRO SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL._ - -NOTE: Of the Boundary Stelae only those lettered A, B, F, J, K, M, -N, P, Q, R, S, U, V and X, still remain. The position of these is -shown upon the Map.] - - - - -INDEX. - - - Aahmes I., 7 - - Abdkhiba, governor of Jerusalem, appeal of, to Akhnaton for help, - 236 - - Adonis, connection of, with Aton, 15, 37, 49, 136 _et seq._ - - Akhnaton, personality of, 2 - --ancestors of, 7 _et seq._ - --birth of, 42 _et seq._ - --change of name from Amonhotep to, 45 note, 91 _et seq._ - --marriage of, 53 - --accession of, 58 _et seq._ - --first years of the reign of, 62 _et seq._ - --new city founded by, 88 _et seq._ - --site of the city selected by, 92 _et seq._ - --foundation ceremonies performed by, 94 _et seq._ - --departure of, from Thebes, 105 _et seq._ - --age of, 110 _et seq._ - --religion of Aton formulated by, 115 _et seq._ - --tenth to twelfth years of the reign of, 149 _et seq._ - --similarity of the hymn of, to Psalm civ., 155 _et seq._ - --representations of, in his palace, 167 _et seq._ - --historical events of tenth to twelfth years of the reign of, - 169 _et seq._ - --thirteenth to fifteenth years of the reign of, 189 _et seq._ - --name of Amon obliterated by, 193 _et seq._ - --affection of, for his family, 208 _et seq._ - --friends of, 213 _et seq._ - --troubles of, 217 _et seq._ - --last two years of the reign of, 223 _et seq._ - --conscientious objections of, to warfare, 226 _et seq._ - --health of, gives way, 246 _et seq._ - --last days and death of, 252 - --fall of the religion of, 258 _et seq._ - --burial of, 258 - --body of, brought to Thebes, 266 - --persecution of the memory of, 272 _et seq._ - --finding of the body of, 276 _et seq._ - --ideals of, 283 - - Amon or Amon-Ra, worship of, 12 - --priesthood of, 20, 45 _et seq._, 77 - --break with the priesthood of, 88 _et seq._ - --Akhnaton obliterates the name of, 193 _et seq._ - --restoration of the worship of, 272 _et seq._ - - Amonhotep I., 7 - - Amonhotep II., 10 - - Amonhotep III., “the Magnificent,” 11, 13, 28, 33 _et seq._, 49, 54 - --death of, 57, 111 - --second name of, 186, 187, 195 - - Amonhotep IV.: see Akhnaton - - Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu, the “wise man,” 33 - - Animal worship, 18 _et seq._ - - Ankhsenpaaton, third daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, 109 - --marriage of, 112, 264 - - Apis, the sacred bull, worship of, 16, 87 - - Apiy, letter to Akhnaton from, 85 - - Art, the new style of, 68 _et seq._, 101 - - Aswan, commemoration tablet at, 107 - --statue of Amonhotep III. at, _ib._ - - Aton, the name, 37, 92 and note - --rise of, 45 _et seq._ - --development of the religion of, 76 _et seq._ - --nature of the religion of, 84 _et seq._ - --founding of new city for the worship of, 88 _et seq._ - --religion of, formulated, 115 _et seq._ - --connections of the worship of, with older religions, - 135 _et seq._ - --hymns of the worshippers of, 149 _et seq._ - --Meryra made high priest of, 158 _et seq._ - --development of the religion of, 189 _et seq._ - --great temple of, 198 _et seq._ - --City of the Horizon of, 202 _et seq._ - --downfall of the religion of, 264 _et seq._ - - Auta, Queen Tiy’s chief sculptor, 75, 207 - - Ay, foster-parent of Queen Nefertiti, 57, 109 - --palace of, 204 - --accession of, to the throne, 268 - --death of, _ib._ - - Aziru, the Amorite prince, unscrupulous dealings of, 226, - 230 _et seq._ - - - Baketaton, sister of Akhnaton, 178, 212 - - Bek, art taught to, by Akhnaton, 76 - --sculptures of, at Aswan, 107, 196 - - - Canopic jars, the, in Akhnaton’s tomb, 263, 279 - - Child-marriages, frequency of, in Egypt, 112 - - Christianity, comparison of Akhnaton’s faith with, 143 _et seq._ - - “City of the Brightness of Aton,” new name of, given to Thebes, 65 - - City of the Horizon of Aton, founding of, 90 _et seq._ - --Akhnaton’s residence at, 107 - --gardens of, 127 - --inscriptions on the sepulchres at, 149 _et seq._ - --Queen Tiy’s visit to, 176 _et seq._ - --Queen Tiy’s residence and death at, 184 _et seq._ - --shrines and temples in, 196 _et seq._ - --beauty of, 202 _et seq._ - --Akhnaton’s tomb near, 207 _et seq._ - --abandonment of, by the court, 264 - --removal of Akhnaton’s body from, 266 - --desolate condition of, 275 - - - Delta, “House” of Aton in the, 191 - - Demigods and Spirits, worship of, 18 _et seq._ - - Domestic life of Akhnaton, reliefs and paintings on tombs showing - the, 167 _et seq._ - - Dushratta, King of Mitanni, marriage of Nefertiti, daughter of, to - Prince Amonhotep (Akhnaton), 56 - --marriage of Nezemmut, daughter of, to Horemheb, 269 - - - “Effulgence which comes from Aton,” name of Aton changed to, 192 - - - Fayum, “House” of Aton in the, 191 - - - Gebel Silsileh, tablets at the quarries of, 63 - --the name Amonhotep erased at, 195 - - Gods of Egypt, the, 11 _et seq._ - --Akhnaton orders the erasure of the names of, in inscriptions, 249 - - Goodness of Aton, the, 127 _et seq._ - - - Hathor, worship of, 16 - - Hatshepsut, Queen, 8 - - Heliopolis, temple of Aton at, 191 - - Hermonthis, temple of Aton at, 191 - - Hermopolis, temple of Aton at, 191 - - Hittite invasion of Syria, the, 223 _et seq._ - - Horakhti Aton, erection of temple at Karnak to, 63, 68, 89 - --restoration of the temple to, 267 - --destruction of the temple to, 272 - - Horemheb, tomb of, 67 and note, 84, 86, 265 note - --presence of, with the troops in Asia, 265 - --accession of, to the throne, 268 - --marriage of, 269 - --reign of, 270 _et seq._ - - Horus, the hawk god, worship of, 15, 16 - - Huya, scenes sculptured on the tomb of, 170 _et seq._, 177, 207 - - - Isis, worship of, 15 - - - Karnak, temple to Horakhti Aton at, 63 _et seq._, 68, 89 - --temples and shrines at, 63, 84 - --restoration of the Aton temple at, 267 - --destruction of the Aton temple at, 272 - - Khnum, the ram-headed deity, worship of, 16 - - Khonsu, the god of the moon, worship of, 13 - - Kirgipa or Gilukhipa, wife of Amonhotep III., 39, 51, 55 - - - “Lord of the Breath of Sweetness,” Akhnaton’s name of, 61 - - - Mahu, scenes on the tomb of, 215 _et seq._ - - Meketaton, second daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, 101 - --death of, 219 - - Memphis, temple of Aton at, 191 - - Meryra, appointment of, as high priest of Aton, 158 _et seq._ - --scenes sculptured on the tomb of, 159 _et seq._, 203 - - Merytaton, first daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, 83 - --marriage of, 112, 211, 254 - - Min or Min-Ra, worship of, 12, 27 - - Mnevis, the sacred bull, worship of, 135 - - Mut, the consort of Amon, worship of, 13, 187, 260 - - Mutemua, wife of Thothmes IV., 23 _et seq._, 28 - - - Nebmaara, second name of Amonhotep III., 186, 187, 195, 279 - - Nefernefernaton fourth daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, 112, 169 - --marriage of, 112, 211 - - Neferneferura, fifth daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, 208 - - Nefertiti (Tadukhipa), marriage of Prince Amonhotep (Akhnaton) to, - 55, 210 - --birth of the first daughter of, 83 - --second daughter of, 101, 106 - --third daughter of, 109 - --fourth daughter of, 112, 169 - --fifth daughter of, 208 - --sixth and seventh daughters of, 209 - - Nezemmut, sister of Queen Nefertiti, 109, 212 - --marriage of, to Horemheb, King of Egypt, 269 - - Nubia, imperial regard of Akhnaton for, 189 _et seq._ - --temple of Aton in, 191 - - - Osiris, god of the dead, worship of, 20 - - - Palace of Akhnaton, description of the, 205 _et seq._ - - Psalm civ., similarity of Akhnaton’s hymn to, 155 _et seq._ - - Ptah, the Vulcan of Egypt, worship of, 16, 21, 85 - - - Ra or Ra-Horakhti, the sun-god, worship of, 12, 14, 21, 45 _et seq._, - 51, 58, 59, 64, 70, 86, 92 - - Rames, Vizir of Upper Egypt, tomb of, 66, 68, 81, 84, 148 - - Ribaddi, King of Byblos, appeals of, to Akhnaton for help, 235, 239, - 242 - --death of, 247 - - - Set, the worship of, 16 - - Setepenra, sixth daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, 209 - - “Shade of the Sun,” the, Queen Tiy’s private temple called, - 182 _et seq._ - --statues in, 182, 196 - - Smenkhkara, Akhnaton’s successor to the throne, 211, 253 - --marriage of, 254 - --association of, with Akhnaton, as co-ruler, _ib._ - --accession of, as sole ruler, 258 - --death of, 264 - - “Son of God,” Akhnaton the, by traditional right, 130 _et seq._ - - “Son of the Sun,” the title of, held by the Pharaohs, 14, 71, 74, - 131, 197 - - Soul, spiritual needs of the, after death, 138 _et seq._ - --material needs of the, 143 _et seq._ - --the excommunication of a, 276 - - Sunrise and sunset, worship of Aton at, 124 _et seq._ - - Syria, imperial regard of Akhnaton for, 189 _et seq._ - --temple of Aton in, 191 - --Hittite invasion of, 223 _et seq._ - --Akhnaton’s policy in, 226 _et seq._ - --the fighting in, becomes general, 235 _et seq._ - - - Tadukhipa: see Nefertiti - - Temple of Aton, description of the great, 198 _et seq._ - - Tender Father of all Creation, Aton as the, 118 _et seq._ - - Thebes, discoveries in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings near, 4, - 278 _et seq._ - --booty brought by Thothmes III. to, 8 - --the deities of, 12 _et seq._ - --the court at, 35 - --the royal palace at, 36, 43 _et seq._ - --new name of “City of the Brightness of Aton” given to, 65 - --departure of the court from, 105 _et seq._ - --Queen Tiy’s continued residence at, 176 - --Queen Tiy’s tomb at, 185 - --return of the court to, 264 _et seq._ - --body of Akhnaton brought to, 266 - --finding of Akhnaton’s body at, 277 _et seq._ - - Thothmes I., 8 - - Thothmes II., 8 - - Thothmes III., 8 _et seq._ - - Thothmes IV., 10 _et seq._, 13, 21 _et seq._, 110 - - Tiy, Queen, birth and childhood of, 26 - --marriage of, 29 _et seq._, 112 - --children of, 39, 43, 54 - --death of the parents of, 40 - --birth of Amonhotep or Akhnaton, son of, 43 _et seq._ - --the power of, 49 _et seq._ - --death of the consort of, 57 - --visit of, to the City of the Horizon, 176 _et seq._ - --visit of, to her temple, 182 _et seq._ - --death of, 184 - --tomb of, 185 _et seq._ - --Akhnaton’s body placed in the tomb of, 266, 282 - --body of, removed, 274 - - Tribal gods, names of, 12 _et seq._ - - True God, Aton as the, 115 _et seq._ - - Tuau, wife of Yuaa, Priest of the god Min, 26 _et seq._, 30, 32 - --death and burial of, 40 - - Tunip, letter to Akhnaton from the governor of, 232 - - Tutankhaton, the throne usurped by, 211, 252, 264 - --marriage of, 264 - --name of, changed to Tutankhamon, 266 - --return of, to Thebes, _ib._ - --death of, 267 - - Ty, foster-parent of Queen Nefertiti, 57, 109 - - - Valley of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes, the, discoveries in, 4, - 278 _et seq._ - --burial of Yuaa and Tuau in, 40 - - Vulture, representation of a, used in burials, 187, 259 _et seq._, - 279, 281 - - - Wady Hammamât, inscriptions near the quarries of, 76, 113 - - Warfare, Akhnaton’s conscientious scruples to, 226 _et seq._ - - Worship of Aton at sunrise and sunset, 124 _et seq._ - - - Yuaa, Priest of the god Min, birth of, 25 - --marriage of Tiy, the daughter of, to Amonhotep III., 29 - --personality of, 32 - --death and burial of, 40 - - -THE END. - - -PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Breasted: A History of Egypt. - -[2] N. de G. Davies: The Rock Tombs of El Amarna. 5 vols. - -[3] Now out of print. - -[4] Published by the Chicago University, 1906. - -[5] As will be recorded at the end of this volume, the body of -Akhnaton was discovered by Mr Theodore M. Davis at Thebes early in -1907; but at the time of writing (1908) the results have not been -published in book form, though various articles have appeared. - -[6] The writer has to thank the editors of ‘The Quarterly Review,’ -‘Blackwood’s Magazine,’ and ‘The Century Magazine,’ for permitting -him to embody in this volume certain portions of articles -contributed by him to the pages of those journals. - -[7] Page 110. - -[8] Page 100. - -[9] The sphinx tablet. - -[10] Of Thothmes III. at Karnak, of Aahmes I. at Abydos, and of -Senusert III. at Amada. - -[11] These ages are discussed on pages 111 and 178 (note). - -[12] Petrie, History, ii. p. 183. The portrait upon which he bases -this statement, however, may be that of Akhnaton (fig. 115, p. -182). The mouth and chin are extremely like those of Yuaa, as seen -in his mummy; but again they both have a close resemblance to the -head of Amonhotep III. (_idem_, fig. 120, p. 188). Of course, such -evidence is extremely frail, and must not be too much relied upon. - -[13] Breasted, Records, ii. 865, note h. - -[14] He took the name Akhnaton in about the sixth year of his reign. - -[15] His statue is at Turin. See also Erman, ‘Life in Ancient -Egypt,’ p. 297. - -[16] Page 39. - -[17] Recently discovered by the present writer whilst repairing -this tomb. - -[18] His mummy is that of a man of not more than fifty. - -[19] The wise man Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu was steward of Princess -Setamon’s estate, but this may have been previous to her mention in -her grandparents’ tomb. - -[20] Page 111. - -[21] Page 56. - -[22] It is usual for Egyptian girls to become mothers at about the -age of thirteen, though sometimes earlier. They often continue to -bear children at intervals of about two years, over a period of -thirty years or so. Fifteen children is thus the usual number of a -family, but half these generally die in babyhood. - -[23] Maspero. - -[24] Scarabs of the early period are sometimes inscribed -_Neb-nef-nezem_, which has this meaning. - -[25] The date of this work is not exactly known, but as it was -certainly finished before the king founded his new city, it must -have been commenced immediately upon his accession. - -[26] The word _benben_, “shrine,” has the hieroglyph of an obelisk -at the end of it, which has led to some mistranslations. Perhaps -the temple was built somewhat on the plan of that at Abusêr, where -an obelisk stood in an open court. - -[27] It is possible that “found” is a mistranslation. - -[28] Thus corresponding to the Silsileh quarry tablet, where Amon -is worshipped. - -[29] This tomb of Horemheb seems to have been begun and finished in -the early years of Akhnaton’s reign, to have been left alone during -the remainder of the reign, and to have received the addition -of doorposts (see note on p. 265) after the death of Akhnaton. -Fragments of the tomb are now divided between Leiden, Bologna, -Vienna, Alexandria, and Cairo; and it would seem that all except -those in the Cairo museum (the doorposts) are from the earlier -period. The titles on the Cairo fragments are far more elaborate -than those on the others. See Breasted, Records, iii. 1 ff. - -[30] We know from the “Palermo stone” that the kingdom of Lower -Egypt was much more ancient than that of Upper Egypt. - -[31] In later times the name of Tiy and the Pharaoh’s second name -were erased, but the name Amonhotep was not damaged. The facsimile -copy here given was made on the spot by the present writer in -correction of a previous copy made by Golénischeff. It is published -in his ‘Travels in the Upper Egyptian Deserts’ (Blackwood). - -[32] Meaning the god. - -[33] Griffith: Kahun Papyri. Text, p. 91. - -[34] Is there a distant connection between Mnevis and the Minoan -bull of Crete? See p. 183. - -[35] The god is sometimes called “Aton” simply, and sometimes _Pa -Aton_, “the Aton”; just as we speak of “Christ” or “the Christ,” -and of “Lord” or “the Lord,” this latter being the actual meaning -of “Aton.” - -[36] The translation here given is based upon that published by -Davies in Amarna V.; but the year cannot be the fourth, as there -stated as probable, since in the above-mentioned letter dated -in year 5 the king is still called Amonhotep, whereas in this -inscription he is called Akhnaton. - -[37] The day is not certain; perhaps it is day 4. - -[38] For the sake of brevity it is often called “the City of the -Horizon,” simply, in this volume. - -[39] Mediterranean people. - -[40] This has reference to the rays which come from the Aton. - -[41] This seems to have been a temple. - -[42] The second name of Amonhotep III., Akhnaton’s father. - -[43] The second name of Thothmes IV., Akhnaton’s grandfather. - -[44] The _ater_ corresponds to the Greek _schoinos_, and the _khe_ -is the _schoenium_ of 100 cubits, 40 _khe_ making one _ater_. - -[45] See note on p. 178. - -[46] Davies, Amarna, I. 45. - -[47] The idea is that the Aton does not die as dies the sunlight. - -[48] Probably by royal descent is meant. - -[49] In Egyptian this title reads _Pa shera nefer en pa Aton_. In -the tomb of a certain Amonhotep, at El Assasîf, temp. Amonhotep -III., the deceased Amonhotep I. is called _Pa shera nefer en Amon_. - -[50] So Prof. Breasted translates the Egyptian _sehetep_, though it -would be possible to give it other interpretations. - -[51] Cf. such expressions as “When thou settest they die,” and -others used in Akhnaton’s hymns. - -[52] Professor Breasted’s translation. - -[53] In the tomb of Huya the scene is dated in the twelfth year, -as here recorded, and there are four daughters shown, which is the -number one is led by other evidence to suppose were then alive. The -scene in the tomb of Meryra II. has precisely the same date, but -six daughters are shown, and there is evidence to show that that -number is not to be looked for previous to the fifteenth year of -the reign, the first daughter being born in about the fifth year, -the second in the seventh, the third in the ninth, the fourth -in the eleventh, the fifth in the thirteenth, and the sixth in -the fifteenth year, in all probability. Thus the scene in Meryra -II. may perhaps represent no particular reception of the tribute -of any one year, but the artist may have had in mind the great -tribute of the twelfth year while representing the occurrence in -the fifteenth or sixteenth year, at which date his work was taking -place. Or again the date in this latter tomb may be a misreading or -miswriting. The scene described above is that represented in the -tomb of Meryra, as it is more elaborate than the other; but the -inscription is that found in the tomb of Huya. - -[54] Her first child, it will be remembered, was born when she was -about thirteen. - -[55] It is probable, as has been stated on p. 111, that she was -married to Amonhotep III. in about her tenth year, and was thus -about forty-six when he died. She could not have been much more, -for her daughter Baketaton must have been born but a year or so -before Amonhotep’s death, and it is improbable that she would bear -children after forty-five, if as late as that. - -[56] It is to be noticed that there are pomegranates amongst the -fruit, which indicates that the visit was made during the summer, -as do the light costumes also. - -[57] Davies: Amarna, iii. 8, note 1. - -[58] This is to be observed also in some other inscriptions of the -period. - -[59] Breasted: History of Egypt, p. 364. - -[60] Page 177. - -[61] It is usual to date the tombs roughly by the number of -daughters shown, presuming that the artist represented all the -children living at the time. But though this gives us the lowest -possible year, it does not always give us the highest, for -daughters are obviously sometimes omitted when the available space -was cramped. - -[62] Page 63. - -[63] Page 107. - -[64] Davies: El Amarna, iii., Pl. xviii. - -[65] Page 182. - -[66] Davies: El Amarna. - -[67] Wilkinson: Modern Egypt, ii. 69. - -[68] Davies: El Amarna. - -[69] It is probable that there was some likeness between Akhnaton’s -temples and those dedicated to the sun in early days, as, for -example that at Abusêr. - -[70] Perhaps this is a part of the royal palace. - -[71] Petrie: El Amarna. - -[72] Petrie: History of Egypt, ii. 219. - -[73] Page 75. - -[74] Page 192. - -[75] She probably married some Egyptian noble, and her future -career is recorded on p. 269. - -[76] The plaster has now fallen off, and little of the original -decoration remains. The tomb is seldom visited by tourists, being -seven miles back from the river; but it is in charge of the -Government custodian. - -[77] The reception of the tribute recorded in the tomb of Meryra -II. (see page 170), although dated in the twelfth year of the -reign, may represent a later event, since six daughters are shown -in the scene; and it is not likely that the sixth daughter was born -before the fifteenth year. Perhaps the date is a misreading or -miswriting, influenced by that given in the tomb of Huya. - -[78] Breasted: History, p. 388. - -[79] It is doubtful whether the second sign is _menkh_ or _ȧa͑_, -they being somewhat alike. - -[80] Page 187. - -[81] The scarab, another symbol from older times, seems to have -been retained, for a gold heart-scarab is said to have been found -in Akhnaton’s tomb.--Petrie: History of Egypt, ii. 220. - -[82] In Egyptian: Ḥeq nefer, Ra͑ setept, Seten bati, A͑nkh em -Mȧa͑t, Neb taui, Akhnaton, Pa sherȧ nefer en Pa Aton a͑nkh, enti -ȧuf a͑nkhu ren ḥeḥ zet. This was all that was written upon the -coffin. - -[83] Probably he is to be identified with Tutu, a well-known noble -of this period--the words _ankhaton_, “Living in Aton,” being added -to make the name more majestic. - -[84] See note on page 67. This inscription is found on the -doorposts of the tomb of Horemheb, which, by the greatly increased -titles, were set up some time after the rest of the tomb was -finished, and thus probably in the reign of Tutankhaton. A fragment -of gold-leaf has recently been found showing this king in his -chariot charging Asiatic enemies. The present writer recently found -part of a shrine of his in the desert on the road to the gold -mines. See ‘Travels in the Upper Egyptian Deserts’ (Blackwood). - -[85] The present writer assisted at the opening of this tomb. -A full account of the find will be published by Mr Davis, and -therefore only a brief description, already published with Mr -Davis’s permission in article form, must be given here. - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, - and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained: for example, - burial-chamber, burial chamber; underworld, under-world; intrust; - unbiassed; engrained. - - Pg xi: ‘ART OF AKHNATION’ replaced by ‘ART OF AKHNATON’. - Pg xii: ‘MAP OF AKHHETATON’ replaced by ‘MAP OF AKHETATON’. - Pg 158: ‘who seens to have’ replaced by ‘who seems to have’. - Pg 178: ‘elaborate footsools’ replaced by ‘elaborate footstools’. - Pg 205: ‘the light rooves’ replaced by ‘the light roofs’. - Pg 236: ‘the Egptian yoke’ replaced by ‘the Egyptian yoke’. - Pg 262 Footnote [82]: ‘In Egytian’ replaced by ‘In Egyptian’. - - Index. - Dushratta: ‘marriage of Nesemmut’ replaced by ‘marriage of Nezemmut’. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life and Times of Akhnaton, by -Arthur Edward Pearse Weigall - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AKHNATON *** - -***** This file should be named 62434-0.txt or 62434-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/4/3/62434/ - -Produced by John Campbell and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Life and Times of Akhnaton - Pharaoh of Egypt - -Author: Arthur Edward Pearse Weigall - -Release Date: June 20, 2020 [EBook #62434] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AKHNATON *** - - - - -Produced by John Campbell and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="transnote"> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Footnote anchors are denoted by <span class="fnanchor">[number]</span>, and the footnotes have been -placed at the end of the book.</p> - -<p>Footnotes <a href="#Footnote_79" class="fnanchor">[79]</a> and <a href="#Footnote_82" class="fnanchor">[82]</a> -have a translation of some heiroglyphic words, -using several accented characters. These will display, using Unicode -combining diacriticals, on this device as<br /> -<span class="pad2">ȧ (a with dot above)</span><br /> -<span class="pad2">ḥ and Ḥ (h and H with dot below)</span><br /> -<span class="pad2">a͑ and A͑ (a and A with half left circle above)</span></p> - -<p class="customcover">The cover image was created by the transcriber -and is placed in the public domain.</p> - -<p>Some minor changes to the text are noted at the <a href="#TN">end of the book.</a></p> -</div> - - -<div class="bbox pg-brk"> -<p class="p2 pfs90"><em>BY THE SAME AUTHOR.</em></p> - -<p class="pfs80">Crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. net. With numerous Illustrations.</p> - - -<p class="pfs135">TRAVELS IN THE<br /> -UPPER EGYPTIAN DESERTS.</p> - -<hr class="r20a" /> - -<div class="blockquotx"> - -<p>“Since the times of Eliot Warburton and Kinglake many -writers have celebrated the delights of travel in the desert. -None, I think, has realised the fascination of the desert more -fully than Mr Weigall.”—<cite>Westminster Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">John Ward</span>, F.S.A. (author of ‘Pyramids and Progress,’ -&c.), writes: “... The very best book of travel ... I -have seen for years; so interesting that it can be read with -pleasure by people who know not Egypt, and so unpretendingly -scientific ... that to one who is an expert Egyptologist it is a -treasure-trove. The language is so clear, the descriptive portions -so graphic, and yet the style so simple, that the work is, in its -way, a masterpiece. Then the clear type, the handy size, and the -exquisite photographs make the book a rare possession.”</p></div> - -<hr class="r20a" /> - -<p class="pfs80">Demy 8vo. With Illustrations. 7s. 6d. net.</p> - -<p class="pfs70">“Interesting and readable in no common degree.”—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p class="pfs135">THE TREASURY<br /> -OF ANCIENT EGYPT.</p> - -<p class="pfs80 bold">Chapters on Ancient Egyptian History and -Archæology.</p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> - -<p>Mr Weigall has performed a remarkable literary feat. He has -truly made dry bones live, and has presented his researches in -Egyptology in a manner so fascinating as to arouse the enthusiasm -of the patrons of the circulating libraries. Of this volume it -is enough to say that it is worthy of the author of ‘The Life and -Times of Akhnaton.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20a" /> - -<p class="pfs70">WM. BLACKWOOD & SONS, <span class="smcap">Edinburgh and London</span>.</p> -</div> - - -<div class="figcenter pg-brk"> -<a name="FP" id="FP"></a> -<p class="p4" /> -<img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" width="800" alt="Frontispiece" /> -<div class="captionx"> -PAVEMENT DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III.</div> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p class="p10" /> -<h1>The Life and Times of<br /> -<span class="fs120">Akhnaton</span></h1> -<p class="p10" /> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> - -<p class="pfs180 wsp">The Life and Times of</p> - -<p class="pfs240 lsp">Akhnaton</p> - -<p class="p1 pfs135">Pharaoh of Egypt</p> - -<p class="p6 pfs60">BY</p> - -<p class="pfs135 lsp">ARTHUR E. P. WEIGALL</p> - -<p class="pfs70">CHIEF INSPECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, UPPER EGYPT</p> - -<p class="pfs60">AUTHOR OF ‘A REPORT ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF LOWER NUBIA,’ ‘A CATALOGUE OF THE<br /> -WEIGHTS AND BALANCES IN THE CAIRO MUSEUM,’ ‘A GUIDE TO THE ANTIQUITIES<br /> -OF UPPER EGYPT,’ ‘DIE MASTABA DES GEMNIKAI’ (WITH PROFESSOR VON<br /> -BISSING), ‘TRAVELS IN THE UPPER EGYPTIAN DESERTS,’ ETC.</p> - -<p class="p3" /> -<div class="blockquoty"> -<p>“Ye ask who are those that draw us to the Kingdom if the Kingdom -is in Heaven? The fowls of the air, and all the beasts that are -under the earth or upon the earth, and the fishes of the sea, these are -they which draw you, and the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”</p> - -<p class="pad4">—<span class="smcap">Grenfell and Hunt</span>: <cite>Oxyrhynchus Papyri</cite>, iv. 6.</p> -</div> - -<p class="p4 pfs70">SECOND IMPRESSION</p> - -<p class="p2 pfs135 wsp lsp">William Blackwood and Sons<br /> -<span class="fs90">Edinburgh and London</span><br /> -<span class="fs80">1911</span></p> - -<p class="p3 fs70 pad4"><em>ALL RIGHTS RESERVED</em></p> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p class="p10" /> - -<p class="pfs80"><em>TO</em></p> - -<p class="p1 pfs120 lsp"><em>THEODORE M. DAVIS,</em></p> - -<p class="p2 pfs80"><em>THE DISCOVERER OF</em></p> -<p class="p1 pfs80"><em>THE BONES OF AKHNATON</em>,</p> - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">This Book is Dedicated.</p> -<p class="p10" /> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk"><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<hr class="r15" /> - -<div class="fs70"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="tdl"></td><td class="tdr fs80">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl fs135">INTRODUCTION</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135" colspan="2">I.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135" colspan="2">THE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS OF AKHNATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE ANCESTORS OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. THE GODS OF EGYPT</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. THE DEMIGODS AND SPIRITS—THE PRIESTHOODS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_18">18</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THOTHMES IV. AND MUTEMUA</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. YUAA AND TUAU</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. AMONHOTEP III. AND HIS COURT</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_33">33</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">II.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">THE BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS OF AKHNATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE BIRTH OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_42">42</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. THE RISE OF ATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_45">45</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. THE POWER OF QUEEN TIY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. AKHNATON’S MARRIAGE</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. THE ACCESSION OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. THE FIRST YEARS OF AKHNATON’S REIGN</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">7. THE NEW ART</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_68">68</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">8. THE NEW RELIGION DEVELOPS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">9. THE NATURE OF THE NEW RELIGION</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_84">84</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">III.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">AKHNATON FOUNDS A NEW CITY.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE BREAK WITH THE PRIESTHOOD OF AMON-RA</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_88">88</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. AKHNATON SELECTS THE SITE OF HIS CITY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_92">92</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. THE FIRST FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THE SECOND FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. THE DEPARTURE FROM THEBES</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_105">105</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. THE AGE OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">IV.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">AKHNATON FORMULATES THE RELIGION OF ATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. ATON THE TRUE GOD</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_115">115</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. ATON THE TENDER FATHER OF ALL CREATION</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. ATON WORSHIPPED AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THE GOODNESS OF ATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_127">127</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. AKHNATON THE “SON OF GOD” BY TRADITIONAL RIGHT</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_130">130</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. THE CONNECTIONS OF THE ATON WORSHIP WITH OLDER RELIGIONS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">7. THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_138">138</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">8. THE MATERIAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">V.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">THE TENTH TO THE TWELFTH YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE HYMNS OF THE ATON WORSHIPPERS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. THE SIMILARITY OF AKHNATON’S HYMN TO PSALM CIV.</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_155">155</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. MERYRA IS MADE HIGH PRIEST OF ATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THE ROYAL FAMILY VISIT THE TEMPLE</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_162">162</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. AKHNATON IN HIS PALACE</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_167">167</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. HISTORICAL EVENTS OF THIS PERIOD OF AKHNATON’S REIGN</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_169">169</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">7. QUEEN TIY VISITS THE CITY OF THE HORIZON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_176">176</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">8. TIY VISITS HER TEMPLE</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_182">182</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">9. THE DEATH OF QUEEN TIY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_184">184</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">VI.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">THE THIRTEENTH TO THE FIFTEENTH YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RELIGION OF ATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_189">189</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. AKHNATON OBLITERATES THE NAME OF AMON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_193">193</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_198">198</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. AKHNATON’S AFFECTION FOR HIS FAMILY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_208">208</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. AKHNATON’S FRIENDS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_213">213</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">7. AKHNATON’S TROUBLES</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_217">217</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">VII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">THE LAST TWO YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE HITTITE INVASION OF SYRIA</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_223">223</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. AKHNATON’S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONS TO WARFARE</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_226">226</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. THE FAITHLESSNESS OF AZIRU</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_230">230</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THE FIGHTING IN SYRIA BECOMES GENERAL</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_235">235</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. AZIRU AND RIBADDI FIGHT TO A FINISH</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_239">239</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">6. AKHNATON CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO SEND HELP</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_243">243</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">7. AKHNATON’S HEALTH GIVES WAY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_246">246</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">8. AKHNATON’S LAST DAYS AND DEATH</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_252">252</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">VIII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs135">THE FALL OF THE RELIGION OF AKHNATON.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. THE BURIAL OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_258">258</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. THE COURT RETURNS TO THEBES</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_264">264</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. THE REIGN OF HOREMHEB</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_268">268</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. THE PERSECUTION OF AKHNATON’S MEMORY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_272">272</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. THE FINDING OF THE BODY OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_276">276</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl pad4">INDEX</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_285">285</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span><br /> - <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk">ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> - -<hr class="r15" /> - -<div class="fs70"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="tdl"></td><td class="tdr fs80">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">PAVEMENT DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III. (<em>coloured</em>)</td><td class="tdr fs80"><a href="#FP"><em>Frontispiece</em></a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">CEILING DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III. (<em>coloured</em>)</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THOTHMES IV. SLAYING ASIATICS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_22">22</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">TUAU, GRANDMOTHER OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_26">26</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">CHEST BELONGING TO YUAA</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">QUEEN TIY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_30">30</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">YUAA, GRANDFATHER OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_32">32</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AMONHOTEP-SON-OF-HAPU, THE “WISE MAN” OF THE COURT OF AMONHOTEP III.</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_34">34</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">SITE OF THE PALACE OF QUEEN TIY</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">COFFIN OF YUAA</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AMONHOTEP III.</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'THE ART OF AKHNATION'">THE ART OF AKHNATON</ins> COMPARED WITH ARCHAIC ART</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE ARTIST AUTA</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AKHNATON AND NEFERTITI WITH THEIR THREE DAUGHTERS</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE HEAD OF THE MUMMY OF THOTHMES IV., THE GRANDFATHER OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AKHNATON DRIVING WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_130">130</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AKHNATON AND HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></span> - AN EXAMPLE OF THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN SYRIA</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AND EGYPT</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">CARVED WOODEN CHAIR, THE DESIGNS PARTLY COVERED WITH GOLD-LEAF</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AKHNATON. (<em>From a Statuette in the Louvre</em>)</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_206">206</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">HEAD OF AKHNATON’S DAUGHTER</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_208">208</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">LETTER FROM RIBADDI TO THE KING OF EGYPT, REPORTING THE PROGRESS OF THE REBELLION UNDER AZIRU. (<cite>British Museum, No. 29,801</cite>)</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_234">234</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">DEATH MASK OF AKHNATON</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_258">258</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE TEMPLE AT LUXOR</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_270">270</a></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'MAP OF AKHHETATON'">MAP OF AKHETATON</ins>, THE CITY OF THE HORIZON OF ATON (TEL EL AMARNA)</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#MAP"><em>At end.</em></a></td></tr> -</table></div> -<p class="p4" /> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p class="p10" /> - -<div class="blockquotz"> -<p>“How much Akhnaton understood we cannot say, -but he had certainly bounded forward in his views -and symbolism to a position which we cannot logically -improve upon at the present day.”—<span class="smcap">Petrie</span>: -‘History of Egypt.’</p></div> - -<p class="p10" /> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> -<p class="p6" /> - -<p class="pfs150">THE LIFE AND TIMES OF<br />AKHNATON.</p> - -<hr class="r10" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs100"><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">INTRODUCTION.</a></h2> - - -<p class="noindent">The reign of Akhnaton, for seventeen years -Pharaoh of Egypt (from <span class="fs70">B.C.</span> 1375 to 1358), -stands out as the most interesting epoch in -the long sequence of Egyptian history. We -have watched the endless line of dim Pharaohs -go by, each lit momentarily by the pale lamp of -our present knowledge, and most of them have -left little impression upon the mind. They are -so misty and far off, they have been dead and -gone for such thousands of years, that they have -almost entirely lost their individuality. We call -out some royal name, and in response a vague<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> -figure passes into view, stiffly moves its arms, -and passes again into the darkness. With one -there comes the muffled noise of battle; with -another there is singing and the sound of music; -with yet another the wailing of the oppressed -drifts by. But at the name Akhnaton there -emerges from the darkness a figure more clear -than that of any other Pharaoh, and with it -there comes the singing of birds, the laughter of -children, and the scent of many flowers. For -once we may look right into the mind of a king -of Egypt and may see something of its workings; -and all that is there observed is worthy -of admiration. Akhnaton has been called “the -first individual in human history”;<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> but if he is -thus the first historical figure whose personality -is known to us, he is also the first of all human -founders of religious doctrines. Akhnaton may -be ranked in degree of time, and perhaps also in -degree of genius, as the world’s first idealist; -and, since in all ancient Oriental research there -never has been, and probably never will be,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -brought before us a subject of such intellectual -interest as this Pharaoh’s religious revolution, -which marks the first point in the study of -advanced human thought, a careful consideration -of this short reign deserves to be made.</p> - -<p>The following pages do not pretend to do more -than acquaint the reader with the subject, at a -time when, owing to the recent discovery of the -Pharaoh’s bones, some interest may have been -aroused in his career. A series of volumes have -lately been issued by the Egypt Exploration -Fund,<a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> in which accurate copies are to be found -of the reliefs, paintings, and inscriptions upon the -walls of the tombs of some of Akhnaton’s disciples -and followers. In the year 1893 Professor Flinders -Petrie excavated the site of the city which the -Pharaoh founded, and published the results of his -work in a volume entitled ‘Tell el Amarna.’<a name="FNanchor_3" id="FNanchor_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> -Recently Professor J. H. Breasted has devoted -some space to a masterly study of this period -in his ‘History of Egypt’ and ‘Ancient Records<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -of Egypt.’<a name="FNanchor_4" id="FNanchor_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> From these publications the reader -will be able to refer himself to the remaining -literature dealing with the subject; but he -should bear in mind that the discovery<a name="FNanchor_5" id="FNanchor_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> of the -bones of Akhnaton himself, which have shown -us how old he was when he died—namely, -about twenty-eight years of age,—have modified -many of the deductions there made. Those who -have travelled in Egypt will probably have -visited the site of Akhnaton’s city, near the -modern village of El Amarna; and in the -museums of Cairo, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, -Leiden, and elsewhere, they will perhaps have -seen some of the relics of his age.</p> - -<p>During the last few years an extraordinary -series of discoveries has been made in the Valley -of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes. In 1903 -the tomb of Thothmes IV., the paternal grandfather<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -of Akhnaton, was discovered; in 1905 the -tomb of Yuaa and Tuau, the maternal grandparents -of Akhnaton, was found; in 1907 Akhnaton’s -body was discovered in the tomb of his -mother, Queen Tiy; and in 1908 the tomb of the -Pharaoh Horemheb, one of the immediate successors -of Akhnaton, was brought to light. At -all but the first of these discoveries the present -writer had the pleasure of assisting; and a particular -interest in the period was thus engendered, -of which the following sketch, prepared during -an Upper Egyptian summer, is an outcome. It -must be understood, however, that a volume -written at such times as the exigencies of -official work allowed—partly in the shade of -the rocks beside the Nile, partly at railway-stations -or in the train, partly amidst the ruins -of ancient temples, and partly in the darkened -rooms of official quarters—cannot claim the -value of a treatise prepared in an English study -where books of reference are always at hand. It -is hoped, however, that no errors have been made -in the statement of the facts; and the deductions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -drawn therefrom are frankly open to the reader’s -criticism. There will certainly be no two opinions -as to the acknowledgment of the originality, the -power, and the idealism of the Pharaoh whose -life is now to be outlined.<a name="FNanchor_6" id="FNanchor_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="I" id="I"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">I.</a><br /> - -THE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS -OF AKHNATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE ANCESTORS OF AKHNATON.</h3> - -<p class="noindent">The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egyptian kings took -possession of the throne of the Pharaohs in -the year 1580 <span class="fs70">B.C.</span>, over thirteen hundred -years after the buildings of the great pyramids, -and some two thousand years after the beginning -of dynastic history in the Nile Valley. The -founder of the dynasty was the Pharaoh -Aahmes I. He drove out the Asiatics who -had overrun the country during the previous -century, and pursued them into the heart of -Syria. His successor, Amonhotep I., penetrated -as far as the territory between the -Orontes and the Euphrates; and the next<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -king, Thothmes I., was able to set his boundary-stone -at the northern limits of Syria, and -thus could call himself the ruler of the entire -east end of the Mediterranean, the emperor -of all the countries from Asia Minor to the -Sudan. Thothmes II., the succeeding Pharaoh, -was occupied with wars in his southern dominions; -but his successor, the famous Queen -Hatshepsut, was able to devote the years -of her reign to the arts of peace.</p> - -<p>She was followed by the great warrior -Thothmes III., who conducted campaign after -campaign in Syria, and raised the prestige -of Egypt to a point never attained before -or after that time. Every year he returned -to Thebes, his capital, laden with the spoils -of Asia. From the capture of the city of -Megiddo alone he carried away 924 splendid -chariots, 2238 horses, 2400 head of various -kinds of cattle, 200 shining suits of armour, -including those of two kings, quantities of -gold and silver, the royal sceptre, the gorgeous -tent of one of the kings, and many minor -articles. Booty of like value was brought in -from other shattered kingdoms, and the Egyptian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -treasuries were full to overflowing. The temples -of the gods also received their share of the -riches, and their altars groaned under the -weight of the offerings. Cyprus, Crete, and -perhaps the islands of the Ægean, sent their -yearly tribute to Thebes, whose streets, for -the first time in their history, were thronged -with foreigners. Here were to be seen the -long-robed Asiatics bearing vases fresh from -the hands of Tyrian craftsmen; here were -chariots mounted with gold and electrum -drawn by prancing Syrian horses; here were -Phœnician merchants with their precious wares -stripped from the kingdoms of the sea; here -were negroes bearing their barbaric treasures -to the palace. The Egyptian soldiers held -their heads high as they walked through these -streets, for they were feared by all the world. -The talk was everywhere of conquest, and the -tales of adventure now related remained current -in Egypt for many a century. War-songs were -composed, and hymns of battle were inscribed -upon the temple walls. The spirit of the age -will be seen in the following lines, in which -the god Amon addresses Thothmes III.:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“I have come, giving thee to smite the princes of Zahi,</p> -<p class="verse0">I have hurled them beneath thy feet among their highlands....</p> -<p class="verse0">Thou hast trampled those who are in the districts of Punt,</p> -<p class="verse0">I have made them see thy majesty as a circling star....</p> -<p class="verse0">Crete and Cyprus are in terror....</p> -<p class="verse0">Those who are in the midst of the great sea hear thy roarings;</p> -<p class="verse0">I have made them see thy majesty as an avenger,</p> -<p class="verse0">Rising upon the back of his slain victim....</p> -<p class="verse0">I have made them see thy majesty as a fierce-eyed lion,</p> -<p class="verse0">While thou makest them corpses in their valleys....”</p> -</div></div> - -<p>It was a fierce and a splendid age—the zenith -of Egypt’s great history. The next king, Amonhotep -II., carried on the conquests with a degree -of ferocity not previously apparent. He himself -was a man of great physical strength, who could -draw a bow which none of his soldiers could -use. He led his armies into his restless Asiatic -dominions, and having captured seven rebellious -Syrian kings, he hung them head downwards -from the prow of his galley as he approached -Thebes, and later sacrificed six of them to Amon -with his own hand. The seventh he carried up -to a distant city of the Sudan, and there hung -him upon the gateway as a warning to all -rebels. Dying in the year 1420 <span class="fs70">B.C.</span>, he left the -throne to his son, Thothmes IV., the grandfather<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -of Akhnaton, who at his accession was about -eighteen years of age.<a name="FNanchor_7" id="FNanchor_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> - - -<h3>2. THE GODS OF EGYPT.</h3> - -<p>With the reign of Thothmes IV. we reach a -period of history in which the beginnings are to -be observed of certain religious movements, which -become more apparent in the time of his son -Amonhotep III. and his grandson Akhnaton. -We must look, therefore, more closely at the -events of this reign, and must especially observe -their religious aspect. For this reason, and also -in order that the reader may the more readily -appreciate, by contrast, the pure teachings of -the Pharaoh whose life forms the subject of the -following pages, it will be necessary to glance at -the nature of the religions which now held sway. -Egypt had at this time existed as a civilised -nation for over two thousand years, during the -whole of which period these religious beliefs had -been developing; and now they were so engrained -in the hearts of the people that changes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -however slight, assumed revolutionary proportions, -requiring a master-mind for their initiation, and -a hand of iron for their carrying into execution. -At the time of which we now write, this mind -and this hand had not yet come into existence, -and the old gods of Egypt were at the zenith -of their power.</p> - -<p>Of these gods Amon, the presiding deity of -Thebes, was the most powerful. He had been -originally the tribal god of the Thebans, but -when that city had become the capital of Egypt, -he had risen to be the state god of the country. -The sun-god Ra, or Ra-Horakhti, originally the -deity of Heliopolis, a city not far from the -modern Cairo, had been the state god in earlier -times, and the priests of Amon contrived to -identify the two deities under the name “Amon-Ra, -King of the Gods.” Amon had several -forms. He was usually regarded as a man of -shining countenance, upon whose head two tall -feathers arose from a golden cap. Sometimes, -however, he assumed the form of a heavy-horned -ram. Sometimes, again, he adopted the appearance -of a brother god, named Min, who was later -identified with the Greek Pan; and it may be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -mentioned in passing that the goat-form of the -Greek deity may have been derived from this -Min-Amon of the Thebans. On occasions Amon -would take upon himself the likeness of the -reigning Pharaoh, choosing a moment when the -monarch was away or was asleep, and in this -manner he would obtain admittance to the -queen’s bed-chamber. Amonhotep III. himself -was said to be the son of a union of this -nature, though at the same time he did not -deny that his earthly father was Thothmes IV. -Amon delighted in battle, and gave willing assistance -to the Pharaohs as they clubbed the -heads of their enemies or cut their throats. It -is possible that, like other of the Egyptian gods, -he was but a deified chieftain of the prehistoric -period whose love of battle had never been -forgotten.</p> - -<p>The goddess Mut, “the Mother,” was the -consort of Amon, who would sometimes come -to earth to nurse the king’s son at her breast. -By Amon she had a son, Khonsu, who formed -the third member of the Theban trinity. He -was the god of the Moon, and was very fair -to look upon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> - -<p>Such were the Theban deities, whose influence -upon the court was necessarily great. The Heliopolitan -worship of the sun had also a very considerable -degree of power at the palace. The -god Ra was believed to have reigned as Pharaoh -upon earth in the dim ages of the past, and -it was thought that the successive sovereigns -of Egypt were his direct descendants, though -this tradition actually did not date from a period -earlier than the Fifth Dynasty. “Son of the -Sun” was one of the proudest titles of the -Pharaohs, and the personal name of each successive -monarch was held by him in the official -titulary as the representative of Ra. While on -earth Ra had had the misfortune to be bitten -by a snake, and had been cured by the goddess -Isis, who had demanded in return the revealing -of the god’s magical name. This was at last -told her; but for fear that the secret would -come to the ears of his subjects, Ra decided to -bring about a general massacre of mankind. The -slaughter was carried out by the goddess Hathor -in her form of Sekhmet, a fierce lion-headed -woman, who delighted to wade in streams of -blood; but when only the half of mankind had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -been slain, Ra repented, and brought the massacre -to an end by causing the goddess to become -drunk, by means of a gruesome potion of -blood and wine. Weary, however, with the cares -of state, he decided to retire into the heavens, -and there, as the sun, he daily sailed in his boat -from horizon to horizon. At dawn he was called -Khepera, and had the form of a beetle; at noon -he was Ra; and at sunset he took the name -of Atum, a word derived from the Syrian Adon, -“Lord,” better known to us in its Greek translation -“Adonis.” As the rising and the setting -sun—that is to say, the sun near the horizon—he -was called Ra-Horakhti, a name which the -reader must bear in mind.</p> - -<p>The goddess Isis, mentioned in the above -tradition, was the consort of Osiris, originally -a Lower Egyptian deity. Like Ra, this god -had also reigned upon earth, but had been -murdered by his brother Set, his death being -ultimately revenged by his son Horus, the -hawk. Thus Osiris, Isis, and Horus formed a -trinity, which at this time was mainly worshipped -at Abydos, a city of Upper Egypt, where -it was thought that Osiris had been buried.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -Having thus ceased to live upon earth, Osiris -became the great King of the Underworld, and -all persons prayed to him for their future welfare -after death.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Horus, the hawk, was the tribal -god of more than one city. At Edfu he was -worshipped as the conqueror of Set; and in this -manifestation he was the husband of Hathor, -the lady of Dendereh, a city some considerable -distance from Edfu. At Ombos, however, Set -was worshipped, and in the local religion there -was no trace of aught but the most friendly -relations between Set and Horus. The goddess -Hathor, at the same time, had become patron -of the Western Hills, and in one of her earthly -forms—namely, that of a cow—she is often seen -emerging from her cavern in the cliffs.</p> - -<p>At Memphis the tribal god was the little -dwarf Ptah, the European Vulcan, the blacksmith, -the artificer, and the potter of the gods. -In this city also, as in many other districts of -Egypt, there was a sacred bull, here called Apis, -who was worshipped with divine honours and -was regarded as an aspect of Ptah. At Elephantine -a ram-headed deity named Khnum<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -was adored, and there was a sacred ram kept -in his temple for ceremonial purposes. As -Khnum had some connection with the First -Cataract of the Nile, which is situated near -Elephantine, he was regarded as of some importance -throughout Egypt. Moreover, he was -supposed by some to have used the mud at the -bottom of the Nile to form the first human -being, and thus he found a place in the mythology -of several districts.</p> - -<p>A vulture, named Nekheb, was the tribal -deity of the trading city of Eileithiaspolis; a -ferocious crocodile, Sebek, was the god of a -second city of the name of Ombos; an ibis, -Thoth, was that of Hermopolis; a cat, Bast, -that of Bubastis; and so on—almost every city -having its tribal god. Besides these there were -other more abstract deities: Nut, the heavens, -who, in the form of a woman, spread herself -across the sky; Seb, the earth; Shu, the vastness -of space; and so forth. The old gods of -Egypt were indeed a multitude. Here were -those who had marched into the country at -the head of conquering tribes; here were -ancient heroes and Chieftains individually deified,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -or often identified with the god whom -their tribe had served; here were the elements -personified; here the orbs of heaven which -man could see above him. As intercourse -between city and city became more general, -one set of beliefs had been brought into line -with another, and myths had developed to -explain the discrepancies. Thus in the time -of Thothmes IV. the heavens were crowded -with gods; but standing above them all, the -reader will do well to familiarise himself with -the figure of Amon-Ra, the god of Thebes, -and with Ra-Horakhti, the god of Heliopolis. -In the following pages the lesser denizens of -the Egyptian Olympus play no great part, save -as a routed army hurled back into the ignorant -darkness from which they came.</p> - - -<h3>3. THE DEMIGODS AND SPIRITS—THE -PRIESTHOODS.</h3> - -<p>The sacred bulls and rams mentioned above -were relics of an ancient animal-worship, the -origin of which is lost in the obscurity of prehistory.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -The Egyptians paid homage to a variety -of animals, and almost every city or district -possessed its particular species to which special -protection was extended. At Hermopolis and -in other parts of Egypt the baboon was sacred, -as well as the ibis, which typified the god Thoth. -Cats were sacred both at Bubastis, where the cat-goddess, -Bast, resided, and in various other districts. -Crocodiles were very generally held in -reverence, and several river fish were thus -treated. The snake was much feared and -reverenced; and, as a pertinent example of this -superstition, it may be mentioned that Amonhotep III., -the father of Akhnaton, placed a -figure of the agathodemon serpent in a temple -at Benha. The cobra was reverenced as the -symbol of Uazet, the goddess of the Delta, and, -first used as a royal emblem by the archaic -kings of that country, it became the main -emblem of sovereignty in Pharaonic times. It -is unnecessary here to look more closely at this -aspect of Egyptian religion; and but a word -need be said of the thousand demons and spirits -which, together with the gods and the sacred -animals, crowded the regions of the unknown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -Many were the names which the magician might -call upon in the hour of his need, and many -were the awful forms which the soul of a man -who had died was liable to meet. Osiris, the -great god of the dead, was served by four such -genii, and under his authority there sat no less -than forty-two terrible demons whose business -it was to judge the quavering soul. The -numerous gates of the underworld were guarded -by monsters whose names alone would strike -terror into the heart, and the unfortunate soul -had to repeat endless and peculiarly tedious -formulæ before admittance was granted.</p> - -<p>To minister to these hosts of heaven there -had of necessity to be vast numbers of priests. -At Thebes the priesthood of Amon formed an -organisation of such power and wealth that the -actions of the Pharaoh had largely come to be -controlled by it. The High Priest of Amon-Ra -was one of the most important personages in -the land, and his immediate subordinates, the -Second, Third, and Fourth Priests, as they were -called, were usually nobles of the highest rank. -The High Priest of Amon was at this period -often Grand Vizir also, and thus combined the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -highest civil appointment with the highest -sacerdotal office. The priesthood of Ra at -Heliopolis, although of far less power than that -of Amon, was also a body of great importance. -The High Priest was known as “the Great -One of Visions,” and he was probably less of a -politician and more of a priest than his Theban -colleague. The High Priest of Ptah at Memphis -was called “the Great Master Artificer,” Ptah -being the Vulcan of Egypt. He, however, and -the many other high priests of the various gods, -did not rank with the two great leaders of the -Amon and the Ra priesthoods.</p> - - -<h3>4. THOTHMES IV. AND MUTEMUA.</h3> - -<p>When Thothmes IV. ascended the throne he -was confronted by a very serious political problem. -The Heliopolitan priesthood at this time -was chafing against the power of Amon, and -was striving to restore the somewhat fallen -prestige of its own god Ra, who in the far -past had been the supreme deity of Egypt, but -had now to play an annoying second to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -Theban god. Thothmes IV., as we shall -presently be told by Akhnaton himself,<a name="FNanchor_8" id="FNanchor_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> did -not altogether approve of the political character -of the Amon priesthood, and it may have been -due to this dissatisfaction that he undertook -the repairing of the great Sphinx at Gizeh, -which was in the care of the priests of Heliopolis. -The sphinx was thought to represent a -combination of the Heliopolitan gods Horakhti, -Khepera, Ra, and Atum, who have been -mentioned above; and, according to a later -tradition, Thothmes IV. had obtained the throne -over the heads of his elder brothers through -the mediation of the Sphinx—that is to say, -through that of the Heliopolitan priests. By -them he was called “Son of Atum and Protector -of Horakhte, ... who purifies Heliopolis and -satisfies Ra,”<a name="FNanchor_9" id="FNanchor_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> and it seems that they looked -to him to restore to them their lost power. The -Pharaoh, however, was a physical weakling, whose -small amount of energy was entirely expended -upon his army, which he greatly loved, and -which he led into Syria and into the Sudan. -His brief reign of somewhat over eight years,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -from 1420 to 1411 <span class="fs70">B.C.</span>, marks but the indecisive -beginnings of the struggle between Amon and -Ra, which culminated in the early years of the -reign of his grandson Akhnaton.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_022_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Thothmes IV. slaying Asiatics.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>Some time before he came to the throne he had -married a daughter of the King of Mitanni, a -North-Syrian state which acted as a buffer -between the Egyptian possessions in Syria and -the hostile lands of Asia Minor and Mesopotamia, -and which it was desirable, therefore, to placate -by such a union. There is little doubt that this -princess is to be identified with the Queen -Mutemua, of whom several monuments exist, and -who was the mother of Amonhotep III., the -son and successor of Thothmes IV. A foreign -element was thus introduced into the court which -much altered its character, and led to numerous -changes of a very radical nature. It may be that -this Asiatic influence induced the Pharaoh to give -further encouragement to the priest of Heliopolis. -The god Atum, the aspect of Ra as the setting -sun, was, as has been said, of common origin with -Aton or Adonis, who was largely worshipped in -North Syria; and the foreign queen with her -retinue may have therefore felt more sympathy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -with Heliopolis than with Thebes. Moreover, -it was the Asiatic tendency to speculate in -religious questions, and the doctrines of the -priests of the northern god were more flexible -and more adaptable to the thinker than was -the stiff, formal creed of Amon. Thus, the foreign -thought which had now been introduced into -Egypt, and especially into the palace, may have -contributed somewhat to the dissatisfaction with -the state religion which becomes apparent during -this reign.</p> - -<p>Very little is known of the character of -Thothmes IV., and nothing which bears upon -that of his grandson Akhnaton is to be ascertained. -Although of feeble health and unmanly -physique, he was a fond upholder of the martial -dignity of Egypt. He delighted to honour the -memory of those Pharaohs of the past who had -achieved the greatest fame as warriors. Thus he -restored the monuments of Thothmes III., of -Aahmes I., and of Senusert III.,<a name="FNanchor_10" id="FNanchor_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> the three -greatest military leaders of Egyptian history. -As a decoration for his chariot there were scenes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -representing him trampling upon his foes; and -when he died many weapons of war were buried -with him. Of Queen Mutemua’s character -nothing is known; and the attention of the -reader may at once be carried on to Akhnaton’s -maternal grandparents, the father and mother -of Queen Tiy.</p> - - -<h3>5. YUAA AND TUAU.</h3> - -<p>Somewhere about the year 1470 <span class="fs70">B.C.</span>, while the -great Thothmes III. was campaigning in Syria, -the child was born who was destined to become -the grandfather of the most remarkable of all -the Pharaohs of Egypt. Neither the names of -the parents nor the place of birth are known; -and the reader will presently find that it is not -easy to say whether the child was an Egyptian -or a foreigner. His name is written Aau, Aay, -Aai, Ayu, A-aa, Yaa, Yau, and most commonly -Yuaa; and this variety of spelling seems rather -to indicate that its pronunciation, being foreign, -did not permit of a correct rendering in Egyptian -letters. He must have been some twenty years -of age when Thothmes III. died; and thus it is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -quite possible that he was one of those Syrian -princes whom the Pharaoh brought back to Egypt -from the courts of Asia to be educated in the -Egyptian manner. Some of these hostages who -were not direct heirs to Syrian thrones may -have taken up their permanent residence on the -banks of the Nile, where it is certain that a fair -number of their countrymen were settled for -business and other purposes. During the reign -of Amonhotep II., Yuaa must have passed the -prime years of his life, and at that king’s death -he had probably reached about the forty-fifth -year of his age. He had married a woman called -by the common Egyptian name of Tuau, regarding -whose nationality there is, therefore, not -much question. Two children were born of the -marriage, the first a boy who was named Aanen, -and the second a girl named Tiy, who later -became the great queen. Tiy was probably a -little girl some two years old when Thothmes IV. -came to the throne, and as her parents both -held appointments at court, she must have presently -received those first impressions of royal -luxury which influenced her childhood and her -whole life.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_026_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Tuau, grandmother of Akhnaton.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>At this time Yuaa held the sacerdotal office of -Priest of Min, one of the most ancient of the -Egyptian gods. Min, who had many of the -characteristics of, and was later identified with, -the Greek Pan, was worshipped at three or four -cities of Upper Egypt, and throughout the Eastern -Desert to the Red Sea coast. He was the god -of fecundity, fertility, generation, reproduction, -and the like, in the human, animal, and vegetable -worlds. In his form of Min-Ra he was a -god of the sun, whose fertilising rays made -pregnant the whole earth. He was more noble -than the Greek Pan, and represented the pristine -desires of lawful reproduction in the family, rather -than the erotic instincts for which the Greek -god was famous. Were one to compare him -with any of the gods of the countries neighbouring -to Egypt, he would be found to have as -much likeness to the above-mentioned Adonis, -who in North Syria was a god of vegetation, -as to any other deity. This fact offers food for -some thought, for if Yuaa was a foreigner, hailing, -as may be supposed, from Syria, there would -have been no Egyptian god, except Atum, to -whose service he would have attached himself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -so readily as to that of Min. Although a tribal -god, Min was not essentially the protector and -upholder of Egyptian rights and Egyptian prejudices. -He was, in one form or another, universal; -and he must have appealed to the sense -and the senses of Syrian and Egyptian alike.</p> - -<p>At this time, as we have seen, the priests of -Amon, whose wealth had brought corruption in -its train, were under the cloud of royal displeasure, -and the court was beginning to display -a desire to rid itself of an influence which -was daily becoming less exalted. It may be -that Yuaa, upholding the doctrines of Min and -of Adonis, had some connection with this movement, -for he was now a personage of considerable -importance at the palace. He may have -already held the title of Prince or Duke, by -which he is called in his funeral inscriptions; -and one may suppose that he was a favourite -of the young king, Thothmes IV., and of his -wife, Queen Mutemua, whose blood was soon -to unite with his own in the person of Akhnaton. -When Thothmes IV. died at the age of twenty-six, -and his son Amonhotep III., a boy of -twelve years of age, came to the throne, Yuaa<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -was a man of over fifty, and his little daughter -Tiy was a girl of marriageable age according -to Egyptian ideas, being about ten years old.<a name="FNanchor_11" id="FNanchor_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_028_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Chest belonging to Yuaa.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>The court at this time was more or less under -the influence of the now Queen-Regent Mutemua -and her advisers, for Amonhotep III. was still -too young to be allowed to go entirely his own -way, and amongst those advisers it seems evident -that Yuaa was to be numbered. Now the boy-king -had not been on the throne more than a -year, if as much, when, with feasting and ceremony, -he was married to Tiy; and Yuaa and -Tuau became the proud parents-in-law of the -Pharaoh.</p> - -<p>It is necessary to consider the significance of -the marriage. The royal pair were the merest -children; and it is impossible to suppose that -the marriage was not arranged for them by -their guardians. If Amonhotep at this early -age had simply fallen in love with this girl, -with whom probably he had been brought up, -he, no doubt, would have insisted on marrying -her, and she would have been placed in his -<em>harîm</em>. But she became his Great Queen, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -placed on the throne beside him, and received -honours which no other queen of the most -royal blood had ever received before. It is -clear that the king’s advisers would never have -permitted this had Tiy been but the pretty -daughter of a noble of the court. There must -have been something in her parentage which -entitled her to these honours and caused her -to be chosen deliberately as queen.</p> - -<p>There are several possibilities. Tuau may have -had royal blood in her veins, and may have been, -for instance, the granddaughter of Thothmes -III., to whom she bears some likeness in face. -Queen Tiy is often called “Royal Daughter” as -well as “Royal Wife”; and it is possible that -this is to be taken literally. In a letter sent by -Dushratta, King of Mitanni, to Akhnaton, Tiy is -called “my sister and thy mother”; and though -it is possible that the word “sister” is here used -to indicate the general cousinship of royalty, it -is more probable that some real connection is -meant, for other relationships, such as “daughter,” -“wife,” and “father-in-law,” are precisely stated -in the letter. Yuaa may have been indirectly -of royal Egyptian blood, or he may have been,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -as we have seen, the offspring of some Syrian royal -house, such as that of Mitanni, related by marriage -with the Pharaoh; and thus Tiy may have had -some distant claim to the throne, and Dushratta -would have had reason for calling her his sister. -Queen Tiy, however, has so often been called a -foreigner for reasons which have now been shown -to be quite erroneous that we must be cautious in -adopting any of these possibilities. It has been -stated that her face is North-Syrian in type,<a name="FNanchor_12" id="FNanchor_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> and, -as the portrait upon which this statement is based -is, in all features except the nose, reminiscent of -Yuaa, that noble would also resemble the people -of that country; and in this connection it must -be remembered that the marriage of Tiy and -Amonhotep took place under the regency of -Mutemua, herself probably a North-Syrian -princess. Be this as it may, however, the two -children, not yet in their ’teens, ruled Egypt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -together, and Yuaa and Tuau stood behind the -throne to advise them.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_030_fp.jpg" width="600" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Queen Tiy.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>Tuau now included amongst her titles those of -“Royal Handmaid,” or lady-in-waiting, “the -favoured-one of Hathor,” “the favourite of the -King,” and “the Royal mother of the great wife -of the King,” a title which may indicate that she -was of royal blood. Amongst the titles of Yuaa -one may mention those of “Master of the Horse -and Chariot-Captain of the King,” “the favourite, -excellent above all favourites,” and “the mouth -and ears of the King,”—that is to say, his agent -and adviser. He was a personage of commanding -presence, whose powerful character showed -itself in his face. One must picture him now as -a tall man, with a fine shock of white hair; a -great hooked nose, like that of a Syrian; full, -strong lips; and a prominent, determined jaw. -He has the face of an ecclesiastic, and there is -something about his mouth which reminds one of -the late Pope, Leo XIII. One feels, in looking -at his well-preserved features, that here perhaps -may be found the originator of the great religious -movement which his daughter and grandson -carried into execution.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_032_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Yuaa, grandfather of Akhnaton.</em></div> -</div> - - -<h3>6. AMONHOTEP III. AND HIS COURT.</h3> - -<p>Besides Yuaa and Tuau and the Queen-Dowager -Mutemua, there was a certain noble, -named Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu, who may have -exercised considerable influence upon the young -Pharaoh. So good and wise a man was he, that -in later times he was regarded almost as a -divinity, and his sayings were treasured from -generation to generation. It may be that he -furthered the cause of the Heliopolitan priesthood -against that of Amon; and it is to be -observed in this connection that, in the inscription -engraved upon his statue, he refers to the -Pharaoh as the “heir of Atum” and the “first-born -son of Horakhti,” those being the Heliopolitan -gods. When, presently, a daughter was -born to Tiy, who was named Setamon, this -philosopher was given the honorary post of -“Steward” to the princess; while at the same -time he filled the office of Minister of Public -Works, and held various court appointments. -At this period, when religious speculation was -beginning to be freely indulged in, the influence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -of a “wise man” of this character would necessarily -be great; and should any of his sayings -come to light, they will perhaps be found to -bear upon the subject of the religious changes -which were now taking place. A late tradition -tells us that this Amonhotep had warned the -Pharaoh that if he would see the true God he -must drive from his kingdom all impure persons; -and herein one may perhaps observe some reference -to the corrupt priests of Amon, whose -ejection from their offices was daily becoming -more necessary.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_034_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu, the “wise man” of the<br /> -Court of Amonhotep III.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>At the time of which we write Egypt still -remained at that height of power to which the -military skill of Thothmes III. had raised her. -The Kings of Palestine and Syria were tributaries -to the young Pharaoh; the princes of the -sea-coast cities sent their yearly impost to -Thebes; Cyprus, Crete, and even the Greek -islands, were Egyptianised; Sinai and the Red -Sea coast as far south as Somaliland were included -in the Pharaoh’s dominions; and the -negro tribes of the Sudan were his slaves. Egypt -was indeed the greatest state in the world, and -Thebes was a metropolis at which the ambassadors,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -the merchants, and the artisans from -these various countries met together. Here -they could look upon buildings undreamed of -in their own lands, and could participate in -luxuries unknown even in Babylon. The wealth -of Egypt was so enormous that a foreign sovereign -who wrote to the Pharaoh asking for gold -mentioned that it could not be considered as -anything more valuable than so much dust by -an Egyptian. Golden vases in vast quantities -adorned the tables of the king and his nobles, -and hundreds of golden vessels of different kinds -were used in the temples.</p> - -<p>The splendour and gaiety of the court at -Thebes remind one of the tales from the Arabian -Nights. One reads of banquets, of splendid -festivals on the water, of jubilee celebrations, -and of hunting parties. When the scenes depicted -on the monuments are gathered together -in the mind, and the ruins which are left are -there reconstructed, a life of the most intense -brilliancy is shown. This was rather a development -of the period than a condition of things -which had been derived from an earlier <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régime</i>. -The Egyptians had always been a happy, light-hearted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -people; but it was the conquests of -Thothmes III. that had given them the security -and the wealth to live as luxuriously as they -pleased. The tendency of the nation was now -to break away from the old, hardy traditions of -the earlier periods of Egyptian history; and -virtually no other body, except the priesthood -of Amon, held them down to ancient conventionalities. -But while the king and his court -made merry and amused themselves in sumptuous -fashion, that god Amon and his representatives -towered over them like some sombre bogie, holding -them to a religion which they considered to be -obsolete, and claiming its share of royal wealth.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_036_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -CEILING DECORATION FROM THE PALACE OF AMONHOTEP III.</div> -</div> - -<p>About the time of his marriage Amonhotep -built a palace on the western bank of the Nile, -on the edge of the desert under the Theban -hills, and here Queen Tiy held her brilliant -court. The palace was a light but roomy structure -of brick and costly woods, exquisitely decorated -with paintings on stucco, and embellished -with delicate columns. Along one side ran a -balcony on which were rugs and many-coloured -cushions, and here the king and queen could -sometimes be seen by their subjects. Gardens<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -surrounded the palace, almost at the gates of -which rose the splendid hills. On the eastern -side of the building the king later constructed -a huge pleasure-lake especially for the amusement -of Tiy. The mounds of earth which were -thrown up during its excavation were purposely -formed into irregular hills, and these were covered -with trees and flowers. Here the queen floated -in her barge, which, in honour of the Heliopolitan -god, she called “Aton-gleams”; and as -she watched the reflections of the hills and the -trees in the still water, she may well have -imagined herself in those fair lands of Syria -from which Aton or Adonis had come.</p> - -<p>The name Aton was Syrian. The setting sun, -as we have seen, was called in Egypt Atum, -which was derived from the Asiatic Adon or -Aton; and it is now that we first find the word -introduced into Egypt as a synonym of Ra-Horakhti-Khepera-Atum -of Heliopolis. Presently -we find that one of the Pharaoh’s -regiments of soldiers is named after this god -Aton, and here and there the word now occurs -upon the monuments. Thus, gradually, the court -was bringing a new-named deity into prominence,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -closely related to the gods of Heliopolis; and -it may be supposed that the priesthood of -Amon watched the development with considerable -perturbation. The Pharaoh himself does -not seem to have worried very considerably with -regard to these religious matters. He was, it -seems, a man addicted to pleasure, whose interests -lay as much in the hunting-field as in the -palace. He loved to boast that during the first -ten years of his reign he had slain 102 lions; -but as he was a mere boy when he first indulged -in this form of sport, it is to be presumed -that his nobles assisted him handsomely -in the slaughter on each occasion. In one day -he is reported to have killed fifty-six wild -cattle, and a score more fell to him a few days -later; but here again one may suppose that the -glory and not the deed was his.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_038_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Site of the Palace of Queen Tiy.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>In the fifth year of his reign he led an expedition -into the Sudan to chastise some tribe -which had rebelled, and he records with pride the -slaughter which he had made. It is stated that -these negroes “had been haughty, and great -things were in their hearts; but the fierce-eyed -lion, this prince, he slew them by the command<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -of Amon-Atum.” It is interesting to notice that -Atum is thus brought into equal prominence with -Amon, and one may see from this the trend of -public opinion.</p> - -<p>At this time the Vizir, a certain Ptahmes, held -also the office of High Priest of Amon; but -when he died he was not succeeded in his duties -as Vizir by the new head of the Amon priesthood, -as was to be expected. The Pharaoh appointed -a noble named Rames as his prime minister, and -thus separated the civil and the religious power: -a step which again shows us something of the -movement which was steadily diminishing the -power of Amon.</p> - -<p>Queen Tiy seems to have borne several -daughters to the king, and it is possible that -she had also presented him with a son. But, if -this is so, he had died in early childhood, and no -heir to the throne was now living. It may have -been partly due to this fact that Amonhotep, in -the tenth year of his reign, married the Princess -Kirgipa or Gilukhipa, daughter of the King of -Mitanni, and probably niece of the Dowager-Queen -Mutemua.<a name="FNanchor_13" id="FNanchor_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> The princess came to Egypt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -in considerable state, bringing with her 317 -ladies-in-waiting; but she seems to have been -thrust into the background by Tiy, who, even -in the official record of the marriage, is called -the king’s chief wife. The marriage may have -been purely political, as was that of Thothmes -IV.; and there is certainly no record of any -children born to Gilukhipa. She and her ladies -but added a further foreign element to the life -of the palace, and swelled the numbers of those -who had no sympathy with the old gods of -Thebes.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_040_fp.jpg" width="250" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Coffin of Yuaa.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>It must have been somewhere about the year -1390 <span class="fs70">B.C.</span> that Tiy’s aged father, Yuaa, died; -and Tuau soon followed him to the grave. They -were buried in a fine sepulchre in the Valley -of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes; and if -they are not to be considered as royal, this will -have been the first time that persons not of -royal blood had been buried in a tomb of large -size in this valley. A quantity of funeral furniture -was placed around the splendid coffins in which -their mummies lay, and amongst this there were -a few objects which evidently had been presented -by the bereaved king and queen and by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -the young princesses, Setamon and another whose -name is now lost. Yuaa and his wife had evidently -been much beloved at the court, and as -the parents of the great queen they had commanded -the respect of all men. To us they are -remarkable as the grandparents of that great -teacher, Akhnaton, whose birth has now to be -recorded.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="II" id="II"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">II.</a><br /> - -THE BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS -OF AKHNATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE BIRTH OF AKHNATON.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">It has been seen that Queen Tiy presented -several children to the king; but it was not -until they had reigned some twenty-five or -twenty-six years that the future monarch was -born. As the years had passed the queen must -have grown more and more anxious for a son, -and many must have been the prayers she offered -up that a male child might be vouchsafed to -her. In Egypt at the present day the desire -to bear a son holds dominion in the heart of -every young woman; and those to whom this -privilege has not been granted forsake the laws -of the prophet and still lay their passionate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -appeal before the old gods. The present writer -was asked recently by a young peasant to allow -his wife to walk round the outer wall of an -ancient temple, in order that she might perchance -bear a male child thereafter; and on another -occasion three young women were seen -sliding down the plinth of an overturned statue -of Rameses the Great for the same purpose. -With similar emotion, though with greater intelligence, -Queen Tiy must have turned in her grief -from one god to another, promising them all -manner of gifts if they would grant her desire. -To Ra-Horakhti Aton she appears to have -turned with the most confidence; and perhaps, -as will presently be seen, she vowed that if a -son were granted to her she would dedicate him -to the service of that god.</p> - -<p>It is probable that the little prince first saw -the light in the royal palace at Thebes, which -was situated on the edge of the desert at the -foot of the western hills. It was, as has been -said, an extensive building, lightly constructed -and gaily decorated. The ceilings and pavements -of its halls were fantastically painted -with scenes of animal life: wild cattle ran<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -through reedy swamps beneath the royal feet, -and there many-coloured fish swam in the water; -while overhead flights of pigeons, white against -a blue sky, passed across the hall, and wild -duck hastened towards the open casements. -Through curtained doorways one might obtain -glimpses of the garden planted with flowers -foreign to Egypt; and on the east of the palace -shone the great pleasure-lake, surrounded by the -trees of Asia.</p> - -<p>In all the world there are few places more -beautiful than the site of this palace. Here one -may sit for many an hour watching the changing -colours on the wonderful cliffs, the pink and -the yellow of the rocks standing out from the -blue and the purple of the deep shadows. In -the fields which now surround the ruined palace, -where the royal gardens were laid out, one obtains -an impression of colour, of beauty, and of gaiety—if -it can be so expressed—which is not easily -equalled. The continuous sunshine and the -bracing wind render one intensely awake to -natural joys; and here, indeed, was a fitting -birthplace, one feels, for a king who taught his -people to study the beauties of nature.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>2. THE RISE OF ATON.</h3> - -<p>The little prince was named Amonhotep,<a name="FNanchor_14" id="FNanchor_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> “the -Peace-of-Amon,” after his father; but though -the supremacy of Amon was thus acknowledged, -the Heliopolitan deity appears to have been considered -as the protector of the young boy. While -the luxurious court rejoiced at the birth of their -future king, one feels that the ancient priesthood -of Amon-Ra must have looked askance at the -baby who was destined one day to be their -master. This priesthood still demanded implicit -obedience to its stiff and ancient conventions, -and it refused to recognise the growing tendency -towards religious speculation.</p> - -<p>Probably stronger measures would have been -taken by it to resist the growing power of Ra-Horakhti, -had it not been for the fact that Ra -was also a form of Amon, and had been identified -with him under the name of Amon-Ra. The -god Amon was originally but the local deity of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -Thebes; and, when the Theban Pharaohs of the -Eighteenth Dynasty had elevated him to the position -of the state god of all Egypt, they made -him acceptable to the various provinces, as we have -seen, by pointing to his identification with Ra, the -sun-god, who, under one form or another, found -a place in every temple and held high rank in -every variety of mythology. As Amon-Ra he -was able to be appreciated by the sun-worshippers -of Syria and by those of Nubia, for there were -few races who would not do homage to the great -giver of warmth and light.</p> - -<p>It is possible that those more thoughtful -members of the court who were quietly attempting -to undermine the influence of the priesthood -of Amon, and who were beginning to carry into -execution the schemes of emancipation which we -have already noticed, now endeavoured to strip -Amon of his association with the sun; for that -identity was really his simple claim to acceptance -by any but Thebans. The priesthood, on their -part, it may be supposed, drew as much attention -as possible to the connection of their deity with -Ra; for they knew that none but the Heliopolitan -god could be advanced with success as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -rival of Amon by those who desired to overthrow -the Theban god. Thus one finds that the High -Priest of Ra at Heliopolis was given, and was -obliged to accept, the honorary office of Second -Priest of Amon at Thebes,<a name="FNanchor_15" id="FNanchor_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> which at once placed -him under the thumb of the Theban High Priest. -The propounders of the new thought, however, -met this move by bringing into greater prominence -the claims, not of Ra-Horakhti, but of -Aton, which was merely a more elusive form of -the sun-god. The priesthood of Amon had -always checked the individual growth of Ra-Horakhti -by regarding him simply as an aspect -of Ra, and hence of Amon-Ra. One of the -essential features of the new movement was the -regarding of Ra as an aspect of Ra-Horakhti, -and the calling of Ra-Horakhti by the uncontaminated -name of Aton. Aton, in fact, was -originally introduced into the matter largely for -the purpose of preventing any identification -between Amon-Ra and Ra-Horakhti. Soon the -name of Aton, entirely supplanting that of Atum, -was heard with some frequency at Thebes and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -elsewhere, but always, it must be remembered, -as another word for Ra-Horakhti.</p> - -<p>The desire of the court for a change of -religion is understandable. The cult of the -god Amon, as has been said, was so hedged -about with conventionalities that free thought -was impossible. We have seen, however, that -the upper classes were passing through a -phase of religious speculation, and they were -ready to revolt against the domination of a -priesthood which forbade criticism. The worship -of the intangible power of the sun, under the -name of Aton, offered endless possibilities for -the exercise of those tendencies towards the -abstract which were now beginning to be felt -all over the civilised world. This was man’s -first age of philosophical thought, and for the -first time in history the gods were being endued -with ideal qualities.</p> - -<p>Apart from all questions of religion, the -priesthood of Amon had obtained such power -and wealth that it was a very serious menace -to the dignity of the throne. The great organisation -which had its headquarters at Karnak -had become an incubus which weighed heavily<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -upon the state. For political reasons alone, -therefore, it was desirable to push the priests -of Heliopolis into a more prominent position.</p> - -<p>There was, moreover, a third consideration. -The god Aton, with whom Ra and Ra-Horakhti -were now being identified, was, we have seen, -originally the same as the Syrian and Greek -Adonis, the word “Adon” or “Aton” meaning -simply “lord.” Thus the propounders of the -new doctrines must have dreamt of an Egypto-Syrian -empire bound together by the ties of a -common religion. With one god understood and -worshipped from the cataracts of the Nile to -the distant Euphrates, what power could destroy -the empire?</p> - - -<h3>3. THE POWER OF QUEEN TIY.</h3> - -<p>In Amonhotep III. one may see the lazy, -speculative Oriental, too opinionated and too -vain to bear with the stiff routine of his -fathers, and yet too lacking in energy to -formulate a new religion. On the other hand, -there is every reason to suppose that Queen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -Tiy possessed the ability to impress the claims -of the new thought upon her husband’s mind, -and gradually to turn his eyes, and those of -the court, away from the sombre worship of -Amon, “the unknown god,” into the direction -of the brilliant cult of the sun. Those who -have travelled in Egypt will realise how completely -the land is dominated by the sun. -The blue skies, the shining rocks, the golden -desert, the verdant fields, all seem to cry out -for joy of the sunshine. The extraordinary -energy which one may feel in Egypt at -sunrise, and the deep melancholy which sometimes -accompanies the red nightfall, must have -been felt by Tiy also in her palace at Thebes.</p> - -<p>As the years passed the power and influence -of Queen Tiy increased; and now that she -had borne a son to the king there was added -to her great position as royal wife the equally -great <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rôle</i> of royal mother. Never before -had a queen been so freely represented on -all the king’s monuments, nor had so fine a -series of titles been given before to the wife -of a Pharaoh. At Sedênga, far up in the -Sudan, her husband erected a temple for her;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -and in distant Sinai a beautiful portrait head -of her was recently found. All visitors to -Thebes have seen her figures by the side of -the legs of the two great colossi at the edge -of the Western Desert; and the huge statues -of herself and her husband, now in the Cairo -Museum, will have been seen by those who -have visited that collection. Of Grilukhipa,<a name="FNanchor_16" id="FNanchor_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> -however, and the king’s other wives, one hears -nothing at all: Queen Tiy relegated them to -the background almost before their marriage -ceremonies were over.</p> - -<p>By the time that Amonhotep III. had reigned -for thirty years or so, he had ceased to give -much attention to state affairs, and the power -had almost entirely passed into the capable -hands of Tiy. Already an influence, which we -may presume to have been to a large extent -hers, was being felt in many directions: Ra-Horakhti -and Aton were being brought into -the foreground, a tone of thought which can -hardly be regarded as purely Egyptian was -being developed, the art was undergoing modifications -and had risen to a pitch of excellence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -never attained before or after. The exquisite -low-reliefs of the end of the reign of Amonhotep -III.—for example, those to be seen at Thebes -in the tombs of Khaemhat and Rames,<a name="FNanchor_17" id="FNanchor_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> both -of which are definitely dated to the close of -the reign—stir one almost as do the works of -the early Florentine masters. There is an elusive -grace in the dainty figures there sculptured, -which, through another medium and under other -laws of convention, cause them to appeal with -the same force of indefinable sweetness as do -the figures in the works of Filipino Lippi and -Botticelli. In the mass of Egyptian painting -and sculpture of secondary importance such gems -as these have been overlooked and have not -been appreciated by the public; but the present -writer ventures to think that some day they will -set the heart of all art-lovers dancing as danced -those of Queen Tiy’s great masters.</p> - -<p>The court in which the little prince passed -his earliest years was more brilliant than ever -it had been before, and Queen Tiy presided over -scenes of indescribable splendour. Amonhotep<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -III. has been truly called “the Magnificent”; -and at no period, save that of Thothmes III., -were the royal treasuries so full or the nobles so -wealthy. Out of a pageant of festivities, from -amidst the noise of song and laughter, the little -sad-eyed prince first emerges on to the stage -of history, led by the hand of Queen Tiy; but -as he appears before us, above the clink of the -golden wine-bowls, above the sound of the -timbrels, one seems to hear the lilt of a more -simple song, and the peaceful singing of a lark.</p> - - -<h3>4. AKHNATON’S MARRIAGE.</h3> - -<p>During the last years of his reign the Pharaoh, -although well under fifty years of age,<a name="FNanchor_18" id="FNanchor_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a> seems to -have suffered from permanent ill-health. On -two occasions the King of Mitanni sent to -Egypt a miracle-working statuette of the goddess -Ishtar, apparently in the hope that Amonhotep -might be cured of his illness by it. It -is probable that the king had never been a very -strong man. Having been born when his father—himself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -extremely delicate—was but a child, -he had had little chance of enjoying a robust -middle age, and he passed on to his children -this inherent weakness. One hears no more of -his daughters,<a name="FNanchor_19" id="FNanchor_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> whom we have seen mourning -for their grandparents Yuaa and Tuau, and -there is some likelihood that they died young. -The little Prince Amonhotep was already developing -constitutional weaknesses which rendered -his life very precarious. His skull was -misshapen, and he must have been subject to -occasional epileptic fits. And now Queen Tiy -gave birth to a daughter, who was named -Baketaton in honour of the new god, and who -seems to have lived less than a score of years, -since nothing more is heard of her after her -twelfth or thirteenth year.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_054_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Amonhotep III.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>As Amonhotep, at the age of forty-eight or -forty-nine, felt his end approaching, he seems -to have shown considerable anxiety in regard -to the succession. Here was his only son—now -a boy of ten or eleven years of age—in so sad -a state of health that he could not be expected<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -to live to manhood, and in the event of his -death the throne would be without an occupant -in the direct line. Obviously it was necessary -that he should be married as soon as possible, in -order that he might become a father as early -as that was naturally possible. Amonhotep III. -himself had been married to Tiy when he was -about twelve years of age, and his father Thothmes -IV. had likewise been married at that -early age.<a name="FNanchor_20" id="FNanchor_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> The little Prince Amonhotep should, -therefore, also be given a wife at once; and the -Pharaoh now began to look around for a suitable -consort for him. He had heard that -Dushratta, King of Mitanni, had a small -daughter who was said to be a comely maiden; -but it appears that she was only eight or nine -years of age,<a name="FNanchor_21" id="FNanchor_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> and therefore could not be expected -to provide an heir for at least another -four years. Nevertheless there were many political -reasons for proposing the union. Mitanni -was, as we have seen, the buffer state between -the Pharaoh’s Syrian possessions and the lands of -the Hittites and of the Mesopotamians. Thothmes -IV. had asked a bride from Mitanni, and Amonhotep -III. himself had obtained Gilukhipa from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -thence, if not Queen Tiy also: both these being -probably political matches, designed for the welfare -of the Syrian empire. The Pharaoh therefore -decided upon this marriage for his sickly -son, and sent an embassy to Dushratta to -negotiate the union between these two children.</p> - -<p>The reply of Dushratta has, fortunately, been -preserved to us. The Mitannian king acknowledges -the arrival of the envoy, and is much -rejoiced at this further binding together of the -two countries. In a subsequent letter it is evident -that the princess has already been sent to -Egypt, and we are led to suppose that Prince -Amonhotep has at once been married to her. -The little princess was named Tadukhipa, but -on her arrival in Egypt she was renamed -Nefertiti. Her age, as mentioned above, is apparent -from the fact that, although in after life -she gave birth to children at very regular -intervals, her first child was not born until nearly -five years after her marriage.<a name="FNanchor_22" id="FNanchor_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a> So young was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -she that she did not at once cohabit with the -prince, but was put under the care of a certain -lady of the court named Ty, the wife of a noble -of the name of Ay, who afterwards usurped the -throne. This lady Ty called herself in later -years “great nurse and nourisher of the Queen,” -and Ay always called himself the king’s father-in-law -(<em>neter at</em>). It would thus seem that they -had become the actual foster-parents of the little -Syrian girl. It was not at all unusual in Egypt -for a child to be adopted thus; and it is a -curious fact that if a woman gave the breast to -a child of any age but for a moment, or if a man -placed his finger in the child’s mouth, a formal -adoption was considered to have been made.<a name="FNanchor_23" id="FNanchor_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a></p> - -<p>The court had hardly settled down after the -celebration of the marriage of Amonhotep and -Tadukhipa-Nefertiti, when it was thrown into -mourning by the death of Amonhotep “the -Magnificent,” which occurred in the thirty-sixth -year of his reign. Queen Tiy at once assumed -control of state affairs, on behalf of her barely -eleven-year-old son, who as Amonhotep IV. now -ascended the throne of the Pharaohs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>5. THE ACCESSION OF AKHNATON.</h3> - -<p>On coming to the throne the young king -fixed his titulary in the following manner:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Mighty Bull, Lofty of Plumes; Favourite of the -Two Goddesses, Great in Kingship in Karnak; -Golden Hawk, Wearer of Diadems in the Southern -Heliopolis; King of Upper and Lower Egypt, -Beautiful-is-the-Being-of-Ra, the Only-One-of-Ra; -Son of the Sun, Peace-of-Amon (Amonhotep), -Divine Ruler of Thebes; Great in Duration, Living -for Ever and Ever, Beloved of Amon-Ra, Lord of -Heaven.</p></div> - -<p>These titles were drawn up on more or less -prescribed lines, and conformed to the old custom -of the Pharaohs. Like his ancestors, he was -called “Beloved of Amon-Ra,” although, as we -have seen, the power of that god was already -much undermined. To counterbalance this reference -to the god of Thebes, however, one finds -the surprising title—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="negin2">High Priest of Ra-Horakhti, rejoicing in the horizon -in his name, “Heat-which-is-in-Aton.”</p></div> - -<p>Let the boy be said to be beloved of Amon-Ra -till the walls of Thebes reverberate with the cry;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -let Amon-Ra be called Lord of Heaven till the -priestly heralds can shout no more: the doom of -the god of Thebes cannot now be averted, for the -reigning Pharaoh is dedicated to another god.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_058_fp.jpg" width="400" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Akhnaton.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>It is obvious that a boy of eleven years of age -could not himself have claimed the office of the -High Priest of Ra-Horakhti. Queen Tiy and -her advisers must have deliberately endowed the -youthful king with this office, largely in order -to set the seal upon the fate of Amon. There -were, perhaps, other reasons why this remarkable -step was decided upon. It may be, as has been -said, that the queen, before the birth of her -son, had vowed him to Ra-Horakhti. Again, the -boy was epileptic, was subject to hallucinations; -and it may be that while in this condition he -had seen visions or uttered words which led his -mother to believe him to be the chosen one of the -Heliopolitan god, whose name the prince must -have been constantly hearing. In a palace where -the mystical “Heat-which-is-in-Aton,” which was -the new elaboration of the god’s name, was -being daily invoked, and where the youthful -master of Egypt was constantly falling into -what appeared to be holy frenzy, it is not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -unlikely that the rising deity would be connected -with the eccentricities of the young -Pharaoh. The High Priest of Ra-Horakhti was -always called “The Great of Visions,” and was -thus essentially a visionary prophet either by -nature or by circumstance; and the unfortunate -boy’s physical condition may have been turned, -thus, to account in the struggle against Amon-Ra.</p> - -<p>One may now imagine the Pharaoh as a pale, -sickly youth. His head seemed too large for -his body; his eyelids were heavy; his eyes as -one imagines them were wells of dream. His -features were delicately moulded, and his mouth, -in spite of a somewhat protruding lower jaw, -is reminiscent of the best of the art of Rossetti. -He seems to have been a quiet, studious boy, -whose thoughts wandered in fair places, searching -for that happiness which his physical condition -had denied to him. His nature was -gentle; his young heart overflowed with love. -He delighted, it would seem, to walk in the -gardens of the palace, to hear the birds singing, -to watch the fish in the lake, to smell the -flowers, to follow the butterflies, to warm his -small bones in the sunshine. There was a grave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -dignity in his gait, or the artists have lied; and -his words were already fraught with wisdom. -The great crown of the Pharaohs sat easily -upon his head, for his every movement was -royal. He accepted as his due the homage of -the court; yet he does not seem to have acted -with arrogance, and was ever a tender-hearted, -impulsive child. Already he was sometimes -called “Lord of the Breath of Sweetness”;<a name="FNanchor_24" id="FNanchor_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a> -and already he was so much beloved by his -subjects that their adherence to him through -the rough places of his future life was assured. -For the first years of his reign he was, of -course, entirely under the regency of his mother. -Dushratta, the King of Mitanni, writing to congratulate -the boy on his accession, addressed -himself to Queen Tiy, as though he thought -the king would hardly yet be able to understand -a letter; and in a later communication he asks -the Pharaoh to inquire of his mother as to -certain matters of international policy. But -although so young, the king was wise beyond -his years, as the reader will presently see.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>6. THE FIRST YEARS OF AKHNATON’S REIGN.</h3> - -<p>In a subsequent chapter it will be the writer’s -purpose to show to what heights of ideal thought, -and to what profundities of religious and moral -philosophy, this boy, in the years of his early -manhood, attained; and it will but enhance our -respect for his abilities when he reached maturity, -if we find in his early training all manner of -shortcomings. The beautiful doctrines of the religion -with which this Pharaoh’s name is identified -were productions of his later days; and until -he was at least seventeen years of age neither -his exalted monotheism nor any of his future -principles were really apparent. Some time after -the eighth year of his reign one finds that he -had evolved a religion so pure that one must -compare it with Christianity in order to discover -its faults; and the reader will presently see that -this superb theology was not derived from his -education.</p> - -<p>One of the first acts of the king’s reign, undertaken -at the desire of Queen Tiy or of the royal -advisers, was the erection of a temple to Ra-Horakhti<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -Aton at Karnak.<a name="FNanchor_25" id="FNanchor_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a> This was in no -way an insult to Amon, for Thothmes III. and -other Pharaohs had dedicated temples at Karnak -to gods other than Amon. The priesthood -of Amon-Ra recognised the existence of the -many deities of Egypt, and gave them their -place in the constitution of heaven, reserving -for their own god the title of “King of the -Gods.” There was a temple of Ptah here; there -were shrines set apart for the worship of Min; -and other gods, unconnected with Amon, were -here accommodated. The priests of Amon-Ra -thus could not offer any serious objection to -the project. The building<a name="FNanchor_26" id="FNanchor_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a> was to be constructed -of sandstone, and therefore various officials were -dispatched to the great quarries of Gebel Silsileh, -which lie on the river between Edfu and Kom -Ombo, and to those near Esneh. Large tablets -were there carved upon the cliffs towards the -close of the work, and on them the figure of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -Pharaoh was represented worshipping Amon, who -was thus still the state god. Above the king’s -figure, however, the disk of the sun is seen, and -from it a number of lines, representing rays, project -downwards towards the royal figure. These rays -terminate in hands, which thus seem to be distributing -the “Heat-which-is-in-Aton” around -the Pharaoh. This is the first representation of -the afterwards famous symbol of the religion of -Aton, and it is significant that it should make its -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">début</i> in a scene representing the worship of Amon.</p> - -<p>The king is called the High Priest of Ra-Horakhti; -but the title “Living in truth,” which -he took to himself in later years, and which had -reference to the religion of Aton which he was -soon to evolve, does not yet appear.</p> - -<p>A large number of fragments from this shrine -have been discovered, and on these one sees -references to the gods Horus, Set, Wepwat, -and others. The king is still called by the -name Amonhotep, which was later banned, and -the names of Aton, afterwards always written -within the royal ovals or cartouches, are still -lacking in that distinction. The temple was -called “Aton-is-found-in-the-House-of-Aton,” a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -curious name of which the meaning is not clear.<a name="FNanchor_27" id="FNanchor_27"></a><a href="#Footnote_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a> -A certain official named Hataay was “Scribe -and Overseer of the Granary of the House of the -Aton,” by which this temple is probably meant; -and in the tomb of Rames a reference is made -to the building by its full name, and a picture -of it is given, but otherwise one knows little -about it. The rapidity with which it was desired -to be set up is shown by the fact that the great, -well-trimmed blocks of stone usually employed -in the construction of sacred buildings were -largely dispensed with, and only small easily-handled -blocks were used. The imperfections in -the building were then hidden by a judicious -use of plaster and cement, and thus the walls -were smoothed for the reception of the reliefs. -The quarter in which the temple stood was now -called “Brightness of Aton the Great,” and -Thebes received the new name of “City of the -Brightness of Aton.”</p> - -<p>There are two other monuments which date -from these early years of the king’s reign: both -are tombs of great nobles. At this period one -of the greatest personages in the land was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -above-mentioned Rames, the Vizir of Upper -Egypt. This official was now engaged in constructing -and decorating a magnificent sepulchre -for himself in the Theban necropolis. In the -great hall of this tomb the artists were busy -preparing the beautiful sculptures and paintings -which were to cover the walls, and ere half -their work was finished they set themselves to -the making of a fine figure of Amonhotep IV. -seated upon his throne, with the goddess Maat -standing behind him. The scene was probably -executed a few months before the making of -the tablets at the quarries. The sun’s rays do -not appear, and the work was carried out strictly -according to the canons of art obtaining during -the last years of Amonhotep III. and the first -of his son. But hardly had the figures been -finished before the order came that the Aton -rays had to be included, and certain changes -in the art had to be recognised; and therefore -the artists set to work upon another figure of -the king standing under these many-handed -beams of “heat,” and now accompanied by his, as -yet, childless wife. The two scenes may be seen -by visitors to Thebes standing side by side, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -nowhere may the contrast between the old order -of things and the new be so clearly observed.</p> - -<p>While Rames was providing a tomb for -himself at Thebes, another great noble named -Horemheb, who ultimately usurped the throne, -was constructing his sepulchre at Sakkârah, -the Memphite necropolis near Cairo. Horemheb -was commander-in-chief of the army, and -in his tomb some superb reliefs are carved -showing him receiving rewards in that capacity -from the king. Some of the scenes represent -the arrival of Asiatic refugees in Egypt, who -ask to be allowed to take up their abode on -the banks of the Nile, and the figures of these -foreigners rank amongst the finest specimens of -Egyptian art. In the inscriptions, Horemheb, -who is supposed to be addressing the king, -states that the Pharaoh owes his throne to -Amon,<a name="FNanchor_28" id="FNanchor_28"></a><a href="#Footnote_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a> but yet we see that the figure of the -king is drawn in that style of art which is -typical of the new religion.<a name="FNanchor_29" id="FNanchor_29"></a><a href="#Footnote_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>7. THE NEW ART.</h3> - -<p>This sudden change in the style of the reliefs -which we have observed in these two tombs -and on the quarry tablets seems to be attributable -to about the fourth year of the king’s -reign. The reliefs which were now carved -upon the walls of the new temple of Ra-Horakhti -at Karnak show us a style of art -quite different from that of the king’s early years. -The figure of the Pharaoh, which the artists -in the tomb of Rames represented as standing -below the newly-invented sun’s rays, is as -different from the earlier figure there executed -as chalk is from cheese. The Pharaoh whom -we see in the tomb of Horemheb and on the -quarry tablets is represented, according to -canons of art, entirely different from those -existing at the king’s accession.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> - -<p>In the drawing of the human figure, and -especially that of the Pharaoh, there are three -very distinct characteristics in this new style -of art. Firstly, as to the head: the skull is -elongated; the chin, as seen in profile, is drawn -as though it were sharply pointed; the flesh -under the jaw is skimped, thus giving an -upward turn to the line; and the neck is -represented as being long and thin. Secondly, -the stomach is made to obtrude itself upon -the attention by being drawn as though from -a fat and ungainly model. And thirdly, the -hips and thighs are abnormally large, though -from the knee downwards the legs are of more -natural size. This distortion of human anatomy -is marked in a lesser degree in all -the lines of the body; and the whole figure -becomes a startling type of an art which seems -at first to have sprung fully developed from -the brain of the boy-Pharaoh or from one of -the eccentrics of the court.</p> - -<p>The king was now fifteen years old, and -seems to have been extraordinarily mature for -his age. It may be that he had objected to -be represented in the conventional manner, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -had told his artists to draw him as he was. -The elongated skull, the pointed chin, and -even, perhaps, the protruding paunch, may -thus have originated. But the ungainly thighs -could only be accounted for by some radical -deformity in the royal model, and that he was -a well-made man in this respect his recently -discovered bones most clearly show.</p> - -<p>Purely tentatively a suggestion may here be -offered to account for this peculiar treatment of -the human body. It is probable that the king -had now, in a boyish way, become deeply interested -in the religious contest which was beginning -to be waged between Amon-Ra and -Ra-Horakhti Aton. Having listened to the -arguments on both sides, it may have occurred -to him to study for himself the ancient documents -and inscriptions bearing on the matter. In so -doing, he would have found that Amon had -become the state god only some few hundred -years before his own time, and that previous to -his ascent to this important position, previous -even to the earliest mention of his name, Ra-Horakhti -had been supreme. Carrying his -inquiries back, past the days of the pyramid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -kings to the archaic Pharaohs who reigned at -the dim beginning of things, he would still have -found the Heliopolitan god worshipped. One -of the Pharaohs’ most cherished titles was “Son -of the Sun,” which, as we have seen, had been -borne by each successive sovereign since the -days of the Fifth Dynasty, whose kings claimed -descent from Ra himself. Such studies would -inevitably bring two matters into prominence: -firstly, that Amon was, after all, but a usurper; -and, secondly, that as Pharaoh he was the -descendant of Ra-Horakhti, and was that god’s -representative on earth.</p> - -<p>On these grounds, more than on any others, -all things connected with Amon would become -distasteful to him. He was too young to understand -fully which of the two religions was the -better morally or theologically; but he was -old enough to be moved by the romance of -history, and to feel that those great, shadowy -Pharaohs who lived when the world was young, -and who at the dawn of events worshipped the -sun, were the truest and best examples for him -to follow. They were his ancestors, and as they -were the sons of Ra, so he, too, was the proud<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -descendant of that great god. In his veins -there ran the blood of the sun, that “Heat-which-is-in-Aton” -pulsed through and through -him; and the more he read in those old documents -the more he was stirred by the glory -of that distant past when men worshipped the -god whose rights Amon had usurped. Now the -canons of art were regarded as a distinctly -religious institution, and the methods of treating -the human figure then in vogue had in the first -place the sanction of the priesthood of Amon; -and few things would be more upsetting to -their <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régime</i> than the abandoning of these canons. -This was probably recognised by those who -were furthering the cause of Ra-Horakhti, and -the young king may have been assisted and -encouraged in his views. Presently it may -have been brought home to him that, since he -was thus the representative of those archaic -kings and the High Priest of their god, it was -fitting that the canons acknowledged by those -far-off ancestors should be recognised by him. -Here, then, he would both please his own -romantic fancy and deal a blow at the Amon -priesthood by banning the art which they upheld, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>and by infusing into the sculptures and paintings -of his time something of the spirit of the -most ancient art of Egypt.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_072_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>The Art of Akhnaton compared with Archaic Art.</em><br /> -<br /> -<p>1. The head of Akhnaton. From a contemporary drawing.</p> -<p>2. The head of a king. From an archaic statuette found by Professor Petrie at Abydos.</p> -<p>3. The head of Akhnaton. From a contemporary drawing.</p> -<p>4. The head of a prince. From an archaic tablet found by Professor Petrie at Abydos.</p> -<p>5. An archaic statuette found by Professor Petrie at Diospolis, showing the large thighs found in the art of Akhnaton.</p> -</div></div> - -<p>In the old temples of Heliopolis and elsewhere -a few relics of that period, no doubt, were still -preserved; and the king was thus able to study -the wood and slate carvings and the ivory -figures of archaic times. We of the present -day can also study such figures, a few specimens -having been brought to light by modern excavators; -and the similarity between the treatment -of the human body in this archaic art and -the new art of Akhnaton at once becomes -apparent. In the accompanying illustrations -some archaic figures are shown, and one may -perhaps see in them the origin of the idiosyncrasies -of the new school. Here and in all -representations of archaic men one sees the -elongated skull so characteristic of the king’s -style; in the ivory figure of an archaic Pharaoh -one sees the well-known droop of Akhnaton’s -head and his pointed chin; in the clay and -ivory figures is the prominent stomach; and -here also, most apparent of all, are the unaccountably -large thighs and ponderous hips.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<p>Akhnaton’s art might thus be said to be -a kind of renaissance—a return to the classical -period of archaic days; the underlying motive -of this return being the desire to lay -emphasis upon the king’s character as the -representative of that most ancient of all -gods, Ra-Horakhti.</p> - -<p>Another feature of the new religion now -becomes apparent. In the worship of Ra-Horakhti -Aton there was an endeavour to -do honour to the Pharaoh as the son of the -sun, and to the god as the founder of the -royal line. Tradition stated that Ra or Ra-Horakhti -had once reigned upon earth, and -that his spirit had passed from Pharaoh to -Pharaoh. This god was thus the only true -King of Heaven, and Amon was but a usurper -of much more recent date. It was for this -reason that the names of the new god were -placed within royal cartouches; and for this -reason the king was so careful to call Ra-Horakhti -his “father,” and to name him “god -and king.” For this reason also Akhnaton often -wore the crown of Lower Egypt which was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -used at Heliopolis, but never the crown of -Upper Egypt, which history told him did not -exist when Ra ruled on earth.<a name="FNanchor_30" id="FNanchor_30"></a><a href="#Footnote_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a></p> - -<p>Apart from the representation of the human -form, the new art is chiefly characterised by -its freedom of poses. An attempt is made to -break away from tradition, and a desire is -shown to have done with the conventions of -the age. Never before had the artists caught -the swing of a walk, the relaxation of a -seated figure, so well or so truthfully. Sculpture -in the round now reached a height of -perfection which places it above all but the -art of the Greeks in the old world; and -there is a grace and naturalness in the low-reliefs -which command one’s admiration.</p> - -<p>There are only two artists of the period -who are known by name. The one was a -certain Auta, who is represented in a relief -dating from some eight years after the change -in the art had taken place. It is a significant -fact that this personage held the post of master-artist<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -to Queen Tiy; and it is possible that in -him and his patron we have the originators -of the movement. The king, however, was -now old enough to take an active interest -in such matters; and the other artist who -is known by name, a certain Bek, definitely -states that the king himself taught him. -Thus there is reason to suppose that the -young Pharaoh’s own hand is to be traced -in the new canons, although they were instituted -when he was but fifteen years old.</p> - - -<h3>8. THE NEW RELIGION DEVELOPS.</h3> - -<p>There is an interesting record, apparently dating -from about this period, which is to be seen -upon the rocks near the breccia quarries of -Wady Hammamât. Here there are three cartouches -standing upon two <em>neb</em> signs, symbolic -of sovereignty, and above them is the disk and -rays of the new religion. One of these cartouches, -surmounted by the tall feathers worn -by the queens of this period, contains a very -short name, which can only be that of Queen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -Tiy.<a name="FNanchor_31" id="FNanchor_31"></a><a href="#Footnote_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a> The other two cartouches contain the -names Amonhotep (IV.) and the Pharaoh’s second -designation. Thus we see that after the new -religious symbol had been introduced, and just -before the king took the name of “Akhnaton,” -Queen Tiy still held equal royal rank with him, -and was evidently Regent.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_076_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>The Artist Auta.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>During the fifteenth to the seventeenth years -of his age the king devoted a considerable -amount of time and thought to the changes -which were taking place. With the enthusiasm -of youth he threw himself into the new movement, -and one may suppose that it required -all Queen Tiy’s tact and diplomacy to keep him -from offending his country by some rash action -against the priesthood of Amon. Those priests -were by no means reconciled to the king’s devotion -to Ra-Horakhti; and although he still -nominally served the Theban god, they felt that -every day he was becoming more estranged from -that deity. No doubt there were many passages<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -of arms between the High Priest of Amon-Ra -and this royal High Priest of the sun, -young as he was. The new art, upsetting all -the old religious conventions, was distasteful -to the priests; the new religious thought did -not conform to their stereotyped doctrines; and -much that the king said was absolutely heretical -to their ears. The tide of new thought, directed -in so eager and boyishly unreserved a manner, -was sweeping them from their feet, and they -knew not whither they were being carried.</p> - -<p>The court officials blindly followed their young -king, and to every word which he spoke they -listened attentively. Sometimes the thoughts -which he voiced came direct from the mazes of -his own mind; sometimes perhaps he repeated -the utterances of his deep-thinking mother; -and sometimes there passed from his lips the -pearls of wisdom which he had gleaned from -the wise men of his court. It had been the -boy’s desire to listen to the dreams of the -East, to receive into his brain those speculations -which ever meander so charmedly through -the lands more near the sunrise. At his behest -the dreamers of Asia related to him their visions;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -the philosophers made pregnant his mind with -the mystery of knowledge; the poets sung to -him harp-songs in which echoed the cry of the -elder days; the priests of strange gods submitted -to him the creeds of strange people. -To him was made known the sweetness of the -legends of Greece. The laughter of the woods -rang in his ears, though never in narrow -Egypt had he felt the enchantment of great -forests. He had not seen the mountains, and -the wooded slopes which rise from the Mediterranean -were scenes but dreamed of; and yet -it was the flute of Pan and the song of the -nymphs in the mountain streams which set the -thoughts dancing within his misshapen skull. -He had not walked in the shadow of the cedars -of Lebanon, nor had he ascended the Syrian -hills; but nevertheless the hymns of Adonis and -the chants of Baal were as familiar to him as -were the solemn chants of Amon-Ra. The rose-gardens -of Persia, the incense-groves of Araby, -added their philosophies to his dreams, and the -haunting lips of Babylon whispered to him -tales of far-off days. From Sardinia, Sicily, -Crete, and Cyprus there came to him the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -doctrines of those who had business in great -waters; and Libya and Ethiopia disclosed their -mysteries to his eager ears. The fertile brain -of the Pharaoh was thus sown at an early -age with the seed of all that was wonderful in -the world of thought.</p> - -<p>It must always be remembered that the king -had much foreign blood in his veins. On the -other hand, those men to whom he spoke, though -highly educated, were but superstitious Egyptians -who could not relieve themselves of the belief -that a divine power rested upon the Pharaoh. -Thus his speculative young brain poured its -fantasies into attentive minds unbiassed by rival -speculations, though narrowed by conventions. -Egyptians, ever lacking in originality, have -always possessed the power to imitate and -adapt; and those nobles whose fortunes were -dependent upon the royal favour soon learnt to -attune their minds to the note of their king. -Daily they must have gone about their business, -ostentatiously attempting to hold to the difficult -path of truth; laboriously telling themselves -what wonders the new thought revealed to them; -loudly praising the wisdom of the boy-Pharaoh;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -and nervously asking themselves whether and -when the wrath of Amon would smite them.</p> - -<p>Thus encouraged, the king and his mother -developed their speculations, and drew into their -circle of followers some of the greatest nobles of -the land. A striking example of this proselytising -is to be found in the tomb of the Vizir -Rames. It has already been stated that that -official had constructed for himself a sepulchre -in the Theban necropolis, upon the walls of which -he had first caused a portrait of the young king -to be sculptured in the old conventional style, -and later had added another portrait of the -Pharaoh standing beneath the radiating beams -of the sun, executed in the new style. Rames -now added various other scenes and inscriptions, -and he records a certain speech made by the king -to him, and his own reply.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The words of Ra,” the king had said, “are -before thee.... My august father<a name="FNanchor_32" id="FNanchor_32"></a><a href="#Footnote_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a> taught me -their essence and [revealed] them to me.... They -were known in my heart, opened to my face. I -understood....”</p> - -<p>“Thou art the Only One of Aton; in possession<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -of his designs,” replied Rames. “Thou hast directed -the mountains. The fear of thee is in the midst of -their secret chambers, as it is in the hearts of the -people. The mountains hearken to thee as the -people hearken.”</p></div> - -<p>Thus one sees how the king was already formulating -some kind of doctrine in his head, and that -the nobles were receiving it; but it is significant -that there are here representations of Rames -loaded with gifts by the Pharaoh, as though in -reward for his allegiance. The Pharaoh seems, -indeed, to have showered honours upon those -who appeared to grasp intelligently the thoughts -which were still immature in his own head; and -there must have been many an antagonist who -rallied to his standard from the sheer love of -gold. The king was in need of all the support -which he could muster, for an open break with -the priesthood of Amon-Ra grew more and more -probable as his doctrines shaped themselves in -his mind; and although the people of Egypt as -a whole would, without question, follow their -Pharaoh for the one reason that he <em>was</em> Pharaoh, -there was every probability that the Amon priesthood -and the Theban populace would make something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -of a stand against any infringement of the -rights of their local god.</p> - -<p>The young Pharaoh seems to have been very -popular, and one may presume that he inherited, -from his illustrious fathers, the charm of manner -which there is not a little evidence to show -they possessed. Throughout his life, and for -some years after his death, he retained the -affection of his people; and when one considers -how faithfully his nobles followed him so long -as he had strength and health to lead them, -and how completely lost they were at his death, -one realises how great an influence he must have -exerted over them. Even at this early age they -seem to have possessed a deep regard for the -grave, thoughtful boy; and behind all the pretence, -the hypocrisy, and the merely conventional -loyalty, one surely catches a glimpse of a -strong, personal affection for the king.</p> - -<p>We must here record the birth of the king’s -first daughter, which occurred in about the fifth -year of his reign, when he was some sixteen years -of age, and when Nefertiti was about thirteen -years old. The child was named Merytaton, -“Beloved of Aton”; and though the advent of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -a daughter instead of a son must have been a -grave disappointment to the royal couple, a remarkable -degree of affection was lavished upon -the little girl, as will be apparent in the sequel.</p> - - -<h3>9. THE NATURE OF THE NEW RELIGION.</h3> - -<p>There was nothing strikingly exalted in the -religion which was now so filling the king’s mind. -Ra-Horakhti Aton was in no wise considered as -the only god: there were as yet no ideas of -monotheism in the doctrine. In the new temple -at Karnak, as we have seen, Horus, Set, Wepwat, -and other gods were named; and elsewhere -Amon was reluctantly recognised. The goddess -Maat, in the tomb of Rames, was not obliterated -from the walls, but still stood protecting the king; -and in the same tomb Horus of Edfu is invoked. -In the tomb of Horemheb, Horus, Osiris, Isis, -Nephthys, and Hathor are mentioned, and the -gods of the Necropolis still receive honour; -Horemheb himself still holds the honorary post -of High Priest of Horus, Lord of Alabastronpolis; -Thoth and Maat are referred to; and there is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -a magical prayer to Ra, which is by no means -of lofty character. Scarabs of this period speak -of the Pharaoh as beloved of Thoth. And in -a letter to the king dated in the fifth year of -his reign, Ptah and “the gods and goddesses” -of Memphis are referred to.</p> - -<p>This letter is of such interest that a fuller -account of it must here be given. It was -addressed to the king, who is still called Amonhotep, -by a royal steward named Apiy, who -lived at Memphis. Two copies of the letter -were found at Gurob,<a name="FNanchor_33" id="FNanchor_33"></a><a href="#Footnote_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a> both dated in the fifth -year of the king’s reign, the third month of -winter, and the nineteenth day. The letter -begins with the full titles of the Pharaoh, including -the phrase “living in truth,” which -from this time onwards was always added to -his name. Then follows the invocation: “May -Ptah of the beautiful countenance work for -thee, who created thy beauties, thy true father -who raised (?) thee from his house to rule the -orbit of the Aton.” Next comes the real business -of the letter: “A communication is this -to the Master, [to whom be] life, prosperity, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -health, to give information that the temple of -thy father Ptah ... is sound and prosperous; -the house of Pharaoh ... is flourishing; the -establishments of Pharaoh ... are flourishing; -the residence of Pharaoh ... is flourishing and -healthy; the offerings of all the gods and goddesses -who are upon the soil (?) of Memphis are -... complete; complete [are they] there is nothing -delayed from them.” Again the titles of the king -are given, and the letter ends with the date.</p> - -<p>Thus in the fifth year of the king’s reign, -when he was about sixteen years of age, the -various gods of Egypt were still acknowledged; -and, though the art had been changed and the -worship of Ra-Horakhti under the name of Aton -had made great strides towards supremacy, there -is as yet no sign of the lofty monotheism which -the Pharaoh was soon to propound.</p> - -<p>In the portions of the tomb of Horemheb which -date from this period, Ra-Horakhti is invoked -in the following words: “Ra-Horakhti, great -god, Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, who cometh -forth from his horizon and illuminateth the -Two Lands [of Egypt], the sun of darkness -as the great one, as Ra;” and again: “Ra,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -Lord of Truth, great god, sovereign of Heliopolis, -... Horakhti, only god, king of the gods, who -rises in the west and sendeth forth his beauty.” -From other sources, which we have seen, the -god is called “Ra-Horakhti rejoicing in the -horizon in his name Heat-which-is-in-Aton.”</p> - -<p>Here we have simply the old religion of -Heliopolis, to which has been grafted something -of the doctrines of the Syrian Adonis -or Aton. At Heliopolis there was a sacred -bull, known as Mnevis, which was regarded as the -living personification of Ra-Horakhti, and which -was treated with divine honours, like the more -famous Apis bull of Memphis. Even this superstition -was accepted by the king at this time, -and continued to be acknowledged by him for -yet another year or two.<a name="FNanchor_34" id="FNanchor_34"></a><a href="#Footnote_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a> The “Heat-which-is-in-Aton” -offered food for much speculation, and, -by directing the attention to an intangible quality -of the sun, opened up the widest fields for religious -thought. But, with this exception, there was -nothing as yet in the new religion to command -one’s admiration.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="III" id="III"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">III.</a><br /> - -AKHNATON FOUNDS A NEW CITY.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<div class="blockquotx"> - -<p>“A brave soul, undauntedly facing the momentum of immemorial tradition -... that he might disseminate ideas far beyond and above the capacity -of his age to understand.”—<span class="smcap">Breasted</span>: ‘History of Egypt.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE BREAK WITH THE PRIESTHOOD -OF AMON-RA.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">The expected break with the priesthood of -Amon was not long in coming. One knows -nothing of the details of the quarrel, but it -may be supposed that Akhnaton himself flung -down the gauntlet, making the rash attempt -to rid himself of the weight of an organisation -which had proved such a drag upon his actions. -There is no evidence to show that he disbanded -the priesthood, or prohibited the worship -of Amon at this period of his reign; but as -the ultimate persecution of that god, some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -years later, commenced very soon after the -death of his mother, one may suppose that -it was her restraining influence which prevented -him from precipitating a struggle to the death -with the god of Thebes. The king was now -entering upon the sixth year of his reign and -the seventeenth of his age, and he was already -developing in his mind theories and principles -which were soon to produce radical changes in -the new religion of the Court. He found, no -doubt, that it was hopeless to attempt to -convert the people of Thebes to the new -doctrines; and daily he realised the more -clearly that the development either of the -faith of Ra-Horakhti Aton, or of the ideals -which he was beginning to find therein, -was cramped and checked by the hostility -of the influences which pressed around his -immediate circle. From the walls of every -temple, from pylons and gateways, pillars and -obelisks, the figure of Amon stared down at -him in defiance; and everywhere he was confronted -with the tokens of that god’s power. -His little temple at Karnak was overshadowed -by the larger buildings of Amon; and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -few priests who served at the new altar were -lost amidst the crowds of the ministers of the -Theban god. How could the flower thrive -and bloom in such uncongenial soil? How could -the sun shine through such density of conventional -tradition?</p> - -<p>The king, no doubt, endeavoured to cripple -the priesthood of Amon by cutting down its -budget as much as possible, and by attempting -to win over to his side some of the -priests of high standing. Had he succeeded in -reducing it to the rank of the smaller cults, -it is probable that he would have been satisfied -so to leave it; for at this time he wished -only to place Ra-Horakhti in a position of -undoubted supremacy above all other gods. -But the vast resources of Amon seemed unconquerable, -and there appeared to be little -chance of reducing the priesthood to a position -of inferior rank.</p> - -<p>In this dilemma the king took a step -which had been for some time considered -in his mind and in the minds of his advisers. -He decided to abandon Thebes. He would -build a city far away from all contaminating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -influences, and there he would hold his court -and worship his god. On clean, new soil, he -would establish the earthly home of Ra-Horakhti -Aton, and there, with his faithful -followers, he would develop those schemes -which now so filled his brain. Thus also, -by reducing Thebes to the position of a provincial -town, he might lessen the power of -the priesthood of Amon; for no longer would -Amon be the royal god, the god of the capital. -He would shake the dust of Thebes from -off his sandals, and never again would he -allow himself to be baffled and irritated by -the sight of the glories of Amon.</p> - -<p>The first step which he took was that of -changing his name from Amonhotep, “The-Peace-of-Amon,” -to Akhnaton, “The-Glory-of-Aton”; -and from that time forth the word -Amon hardly passed his lips. He retained -two of his other names,—<em>i.e.</em>, “Beautiful-is-the-Being-of-Ra,” -and “The-Only-One-of-Ra,” the -latter being often used by him; but such titles -and names as that which made mention of -Karnak be entirely dispensed with. He now -laid more stress upon the nature of his god<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -as “Aton” or “the Aton”<a name="FNanchor_35" id="FNanchor_35"></a><a href="#Footnote_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a> than as Ra-Horakhti; -and from this time onwards the name -Ra-Horakhti becomes less and less prominent, -though retained throughout the king’s reign.</p> - - -<h3>2. AKHNATON SELECTS THE SITE OF HIS CITY.</h3> - -<p>Down the river it would seem that the young -Pharaoh now sailed in his royal <em>dahabiyeh</em>, looking -to right and left as he went, now inspecting -this site and now examining that. At last he -came upon a place which suited his fancy to perfection. -It was situated about 160 miles above the -modern Cairo. At this point the limestone cliffs -upon the east bank leave the river and recede for -about three miles, returning to the water some -five or six miles farther along. Thus a bay is -formed which is protected on its west side by -the river in which there here lies a small island, -and in all other directions by the crescent of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -cliffs. Upon the island he would erect pavilions -and pleasure-houses. Along the edge of the river -there was a narrow strip of cultivated land whereon -he would plant his palace gardens, and those -of the nobles’ villas. Behind this verdant band -the smooth desert stretched, and here he would -build the palace itself and the great temples. -Behind this again, the sand and gravel surface -of the wilderness gently sloped up to the foot -of the cliffs, and here there would be roads and -causeways whereon the chariots might be whirled -in the early mornings. In the face of the cliffs -he would cut his tomb and those of his followers; -and at intervals around the crescent of these -hills he would cause great boundary-stones to -be made, so that all men might know and -respect the limits of his city. What splendid -quays would edge the river, what palaces reflect -their whiteness in its waters! There would be -broad shaded avenues, and shimmering lakes surrounded -by the fairest trees of Asia. Temples -would raise their lofty pylons to the blue skies, -and broad courts should lie stretched in the -sunlight.</p> - -<p>In Akhnaton’s youthful mind there already<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -stood the temples and the mansions; already he -heard the sound of sweet music. The laughter -of maidens was added to the singing of the -birds which he heard in the trees; the pomp -of imperial Egypt displaced the farm-houses and -the fields of corn which now occupied the site; -and the song of the shepherd in the wilderness -was changed to the rolling psalms of the Aton. -Fair was this dream and enthralling to the -dreamer. To Queen Tiy it probably did not -appeal so strongly; for Thebes was full of -associations to her, and her palace beside the -lake was very dear. There is, indeed, every -reason to suppose that the dowager-queen lived -on at Thebes after her son had abandoned it.</p> - - -<h3>3. THE FIRST FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION.</h3> - -<p>Preparations were soon made for the laying -out of the city, and in a very short time -Akhnaton was called upon to visit the site in -order to perform the foundation ceremonies. -Fortunately the inscriptions upon some of the -boundary tablets in the desert tell us something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -of the manner in which the king marked the -limits of the city.<a name="FNanchor_36" id="FNanchor_36"></a><a href="#Footnote_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a> The first inscription reads -as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Year 6, fourth month of the second season, -day 13.<a name="FNanchor_37" id="FNanchor_37"></a><a href="#Footnote_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a> ... On this day the King was in -the City of the Horizon of Aton.<a name="FNanchor_38" id="FNanchor_38"></a><a href="#Footnote_38" class="fnanchor">[38]</a> His Majesty -ascended a great chariot of electrum, [appearing] -like Aton when he rises from his [eastern] -horizon and fills the land with his love; and -he started a goodly course [from his camping -place] to the City of the Horizon.... Heaven -was joyful, earth was glad, and every heart was -happy when they saw him. And his Majesty -offered a great sacrifice to Aton, of bread, beer, -horned bulls, polled bulls, beasts, fowl, wine, -incense, frankincense, and all goodly herbs on -this day of demarcating the City of the -Horizon....</p> - -<p>After these things, the good pleasure of Aton -being done, ... [the King returned from] the -City of the Horizon, and he rested upon his great -throne with which he is well pleased, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -uplifts his beauties. And his Majesty continued -in the presence of his father Aton, and Aton -shone upon him in life and length of days, -invigorating his body each day.</p> - -<p>And his Majesty said, “Bring me the companions -of the King, the great ones and the -mighty ones, the captains of soldiers, and the -nobles of the land in its entirety.” And they -were conducted to him straightway, and they -lay on their bellies before his Majesty, kissing -the ground before his mighty will.</p> - -<p>And his Majesty said unto them, “Ye behold -the City of the Horizon of Aton, which the -Aton has desired me to make for him as a -monument in the great name of my Majesty -for ever. For it was the Aton, my father, -that brought me to this City of the Horizon. -There was not a noble who directed me to it; -there was not any man in the whole land -who led me to it, saying, ‘It is fitting for his -Majesty that he make a City of the Horizon -of Aton in this place.’ Nay, but it was the -Aton, my father, that directed me to it to -make it for him.... Behold the Pharaoh found -that [this site] belonged not to a god, nor to -a goddess, it belonged not to a prince, nor to -a princess. There was no right for any man -to act as owner of it.” ...</p> - -<p>[... And they answered and said] “Lo! -it is Aton that putteth [the thought] in thy -heart regarding any place that he desires. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -doth not uplift the name of any King except -thy Majesty; he doth not [exalt] any other -except [thee.] ... Thou drawest unto Aton -every land, thou adornest for him the towns which -he had made for his own self, all lands, all -countries, the Hanebu<a name="FNanchor_39" id="FNanchor_39"></a><a href="#Footnote_39" class="fnanchor">[39]</a> with their products and -their tribute upon their backs for him that made -their life, and by whose rays one lives and -breathes the air. May he grant eternity in -seeing his rays.... Verily, the City of the -Horizon will thrive like Aton in heaven for ever -and ever.”</p> - -<p>Then his Majesty lifted his hand to heaven -unto Him that formed him, saying, “As my -father Ra-Horakhti Aton liveth, the great and -living Aton, ordaining life, vigorous in life, my -father, my rampart of a million cubits, my remembrancer -of eternity, my witness of that -which pertains to eternity, who formeth himself -with his own hands, whom no artificer hath -known, who is established in rising and in setting -each day without ceasing. Whether he is -in heaven or in earth,<a name="FNanchor_40" id="FNanchor_40"></a><a href="#Footnote_40" class="fnanchor">[40]</a> every eye seeth him -without [failing,] while he fills the land with -his beams and makes every face to live. With -seeing whom may my eyes be satisfied daily, -when he rises in this temple of Aton in the -City of the Horizon, and fills it with his own -self by his beams, beauteous in love, and lays<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -them upon me in life and length of days for -ever and ever.</p> - -<p>“I will make the City of the Horizon of -Aton for the Aton, my father, in this place. I -will not make the City south of it, north of it, -west of it, or east of it. I will not pass beyond -the southern boundary-stone southward, neither -will I pass beyond the northern boundary-stone -northward to make for him a City of the Horizon -there; neither will I make for him a city on -the western side. Nay, but I will make the -City of the Horizon for the Aton, my father, -upon the east side, the place which he did -enclose for his own self with cliffs, and made -a plain (?) in the midst of it that I might sacrifice -to him thereon: this is it. Neither shall -the Queen say unto me, ‘Behold, there is a -goodly place for the City of the Horizon in -another place,’ and I hearken unto her. Neither -shall any noble nor [any one] of all men who -are in the whole land [say unto me], ‘Behold, -there is a goodly place for the City of the -Horizon in another place,’ and I hearken unto -them. Whether it be down-stream or southwards, -or westwards, or eastwards, I will not say ‘I -will abandon this City of the Horizon and will -hasten away and make the City of the Horizon -in this other goodly place’ for ever. Nay, -but I did find this City of the Horizon for -the Aton, which he had himself desired, and -with which he is pleased for ever and ever.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I will make a temple of Aton for the -Aton, my father, in this place. I will make -a ... of Aton for the Aton, my father, in -this place. I will make a Shadow-of-the-Sun<a name="FNanchor_41" id="FNanchor_41"></a><a href="#Footnote_41" class="fnanchor">[41]</a> -of the Great Wife of the King, Nefertiti, for -the Aton, my father, in this place. I will -make a House of Rejoicing for the Aton, my -father, on the island of ‘Aton illustrious in -Festivals’ in this place.... I will make all -works which are necessary for the Aton, my -father, in this place. I will make ... for the -Aton, my father, in this place. I will make -for myself the Palace of Pharaoh; and I will -make the Palace of the Queen in this place. -There shall be made for me a sepulchre in the -eastern hills; my burial shall be made therein ... -and the burial of the Chief Wife of the King, Nefertiti, -shall be made therein, and the burial of the -King’s daughter Merytaton shall be made therein. -If I die in any town of the north, south, west, -or east, I will be brought here and my burial shall -be made in the City of the Horizon. If the Great -Queen, Nefertiti, who lives, die in any town of the -north, south, west, or east, she shall be brought here -and buried in the City of the Horizon. If the -King’s daughter Merytaton die in any town of -the north, south, west, or east, she shall be brought -here and buried in the City of the Horizon. And -the sepulchre of Mnevis shall be made in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -eastern hills and he shall be buried therein. The -tombs of the High Priests and the Divine Fathers -and the priests of the Aton shall be made in -the eastern hills, and they shall be buried therein. -The tombs of the officers, and others, shall be -made in the eastern hills, and they shall be -buried therein.</p> - -<p>“For as my father Ra-Horakhti Aton liveth ... -[the words?] of the priests, more evil are they -than those things which I heard until the year -four, more evil are they than those things which -I have heard in ... more evil are they than -those things which King [Nebmaara<a name="FNanchor_42" id="FNanchor_42"></a><a href="#Footnote_42" class="fnanchor">[42]</a>] heard, -more evil are they than those things which -Menkheperura<a name="FNanchor_43" id="FNanchor_43"></a><a href="#Footnote_43" class="fnanchor">[43]</a> heard....”</p> -</div> - -<p>The rest of the inscription is so much broken -that only a few words here and there can be -read. They seem to refer to the king’s further -projects,—how he will make ships to sail to and -from the city, how he will build granaries, celebrate -festivals, plant trees, and so on.</p> - -<p>The reference to the year four is very interesting, -and it would seem that it was at about -that date that the king’s eyes were opened to -the necessity of making war upon the priesthood<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -of Amon. As we have seen, it was in about -the fourth year of his reign that the great -changes in the art took place, and the symbol -of the sun’s rays was introduced into the -sculptures. The mention of the two previous -Pharaohs shows that troubles were already -brewing then; but it had remained for the -energetic young Akhnaton to bring matters to -a head.</p> - - -<h3>4. THE SECOND FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION.</h3> - -<p>The inscription recording these events was -probably not written until some months after -they had occurred. Just when the engravers -had made an end of their work a second daughter -was born to the king and queen, whom they -named Meketaton; and orders were given that -her figure should be added upon the boundary -tablet beside that of her sister, which already appeared -there with Akhnaton and Nefertiti. The -king was somewhat distressed that a son had -not been granted to him; for the thought was -bitter that, in the event of his death, all his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -projects would fall to the ground. He therefore -altered the wording of the inscriptions about -to be written on the other boundary tablets; and, -by including his oath in the text, he added an -even greater integrity to the decree. The name -of the second daughter was now inserted in this -inscription, which reads:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Year six, fourth month of the second season, -thirteenth day.</p> - -<p>On this day the King was in the City of the -Horizon of Aton, in the parti-coloured tent made -for his Majesty in the City of the Horizon, the -name of which is “The Aton is well pleased.” -And his Majesty ascended a great chariot of electrum, -drawn by a span of horses, and [he appeared] -like Aton when he rises from the horizon and fills -the two lands with his love. And he started a -goodly course to the City of the Horizon, on this the -first occasion, ... to dedicate it as a monument -to the Aton, even as his father Ra-Horakhti Aton -had given command.... And he caused a great -sacrifice to be offered.</p> - -<p>And his Majesty went southward, and halted -on his chariot before his father Ra-Horakhti Aton, -at the [foot of the] south-east hills, and Aton shone -upon him in life and length of days, invigorating -his body every day.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now this is the oath pronounced by the King:—</p> - -<p>“As my father Ra-Horakhti Aton liveth, as -my heart is happy in the Queen and her children—as -to whom may it be granted that the Chief Wife -of the King, Nefertiti, living for ever and ever, grow -aged after a multitude of years, in the care of the -Pharaoh, and may it be granted that the King’s -daughter Merytaton and the King’s daughter -Meketaton, her children, grow old in the care of -the Chief Wife of the King, their mother....</p> - -<p>“This is my oath of truth which it is my desire -to pronounce, and of which I will not say ‘It is -false’ eternally for ever.</p> - -<p>“The southern boundary-stone which is on the -eastern hills. It is the boundary-stone of the City -of the Horizon, namely this one by which I have -made halt. I will not pass beyond it southwards -for ever and ever. Make the south-west boundary-stone -opposite it on the western hills of the City -of the Horizon exactly.</p> - -<p>“The middle boundary-stone which is on the -eastern hills. It is the boundary-stone of the City -of the Horizon by which I have made halt on the -eastern hills of the City of the Horizon. I will -not pass beyond it eastwards for ever and ever. -Make the middle boundary-stone which is to be -on the western hills opposite it exactly.</p> - -<p>“The north-eastern boundary-stone by which I -have made halt. It is the northern boundary-stone -of the City of the Horizon. I will not pass beyond<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -it down-stream for ever and ever. Make the north -boundary-stone which is to be on the western hills -opposite it exactly.</p> - -<p>“And the City of the Horizon of Aton extends -from the south boundary-stone as far as the north -boundary-stone, measured between boundary-stone -and boundary-stone on the eastern, hills [which -measurement] amounts to 6 <em>ater</em>,<a name="FNanchor_44" id="FNanchor_44"></a><a href="#Footnote_44" class="fnanchor">[44]</a> ¾ <em>khe</em>, and 4 -cubits. Likewise from the south-west boundary-stone -to the north-west boundary-stone on the -western hills [the measurement] amounts to 6 <em>ater</em>, -¾ <em>khe</em>, and 4 cubits likewise exactly.</p> - -<p>“And the area within these four boundary-stones -from the eastern hills to the western hills is the -City of the Horizon of Aton in its proper self. -It belongs to my father Ra-Horakhti Aton: mountains, -deserts, meadows, islands, high-ground, low-ground, -land, water, villages, embankments, men, -beasts, groves, and all things which the Aton my -father shall bring into existence for ever and ever.</p> - -<p>“I will not neglect this oath which I have -made to the Aton my father for ever and ever; -nay, but it shall be set on a tablet of stone as -the south-east boundary, likewise as the north-east -boundary of the City of the Horizon; and it -shall be set likewise on a tablet of stone as the -south-west boundary, likewise as the north-west -boundary of the City of the Horizon. It shall -not be erased, it shall not be washed out, it shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -not be kicked, it shall not be struck with stones, -its spoiling shall not be brought about. If it be -missing, if it be spoilt, if the tablet on which it -is shall fall, I will renew it again afresh in the -place in which it was.”</p></div> - - -<h3>5. THE DEPARTURE FROM THEBES.</h3> - -<p>From the above inscription one sees that -Akhnaton had now decided to include the -west bank of the river, opposite to the original -site, in the new domain; and the great -boundary tablets are there to be found as on -the eastern side. By the time these decrees -were engraved the Pharaoh was nearly eighteen -years of age; and these developments in -his plans are the natural signs of the progress -of his brain towards that of a grown man.</p> - -<p>Having laid the foundations of the city, the -king probably returned to Thebes, where he -waited as patiently as possible for his dream -to take concrete form. This period of waiting -must have been peculiarly trying to him, for -his troubles with the Amon priesthood must -have embittered his days. He seems, however,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -to have been extremely devoted to his wife, -Nefertiti, who had now grown, it would seem, -into a beautiful young woman of fifteen or -sixteen years of age; and the arrival of the -second baby afforded an interest which meant -much to him. One may now picture the king -and queen living, in the seclusion of the palace, -a homely, simple existence, ever dwelling in -a happy day-dream upon the future glories of -the new city, and the rising power of the -religion of Aton. Akhnaton’s ill-health, of -course, must have caused both his friends -and himself much anxiety; but even this had -its compensations, for those who suffer from -epilepsy are by the gods beloved, and Akhnaton, -no doubt, believed the hallucinations due to -his disease to be god-given visions. There -must have been a very considerable amount -of business to be worked through in connection -with the building of the city, and he -could have had little time to brood upon what -he now considered to be the wrongs inflicted -upon him and his house by the priests of -Amon.</p> - -<p>So passed the seventh year of his reign<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -without any particular records to mark it. -At Aswan there is a monument which perhaps -dates from about this period. The king’s -chief sculptor, Bek, was there employed in -obtaining red granite for the decoration of -the new city; and he caused to be made -upon a large rock a commemorative tablet. -On it one sees him before Akhnaton, whose -figure has been erased at a later date; and -the altar of the Aton, above which are the -usual sun’s rays, stands beside them. Bek calls -himself “The Chief of the Works in the Red -[Granite] Hills, the assistant whom his Majesty -himself taught, Chief of the Sculptors on -the great and mighty monuments of the -King in the house of Aton in the City of -the Horizon of Aton.” Here also one sees -Men, the father of Bek, who was also Chief -of the Sculptors, presenting an offering to a -statue of Amonhotep III., under whom he had -served.</p> - -<p>The eighth year of Akhnaton’s reign, and the -nineteenth year of his age, was memorable, for -it would seem that he now took up his permanent -residence in the City of the Horizon. On some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -of the boundary tablets a repetition of the royal -oath is recorded; and, as this is the last mention -of <em>a visit</em> made by Akhnaton to the new capital, -one may suppose that henceforth he was resident -there. The inscription reads:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This oath (of the sixth year) was repeated in year -eight, first month of the second season, eighth day. -The King was in the City of the Horizon of Aton, -and Pharaoh stood mounted on a great chariot of -electrum, inspecting the boundary-stones of the -Aton....</p></div> - -<p>Then follows a list of these boundary-stones, -and the inscription ends with the words:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>And the breadth of the City of the Horizon of -Aton is from cliff to cliff, from the eastern horizon -of heaven to the western horizon of heaven. It -shall be for my father Ra-Horakhti Aton, its hills, -its deserts, all its fowl, all its people, all its cattle, -all things which the Aton produces, on which his -rays shine, all things which are in ... the City of -the Horizon, they shall be for the father, the living -Aton, unto the temple of Aton in the City of the -Horizon for ever and ever; they are all offered to -his spirit. And may his rays be beauteous when -they receive them.</p></div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_108_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Akhnaton and Nefertiti with their three Daughters.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>Thus was the king’s city planned and laid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -out. The two years of feverish work had -probably produced considerable results, and -already we may picture the city taking form. -The royal palace was perhaps almost finished -by now, and the villas of some of the nobles -were habitable. With many a sigh of relief -Akhnaton must have bade farewell to Thebes. A -third daughter, who was named Ankhsenpaaton, -had just been born; and one may thus picture -the royal party which sailed down the river -as being very distinctly a family. One sees -Akhnaton, a sickly young man of nineteen years -of age, walking to and fro upon the deck of the -royal vessel, with his hand upon the shoulder -of his fair young wife, now some seventeen years -old, in whose arms the baby princess is carried. -Toddling beside them are the two other princesses, -one somewhat over two years of age, the other -about four years. The queen’s sister, Nezemmut, -records of whose existence soon become apparent, -was perhaps also of the party, having left the -court of Mitanni to be a companion to Nefertiti. -Ay and Ty, the foster-parents of Nefertiti, were -doubtless with the royal family now as they -sailed down the river; and several of the nobles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -who play a part in the following pages no doubt -formed the suite which attended to the royal -commands.</p> - - -<h3>6. THE AGE OF AKHNATON.</h3> - -<p>We have spoken of the king as being nineteen -years old. The story has now reached a point -at which we must pause to consider this vexed -question of Akhnaton’s age. In the above -pages it has been said that the Pharaoh was -about eleven years old at his marriage and -accession to the throne; was fifteen when the -canons of art were changed and the symbols of -the Aton religion introduced; was seventeen -when the foundations of the new city were laid; -and was nineteen when he took up his residence -there. Let us study these ages in the above -order.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_110_fp.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>The Head of the Mummy of Thothmes IV., the grandfather of -Akhnaton.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>Firstly, then, as to the king’s marriage. The -mummy of Thothmes IV., the grandfather of -Akhnaton, has been shown by Dr Elliot Smith -to be that of a man not more than about twenty-six -years of age. That king was succeeded by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -his son Amonhotep III., who is known to have -been married to Queen Tiy before the second -year of his reign, and to have been old enough -at that time to begin to hunt big game. It -would be difficult to believe that he would be -permitted to join any hunting party, however -secure against accident, before the twelfth year -of his age; but, on the other hand, if he was -more than that age, his father would have to -have been less than twelve at <em>his</em> marriage. -Thus the only possible conclusion is that both -Thothmes IV. and Amonhotep III. were barely -thirteen when they were married, and very -possibly even younger. This is shown to be a -correct conclusion by the fact that the mummy -of Amonhotep III. has been pronounced by Dr -Elliot Smith to be that of a man of forty-five or -fifty; and as he reigned thirty-six years he must -have been <em>at most</em> fourteen, and probably some -years younger, at his accession and marriage.</p> - -<p>There is not sufficient evidence to show at -what ages the previous Pharaohs of the dynasty -had married, but as Akhnaton’s father and -grandfather entered into matrimony at this -early age, it would not be safe to suppose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -that he himself delayed his marriage till a -later age. Queen Tiy was in all probability -married when she was ten or eleven years old.<a name="FNanchor_45" id="FNanchor_45"></a><a href="#Footnote_45" class="fnanchor">[45]</a> -Akhnaton’s daughter Merytaton, who was born -in the fourth or fifth year of his reign, was, as -will be seen in due course, married before the -seventeenth year of the reign—that is to say, -when she was twelve or younger. The Princess -Ankhsenpaaton, who was born in the eighth -year, was married, at latest, two years after -Akhnaton’s death—<em>i.e.</em>, when she was eleven. -Another of Akhnaton’s daughters, Nefernefernaton, -who has not yet appeared, was born -in her father’s eleventh year and was married -before the fifteenth, and therefore could only -have been four or five years of age.</p> - -<p>Child-marriages such as these are common -in Egypt, even at the present day. Those -who have lived on the Nile, and have studied -the national habits, will assuredly fix the probable -age of a royal <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mariage de convenance</i> at -about thirteen years, and will agree that eleven -and twelve are also highly likely ages.</p> - -<p>Secondly, as to Akhnaton’s age at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -changing of the art. In the biography of -Bakenkhonsu, the High Priest of Amon under -Rameses II., that official tells us that he arrived -at the state of manhood at the age of sixteen, -and one may therefore suppose that this was -the recognised legal age at which a man became -a responsible agent in Egypt. Now it has -been clearly seen that Akhnaton was under the -regency of his mother during the first years -of his reign, and mention has been made of -the inscription at Wady Hammamât, where, -although the new symbol of the religion is -shown, Queen Tiy’s name is placed beside that -of her son in an equally honourable position. -She was thus still Queen Regent when the art -was changed, and her son could not yet have -come of age—<em>i.e.</em>, he must then have been under -sixteen.</p> - -<p>Thirdly, we have to consider the question -of his age when he laid the foundations of the -new city. This was the first decisive action -performed by the king in which his mother -has no concern, and of which she perhaps even -disapproved, and it surely marks the period -at which he took the government into his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -own hands. If, like Bakenkhonsu, he came of -age at sixteen, in the fifth year of his reign, the -founding of the new capital in the following -year would well fit in with the supposition -that the abandoning of Thebes marks the date -of the king’s arrival at maturity.</p> - -<p>It may be asked how so young a person -could conceive that great dream of the new -city dedicated to the Aton. But, after all, he -was seventeen years of age when the idea -came to him, nineteen when he had properly -developed the plan, and perhaps as much as -twenty when he took up his residence there. -Akhnaton’s greatness, as will be seen later, -dates from the height of his reign in the City -of the Horizon, and not from his early years. -Still, when one calls to mind the infant prodigies, -the child preachers who stir an audience -at the age of twelve, one may credit a boy of -sixteen or seventeen with the planning of a new -city. Even in the cold Occident such youthful -wiseacres are not rare, and surely they -blossom forth less infrequently in the maturing -warmth of the Orient.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="IV" id="IV"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">IV.</a><br /> - -AKHNATON FORMULATES THE -RELIGION OF ATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<div class="blockquotx"> - -<p>“No such grand theology had ever appeared in the world before, so far -as we know; and it is the forerunner of the later monotheist religions.”—<span class="smcap">Petrie</span>: -‘The Religion of Ancient Egypt.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. ATON THE TRUE GOD.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">Amidst the fair palaces and verdant gardens -of the new city, Akhnaton, now a man of some -twenty years, turned his thoughts fully to the -development of his religion. It is necessary, -therefore, for us to glance at the essential -features of this the most enlightened doctrine -of the ancient world, and in some degree to -make ourselves acquainted with the creed which -the king himself was evolving out of that worship -of Ra-Horakhti Aton in which he had -been educated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p> - -<p>Originally the Aton was the actual sun’s disk; -but, as has been said, the god was now called -“Heat-which-is-in-Aton,” and Akhnaton, concentrating -his attention on this aspect of the -godhead, drew the eyes of his followers towards -a force far more intangible and distant than -the dazzling orb to which they bowed down. -Akhnaton’s conception of God, as we now begin -to observe it, was as the power which created -the sun, the energy which penetrated to this -earth in the sun’s heat and caused all things -to grow. At the present day the scientist will -tell you that God is the ultimate source of life, -that where natural explanation fails there God -is to be found: He is, in a word, the author -of energy, the primal motive-power of all known -things. Akhnaton, centuries upon centuries before -the birth of the scientist, defined God in -just this manner. In an age when men believed, -as some do still, that a deity was but an exaggerated -creature of this earth, having a form -built on material lines, this youthful Pharaoh -proclaimed God to be the formless essence, -the intelligent germ, the loving force, which -permeated time and space. Let it be clearly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -understood that the Aton as conceived by the -young Pharaoh was in no sense one of those -old deities which our God ultimately replaced -in Egypt. The Aton is God as we conceive -Him. There is no quality attributed by the -king to the Aton which we do not attribute -to our God. Like a flash of blinding light in -the night-time the Aton stands out for a -moment amidst the black Egyptian darkness, -and disappears once more,—the first signal to -this world of the future religion of the West. -No man whose mind is free from prejudice will -fail to see a far closer resemblance to the teachings -of Christ in the religion of Akhnaton than -in that of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The -faith of the patriarchs is the lineal ancestor -of the Christian faith; but the creed of Akhnaton -is its isolated prototype. One might believe -that Almighty God had for a moment revealed -himself to Egypt, and had been more clearly, -though more momentarily, interpreted there than -ever He was in Syria or Palestine before the -time of Christ.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>2. ATON THE TENDER FATHER OF ALL -CREATION.</h3> - -<p>Amon-Ra and the old gods of Egypt were, -for the most part, but deified mortals, endued -with monstrous, though limited, powers, and still -having around them traditions of aggrandised -human deeds. Others, we have seen, had their -origin in natural phenomena: the wind, the Nile, -the starry heavens, and the like. All were -terrific or revengeful, if so they had a mind -to be, and all were able to be moved by human -emotions. But to Akhnaton, although he had -absolutely no precedent upon which to launch -his thoughts, God was the intangible and yet -ever-present Father of mankind, made manifest -in sunshine. The youthful high priest called -upon his subjects to search for their God not -in the confusion of battle or behind the smoke -of human sacrifices, but amidst the flowers and -the trees, amidst the wild duck and the fishes. -He preached an enlightened nature-study: in -some respects he was, perhaps, the first apostle -of the Simple Life.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> - -<p>He strove to break down conventional thought, -and ceaselessly he urged his people to worship -“in truth,” simply, without an excess of ceremonial. -While the elder gods had been apparent -in natural convulsions and in the more -awful incidents of life, Akhnaton’s kindly father -could be seen in the little details of existence, -in the growing poppies, in the soft wind which -filled the sails of the ships, in the fish which -leapt from the river. Like a greater than he, -Akhnaton taught his disciples to address their -maker as their “Father which art in Heaven.” -The Aton was the joy which caused the young -sheep “to dance upon their legs,” and the birds -“to flutter in their marshes.” He was the god -of the simple pleasures of life; and although -Akhnaton himself was indeed a man of sorrows, -plenteously acquainted with grief, happiness was -the watchword which he gave to his followers.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton did not permit any graven image to -be made of the Aton. The True God, said the -king, had no form; and he held to this opinion -throughout his life. The symbol of the religion -was the sun’s disk, from which there extended -numerous rays, each ray ending in a hand; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -this symbol was not worshipped. To Christians, -in the same way, the cross is the symbol of -their creed; but the cross itself is not worshipped. -Never before had man conceived a -formless deity, a god who was not endowed -with the five human senses. The Hebrew patriarchs -believed God to be capable of walking -in a garden in the cool of the evening, to have -made man in his own image, to be possessed of -face, form, and hinder parts. But Akhnaton, -stemming with his hand the flood of tradition, -boldly proclaimed God to be a life-giving, intangible -essence: the <em>heat</em> which is in the sun. -He was “the living Aton,”—that is to say, the -power which produced and sustained the energy -and movement of the sun. Although he was -so often called “the Aton,” he was more closely -defined as “the Master of the Aton.”<a name="FNanchor_46" id="FNanchor_46"></a><a href="#Footnote_46" class="fnanchor">[46]</a> The -flaming glory of the sun was the most practical -symbol of the godhead, and the warm rays of -sunshine constituted the most obvious connection -between heaven and earth; but always Akhnaton -attempted to raise the eyes of the thinkers beyond -this visible or understandable expression<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -of divinity, to strain them upwards in the effort -to discern that which was “behind the veil.” -In lighting on a motive power more remote -than the sun, and acting through the sun, -the young Pharaoh may be said to have penetrated -as far behind the eternal barrier as one -may ever hope to penetrate this side the churchyard. -But though so remote, the Aton was -the tender, loving Father of all men, ever-present -and ever-mindful of his creatures. There -dropped not a sigh from the lips of a babe -that the intangible Aton did not hear; no lamb -bleated for its mother but the remote Aton -hastened to soothe it. He was the loving -“Father and Mother of all that He had -made,” who “brought up millions by His bounty.”</p> - -<p>The destructive qualities of the sun were never -referred to, and that pitiless orb under which -Egypt sweats and groans for the summer months -each year had nothing in common with the gentle -Father conceived by Akhnaton. The Aton was -“the Lord of Love.” He was the tender nurse -who “creates the man-child in woman, and -soothes him that he may not weep”; whose -love, to use an Egyptian phrase of exquisite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -tenderness, “makes the hands to faint.” His -beams were “beauteous with love” as they fell -upon His people and upon His city, “very rich -in love.” “Thy love is great and large,” says -one of Akhnaton’s psalms. “Thou fillest the -two lands of Egypt with Thy love;” and -another passage runs: “Thy rays encompass -the lands.... Thou bindest them with Thy -love.”</p> - -<p>Surely never in the history of the world had -man conceived a god who “so loved the world.” -One may search the inscriptions in vain for any -reference to a malignant power, to vengeance, -to jealousy, or to hatred. The Hebrew psalmist -said of God, “Like as a father pitieth his -children, even so is the Lord merciful”; and -Akhnaton, many a century before those words -were written, attributed just such a nature to -the Aton. The Aton was compassionate, was -merciful, was gentle, was tender; He knew not -anger, and there was no wrath in Him. His -overflowing love reached down the paths of life -from mankind to the beasts of the field and to -the little flowers themselves. “All flowers blow,” -says one of Akhnaton’s hymns, “and that which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -grows on the soil thrives at Thy dawning, O -Aton. They drink their fill [of warmth] before -Thy face. All cattle leap upon their feet; the -birds that were in the nest fly forth with joy; -their wings which were closed move quickly with -praise to the living Aton.”</p> - -<p>One stands amazed as one reads in pompous -Egypt of a god who listens “when the chicken -crieth in the egg-shell,” and gives him life, -delighting that he should “chirp with all his -might” when he is hatched forth; who finds -pleasure in causing “the birds to flutter in their -marshes, and the sheep to dance upon their -feet.” For the first time in the history of man -the real meaning of God, as we now understand -it, had been comprehended; and the idea of a -beneficent Creator who, though remote, spiritual, -and impersonal, could love each one of His -creatures, great or small, had been grasped by -this young Pharaoh. God’s unspeakable goodness -and loving-kindness were as clearly interpreted -by Akhnaton as ever they have been by -mortal man; and the wonder of it lies in this, -that Akhnaton had absolutely nothing to base -his theories upon. He was, so far as we know,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -the first man to whom God revealed Himself as -the passionless, all-loving essence of unqualified -goodness.</p> - - -<h3>3. ATON WORSHIPPED AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET.</h3> - -<p>In order to prevent the more ignorant of -his disciples from worshipping the sun itself, -Akhnaton seems to have selected the sunrise -and the sunset as the two hours for ceremonial -adoration; for then the light, the beauty, the -tenderness, of the celestial phenomenon could be -appreciated, and the awful majesty of the sun was -not in great prominence. Akhnaton attempted -to cultivate in his followers an appreciation of -the gentle hues of daybreak and of evening; -and he taught them to believe that the oft-mentioned -“beauties” of the Aton were only to -be fully understood at these times. In the gladness -of sunrise and in the hush of the sunset, -the emotions are most apt to be touched and -moved; for in Egypt there is always praise in -the heart in the cool opalescence of the dawn, -and in the red dusk there is many and many a -dream.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span></p> - -<p>Phrases such as the following may be gleaned -from Akhnaton’s hymns: “Thy rising is beautiful -in the horizon of heaven, O living Aton, who -dispensest life; shining from the eastern horizon -of heaven, Thou fillest Egypt with Thy beauty.” -“Thy setting is beautiful, O living Aton, ... who -guidest ... all countries that they may -make laudations at Thy dawning and at Thy -setting.” “When the Aton rises all the land -is in joy; His rays produce eyes for all that He -has created; and men say, ‘It is life to see Him, -there is death in not seeing Him.’” “When -Thou settest alive,<a name="FNanchor_47" id="FNanchor_47"></a><a href="#Footnote_47" class="fnanchor">[47]</a> O Aton, West and East give -praise to thee.” “Thou settest behind the -western horizon; Thou settest in life and gladness, -and every eye rejoices though they are -in darkness after Thou settest.” “When Thou -hast risen they live; when Thou settest they -die.”</p> - -<p>The ceremonial side of the religion does not -seem to have been complex. The priests, of -whom there were very few, offered sacrifices, -consisting mostly of vegetables, fruit, and flowers, -to the Aton, and at these ceremonies the king<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -and his family often officiated. They then sang -psalms and offered prayers, and, with much -sweet music, gave praise to the great Father of -joy and love. The Aton, however, was not -thought to delight in these ceremonies as He -did in more natural thanksgivings. Why should -God be praised in set phrases and studied poses -when all the fair world was shouting for the -joy of Him? The young calf frisking through -the poppy-covered meadows, the birds singing -upon the trees, the clouds racing across the -sky, were the true worshippers of God.</p> - -<p>One of the recently discovered sayings of -Christ closely parallels Akhnaton’s utterances. -“Ye ask,” it runs, “who are those that draw -us to the kingdom if the kingdom is in heaven? -The fowls of the air, and all the beasts that -are under the earth or upon the earth, and the -fishes in the sea, these are they which draw -you, and the kingdom is within you.” The -contemplation of nature was more to Akhnaton -than many ceremonies, and his thoughts were -more easily drawn upwards by the rustle of -the leaves than by the shaking of the systrum.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>4. THE GOODNESS OF ATON.</h3> - -<p>In the gardens of the City of the Horizon -Akhnaton was surrounded on all sides by the -joyous beauties of nature. Here the birds sang -merrily in the laden trees, here the cool north -wind rustled through the leaves, setting them -dancing upon their stems, here the many-coloured -blossoms nodded to their reflections in -the still lakes; and, as he watched the sunlight -playing with the blue shadows, his heart -seemed to fill to repletion with gratitude to -God. “O Lord, how manifold are Thy works!” -was his constant cry. “The whole land is in -joy and holiday because of Thee. They shout -to the height of heaven, they receive joy and -gladness when they see Thee.” How “fair of -form” was the formless Aton, how “radiant of -colour”! “All that Thou hast made,” said the -king, “leaps before Thee.” “Thou makest the -beauty of form through Thyself alone.” “Eyes -have life at sight of Thy beauty; hearts have -health when the Aton shines.”</p> - -<p>As the psalmist sang, “The Lord is my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -shepherd, I shall not want,” so Akhnaton, in -the fulness of his heart, cried, “There is no -poverty for him who hath set Thee in his -heart; such an one cannot say, ‘O, that I had.’” -“When Thou bringest life to men’s hearts by Thy -beauty, there is indeed life.” The Aton “gave -health to the eyes by His rays,” and, “bright, -great, gleaming, high above all the earth,” he -was “the cause of plenty,”—the very “food and -fatness of Egypt.” To David, several centuries -later, God seemed to be “a strong tower of -defence”; and, thinking along the same lines, -Akhnaton called the Aton his “wall of brass of -a million cubits.” The Aton was “the witness -of that which pertains to eternity,” and to those -whose thoughts had strayed he was “the remembrancer -of eternity.” He was the “Lord -of Fate,” the “Lord of Fortune,” the “Master -of that which is ordained,” the “Origin of -Fate,” the “Chance which gives Life”; and in -so describing him Akhnaton reached a philosophical -position which even to-day is quite -unassailable.</p> - -<p>Unlike Jehovah, who was described as “great -above all other gods,” the Aton was conceived<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> -as being without rivals; and Akhnaton now -never mentions the word “gods.” “The living -Aton beside whom there is no other,” is one -of the common phrases; and of Him again it is -written, “Thou art alone, but infinite vitalities -are in Thee by means of which to give life to -Thy creatures.”</p> - -<p>Unlike Jehovah again, who was not infrequently -thought to be a wrathful god, surrounded -by clouds and darkness, and speaking through -the roar of the thunders, the Aton was the -“Lord of Peace,” who could not tolerate battle -and strife. Akhnaton was so opposed to war -that he persistently refused to offer an armed resistance -to the subsequent revolts which occurred -in his Asiatic dominions. The Aton was a deity -to whose tender heart human bloodshed made -no appeal. In an age of martial glory, when -the sword and buckler, the plumed helmet and -the shirt of mail, glittered in every street and -upon every highway, Akhnaton set himself in -opposition to all heroics, and saw God without -melodrama.</p> - -<p>Above all things the Aton loved truth. Frankness, -sincerity, straightforwardness, honesty, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -veracity were qualities not always to be found -in the heart of an Egyptian; and Akhnaton, in -antagonism to the sins of hypocrisy and deception -which he saw around him, always spoke of -himself as “living in truth.” “I have set truth -in my inward parts,” says one of his followers, -“and falsehood is my loathing; for I know that -the King rejoiceth in truth.”</p> - - -<h3>5. AKHNATON THE “SON OF GOD” BY -TRADITIONAL RIGHT.</h3> - -<p>It may be understood how the boy longed for -truth in all things when one remembers the -thousand exaggerated conventions of Egyptian -life at this time. Court etiquette had developed -to a degree which rendered life to the Pharaoh -an endless round of unnatural poses of mind and -body. In the preaching of his doctrine of truth -and simplicity Akhnaton did not fail to call -upon his subjects to regard their Pharaoh not -as a celestial god, as had been the custom, but -as a man, though, of course, one of divine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -origin. It was usual for the Pharaoh to keep -aloof from his people: Akhnaton was to be -found in their midst. The court demanded that -their lord should drive in solitary state through -the city: Akhnaton stood in his chariot with -his wife and children, and allowed the artist -to represent him joking therein with his little -daughter. In portraying the Pharaoh the artist -was expected to draw him in some conventional -attitude of dignity: Akhnaton insisted upon -being shown in all manner of natural attitudes—now -leaning languidly upon a staff, now nursing -his children, and now eating his dinner. -Thus again one sees his objection to heroics, -and his love of naturalness.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_130_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Akhnaton driving with his Wife and Daughter.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>But while he strove for truth and sincerity -in this manner he did not attempt to remove -from his mind the belief in which he had been -brought up, that as Pharaoh of Egypt he was -himself partly divine. Not only was he by -reason of his religion the representative, and -hence, in a manner of speech, the “son” of -God, but by right of royal descent he was the -“son of the Sun.” The names of the Pharaohs -were always surrounded by an oval band, known<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -as a cartouche, which was the distinguishing -mark of a royal name. Akhnaton wrote the -name of the Aton within such an oval, thus -indicating that the Pharaoh’s royal rights were -also held by, and therefore derived from, God -Himself. There was thus, as Christ later taught -His disciples to believe, a kingdom of heaven -over which God presided; and although impersonal, -intangible, and incomprehensible, the -Aton was the very “King of kings, the only -ruler of princes.” Amon-Ra and other of the -old deities had been called at various times -“King of the gods.” Akhnaton, however, applied -to Aton the words “King and God.”</p> - -<p>Akhnaton is spoken of as “the unique one -of Ra, whose beauties Aton created,” and as -“the beloved son of Aton,” whom “Aton bare.” -Addressing the Aton, his courtiers were wont to -say, “Thy rays are on Thy bright image, the -Ruler of Truth (<em>i.e.</em>, the King), who proceeded -from eternity. Thou givest to him Thy duration -and Thy years; Thou hearkenest to all -that is in his heart, because Thou lovest him. -Thou makest him like the Aton, him Thy child, -the King.” “Thou lookest on him, for he pro<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span>ceeded<a name="FNanchor_48" id="FNanchor_48"></a><a href="#Footnote_48" class="fnanchor">[48]</a> -from Thee.” “Thou hast placed him -beside Thee for ever and ever, for he loves to -gaze upon Thee.... Thou hast set him there -till the swan shall turn black and the crow turn -white, till the hills rise up to travel and the -deeps rush into the rivers.” “While heaven is, -he shall be.” Some of the Pharaohs had called -themselves “the beautiful child of Amon”; and -Akhnaton, borrowing this phrase, was sometimes -spoken of as “the beautiful child of the -Aton.”<a name="FNanchor_49" id="FNanchor_49"></a><a href="#Footnote_49" class="fnanchor">[49]</a></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_134_fp.jpg" width="800" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Akhnaton and his Wife and Children.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>In his capacity as Pharaoh and “son of God,” -Akhnaton demanded and received a very considerable -amount of ceremonial homage; but -he never blinded himself to the fact that -he was primarily but a simple man. He -most sincerely wished that his private life -should be a worthy example to his subjects, -and he earnestly desired that it should be -observed in all its naturalness and simplicity. -He did his utmost to elevate the position of -women and the sanctity of the family by dis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>playing -to the world the ideal conditions of his -own married life. He made a point of caressing -his wife in public, putting his arm around her -neck in the sight of all men. As we have seen, -one of his forms of oath was, “As my heart is -happy in the Queen and her children....” -He spoke of his wife always as “Mistress of -his happiness, ... at hearing whose voice -the King rejoices.” “Lady of grace” was she, -“great of love” and “fair of face.” Every -wish that she expressed, declared Akhnaton, -was executed by him. Even on the most ceremonious -occasions the queen sat beside her -husband and held his hand, while their children -frolicked around them; for such things pleased -that gentle father more than the savour of -burnt-offerings. It is seldom that the Pharaoh -is represented in the reliefs without his family; -and, in opposition to all tradition, the queen -is shown upon the same scale of size and importance -as that of her husband. Akhnaton’s -devotion to his children is very marked, and -he taught his disciples to believe that God -was the father, the mother, the nurse, and -the friend of the young. Thus, though “son<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -of God,” Akhnaton preached the beauty of the -human family, and laid stress on the sanctity -of marriage and parenthood.</p> - - -<h3>6. THE CONNECTIONS OF THE ATON WORSHIP -WITH OLDER RELIGIONS.</h3> - -<p>In developing his religion Akhnaton must -have come into almost daily conflict with the -priesthoods of the old gods of Egypt; and even -the Heliopolitan Ra-Horakhti, from which his -own faith had been evolved, now fell far short -of his ideals. He does not seem, however, to -have yet imposed the worship of the Aton upon -the provinces, nor to have persecuted the -various priesthoods. He hoped, no doubt, that -he would be able to persuade the whole country -to his views as soon as those views were -thoroughly matured; and, secure in his new city, -he was free to purge his religion of its faults -before declaring all other creeds illegal.</p> - -<p>It is probable that the sacred bull, Mnevis, -was banished from his ceremonies at an early -date, for no tombs seem to have been made for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -these holy creatures, and they are not referred -to after the sixth year of the king’s reign. The -priests of Heliopolis would now have hardly -recognised their doctrines in the exalted faith -of the Aton, though here and there some point -of close contact might have been observed. One -may also detect slight resemblances to the -Adonis religions of Syria, from whence the Aton -had originally come. Mention has already been -made of the worship of Adonis. So widespread -was that deity’s power that it very naturally -affected many other religions. In the Biblical -Psalms one finds several echoes of this old pagan -worship, as for example in the lines from -Psalm xix., which read:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verse0">The heavens declare the glory of God....</p> -<p class="verse0">In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,</p> -<p class="verse0">Which is a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,</p> -<p class="verse0">And he rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.</p> -<p class="verse0">There is nothing hid from the heat thereof.</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">Here one surely must recognise the youthful -Adonis, the bridegroom of Venus. And similarly -in the Heliopolitan worship, at the commencement -of Akhnaton’s reign, the sun, Ra, is referred -to in the following terms: “Thou art beautiful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -and youthful as Aton before thy mother Hathor -[Venus].”</p> - -<p>In Akhnaton’s religion one may still catch a -fleeting glimpse of Adonis. One of the king’s -courtiers, named May, held the office of “Overseer -of the House for sending Aton to rest.”<a name="FNanchor_50" id="FNanchor_50"></a><a href="#Footnote_50" class="fnanchor">[50]</a> -Akhnaton’s queen is mentioned in the tomb of -Ay under the peculiar title of “She who sends -the Aton to rest with a sweet voice, and with -her two beautiful hands bearing two systrums.” -This “house” was, no doubt, the temple at which -the vesper prayers to the Aton were said at -sunset, and from the above title of the queen it -would seem that she had particular charge of -these evening ceremonies. One cannot contemplate -the fact that it was a woman who officiated -at a ceremony which consisted of a lament<a name="FNanchor_51" id="FNanchor_51"></a><a href="#Footnote_51" class="fnanchor">[51]</a> for -the death of the sun without seeing in it some -connection, however faint, with the story of -Venus and Adonis. The lament of Venus for -the death of Adonis—<em>i.e.</em>, the setting of the sun<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>—was -one of the fundamental ceremonies of the -Mediterranean religions. Here again was a connection -with an older religion for Akhnaton to -consider and perhaps to purge away; and one -may suppose that all such derivatives from -earlier faiths were gradually eliminated as the -young king developed his creed. Soon not a -scrap of superstition remained in the religion; -and one may credit this Pharaoh of three thousand -years ago with as great a freedom from the -trammels of traditional superstition as that of -the advanced thinker of to-day.</p> - - -<h3>7. THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL -AFTER DEATH.</h3> - -<p>“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing -it is for the eyes to behold the sun,” says Holy -Writ in words which might have fallen from -the lips of Akhnaton; “but though a man live -many years and rejoice in them all, yet let him -remember the days of darkness, for they shall -be many.” As Akhnaton had completely revolutionised -the beliefs of the Egyptians as to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -the nature of God, so he altered and purged -their theories regarding the existence of the -soul after death. According to the old beliefs, -as we have seen, the soul of a man had to pass -through awful places up to the judgment throne -of Osiris, where he was weighed in the balances. -If he was found wanting he was devoured by a -ferocious monster, but if the scales turned in -his favour he was accepted into the Elysian -fields. So many were the spirits, bogies, and -demigods which he was likely to meet before -the goal was reached that he had to know by -heart a tedious string of formulæ, the correct -repetition of which, and the correct making -of the related magic, alone ensured his safe -passage.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton flung all these formulæ into the -fire. Djins, bogies, spirits, monsters, demigods, -demons, and Osiris himself with all his court, -were swept into the blaze and reduced to ashes. -Akhnaton believed that when a man died his -soul continued to exist as a kind of astral, -immaterial ghost, sometimes resting in the -dreamy halls of heaven, and sometimes visiting, -in shadowy form, the haunts of the earthly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -life. By some of the inscriptions one is led to -suppose that, as in the fourth article of the -Christian faith, so in the teachings of Akhnaton, -the body was thought to take again after death -its “flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to -the perfection of man’s nature.” But just as -there is some doubt and some vagueness in the -mind of Christian thinkers as to the meaning -of this article, so in Akhnaton’s doctrine there -was some uncertainty as to whether the body -was entirely spiritual or in a manner material -in its hazy existence in the Hills of the West. -The disembodied soul still craved the pleasures -of earthly life and shunned its sorrows; still felt -hunger and thirst and enjoyed a draught of water -or a meal of solid food; still warmed itself in -the sunshine or sought coolness in the shadows.</p> - -<p>We hear nothing of hell; for Akhnaton, in the -tenderness of his heart, could not bring himself -to believe that God would allow suffering in -any of His creatures, however sinful. The inscriptions -seem rather to indicate that there was -no future life for the wicked,—that they were -annihilated; though in almost every man one -may suppose that there was enough good to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -recommend him to the mercy of a God so loving -as the Aton.</p> - -<p>The first great wish of the deceased was that -he might each day leave the dim underworld in -order to see the light of the sun upon earth. -This had been the prayer of the Egyptians from -time immemorial, and to suit the religion of -the Aton its wording alone was changed. The -disciple of Akhnaton asked to be allowed “to -go out from the underworld in the morning to -see Aton as he rises.” He prayed insistently, -passionately, in varied language, that his spirit -might “go forth to see the sun’s rays,” that his -“two eyes might be opened to see the sun,” -that there might be “no failure to see it,” that -the “vision of the sun’s fair face might never be -lost to him,” that he “might obtain a sight of -the beauty of each recurring sunrise,” and that -“the sun’s rays might spread over his body.” -Sometimes it is the Aton whom the soul thus -craves to see; sometimes it is Ra, the sun; but -always it seems to be the actual light and -warmth of the sunshine which is so passionately -desired. The abstract conditions of the future -life could but be interpreted in terms of human<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -experience; and in contemplating that cold, desolate -mystery of death, Akhnaton could find no -better means of banishing the gloom than by -praying for a continuance of the blessed light -of the day. And the man who prayed that his -soul might see the sunshine but asked that he -might still know the joy of the presence of -God, for God was the light of the world.</p> - -<p>His second wish was that he might retain the -favour of the king and queen after death, and -that his soul might serve their souls in the -palaces of the dead. He asks for “readiness in -the presence of the King” to do his bidding; he -prays that he may be admitted into the palace, -“entering it in favour and leaving it in love”; -that he may “attend the King every day”; and -that he may “receive honour in the presence of -the King.”</p> - -<p>For his mental contentment in the underworld -he earnestly desired that “his name -might be remembered and established on earth,” -that there might be “a happy memory of him -in the King’s palace,” and “a continuance of his -name in the mouths of the courtiers,” where he -hoped that it “might be welcome.” “May my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -name thrive in the tomb-chapel,” he says. “May -my name not be to seek in my mansion. May -it be celebrated for ever.” So, too, at the present -day the words <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">In Memoriam</i> are goodly words; -and that a man’s memory may be kept green is -a thing very generally desired.</p> - - -<h3>8. THE MATERIAL NEEDS OF THE SOUL.</h3> - -<p>In order that the soul might have its link -with earth, the worshipper of the Aton prayed -that his mummy might remain “firm” and -uncorrupted, that the “flesh might live upon -the bones,” and that his limbs might remain -“knit together.” The Egyptians of other days -believed that the body itself would live again -at the resurrection, this being the reason why -they attempted so carefully to preserve it; and -Akhnaton does not appear to have altered this -conception of the nature of the material body. So, -too, in the Christian faith it is thought that at -the last day the graves will give up their dead.</p> - -<p>The spiritual body retained the form and the -individuality of the material body, and therefore,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -in a somewhat vague manner, it was thought -that the needs of the soul would not be very -dissimilar from those of the body upon earth. -Christ, after His resurrection, asked for food; -and the feasts of Paradise are more than allegory -to many a Christian. Likewise the follower of -Akhnaton believed that material food, or its -spiritual equivalent, would be necessary to the -soul’s welfare in the next world. “May I be -called by my name,” says he, “and come at the -summons, in order to feed upon the good things -provided upon the temple altar.” It would seem -that through fidelity to the Aton creed he might -have the privilege of partaking of the offerings -made at the great ceremonies in the temple; -for, after these sacrifices had been offered, the -food, probably, was distributed to the priests -and to those attached to the tombs, who represented -the interests of the dead. Thus the -deceased prays that he may enjoy “a reception -of that which has been offered in the temple”; -“a reception of offerings of the King’s giving in -every shrine”; “a drink-offering in the temple of -Aton”; “food deposited on the altar every -day”; and “everything that is offered in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -sanctuary of Aton in the City of the Horizon of -Aton.” He further asks that “wine may be -poured out” for him, and that “the children of -his house may spill a libation for him at the -entrance of his tomb.”</p> - -<p>While life lasted God was very apparent to -those who sought Him. Wherever the sun -shone, wherever the great pulse of the earth -beat beneath one, wherever the river flowed or -the garden bloomed, there was God to be found; -for God was happiness, was beauty, was love. -But when the cold mists of death had enveloped -a man, when there was no longer any spring-time -nor any opening of the blossoms, how should -there be contentment any more? From the -depths of his heart Akhnaton urged his followers -to pray God that He might provide this happiness, -though it could only be voiced in very -human words. It was not “sweet perfume” nor -“the smell of incense” that the soul required; -but how else could the pleasure of light-heartedness -be worded? They prayed that their “limbs -might be provided with pleasure every day.” In -the stagnant air of the tomb they craved for the -touch of the “sweet breeze,” for “the breath of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -the pleasant airs of the north wind.” They hoped -in shadowy form to be able to visit the beloved -scenes of their lifetime. “May I raise myself up -and forget languor,” prays one. “May I leave -and enter my mansion,” says another. “May my -soul not be shut off from that which it desires. -May I walk as I will in the grove that I have -made upon earth. May I drink the water at -the edge of my lake every day without ceasing.” -“May water be poured out from my cistern,” -cries a third; “may I receive fruit from my -trees.” Incessantly each man implores God to -grant that he may cool his parched lips with -water. “A draught of water at the banks of -the river,” is his desire; “a draught of water at -the swirl of the stream.” While he smells “the -scent of the wind” blowing amidst the petals -of “a bouquet of Aton,” and while there runs “a -brook of water” by his side, he need not know -the horror of death. And thus, by receiving -“everything good and sweet,” he may hope for -“health and prosperity” in the hills and the -valleys of the West; for a “happy life, provided -with pleasure and joy,” for “amusement, merriment, -and delight,” and for a “daily rejoicing” -throughout eternity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p> - -<p>It may be argued that this material conception -of the life after death is not equal in purity of -tone to the faith of the Aton. But is it, then, -less lofty to believe in a heaven in which there -is joy and laughter, a scent of flowers, and a -breath of north wind, than in one where the -streets are paved with gold, and where there -are many mansions? By no religion in the -world is Christianity so closely approached as -by the faith of Akhnaton; and if the Pharaoh’s -doctrines as to immortality are not altogether -convincing, neither are the Christian doctrines, -as they are now interpreted, altogether without -fault. In the above pages it has been necessary -always to compare Akhnaton’s creed with -Christianity, since there is so much common to -the two religions; but it should be remembered -that this comparison must of necessity be unfavourable -to the Pharaoh’s doctrine, revealing -as it does its shortcomings. Let the reader -remember that Akhnaton lived some thirteen -hundred years before the birth of Christ, at an -age when the world was steeped in superstition -and sunk in the fogs of idolatry. Bearing this -in mind, he will not fail to see in that tenderly -loving Father whom the boy-Pharaoh worshipped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -an early revelation of the God to whom we of -the present day bow down; and once more he -will find how true are the words—</p> - -<p class="fs80 pad4">“God fulfils Himself in many ways.”</p> - -<p>Since writing the above, another point in Akhnaton’s -teaching has become apparent, from the -scenes, recently discovered by the present writer, -in the tomb of Rames. There is a scene often -represented upon the walls of tombs of Dynasty -XVIII. which seems to represent human sacrifice. -The figure of a man is seen dragged to the tomb -upon a sledge, and Sir Gaston Maspero has pointed -out that this can hardly be anything else than such -a sacrifice. This scene was shown on one of the -walls of the tomb of Rames, and evidently dated -from a period previous to Akhnaton’s revolution. -When, however, the young king had formulated -his religion of love he could not tolerate a barbaric -and cruel ceremony of this kind. We thus find -that the entire scene is here obliterated, almost -certainly by the king’s agents. The objection -to human sacrifice is closely in accord with -his objection to human suffering as recorded on -<a href="#Page_175">page 175</a>.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="V" id="V"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">V.</a><br /> - -THE TENTH TO THE TWELFTH YEARS -OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<div class="blockquotx"> - -<p>“One must be moved with involuntary admiration for the young king -who in such an age found such thoughts in his heart.”—<span class="smcap">Breasted</span>: -‘History of Egypt.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE HYMNS OF THE ATON WORSHIPPERS.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">In the tombs of rich persons who had lived -and died previous to the time of Akhnaton, -a large portion of the walls had been covered -with religious inscriptions; and when at first -the nobles of the City of the Horizon of Aton -were planning their sepulchres they must have -been at a loss to know what to substitute for -these forbidden formulæ. Soon, however, it -became the custom to write there short extracts -from the hymns which were sung in -the temples of the Aton. In a few cases<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -these inscriptions supply us with a definite -psalm which, although short, seems to be -complete. In one tomb—that of Ay—however, -there is a copy of a much more elaborate -hymn; and it would thus seem that there -were two main psalms in use in the temples, -a longer and a shorter version of the same -composition.</p> - -<p>It was not unusual for the Egyptians to -compose hymns in honour of their gods, and -a few such have been preserved to us upon -the walls of the old temples. Like the Hebrew -psalms of later date, they are not always of a -very high moral tone. They are often but -chants of victory, dealing in battles, in -thunders, and in tempests, and glorying in -the wrath of heaven. The longer hymn to -the Aton, which is here given in full, is quite -unlike any of these compositions, and both in -purity of tone and in beauty of style it must -rank high amongst the poems of antiquity.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="verseqq"><a name="FNanchor_52" id="FNanchor_52"></a><a href="#Footnote_52" class="fnanchor">[52]</a>“Thy dawning is beautiful in the horizon of heaven,</p> -<p class="verse2">O living Aton, Beginning of life!</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou risest in the eastern horizon of heaven,</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -<p class="verse2">Thou fillest every land with Thy beauty;</p> -<p class="verse2">For Thou are beautiful, great, glittering, high over the earth;</p> -<p class="verse2">Thy rays, they encompass the lands, even all Thou hast made.</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou art Ra, and Thou hast carried them all away captive;</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou bindest them by Thy love.</p> -<p class="verse2">Though Thou art afar, Thy rays are on earth;</p> -<p class="verse2">Though Thou art on high, Thy footprints are the day.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">When Thou settest in the western horizon of heaven,</p> -<p class="verse2">The world is in darkness like the dead.</p> -<p class="verse2">Men sleep in their chambers,</p> -<p class="verse2">Their heads are wrapped up,</p> -<p class="verse2">Their nostrils stopped, and none seeth the other.</p> -<p class="verse2">Stolen are all their things that are under their heads,</p> -<p class="verse2">While they know it not.</p> -<p class="verse2">Every lion cometh forth from his den,</p> -<p class="verse2">All serpents, they sting.</p> -<p class="verse2">Darkness reigns,</p> -<p class="verse2">The world is in silence:</p> -<p class="verse2">He that made them has gone to rest in His horizon.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">Bright is the earth, when Thou risest in the horizon,</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou shinest as Aton by day.</p> -<p class="verse2">The darkness is banished</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou sendest forth Thy rays;</p> -<p class="verse2">The two lands [of Egypt] are in daily festivity,</p> -<p class="verse2">Awake and standing upon their feet,</p> -<p class="verse2">For Thou hast raised them up.</p> -<p class="verse2">Their limbs bathed, they take their clothing,</p> -<p class="verse2">Their arms uplifted in adoration to Thy dawning.</p> -<p class="verse2">Then in all the world they do their work.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">All cattle rest upon the herbage,</p> -<p class="verse2">All trees and plants flourish;</p> -<p class="verse2">The birds flutter in their marshes,</p> -<p class="verse2">Their wings uplifted in adoration to Thee.</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -<p class="verse2">All the sheep dance upon their feet,</p> -<p class="verse2">All winged things fly,</p> -<p class="verse2">They live when Thou hast shone upon them.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">The barques sail up-stream and down-stream alike.</p> -<p class="verse2">Every highway is open because Thou hast dawned.</p> -<p class="verse2">The fish in the river leap up before Thee,</p> -<p class="verse2">And Thy rays are in the midst of the great sea.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">Thou art He who createst the man-child in woman,</p> -<p class="verse2">Who makest seed in man,</p> -<p class="verse2">Who giveth life to the son in the body of his mother,</p> -<p class="verse2">Who soothest him that he may not weep,</p> -<p class="verse2">A nurse [even] in the womb.</p> -<p class="verse2">Who giveth breath to animate every one that He maketh.</p> -<p class="verse2">When he cometh forth from the body ...</p> -<p class="verse2">On the day of his birth,</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou openest his mouth in speech,</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou suppliest his necessities.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">When the chicken crieth in the egg-shell,</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou givest him breath therein, to preserve him alive;</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou hast perfected him</p> -<p class="verse2">That he may pierce the egg,</p> -<p class="verse2">He cometh forth from the egg,</p> -<p class="verse2">To chirp with all his might;</p> -<p class="verse2">He runneth about upon his two feet,</p> -<p class="verse2">When he hath come forth therefrom.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">How manifold are all Thy works!</p> -<p class="verse2">They are hidden from before us,</p> -<p class="verse2">O Thou sole God, whose powers no other possesseth.</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou didst create the earth according to Thy desire,</p> -<p class="verse2">While Thou wast alone:</p> -<p class="verse2">Men, all cattle large and small,</p> -<p class="verse2">All that are upon the earth,</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -<p class="verse2">That go about upon their feet;</p> -<p class="verse2">All that are on high,</p> -<p class="verse2">That fly with their wings.</p> -<p class="verse2">The countries of Syria and Nubia</p> -<p class="verse2">The land of Egypt;</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou settest every man in his place</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou suppliest their necessities.</p> -<p class="verse2">Every one has his possessions,</p> -<p class="verse2">And his days are reckoned.</p> -<p class="verse2">Their tongues are divers in speech,</p> -<p class="verse2">Their forms likewise and their skins,</p> -<p class="verse2">For Thou, divider, hast divided the peoples.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">Thou makest the Nile in the nether world,</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou bringest it at Thy desire, to preserve the people alive.</p> -<p class="verse2">O Lord of them all, when feebleness is in them,</p> -<p class="verse2">O Lord of every house, who risest for them,</p> -<p class="verse2">O sun of day, the fear of every distant land,</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou makest [also] their life.</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou hast set a Nile in heaven,</p> -<p class="verse2">That it may fall for them,</p> -<p class="verse2">Making floods upon the mountains, like the great sea,</p> -<p class="verse2">And watering their fields among their towns.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">How excellent are Thy designs, O Lord of eternity!</p> -<p class="verse2">The Nile in heaven is for the strangers,</p> -<p class="verse2">And for the cattle of every land that go upon their feet;</p> -<p class="verse2">But the Nile, it cometh from the nether world for Egypt.</p> -<p class="verse2">Thus Thy rays nourish every garden;</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou risest they live, and grow by Thee.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">Thou makest the seasons, in order to create all Thy works;</p> -<p class="verse2">Winter bringeth them coolness,</p> -<p class="verse2">And the heat [the summer bringeth].</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou hast made the distant heaven in order to rise therein,</p> -<p class="verse2">In order to behold all that Thou didst make,</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -<p class="verse2">While Thou wast alone,</p> -<p class="verse2">Rising in Thy form as Living Aton,</p> -<p class="verse2">Dawning, shining afar off, and returning.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">Thou makest the beauty of form through Thyself alone,</p> -<p class="verse2">Cities, towns, and settlements,</p> -<p class="verse2">On highway or on river,</p> -<p class="verse2">All eyes see Thee before them,</p> -<p class="verse2">For Thou art Aton of the day over the earth.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse2">Thou art in my heart;</p> -<p class="verse2">There is no other that knoweth Thee,</p> -<p class="verse2">Save Thy son Akhnaton.</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou hast made him wise in Thy designs</p> -<p class="verse2">And in Thy might.</p> -<p class="verse2">The world is in Thy hand,</p> -<p class="verse2">Even as Thou hast made them.</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou hast risen they live;</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou settest they die.</p> -<p class="verse2">For Thou art duration, beyond mere limbs;</p> -<p class="verse2">By Thee man liveth,</p> -<p class="verse2">And their eyes look upon Thy beauty</p> -<p class="verse2">Until Thou settest.</p> -<p class="verse2">All labour is laid aside</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou settest in the west.</p> -<p class="verse2">When Thou risest they are made to grow....</p> -<p class="verse2">Since Thou didst establish the earth,</p> -<p class="verse2">Thou hast raised them up for Thy son,</p> -<p class="verse2">Who came forth from Thy limbs,</p> -<p class="verse2">The King, living in truth, ...</p> -<p class="verse2">Akhnaton, whose life is long;</p> -<p class="verse2">[And for] the great royal wife, his beloved,</p> -<p class="verse2">Mistress of the Two Lands, ... Nefertiti,</p> -<p class="verse2">Living and flourishing for ever and ever.”</p> -</div></div></div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span></p> - -<h3>2. THE SIMILARITY OF AKHNATON’S HYMN -TO PSALM CIV.</h3> - -<p>In reading this truly beautiful hymn one -cannot fail to be struck by its similarity to -Psalm civ. A parallel will show this most -clearly:—</p> - -<div class="textcol"> - -<p><span class="smcap pad2">Akhnaton’s Hymn.</span></p> - -<p> -The world is in darkness -like the dead. Every lion -cometh forth from his den; -all serpents sting. Darkness -reigns.</p> -<br /> -<p> -When Thou risest in the -horizon ... the darkness is -banished.... Then in all -the world they do their work.</p> -<br /> -<p> -All trees and plants flourish, -... the birds flutter in their -marshes.... All sheep dance -upon their feet.</p> -<br /> -<p> -The ships sail up-stream and -down-stream alike.... The -fish in the river leap up before -Thee; and Thy rays are in the -midst of the great sea.</p> - -<p> -How manifold are all Thy -works!... Thou didst create -the earth according to Thy desire,—men, -all cattle, ... all -that are upon the earth....</p> -<br /> -<p> -Thou hast set a Nile in -heaven that it may fall for -them, making floods upon the -mountains ... and watering -their fields. The Nile in -heaven is for the service of -the strangers, and for the -cattle of every land.</p> - -<p> -Thou makest the seasons.... -Thou hast made the -distant heaven in order to -rise therein, ... dawning, -shining afar off, and returning.</p> - -<p> -The world is in Thy hand, -even as Thou hast made them. -When thou hast risen they live; -when Thou settest they die.... -By Thee man liveth.</p> - - </div><div class="textcol"> - -<p><span class="smcap pad2">Psalm civ.</span></p> - -<p> -Thou makest the darkness -and it is night, wherein all -the beasts of the forest do -creep forth. The young lions -roar after their prey; they seek -their meat from God.</p> - -<p> -The sun riseth, they get them -away, and lay them down in -their dens. Man goeth forth -unto his work, and to his -labour until the evening.</p> - -<p> -The trees of the Lord are -full of sap, ... wherein the -birds make their nests.... -The high hills are a refuge for -the wild goats.</p> -<br /> -<p> -Yonder is the sea, great and -wide, wherein are ... both -small and great beasts. There -go the ships....</p> -<br /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p> - -<p> -O Lord, how manifold are -Thy works! In wisdom hast -Thou made them all. The -earth is full of Thy creatures.</p> -<br /> -<p> -He watereth the hills from -above: the earth is filled with -the fruit of Thy works. He -bringeth forth grass for the -cattle, and green herb for the -service of men.</p> -<br /> -<p> -He appointed the moon for -certain seasons, and the sun -knoweth his going down.</p> -<br /> -<p> -These wait all upon Thee.... -When Thou givest them [food] -they gather it; and when Thou -openest Thy hand they are filled -with good. When Thou hidest -Thy face they are troubled: -when Thou takest away their -breath they die.</p> - </div> - -<p>In face of this remarkable similarity one can -hardly doubt that there is a direct connection -between the two compositions; and it becomes -necessary to ask whether both Akhnaton’s hymn -and this Hebrew psalm were derived from a -common Syrian source, or whether Psalm civ. is -derived from this Pharaoh’s original poem. Both -views are admissible; but in consideration of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -Akhnaton’s peculiar ability and originality there -seems considerable likelihood that he is the author -in the first instance of this gem of the Psalter.</p> - -<p>When the young Pharaoh composed this hymn -he was probably neither much more nor less than -twenty or twenty-one years of age,—a period of -life at which many of the world’s greatest poets -have written some of their fairest poems. One -sees that he believed himself to be the only -man to whom God had revealed Himself; and -the fact that he never admits that he was in -any way taught to regard God as he did, but -always speaks of himself, and is spoken of, as -the originator and teacher of the faith, indicates -that the ideas expressed in the hymn were -entirely his own.</p> - - -<h3>3. MERYRA IS MADE HIGH PRIEST OF ATON.</h3> - -<p>The religion of the Aton had now assumed shape -and symmetry, and had been firmly established -in the new capital as the creed of the court. -Akhnaton was thus able to intrust its administration -and organisation there to one of his nobles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -who had hearkened to his teaching, and to turn -his attention to other affairs, and more especially -to the conversion of the rest of Egypt. As head -of the state a thousand matters daily claimed -his consideration, and his high principles led -him to stray further along the by-paths of -administration than had been the wont of the -Pharaohs before him. His ill-health did not -permit him to tax his brain with impunity, and -yet there was never a king of Egypt before or -after him whose mind was so fruitful of thoughts -and of schemes. The young king himself expounded -to his followers the doctrines which he -wished them to embrace, and one may suppose -that he sat for many an hour in the halls of -his palace, or under the trees in the gardens -beside the Nile, earnestly telling of the beauties -of the Aton to officials and nobles.</p> - -<p>No one had accepted the king’s teaching with -greater readiness than a certain Meryra, <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'who seens to have'">who -seems to have</ins> early associated himself with the -movement; and it was to him that Akhnaton -now handed over the office of “High Priest of -the Aton in the City of the Horizon of Aton,” -in order to free himself for the great task of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -administering his kingdom and converting it to -his way of thinking. Unfortunately we know -very little of the career of Meryra, but on the -walls of his tomb in the hills behind the capital -there are a few reliefs which may here be -described as illustrating events in his life and -in the life of Akhnaton.</p> - -<p>One of these scenes shows us the investiture -of Meryra as High Priest. The king is seen -with his wife and one of his daughters standing -at a window of the gaily decorated <em>loggia</em> of -the palace. The sill of the window is massed -with bright-coloured cushions, and over these -the royal personages lean forward to address -Meryra and the company assembled in the -pillared gallery outside. The outer surface of -the <em>loggia</em> wall is brightly ornamented either -with real or painted garlands of lotus-flowers, -and with the many-coloured patterns usual upon -such buildings in ancient Egypt. Ribbons, fluttering -in the breeze, hang from the delicate lotus-pillars -which support the roof, and vie in brilliancy -with the red and blue ostrich-plume fans and -standards carried by the officials.</p> - -<p>Leaning from the window, with arm outstretched,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -Akhnaton bids Meryra rise from his -knees, on to which he had cast himself on reaching -the royal presence. Then solemnly the king -addresses his favoured disciple in the following -words:—“Behold, I make thee High Priest of -the Aton for me in the Temple of the Aton in -the City of the Horizon of Aton. I do this for -love of thee, and I say unto thee: O my servant -who hearkenest to the teaching, my heart is -satisfied with everything which thou hast done. -I give thee this office, and I say unto thee: thou -shalt eat the food of Pharaoh, thy lord, in the -Temple of Aton.”</p> - -<p>Immediately the assembled company crowd -round Meryra and lift him shoulder-high, -while the new High Priest cries, “Abundant -are the rewards which the Aton knows to give -when his heart is pleased.” The king then -presents Meryra with the insignia of his office, -and with various costly gifts, which are taken -charge of by the servants and attendants who -stand outside the gallery. Behind these attendants, -at the outskirts of the scene, one observes -the chariot which is to convey the High -Priest back to his villa; fan-bearers who shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -run before and behind him; women of the -household who shall beat upon tambourines at -the head of the procession, and who already -dance with excitement as they see Meryra -hoisted on to his friend’s shoulder; and still -other women who shall make the roadway rich -with flowers.</p> - -<p>This is no solemn and occult initiation of an -ascetic into the mystery of the new religion, -but rather the elevation of a good fellow to a -popular post of honour. There was no mystery -in the faith of the Aton. Frankness, openness, -and sincerity were the dominant themes of -Akhnaton’s teaching,—a worship of God in the -blessed light of the day, the singing of merry -psalms in the open courts of the temple; and -the chosen High Priest was more likely to have -been a deep-thinking, clean-lived, honest-hearted, -God-fearing, family man, than an ascetic who -had abandoned the pomps and the vanities of -this world. The point at which Akhnaton’s -religion differs most widely from Christianity -is here to be observed: the Pharaoh, while encouraging -the Simple Life, did not preach the -mortification of the flesh, but only the control<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -of the body. The comforts of life, the brilliancy -of decoration, the charms of music, the beauties -of painting and sculpture, the pleasure of good -company, the tonic of a bowl of wine, were all -as acceptable to him, in moderation, as to the -Preacher in Ecclesiastes.</p> - - -<h3>4. THE ROYAL FAMILY VISIT THE TEMPLE.</h3> - -<p>When Meryra had been installed, the king -and royal family made a formal visit to the -temple at the time of sunset, and this is likewise -represented in the High Priest’s tomb. For -the first time in the history of Egypt one is -permitted to see the Pharaoh as he drove -through the streets of the capital in his chariot. -No king before Akhnaton had allowed an artist -to represent him in aught but celestial poses; -but out of his love for truth and reality -Akhnaton had dispensed with this convention, -and encouraged the regarding of himself as a -mortal man. On this occasion we see him standing -in his gorgeously decorated chariot, reins -and whip in hand, himself driving the two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -spirited horses, the coloured ostrich plumes on -whose heads nod and toss as the superb animals -prance along. The queen, also driving her own -chariot, follows close behind; and after her -again come the princesses, heading a noble -group of chariots belonging to the court officials -and ladies-in-waiting, these being driven by -charioteers. The shining harness, the dancing -red and blue plumes of the horses, the many-coloured -robes, the feathered standards of the -nobles, the fluttering ribbons, all go to make -the cavalcade a sight to bring the townspeople -running from their houses. A guard of soldiers, -armed with spears, shields, battle-axes, bows, -and clubs, races along on foot in front of the -royal party to clear the road. Here, besides -Egyptians, are bearded Asiatics from the king’s -Syrian dominions, befeathered negroes from the -Mazoi tribes of Nubia, and Libyans from the -west, wearing the plaited side-lock of hair hanging -from their heads.</p> - -<p>The party is seen to be nearing the temple, -and Meryra stands before the gateway ready to -greet his lord. Four men kneel near him holding -aloft the coloured ostrich-plume fans, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -will be wafted to and fro above the king’s head -when he has alighted from his chariot; and -others kneel, lifting their hands in reverent -salutation. Great bulls, fattened like the prize -cattle of modern times, are led forth, garlands -of flowers thrown around their huge necks, and -bouquets of flowers fastened between their horns. -These are attended by grooms, also bearing -bunches of flowers. Two groups of female musicians, -clad in flowing robes, wave their arms and -beat upon tambourines.</p> - -<p>The temple, which will be described later, is -this day garlanded with flowers, and every altar -is heaped high with offerings. Now the king -has entered the building, and a further scene -shows the royal family worshipping at the high -altar, which is piled up with offerings of joints -of meat, geese, vegetables, fruit, and flowers, -surmounted by bronze bowls filled with burning -oil. Akhnaton and Nefertiti stand before the -altar, each with the right arm raised in the act -of sprinkling the fragrant gums of Araby upon -the flames. The upper part of the king’s body -is bare, but from his waist depends a graceful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -skirt of fine linen, ornamented with sash-like -ribbons of a red material, which flutter about -his bare legs. The queen’s robe covers the whole -of her body, but is so transparent that one can -see her fair form with almost the distinctness -of nudity. A red sash is bound round her waist, -and the two ends fall almost to the ground. -Neither of the two wears any jewels; and the -simplicity of the soft, flowing robes, with their -bright-red sashes, is extremely marked. Two -little princesses stand behind the king and queen, -each shaking from a systrum a note of praise -to God. Meryra, accompanied by an assistant, -stands bowing before the king, and near by another -priest burns some sweet-smelling incense. -Not far away there sits a group of eight blind -musicians,—fat elderly men, who clap their -hands and sing to the accompaniment of a -seven-stringed harp, giving praise to the sunlight -which they cannot see, but yet can feel -as “the heat which is in Aton” penetrates into -their bones.</p> - -<p>In still another series of reliefs we are shown -a scene representing the reward of Meryra by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -Akhnaton on some occasion when he had been -particularly successful in collecting the yearly -dues of the temple from the estates on the opposite -bank of the river. The ceremony took -place in the granary buildings at the edge of -the water. One sees a group of boats moored -at the quay, and on the shore are several cattle-pens -filled with lowing cattle. The granaries -are stored with all manner of good things, and -Meryra stands triumphant in front of them as -the king addresses him.</p> - -<p>“Let the Superintendent of the Treasury of -the Jewels take Meryra,” says Akhnaton, “and -hang gold on his neck at the front, and gold -on his feet, because of his obedience to the -teaching of Pharaoh;” and immediately the attendants -literally heap the gold collars and -necklaces one above the other upon the High -Priest’s neck. Scribes write down a rapid summary -of the events; the attendants and fan-bearers -bow low; and Meryra is conducted back -to his village with music and with dancing, while -Akhnaton returns to his palace, and, no doubt, -sinks exhausted on to his cushions.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>5. AKHNATON IN HIS PALACE.</h3> - -<p>The reliefs and paintings upon the tombs -often show the Pharaoh reclining thus, in a -languid manner, as though the duties of his -high calling had sapped all the strength from -him. Never before had a Pharaoh been represented -to his subjects in such human attitudes. -The privacy of the palace is penetrated in these -scenes, and we see the king, who loved to teach -his followers the beauty of family life, in the -midst of his own family. One or two of these -representations must here be described. In one -instance the royal family is shown inside a -beautiful pavilion, the roof of which is supported -by wooden pillars painted with many colours -and having capitals carved in high relief to -represent wild geese suspended by their legs, -and above them bunches of flowers: just such -a grouping as one might see in some sporting -house of the present day. The pillars are hung -with garlands of flowers, and from the ceiling -there droop festoons of flowers and trailing -branches of vines. The roof of the pavilion on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -the outside is edged by an endless line of gleaming -cobras, probably wrought in bronze.</p> - -<p>Inside this fair arbor stand a group of naked -girls playing upon the harp, the lute, and the -lyre, and, no doubt, singing to that accompaniment -the artless love-songs of the period. -Servants are shown attending to the jars of -wine which stand at the side of the enclosure. -The king is seen leaning back upon the cushions -of an arm-chair, as though tired out and sick -at heart. In the fingers of his left hand he -idly dandles a few flowers, while with his right -hand he languidly holds out a delicate bowl in -order that the wine in it may be replenished. -This is done by the queen, who is standing -before him, all solicitous for his comfort. She -pours the wine from a vessel, causing it to pass -through a strainer before flowing into the bowl. -Three little princesses stand near by: one of them -laden with bouquets of flowers, another holding -out some sweetmeat upon a dish, and a third -talking to her father.</p> - -<p>In another scene the king and queen are both -shown seated upon comfortable chairs, while a -servant waits upon them. The king is eating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -a roasted pigeon, holding it in his fingers; and -Nefertiti is represented drinking from a prettily -shaped cup. The light, transparent robes which -they wear indicate that this is the midday -meal; but unfortunately the painting is so much -damaged that nothing but the royal figures -remains.</p> - - -<h3>6. HISTORICAL EVENTS OF THIS PERIOD OF -AKHNATON’S REIGN.</h3> - -<p>There is very little historical information to -be procured for these years of the king’s reign. -When he had been about ten or eleven years -upon the throne, and was some twenty-one years -of age, his fourth daughter, Nefernefernaton, was -born. The queen had presented no son to -Akhnaton to succeed him, but he does not seem -in this emergency to have cared to turn to any -secondary wives; and, as far as we can tell, he -remained all his life a monogamist, although -this was in direct opposition to all traditional -custom. Steadily during these years the king’s -health seems to have grown more precarious,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -for almost daily he must have overtaxed his -strength. His brain was so active that he could -not submit to be idle; and even when he reclined -amidst the flowers in his garden, his -whole soul was straining upwards in the attempt -to pierce the barrier which lay between him and -the God who had caused those flowers to bloom. -The maturity of his creed at this period leads -one to suppose that he had given to it his very -life’s force; and when it is remembered that -at the same time his attention was occupied by -the administration of a kingdom which he had -twisted out of all semblance to its former shape, -the wonder is that his brain was at all able to -stand the incessant strain. Rare indeed must -have been those idle moments which the artists of -the City of the Horizon attempted to represent.</p> - -<p>In the twelfth year of his reign, the tribute -of the vassal kingdoms reached such a high -value that a particular record was made of it, -and scenes showing its reception were sculptured -in the tombs of Huya and Meryra II.<a name="FNanchor_53" id="FNanchor_53"></a><a href="#Footnote_53" class="fnanchor">[53]</a> An inscription<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -beside the scene in the tomb of Huya -reads thus:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Year twelve, the second month of winter, the -eighth day.... The King ... and the Queen -... living for ever and ever, made a public -appearance on the great palanquin of gold, to receive -the tribute of Syria and Ethiopia, and of -the west and the east. All the countries were -collected at one time, and also the islands in -the midst of the sea; bringing offerings to the -King when he was on the great throne of the -City of the Horizon of Aton, in order to receive -the imposts of every land and granting them [in -return] the breath of life.</p></div> - -<p>The king and queen are shown seated in the -state palanquin side by side; and although<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> -Akhnaton holds the insignia of royalty, and is -evidently very much upon his dignity, the -queen’s arm has found its way around his waist, -and there lovingly rests for all the world to -see. The palanquin, probably made of wood -entirely covered with gold foil, is a very imposing -structure: a large double throne, borne aloft -by stout poles upon the shoulders of the court -officials. The arm-rests are carved in the form -of sphinxes, which rise above a glistening hedge -of cobras, and the throne is flanked on either -side by the figure of a lion carved in the -round. A priest walks in front of the palanquin -sending up a cloud of incense from a censer, -and professional mummers dance and skip in -the roadway in advance of the procession. Behind -the royal couple walk the princesses, -attended by their nurses and ladies; and on all -sides are arrayed courtiers, officers, soldiers, and -servants.</p> - -<p>Soon the ground marked out for the ceremony -is reached, and the king and queen betake themselves -to a gorgeous little pavilion which has been -erected for them, and here they sit together -upon a double throne, their feet supported upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -hassocks. The queen sits upon Akhnaton’s left, -and in the picture her figure is hidden by that -of her husband; but as her right arm is seen -to encircle his waist, and her left hand to hold -his left hand, one may suppose that she is reclining -against him, with her royal head upon -his shoulder. Nefertiti was the mother of a -family of children, but was not more than about -twenty<a name="FNanchor_54" id="FNanchor_54"></a><a href="#Footnote_54" class="fnanchor">[54]</a> years of age; and as she is said to have -been extremely beautiful, one may presume that -this scene of conjugal affection was not without -its charm. The little princesses cluster -round the throne, one of them holding a young -gazelle in her arms, while another strokes its -head.</p> - -<p>In front of this pavilion the deputations from -the vassal kingdoms pass by; and in order that -the king may not be wearied by their ceremonious -homage, a group of professional wrestlers, -boxers, and fencers is provided for his diversion; -while near them some buffoons and mummers -dance and tumble to the accompaniment of -castanets and hand-clapping. The tribute of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -Syria is brought by long-robed Asiatics, who -cast themselves upon their knees before the -throne with hands uplifted in salutation. Splendid -Syrian horses are led past, and behind -them chariots are wheeled or carried along. -Then come groups of slaves, handcuffed, but not -cruelly bound nor maltreated, as was the custom -under other Pharaohs. Bows, spears, shields, -daggers, elephant-tusks, and other objects, are -carried past and deposited upon the ground -near the pavilion; while beautiful vases of precious -metal or costly stone are held aloft for -the king to admire. Wild animals are led -across the ground by their keepers, and amongst -these a tame mountain lion must have caused -something of a sensation. Several nude girls, -selected probably for their beauty, walk past; -and one may suppose that they will find subsequent -employment amongst the handmaidens -in the palace.</p> - -<p>From the “islands in the midst of the sea” -come beautiful vases, some ornamented with -figures in the round. From Libya ostrich eggs -and ostrich feathers are brought. The tribute -of Nubia and the Sudan is carried past by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> -befeathered negroes, and consists mainly of bars -and rings of gold and bags of gold-dust, procured -from the mines in the Eastern Desert. -Shields, weapons, tusks, and skins are also to -be seen, and cattle and antelopes are led before -the throne. As the Asiatics had startled the -assembly by bringing with them a lion, so -the negroes cause a stir by leading forward -a panther of large size. Finally, male and -female slaves, the latter carrying their babies -in baskets upon their backs, are marched past -the pavilion; but here again these slaves are -not maltreated. It is particularly noticeable -that the groups of miserable captives which one -sees in all such scenes of other periods, with -their arms bound in agonising positions and -their knees giving way under them, are entirely -absent from the representations of Akhnaton’s -ceremonies. Human suffering was a thing hateful -to the young Pharaoh who knew so well -the meaning of physical distress; and the tortures -of the prisoners, or the beheading of some -rebel, such as would have been a feature of an -occasion of this kind under Amonhotep II., or -even, perhaps, under Amonhotep III., would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> -have been as revolting to Akhnaton as it would -be to us.</p> - - -<h3>7. QUEEN TIY VISITS THE CITY OF THE -HORIZON.</h3> - -<p>Akhnaton had left Thebes, as we have seen, -in about the eighth year of his reign; but his -mother, Queen Tiy, seems to have been unwilling -to accompany him, and to have decided to -remain in her palace at the foot of the Theban -hills. It is probable that she had not encouraged -her son to create the new capital, and the -removal of the court from Thebes must have -been something of a grief to her, though no -doubt she recognised the necessity of the step. -In spite of advancing years she must have sorely -missed the pomp and circumstance of the splendid -court over which she had once presided. Up -to the fourth year of her son’s reign she had -been dominant, and the whole known world -had bowed the knee to her. The luxuries of -the many kingdoms over which she held sway -had been hers to enjoy; but now, with the king<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -and the nobles gone to the City of the Horizon, -and every penny which could be collected gone -with them, the old queen must have been obliged -to live a quiet, retired life in a palace which -was probably falling into rapid ruin. Her little -daughter, Baketaton, appears to have lived with -her; and it may be that some of her other -daughters were still with her, though of them -we hear nothing, and it is more probable that -they had already died. It seems likely that -she paid occasional state visits to her son, and -permanent accommodation was provided for her -in the City of the Horizon should she at any -time desire to stay there. Her major-domo, an -elderly man named Huya, appears to have lived -for part of the year at the new capital, where a -tomb was made for him; and it is from the -reliefs on the walls of this tomb that we obtain -the knowledge of one of these state visits made -by the old queen to Akhnaton. There is no evidence -to show in what year the visit which forms -the subject of the representations was made; -but as the twelfth year of Akhnaton’s reign is -mentioned in this tomb, it is probable that the -visit took place somewhere about that time.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span></p> - -<p>The queen must now have been between fifty -and sixty years of age,<a name="FNanchor_55" id="FNanchor_55"></a><a href="#Footnote_55" class="fnanchor">[55]</a> and her daughter -Baketaton, born just before the death of her -husband, was probably not much more than -twelve years old. Akhnaton received his mother -and sister with apparent joy and festivity, and -the major-domo, Huya, was called upon to -organise many a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fête</i> in their honour. Some of -them are shown in the reliefs, where even the -conventionalities of the artist have not been -able to hide from us the luxury of the scene. -One sees Akhnaton, his wife Nefertiti, his mother -Tiy, his sister Baketaton, and his two daughters -Merytaton and Ankhsenpaaton, seated together -on comfortable cushioned chairs, their feet resting -on <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'elaborate footsools'">elaborate footstools</ins>. Akhnaton is clad -in a skirt of clinging linen, but the upper part -of his body seems to have been bare. On his -forehead there gleams a small golden serpent, -and on his feet there are elaborate sandals; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> -with customary simplicity he wears no jewellery. -Queen Nefertiti wears a flowing robe of fine -linen, and on her forehead also there is the -royal serpent. Queen Tiy wears the elaborate -wig which was in vogue during the days of the -old <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régime</i>, and upon it there rests an ornamental -crown consisting of a disk, two horns, two tall -plumes, and two small serpents, probably all -wrought in gold. A graceful robe of some -almost transparent material falls lightly over -her figure. The little girls appear to be naked.</p> - -<p>Around this happy family group there stand -graceful tables upon which food of all kinds is -heaped. Here are joints of meat, dishes of confectionery, -vegetables, fruit,<a name="FNanchor_56" id="FNanchor_56"></a><a href="#Footnote_56" class="fnanchor">[56]</a> bread, cakes of -various kinds, and so on. The tables are -massed with lotus-flowers, according to the -charming custom of the ancient Egyptians of -all periods. Beside the tables stand jars of -wine and other drinkables, festooned with ribbons. -At the moment selected by the artist for reproduction, -Akhnaton is seen placing his teeth in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -the neatly trimmed meat adhering to a large -bone which he holds in his hand. To this day -it is the custom in Egypt thus to eat with the -hands. Nefertiti has a small roast duck in her -hands at which she daintily nibbles. Tiy’s morsel -cannot now be seen, but as she places it to her -mouth with one hand she presents a portion to -her daughter, Baketaton, with the other. The -two little princesses feed by Nefertiti’s side, -and appear to be sharing the meal. Meanwhile -Huya hurries to and fro superintending the -banquet, carefully tasting each dish before it -is presented to the royal party. Two string -bands play alternately, the one Egyptian and -the other apparently Syrian. The former consists -of four female performers, the first playing -on a harp, the second and third on lutes, and -the fourth on a lyre. The main instrument in -the foreign band is a large standing lyre, about -six feet in height, having eight strings, and -being played with both hands. Courtiers clad -in elaborate dresses, and holding ostrich-plume -standards, are grouped around the hall in which -the banquet takes place.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span></p> - -<p>Another set of reliefs in the tomb of Huya -shows us an evening entertainment in honour of -Queen Tiy. Again the same members of the -royal family are represented, but against the -cool night air more clothes are worn by each -person, and the upper part of the king’s body -is now seen to be covered by a mantle of soft -linen. The king, queen, and queen-dowager are -all shown drinking from delicate bowls, probably -made of gold. This being an evening festival, -little solid food appears to have been eaten, -but there are three flower-decked tables piled -high with fruit. From these the little princesses, -now wearing light garments, help themselves -liberally; and the small Ankhsenpaaton -stands upon the footstool of her mother’s chair, -holding on to her skirts with one hand, while -with the other she crams an apricot or some -similar fruit into her mouth. Two string bands -make music as before, and again the groups of -courtiers stand about the hall; while Huya -hastens to and fro directing the waiters, who, -with napkins thrown over their arms, replenish -the drinking-bowls from the wine-jars. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -hall is lit by several flaming lamps set upon -tall stands, near each of which these jars have -been placed.</p> - - -<h3>8. TIY VISITS HER TEMPLE.</h3> - -<p>One more scene from this state visit is shown. -Here we observe Akhnaton leading his mother -affectionately by the hand to a temple which -had been built in her honour, as her private -place of worship, and which was called the -“Shade of the Sun.” This temple appears to -have been a building of great beauty and considerable -size. One passed through two great -swinging doors fixed between the usual two pylons, -and so entered the main court, which stood -open to the sunlight. A pillared gallery passed -along either side of this court, and between each -of the columns there stood statues of Akhnaton, -Amonhotep III., and Queen Tiy. In the middle -of the court rose the altar, to which one mounted -by a flight of low steps. At the far end of the -court another set of pylons and swinging doors -led into the inner chambers. Passing through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -these doors one entered a small gallery, on either -side of which there were again statues of the -Pharaoh and his mother. Beyond stood the -sanctuary, closed by swinging doors; and inside -this was the second altar, flanked by statues -of the king and queen-dowager. To right and -left of the sanctuary there were small chapels; -and a passage led round behind the sanctuary -to the usual shrines, where more royal statues -were to be seen.</p> - -<p>The building seems to have been brilliant -with colours; and on this particular occasion the -altars were heaped up with offerings. Great jars -of wine, decked with garlands of flowers and -ribbons, stood in the shadow of the colonnades; -and meat, bread, fruit, and vegetables were piled -on delicate stands, ornamented with flowers.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton and Tiy were accompanied by the -little Princess Baketaton, Akhnaton’s sister, and -her two ladies-in-waiting. Before them walked -the queen’s major-domo, Huya, accompanied by -a foreign official wearing what appears to be -Cretan costume.<a name="FNanchor_57" id="FNanchor_57"></a><a href="#Footnote_57" class="fnanchor">[57]</a> Behind them walked a noble -group of courtiers bearing ostrich-plume fans<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -and standards; and outside the temple precincts -waited a crowd of policemen, servants, charioteers -and grooms in charge of the royal chariots, fan-bearers, -porters, and temple attendants. These -people shout and cheer loyally as the royal party -arrives. “The ruler of the Aton!” they cry. -“He shall exist for ever and ever!” “She who -rises in beauty!” “To him on whom the Aton -rises!” “She who is patron of this temple of -Aton!” The old queen must have felt as though -she were back once more in the days of her -glory; and yet how different the simplicity of -the religious ceremonies to those of the old -priests of Amon-Ra. There was now but a -prayer or two at the altar, a little burning of -incense, a little bowing of the head, and then -the procession back to the palace, and the silent -closing of the holy gates.</p> - - -<h3>9. THE DEATH OF QUEEN TIY.</h3> - -<p>It is possible that Queen Tiy took up her -residence at the City of the Horizon in recognition -of the lavish arrangements which her son<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -had made for her. But whether this is so or -not, it does not seem that she lived very long -to enjoy such renewals of the pomps which she -had known in her younger days. Her death -appears to have taken place shortly after these -celebrations, and, probably by her express commands, -she was embalmed at Thebes and carried -from her palace up the winding valley to the -royal burying-ground amongst the rugged Theban -hills. Akhnaton showed his affection for her by -presenting the furniture for the tomb, and in -the inscriptions on the outer coffin one reads -that “he made it for his mother.” The queen-dowager -had evidently expressed a wish to be -buried near her father and mother, Yuaa and -Tuau; for the tomb, which is situated on the -east side of the valley, is within a stone’s-throw -of the sepulchre where they lay. It was entered -by a steep flight of steps leading down to a -sloping passage, at the end of which was the -large burial chamber, the walls of which were -carefully whitewashed. On passing into this -chamber a great box-like shrine, or outer coffin, -was to be found, occupying the greater part of -the room. The door to the shrine was made of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -costly cedar of Lebanon covered with gold, and -was fitted with an ornamental bolt. Many of -the nails which held the woodwork together -were made of pure gold,—a fact which plainly -shows us the wealth of the royal treasuries at -this time. Scenes were embossed on the panels -showing the queen standing under the rays of -the Aton. The shrine itself was also made of -cedar, covered with gold, and on all sides were -scenes of the Aton worship. Here Akhnaton -was shown with Tiy, and the life-giving rays of -the sun streamed around their naturally drawn -figures. Inside this outer box the coffin containing -the great queen’s mummy was laid. The -usual funeral furniture was placed at the sides -of the room: gaily coloured boxes, alabaster -vases, faience toilet-pots, statuettes, &c. Some -of the toilet utensils were made in the form of -little figures of the grotesque god Bes, which -indicates that Akhnaton still tolerated the recognition -by other persons of some of the old -gods. In the inscriptions upon the outer coffin -he had been careful to call his father, Amonhotep -III., by his second name, Nebmaara, as -often as possible, in order to avoid the writing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -of the word Amon, his dislike of everything to -do with that god being profound. He allowed -it to be written, however, here and there, as it -seemed right to him that it should appear. -Akhnaton’s prejudice against the old state god -is also shown in another manner. Amon’s consort -was the goddess Mut “the Mother,” whose -name is written in hieroglyphs by a sign representing -a vulture. Now when the inscription -mentioned the king’s <em>mother</em>, Tiy, the word <em>mut</em>, -“mother,” had to be written; but in order to -avoid a similarity—even in spelling—to the -name of the goddess, Akhnaton had the word -written out phonetically, letter by letter, and -thus dispensed with the use of the vulture sign.<a name="FNanchor_58" id="FNanchor_58"></a><a href="#Footnote_58" class="fnanchor">[58]</a> -Again, in the name Nebmaara, the meaning of -which is “Ra, Lord of Truth,” the sign <em>maa</em>, -“truth,” represented the goddess of that name. -Akhnaton’s religion was much concerned with -the quality of truth, which he regarded as one -of the greatest necessities to happiness and well-being; -and the fallacy of supposing that there -was an actual deity of truth was particularly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -apparent to him. He was, therefore, careful to -write the sign <em>maa</em> in letters instead of with -the hieroglyph of the goddess.</p> - -<p>When the funeral ceremonies came to an end, -when the last prayer was said and the last -cloud of incense had floated to the roof, the -golden door of the shrine was shut and bolted, -the outer doorways were walled up, and an -avalanche of stones, let down from the chippings -heaped near by, obliterated all traces of the -entrance. Thus Akhnaton paid his last tribute -to his mother and to the originator, it may be, -of the schemes which he had carried into effect; -and his last link with the past was severed. -With the death of this good woman a restraining -influence, as kindly as it was powerful, slipped -from his arm, and a new and fiercer chapter of -his short life began.</p> - - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="VI" id="VI"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">VI.</a><br /> - -THE THIRTEENTH TO THE FIFTEENTH -YEARS OF THE REIGN OF AKHNATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<div class="blockquotx"> - -<p>“The episode of the retirement of the king with his whole court to the -new palace and city, ... and the strange life of religious and artistic -propaganda which he led there, ... is one of the most curious and interesting -in the history of the world.”—<span class="smcap">Budge</span>: ‘History of Egypt.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RELIGION -OF ATON.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">In the Pharaoh’s hymn to the Aton we read -these words—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“Thou didst create the earth according to Thy desire, ...</p> -<p class="verse0">The countries of Syria and Nubia,</p> -<p class="verse0">The land of Egypt....”</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">It is certainly worthy of note that Syria and -Nubia are thus named before Egypt, and seem -to take precedence in Akhnaton’s mind. In the -same hymn the following lines occur:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“The Nile in heaven is for the strangers, ...</p> -<p class="verse0">But the Nile [itself,] it cometh from the nether world for Egypt.”</p> -</div></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p> - -<p class="noindent">Here Akhnaton refers to the rain which falls -in Syria to water the lands of the stranger, -and compares it with the river which irrigates his -own country. Thus again his thoughts are first -for Syria and then for Egypt. This is the true -imperial spirit: in the broadness of the Pharaoh’s -mind his foreign possessions claim as much -attention as do his own dominions, and demand -as much love. The sentiments are entirely -opposed to those of the earlier kings of this -dynasty, who ground down the land of the -“miserable” foreigner and extracted therefrom -all its riches, without regard to aught else.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton believed that his God was the Father -of all mankind, and that the Syrian and the -Nubian were as much under His protection as -the Egyptian. This is a greater advance in -ethics than may be at once apparent; for the -Aton thus becomes the first deity who was not -tribal or not national ever conceived by mortal -mind. This is the Christian’s understanding -of God, though not the Hebrew conception of -Jehovah. This is the spirit which sends the -missionary to the uttermost parts of the earth; -and it was such an attitude of mind which now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -led Akhnaton to build a temple for the Aton -in the heart of Syria, and another far up in -the Sudan.<a name="FNanchor_59" id="FNanchor_59"></a><a href="#Footnote_59" class="fnanchor">[59]</a> The site of the Syrian temple is -now lost, but the Nubian buildings were recently -discovered and seem to have been of considerable -extent.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_190_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="captionx"> -<em>An Example of the Friendly Relations between Syria and Egypt.</em><br /> -<br /> -<p>A Syrian Soldier named Terura, and his wife, Aariburæ, attended by an Egyptian servant, -who assists him to hold the tube through which he is drinking wine from a jar. From a tablet -found at El Amarna. (Zeit. Aeg. Spr. xxxvi. 126.)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>At the same time temples were being erected -in various parts of Egypt. At Hermonthis a -temple named “Horizon of Aton in Hermonthis” -was built; at Heliopolis there was a temple -named “Exaltation of Ra in Heliopolis,” and -also a palace for the king; at Hermopolis and -at Memphis temples were erected; and in the -Fayum and the Delta “Houses” of Aton sprang -up. Few real converts, however, seem to have -been made; for the religion was far above the -understanding of the people. In deference to -the king’s wishes the Aton was accepted, but -no love was shown for the new form of worship; -and, indeed, not even in the City of the Horizon -itself was it understood.</p> - -<p>A certain change was now made by Akhnaton -in the name of the Aton. The words “Heat -which is in Aton” did not seem to him to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -very happily chosen. They had been used in -the earliest years of the movement, and had -evidently not been coined by Akhnaton himself. -The word “heat” was in spelling very reminiscent -of the name of one of the old gods, and, -to the uninitiate, might suggest some connection. -The name of the Aton was therefore -changed to “Effulgence which comes from -Aton,” the new words introducing into the spelling -the hieroglyph of Ra, the sun. The exact -significance of the alteration is not known; but -one may suppose that the new words better -conveyed the meaning which Akhnaton wished to -imply. Even now it is not easy to find a phrase -to express that vital energy, that first cause -of life, which the king so clearly understood.</p> - -<p>The date of this change is somewhat uncertain, -though it is definitely to be placed between the -tenth and thirteenth year of the reign, the -probability being that it took place at the end -of the twelfth year, when Akhnaton was about -twenty-three years old. The inscriptions upon -the outer coffin, or shrine, of Queen Tiy show -the older form of wording, and the change, -therefore, took place after her death. Now the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -queen did not die till the middle or end of the -twelfth year, for in the tomb of Huya events -of that year are recorded,<a name="FNanchor_60" id="FNanchor_60"></a><a href="#Footnote_60" class="fnanchor">[60]</a> and he still holds -the office of steward to the queen, while a -letter from Dushratta, mentioning Tiy, was -docketed in the twelfth year. On the other -hand, the new name of the Aton occurs in -tombs which, by the number of Akhnaton’s -daughters represented in them, might be thought -to have been constructed earlier than this.<a name="FNanchor_61" id="FNanchor_61"></a><a href="#Footnote_61" class="fnanchor">[61]</a> -Thus there is a slight discrepancy; but the -point of significance is that the change occurred -after the queen’s death, and was thus concurrent -with another change which must here be -recorded.</p> - - -<h3>2. AKHNATON OBLITERATES THE NAME OF AMON.</h3> - -<p>Up till this time it will have been observed -that Akhnaton had behaved with great leniency<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -towards the worshippers of the older gods, and -had not even persecuted the priesthood of Amon-Ra. -It now becomes apparent that this restraint -was due to his mother’s influence, for no sooner -was she dead than Akhnaton turned with the -fierceness of a fanatic upon the latter institution. -He issued an order that the name of Amon was -to be erased wherever it occurred, and this order -was carried out with such amazing thoroughness -that hardly a single occurrence of the -name was overlooked. Although thousands of -inscriptions, accessible to Akhnaton’s agents, are -now known in which the name of Amon -occurs, there are but a few examples in which -the god’s name has not been mutilated. His -agents hammered the name out on the walls -of the temples throughout Egypt; they penetrated -into the tombs of the dead to erase it -from the texts; they searched through the -minute inscriptions upon small statuettes and -figures, obliterating the name therefrom; they -made journeys into the distant deserts to cut -out the name from the rock-scribbles of travellers; -they clambered over the cliffs beside the -Nile to erase it from the graffiti; they entered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -private houses to rub it from small utensils -where it chanced to be inscribed.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton was always thorough in his undertakings, -and half-measures were unknown to -him. When it came to the question of his own -father’s name, he seems not to have hesitated -to order the obliteration of the word Amon in -it, though one may suppose that in most cases -he painted over it the king’s second name, -Nebmaara. His agents burst their way into -the tomb of Queen Tiy and removed the name -Amonhotep from the inscriptions upon the shrine, -writing Nebmaara in red ink over each erasure. -Having scratched out the name even upon one -of the queen’s toilet-pots of minute size they -retired from the tomb, building up the wall at -the entrance, and continued their labours elsewhere. -The king was now asked whether his -own name, Amonhotep,—which had been used -before he adopted the better known Akhnaton,—was -to suffer the same fate, and the answer -seems to have been in the affirmative. Upon -the quarry tablet at Gebel Silsileh<a name="FNanchor_62" id="FNanchor_62"></a><a href="#Footnote_62" class="fnanchor">[62]</a> the king’s -discarded name is thus erased, though it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -not damaged in the tomb of Rames. The names -of the various nobles and officials, male and -female, which were compounded with Amon—Amonhotep, -Setamon, Amonemhat, Amonemapt, -and so on—were ruthlessly destroyed; while -living persons bearing such names were often -obliged to change them.</p> - -<p>In thus mutilating his father’s name Akhnaton -did not in any way intend to disparage his -forbears. He was but desirous of utterly obliterating -Amon from the memory of man, in -order that the true God might the better receive -acceptance. He was proud of his descent, -and, unlike most of his ancestors, he showed a -desire to honour the memory of his father. We -have seen<a name="FNanchor_63" id="FNanchor_63"></a><a href="#Footnote_63" class="fnanchor">[63]</a> how one of his artists, Bek, represented -the figure of Amonhotep III. upon -his monument at Aswan. Huya, Queen Tiy’s -steward, was authorised by Akhnaton to show -that king upon the walls of his tomb;<a name="FNanchor_64" id="FNanchor_64"></a><a href="#Footnote_64" class="fnanchor">[64]</a> and in -the private temple of Queen Tiy, it will be remembered -that there were statues of Amonhotep III.<a name="FNanchor_65" id="FNanchor_65"></a><a href="#Footnote_65" class="fnanchor">[65]</a> -Likewise, the earlier kings of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -dynasty received unusual recognition. An official -named Any held the office of Steward of the -House of Amonhotep II.;<a name="FNanchor_66" id="FNanchor_66"></a><a href="#Footnote_66" class="fnanchor">[66]</a> and there is a representation -of Akhnaton offering to Aton in “the -House of Thothmes IV. in the City of the Horizon.”<a name="FNanchor_67" id="FNanchor_67"></a><a href="#Footnote_67" class="fnanchor">[67]</a> -Upon his boundary tablet Akhnaton -refers to Amonhotep III. and Thothmes IV. as -being troubled by the priesthood of Amon.</p> - -<p>It would seem from the above that there were -shrines dedicated to Akhnaton’s ancestors in the -City of the Horizon, each of which had its -steward and its officials; and it is probable -that Akhnaton arranged that a memorial shrine -of the same kind should be erected for himself -against his death, for we read of a personage -who was “Second Priest” of the king.<a name="FNanchor_68" id="FNanchor_68"></a><a href="#Footnote_68" class="fnanchor">[68]</a> It was -his desire in this manner to show the continuity -of his descent from the Pharaohs of the elder -days, and to demonstrate his real claim to that -title “Son of the Sun” which had been held -by the sovereigns of Egypt ever since the Fifth -Dynasty, and which was of such vital import<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>ance -in the new religion. It was in this manner -that he claimed descent from Ra, who was to -him the same with Aton; and just as the great -religious teachers of the Hebrews made careful -note of their genealogies in order to prove themselves -descended from Adam, and hence in a -manner from God, so Akhnaton thus demonstrated -the continuity of his line in order to -show his real right to the titles “Child of Aton” -and “Son of the Sun.”</p> - - -<h3>3. THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ATON.</h3> - -<p>The City of the Horizon of Aton must now -have been a very city of temples. There were -these shrines dedicated to the king’s ancestors; -there was the temple of Queen Tiy; there was -a shrine for the use of Baketaton, the king’s -sister; there was the “House of putting the -Aton to Rest,” where Queen Nefertiti officiated; -and there was the great temple of Aton, in which -probably were included other of the buildings -named in the inscriptions. The great temple -may here be briefly described, as the reader has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -so far made the acquaintance only of the building -belonging to Queen Tiy.</p> - -<p>The temple was entirely surrounded by a -high wall, and in this respect was not unlike -the existing temple of Edfu, which the visitor -to Egypt will assuredly have seen. Inside the -area thus enclosed there were two buildings, -the one behind the other, standing clear of the -walls, thus leaving a wide ambulatory around -them. Upon passing through the gates of the -enclosing wall there was seen before one the -façade of the first of the two temples, while to -right and left there stood a small lodge or -vestry. The façade of the temple was most -imposing. Two great pylons towered up before -one, rising from behind a pillared portico, and -between them stood the gateway with its swinging -doors. Up the face of each pylon shot five -tall masts, piercing the blue sky above, and -from the heads of each there fluttered a crimson -pennant. Passing through the gateway one -entered an open court, in the midst of which -stood the high altar, up to which a flight of -steps ascended. On either side of this sun-bathed -enclosure stood a series of small chapels<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -or chambers; while in front of one, in the axial -line, there was another gateway leading on into -the second court, from which one passed again -into a third court. Passing through yet another -gateway, a fourth division of the temple was -reached, this being a pillared gallery or colonnade -where one might rest for a while in the -cool shadow. Then onwards through another -gateway into the fifth court, crossing which one -entered the sixth court, where stood another altar -in the full sunshine. A series of some twenty -little chambers passed around the sides of this -court, and looking into the darkness beyond each -of their doorways one might discern the simple -tables and stands with which the rooms were -furnished. A final gateway now led one into -the seventh and last court, where again there -was an altar, and again a series of chambers -surrounded the open space.</p> - -<p>Behind this main temple, and quite separate -from it though standing within the one enclosure, -stood the lesser temple, which was probably the -more sacred of the two. It was fronted by a -pillared portico, and before each column stood -a statue of Akhnaton, beside which was a smaller<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -figure of his wife or one of his daughters. -Passing through the gateway, which was so -designed that nothing beyond could be seen, one -entered an open court in which stood the altar, -and around the sides of which were small chambers. -Here the temple ended, save for a few chambers -of uncertain use, approached from the ambulatory.</p> - -<p>Both buildings were gay with colours, and at -festivals there were numerous stands heaped high -with flowers and other offerings, while red ribbons -added their notes of brilliant colour on all sides. -There was nothing gloomy or sombre in this -temple of Aton; and it contrasts strikingly with -the buildings in which Amon was worshipped. -There vast halls were lit by minute windows, and -a dim uncertainty hovered around the worshipper. -Such temples lent themselves to mystery, -and amidst their gloomy shadows many a supplicant’s -heart beat in terror. Dark stairways led -to subterranean passages, and these passages to -black chambers built in the thickness of the -wall, from whence the hollow voice of the priest -throbbed as from mid-air upon the ears of the -crouching congregation. But in Akhnaton’s temple -each court was open to the full blaze of the sun<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>light.<a name="FNanchor_69" id="FNanchor_69"></a><a href="#Footnote_69" class="fnanchor">[69]</a> -There was, there could be, no mystery; -nor could there be any terror of darkness to -loosen the knees of the worshipper. Akhnaton, -true scientist that he was, had no sympathy for -the occult and no interest in spiritualism. Boldly -he looked to God as a child to its father; and -having solved what he deemed to be the riddle -of life, there was no place in his mind for aught -but an open, fearless adoration of the Creator -of that vital energy which he saw in all things. -Akhnaton was the sworn enemy of the table-turners -of his day, and the tricks of priestcraft, -the stage effects of religiosity, were anathema -to his pure mind.</p> - - -<h3>4. THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY.</h3> - -<p>The City of the Horizon of Aton was now a -place of surpassing beauty. Eight or nine years -of lavish expenditure in money and skill had -transformed the fields and the wilderness into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -as fair a city as the world had ever seen. -One of the nobles who lived there, by name -May, describes it in these words: “The mighty -City of the Horizon of Aton, great in loveliness, -mistress of pleasant ceremonies, rich in possessions, -the offering of the sun being in her midst. -At the sight of her beauty there is rejoicing. -She is lovely and beautiful: when one sees her -it is like a glimpse of heaven.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_202_fp.jpg" width="700" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Carved Wooden Chair, the designs partly covered with gold-leaf.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>There was almost constant music in her streets, -and the scent of flowers was wafted upon every -breeze. Besides the temples and public buildings -the city was adorned with numerous palaces, -each standing in fair gardens. One of these -mansions,<a name="FNanchor_70" id="FNanchor_70"></a><a href="#Footnote_70" class="fnanchor">[70]</a> represented in the tomb of Meryra, -seems to have constituted a happy combination -of comfort and simplicity, as may be seen from -its pictures. One entered a walled court, and -so passed to the main entrance of the house. -A portico, the roof of which was supported by -four decorative columns festooned with ribbons, -sheltered the elaborate doorway from the sunshine. -Passing through this doorway, from the -top of which a row of cobras gleamed down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -upon one, a pillared hall was reached; and beyond -this the visitor entered the great dining-hall. -Twelve columns supported the ceiling, -which was probably painted with flights of -birds; and under a kind of kiosk in the middle -of the hall stood the dining-table and several comfortable -arm-chairs, cushioned in bright colours. -Beyond this hall there was a court, at the back -of which were several chambers, one being a -bedroom, as a great cushioned bedstead clearly -shows. The owner’s womenfolk probably occupied -another portion of the building not shown -in the representations.</p> - -<p>The palace of Ay, Akhnaton’s father-in-law, -was a more pretentious building. It was entered -by a fine doorway which led into a court. A -second door gave entrance to the large, pillared -dining-hall, and through this one passed into a -court from which bedrooms and boudoirs led off. -In one of these rooms two women, clad in airy -garments, are seen to be dancing with one -another, while a man plays a harp. In another -room a girl likewise dances to the strains of a -harp, while a servant dresses the hair of one of -the gentlemen of the household. Other rooms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -contain lutes, harps, and lyres, as well as objects -of the toilet. A little court is now reached, -where fragrant flowers grow, and tanks of water, -sunk in the decorated pavement, give a sense of -coolness to the air. Beyond this are more apartments, -and finally the kitchens are reached. -Throughout the house stand delicate tables upon -which jars of wine or dishes of fruit are to be -seen; and cushioned arm-chairs, with footstools -before them, are ready for the weary. Servants -are seen passing to and fro bearing refreshments, -or stopping to dust the floor, or again -idly talking in the passages.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton’s palace is not very clearly shown -in the tomb reliefs or paintings, but portions -of it were found in the modern excavations on -the site<a name="FNanchor_71" id="FNanchor_71"></a><a href="#Footnote_71" class="fnanchor">[71]</a>. Like all the residential buildings of -the period, it was an airy and light structure -made of brick. The walls, ceilings, and floors -were covered with the most beautiful paintings; -and delicate pillars, inlaid with coloured glass -and stone, or covered with realistically painted -vines and creepers, supported <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'the light rooves'">the light roofs</ins> -of its halls. Portions of the pavement are still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -preserved, and the visitor to the site of the -city may still see the paintings there depicted. -A young calf, frisking in the sunlight, gallops -through a field of red poppies; wild geese rise -from the marshes and beat their way through -the reeds, disturbing the butterflies as they do -so; amidst the lotus-flowers resting upon the -rippling water the sinuous fish are seen to -wander. These are but fragments of the paintings -which once delighted the eyes of the -Pharaoh, or brought a sigh to the lips of his -queen.</p> - -<p>The art of the painter of this period excels in -the depiction of animal and plant life. The -winding, tangled stems and leaves of vines -were carefully studied; the rapid motions of -animals were correctly caught; and it has been -said that in these things the artists of Akhnaton -were greater than those in any other Oriental -art<a name="FNanchor_72" id="FNanchor_72"></a><a href="#Footnote_72" class="fnanchor">[72]</a>. Sculpture in the round, too, reached a -pitch of excellence never before known. The -statue of Akhnaton illustrated opposite is the -work of one who may rank with Donatello, if -not with Cellini.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_206_fp.jpg" width="250" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Akhnaton.</em><br /> -<span class="fs80">(From a statuette in the Louvre.)</span></div> -</div> - -<p>It is possible that Auta, the chief sculptor -of Queen Tiy,<a name="FNanchor_73" id="FNanchor_73"></a><a href="#Footnote_73" class="fnanchor">[73]</a> is the creator of this statue, and -perhaps also of the head, probably, of Akhnaton’s -daughter shown opposite next page. In the tomb -of Huya there is a scene representing this artist -seated in his studio giving the final touches to -a statue of Princess Baketaton. He sits upon -a low stool, palette in hand, and, as was the -custom, colours the surface of the statue. Unlike -the stiff conventional poses of earlier work, -the attitude of the young girl is easy and -graceful. One hand hangs by her side: in the -other she holds a pomegranate, which she is -about to raise to her lips. Auta’s assistant -stands beside the figure, and near by two -apprentices work upon objects of less importance, -their chisels on a table by their side.</p> - -<p>Works such as these which Auta and his -companions were turning out are permanent -memorials of the reign of Akhnaton, which will -carry his name through the years until, as he -would say, “the swan turns black and the crow -turns white.” There must surely come a time, -and soon, when the art of Egypt will receive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -more attention; and one may then hear Akhnaton’s -name coupled with that of the Medici as -the patron, if not the teacher, of great masters. -It was he who released them from convention, -and bade their hands repeat what their eyes -saw; and it was he who directed those eyes to -the beauties of nature around them. He, and -no other, taught them to look at the world in -the spirit of life, to infuse into the cold stone -something of the “effulgence which comes from -Aton”; and, if these few treasures which have -survived the utter wreck of the City of the -Horizon have put one’s heart to a happy step, -it was Akhnaton who first set the measure.</p> - - -<h3>5. AKHNATON’S AFFECTION FOR HIS FAMILY.</h3> - -<p>In about the thirteenth year of the reign a fifth -daughter was born, who was named Neferneferura. -This seems to have been the first daughter born -after the changes in the religion recorded at -the beginning of this chapter<a name="FNanchor_74" id="FNanchor_74"></a><a href="#Footnote_74" class="fnanchor">[74]</a> had taken place; -and it is significant that the name of Aton, of -which all the previous daughters’ names had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -been compounded, now gives place to Ra. A -sixth daughter seems to have made her appearance -somewhat over a year later, some time -during the fourteenth year of the reign. Again -Ra is used in the name instead of Aton, she -being called Setepenra. It is impossible to say -what was the meaning of this slight change in -the theological aspect of the religion at this -period, but it seems evident that certain developments -in which Ra figured were now -introduced.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_208_fp.jpg" width="500" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Head of Akhnaton’s Daughter.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>No son was yet forthcoming, and both the -king and the queen must now have suffered -six successive disappointments. It may be -mentioned here that the next child born to -the unfortunate couple in the following year -proved to be a seventh girl and a seventh disappointment; -and in the remaining two years -of the reign no other child was born, or at -any rate was weaned, so that Akhnaton died -sonless. It is strange to picture this lofty-minded -preacher in his home, with his six little -girls around him, as he is shown upon the -monuments. No other Pharaoh thus portrayed -himself surrounded by his family; but Akhnaton<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> -seems to have never been happy unless all his -children were with him and his wife by his -side. The charm of family life, and the sanctity -of the relationship of husband and wife, parents -and children, seems to have been an important -point of doctrine to him. He urged his nobles, -also, to give their attention to their families; -and in the tomb of Panehesy, for example, one -may see representations of that personage sitting -with his wife and his three daughters around -him.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton’s affection for his daughters is now -shown to us in another manner. When Amonhotep III. -had asked the King of Mitanni for -one of his daughters to be given in marriage to -Akhnaton, the little Nefertiti was at once -dispatched, although she was not yet old -enough to cohabit with her husband. He had -no scruples about sending the child of eight -years old to a foreign country, and seems to -have packed her off without a thought. Now, -however, we obtain a glimpse of Akhnaton’s -actions under similar circumstances, and the -difference is marked. The King of Babylon, -Burraburiash, wrote to Akhnaton in about the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -fourteenth or fifteenth year of the reign, asking -for one of the Pharaoh’s daughters as a wife for -his son. Wishing to be on friendly terms with -Babylonia, Akhnaton consented to the union, -and selected probably his fourth daughter, Nefernefernaton, -as the future Queen of Babylon. -His eldest daughter subsequently married a -noble named Smenkhkara, who succeeded to the -throne after the death of Akhnaton; and his -third daughter was later married to another -noble named Tutankhaton, who usurped the -throne, as we shall see in the sequel. The fact -that neither of these daughters was now chosen -to marry the Babylonian prince indicates that -they were already betrothed to their future -husbands, and hence this event could not have -taken place much earlier than at the date -mentioned above. The second daughter, Meketaton, -was not selected for the reason that she -seems to have been in a precarious state of -health. The little princess who was chosen -was born in the tenth year of the reign, and -was now not more than five years of age. -Akhnaton, unlike the King of Mitanni, did not -at once send the child to her future home, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -arranged the marriage by proxy, and thus kept -his daughter with him for yet a few years. This -is made evident from the fact that in a letter -from Burraburiash to Akhnaton, the Babylonian -king states that he is sending a necklace -of over a thousand stones to the “Pharaoh’s -daughter, the wife of his son,” who is thus -evidently still resident in Egypt.</p> - -<p>Besides Akhnaton’s six, and presently seven, -daughters there were two other princesses -probably in residence at the palace. One of -these, his young sister Baketaton, whom we -have seen visiting the City of the Horizon with -her mother, is not again heard of, and perhaps -did not long survive the dowager-queen’s death. -The other was Nezemmut, the sister of Queen -Nefertiti, who seems to have lived in Egypt -continuously since the time of the founding of -the new city, when we last saw her.<a name="FNanchor_75" id="FNanchor_75"></a><a href="#Footnote_75" class="fnanchor">[75]</a> Her -portraits are shown in the tombs of May, Panehesy, -and Ay; and she is generally seen to be -accompanied by two female dwarfs, named Para -and Reneheh, who appear to have waddled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -after her wherever she went. She was still, no -doubt, very young, and these two grotesque -attendants were entrusted with her safety as -well as her amusement.</p> - - -<h3>6. AKHNATON’S FRIENDS.</h3> - -<p>The simple and homely manner in which -Akhnaton is represented by his artists, surrounded -by his children, is an indication that -although he demanded much homage from his -subjects in his capacity as their Pharaoh, he but -asked for their sympathy and affection in all -other connections. As Pharaoh his person was -inapproachable and his attitude aloof, but as a -man he never failed to set an example of what -he considered a man should do; and even upon -his throne, to which one might but advance -with bowed head and bended knee, he displayed -his mortal nature to all beholders by joking with -his children or paying fond attention to his -wife. So, also, many of his disciples and courtiers, -who so ceremoniously approached the steps -of his throne, were in reality his good friends<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -and intimates. Akhnaton did not care a snap -of the fingers for aristocratic traditions, and -although he demanded the conventional respect -of his subjects, and upheld the less tiresome -rules of court etiquette, many of his closest -friends were of peasant origin, and the hands -which now held the jewelled ostrich-plume standards -could as easily grasp the pick or the -plough.</p> - -<p>May, a high official of the city, speaks of himself -in the following words: “I was a man of -low origin both on my father’s and on my mother’s -side, but the King established me.... He caused -me to grow ... by his bounty when I was a -man of no property; ... he gave me food and -provisions every day, I who had been one that -begged bread.” Huya, Queen Tiy’s steward, -speaks of the king as selecting his officials from -the ranks of the yeomen. Panehesy tells us -that Akhnaton is one “who maketh princes and -formeth the humble,” and he adds: “When I -knew not the companionship of princes I was -made an intimate of the King.” But if the -Pharaoh raised men from the ranks, he was also -capable of degrading those who offended against<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -the standards which he had set up. Thus May -seems to have been disgraced and turned out of -the city.</p> - -<p>The tomb of the police official, Mahu, who -was a favourite of the king, though probably -not of exalted origin, has provided us with some -scenes relating to his official work which are of -considerable interest. In one series of these we -are shown the capture of some foreigners, or perhaps -Beduin, who may have belonged to some -gang of thieves or anarchists. Mahu has been -awakened in the early hours of a winter morning -by the news of the disturbance, and as he listens -to the report a servant blows a small fire into -flame, since the morning air is chilly. He then -sends for his chariot and drives to the scene of -the crime, whatever it may be; and soon he has -effected the arrest of some of the culprits. -These men are then conveyed to the Vizir, who, -with his staff, receives Mahu with exclamations -of approval. “Examine these men, O Princes,” -says the police officer, “whom the foreigners -have instigated.” From these words it might -seem that the prisoners were foreign spies, or even -assassins plotting against the life of the Pharaoh.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span></p> - -<p>Whether from fear of a revolt in Egypt or -from mere custom, the City of the Horizon was -closely defended at this time, and there is a -scene in this same tomb in which Akhnaton is -shown inspecting the fortifications. He drives -in his chariot with his wife and his eldest -daughter Merytaton; and although the spirited -horses would appear to be difficult to manage, -the more so because the mischievous Merytaton -is poking them with a stick, Akhnaton is a sufficiently -good driver to be able to carry on a conversation -with the queen, and to address a few -words to Mahu, who runs by the side of the -chariot. In striking contrast to the custom of -other Pharaohs, Akhnaton is accompanied by an -unarmed bodyguard of police as he drives round -the defences; and in this we may perhaps see -an indication of his popularity. The fortifications, -it may be noted, consist of blockhouses -built at regular intervals, and defended by wire -or rope entanglements.</p> - -<p>In several of the tombs there are representations -of their owners receiving rewards from the -king for their diligence in their official works, -or for their intelligent acceptance of his teach<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span>ing. -A high official named Pentu has left us a -scene in which Akhnaton is shown seated in the -hall of his palace, while Pentu stands before him -to receive numerous golden collars at the royal -hands in recognition of his services. A part of -the palace is shown, but the scene is much -damaged: a small pond or tank surrounded by -flowers is shown in one corner of the enclosure, -but the plan of the various rooms is confused, -and is quite subsidiary to the representation of -the hall where the Pharaoh receives the happy -Pentu. Akhnaton seems to have been a good -friend, as he was a stern enemy; and those who -assisted him in the difficult tasks which he had -set himself were lavishly rewarded for their -pains.</p> - - -<h3>7. AKHNATON’S TROUBLES.</h3> - -<p>Akhnaton’s health was so very uncertain that -he hastened to construct for himself a tomb -in the cliffs behind the City of the Horizon. -He selected as the site of his last resting-place -a gaunt and rugged valley which here cuts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -into the hills, leading back, around tumbled -rocks and up dry watercourses, to the Arabian -desert beyond. It is</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“A savage place!—as holy and enchanted</p> -<p class="verse0">As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted</p> -<p class="verse0">By woman wailing for her demon-lover.”</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">Here Akhnaton elected to be buried, where -hyænas prowled and jackals wandered, and where -the desolate cry of the night-owls echoed over -the rocks. In winter, the cold wind sweeps -up this valley and howls around the rocks; -in summer the sun makes of it a veritable -furnace unendurable to man. There is nothing -here to remind one of the God who watches -over him, and the tender Aton of the Pharaoh’s -conception would seem to have abandoned this -place to the spirits of evil. There are no flowers -where Akhnaton cut his sepulchre, and no birds -sing; for the king believed that his soul, caught -up into the noon of Paradise, would need no -more the delights of earth.</p> - -<p>The tomb consisted of a passage descending -into the hill, and leading to a rock-cut hall, -the roof of which was supported by four columns. -Here stood the sarcophagus of pink granite in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -which the Pharaoh’s mummy would lie. The -walls of this hall were covered with scenes -carved in plaster,<a name="FNanchor_76" id="FNanchor_76"></a><a href="#Footnote_76" class="fnanchor">[76]</a> representing various phases -of the Aton worship. From the passage there -led another small chamber beyond which a -further passage was cut, perhaps to lead to -a second hall in which the queen should be -buried; but the work was never finished.</p> - -<p>The construction of the tomb was interrupted -by the death of Akhnaton’s second daughter, -Meketaton, who had barely lived to see her -ninth birthday. It has already been seen that -she seems to have been ailing for some time, -and her death was perhaps no surprise to her -parents. Their grief, however, was none the -less acute for this; and when the body of the -little girl had been laid to rest in one of the -chambers of her father’s tomb, the walls were -covered at Akhnaton’s order with scenes representing -the grief of the bereaved family. -Here Queen Nefertiti is seen holding in her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -arms her lately born seventh daughter, whose -name, ending in ... t, is now lost; while the -five other little girls weep with their parents -beside the bier of their dead sister. It is a -pathetic picture, and one which stirs our sympathy -for a Pharaoh who, unlike all other kings -of Egypt, could weep for the loss of a daughter.</p> - -<p>This was not Akhnaton’s only grief. His -doctrines were not being accepted in Egypt -as readily as he had hoped, and he was probably -able to detect a considerable amount of -insincerity in the attitude of those around him. -There was hardly a man whom he could trust -to continue in the faith should he himself die; -and even as he put the last touches to his -temples and his palaces he was aware that -he had built his house upon the sand. The -empire which he had dreamed of, bound together -by the ties of a common worship of Aton, was -fast fading out of sight, and the news which -reached him from Syria was disquieting in the -extreme.</p> - -<p>At this time the King of Babylon, whose -son had married Akhnaton’s daughter, seems -to have been on bad terms with his neighbour,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -the King of Mitanni, the father of the Pharaoh’s -much-loved Queen Nefertiti; and Akhnaton came -nigh to being drawn into the quarrel. The -Babylonian king had been ill for some time, -and in the course of the international correspondence -Nefertiti had never once sent her -condolences to him, apparently because he was -a poor friend to her father. This was much -resented, and the King of Babylon at last -sent an insulting letter to Akhnaton, in which -he states that he is sending him the usual -present of decorative objects which etiquette -required of him, but that he wishes it to be -understood that only a fraction of the gift -is intended for the “mistress of his house,” -<em>i.e.</em>, Nefertiti, since she had not troubled to -ask after his health.</p> - -<p>Shortly after this he wrote another letter -to Akhnaton making various complaints, and -stating that his messengers had been robbed -in territory belonging to the Pharaoh, who must -therefore make good their losses. A third letter -makes similar complaints, and hints at future -trouble. Meanwhile the King of Mitanni was -on none too friendly terms with Akhnaton, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> -appears to have detained the Pharaoh’s envoy, -named Mani, thereby causing Akhnaton -considerable anxiety. There was, in fact, a general -tendency to disparage the Egyptian king, which -must have been exceedingly galling to Akhnaton, -who had the power to let loose upon Asia an -army which would silence all insult, but did -not find such a step consistent with his principles. -In a letter which he wrote to one of -the Syrian princes whose fidelity was doubtful, -Akhnaton ends his despatch with the words: -“I am very well, I the sun in the heavens, -and my chariots and soldiers are exceedingly -numerous; and from Upper Egypt even unto -Lower Egypt, and from the place where the -sun riseth even unto the place where he setteth, -the whole country is in good cause and content.” -Thus we see that Akhnaton knew his power, -and wished that others should know it; and -it is therefore the more surprising that, as we -shall presently find, he never chose to use it.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="VII" id="VII"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">VII.</a><br /> - -THE LAST TWO YEARS OF THE REIGN -OF AKHNATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“I know, he said, what you like is to look at the mountains, or to go -up among them and kill things. But I like the running water in a quiet -garden, with a rose reflected in it, and the nightingale singing to it. -Listen!”—<span class="smcap">Mirza Mahomed</span> in ‘The Story of Valeh and Hadijeh.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE HITTITE INVASION OF SYRIA.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">The eastern end of the Mediterranean is bounded -on the south by Egypt and the desert, on the -east by Palestine and Syria, and on the north -by Asia Minor, these roughly forming the three -sides of a square. The conquests of the great -warrior-Pharaoh Thothmes III. had carried the -Egyptian power as far as the north-east corner -of this formation—that is to say, to the point -where Syria meets Asia Minor. The island of -Cyprus is in shape not unlike a hand with index -finger extended; and this finger may be said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -to be pointing to the limit of Egyptian conquest, -somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Amanus -Mountains. The kingdom of Mitanni, the home -of Queen Nefertiti, was situated on the banks -of the Euphrates some distance inland from -these mountains; and as it acted as a buffer -state between the Egyptian possessions in Syria -and the unconquered lands beyond, the Pharaohs -had taken care to unite themselves by marriage, -as we have seen, with its rulers. Behind Mitanni -to the north-east, the friendly kingdoms later -known as Assyria marked the limits of the -known world; while to the north the hostile -lands of Asia Minor lay in the possession of the -Hittites, a warlike confederacy of peoples, perhaps -the ancestors of the modern Armenians. -From these hardy warriors the greatest danger -to the Egyptian Empire in Syria was to be -expected; and the statesmen of Egypt must have -cast many an anxious look towards those forbidding -mountains which loomed beyond Mitanni. -A southern movement of the Hittites, indications -of which were already very apparent, would -bring them swarming over and around the -Amanus Mountains, either along the eastern<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -and inland route through Mitanni, or along the -western route beside the sea and over the -Lebanon, or again, midway between these two -routes, past the great cities of Tunip, Kadesh, -and others, which stood to block the way.</p> - -<p>When Akhnaton ascended the throne, Seplel -was king of the Hittites, and was by way of -being friendly to Egypt. Some of his people, -however, crossed the frontiers of Mitanni and -were repulsed by Dushratta, the king of that -country, who was father-in-law to Akhnaton. -This caused some coldness between Seplel and -the Pharaoh; and although the former sent an -embassy to the City of the Horizon, the correspondence -between the two monarchs presently -ceased. The young idealist of Egypt seems to -have held warfare in horror; and the Hittites -were so essentially a fighting race that Akhnaton -could have had no friendly feelings towards them. -Soon we find that these Hittites, unable to overflow -into the land of Mitanni, have moved along -the eastern route and have seized the land of -Amki, which lay on the sea-coast between the -Amanus Mountains and the Lebanon. This -movement might have been stopped by Aziru,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -an Amorite prince who ruled the territory between -Amki and Mitanni, and whose duty, as -an Egyptian vassal, was to check the southern -incursions of the Hittites. But Aziru, like his -father Abdashirta before him, was a man as -ambitious as he was faithless, and his dealings -both with the Hittites and with the Egyptians -during the following years were unscrupulous -in the extreme. It was his policy to play the -one nation against the other, and to extend -the scope of his own power at the expense of -both.</p> - - -<h3>2. AKHNATON’S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONS -TO WARFARE.</h3> - -<p>Akhnaton’s policy in Syria, when considered -from the point of view of an ordinary man, was -of the weakest. Ideals cannot govern an empire, -and those who would apply the doctrine of -“peace and goodwill” to subject races endanger -the very principles which they would teach. -While the young Pharaoh was singing his -imperial psalms to the Atom in his growing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -capital, the princes of Syria were whistling the -revolutionary ditties which presently were to -ring in the ears of the isolated Egyptian garrisons. -Little did they care for that tender -Father of Mankind to whom Akhnaton’s thin -finger so earnestly pointed. They knew nothing -of monotheism; they found no satisfaction in -One who was the gentle ruler of all men without -distinction of race. A true god to them -was a vanquisher of other gods, a valiant leader -in battle, a relentless avenger of insult. The -furious Baal, the bloodthirsty Tishub, the terrible -Ishtar—these were the deities that a man -could love. How they scorned that God of -Peace who was called the Only One! How -they laughed at the young Pharaoh who -had set aside the sword for the psalter, who -hoped to rule his restless dominions by love -alone!</p> - -<p>Love! One stands amazed at the reckless -idealism, the beautiful folly, of this Pharaoh -who, in an age of turbulence, preached a -religion of peace to seething Syria. Three -thousand years later mankind is still blindly -striving after these same ideals in vain. Nowadays<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -one is familiar with the doctrine: a -greater than Akhnaton has preached it, and -has died for it. To-day God is known to us, -and the peace of God is a thing hoped for; -but at that far-off period, thirteen hundred -years before the birth of Christ, two or three -centuries before the age of David and Solomon, -and many a year before the preaching of Moses, -one is utterly surprised to behold the true light -shining forth for a short moment like the sun -through a rift in the clouds, and one knows -that it has come too soon. Mankind, even now -not ready, was then most wholly unprepared, -and the price which Egypt paid for the ideals -of her Pharaoh was no less than the complete -loss of her dominions.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton believed in God, and to him that -belief meant a practical abhorrence of war. -Marshalling the material available for the study -of this period of history, one can interpret the -events in Syria in only one way: Akhnaton -definitely refused to do battle, believing that -a resort to arms was an offence to God. -Whether fortune or misfortune, gain or loss, -was to be his lot, he would hold to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -principles, and would not return to the old -gods of battle.</p> - -<p>It must be remembered that at this time -the empire was the personal property of the -Pharaoh, as every kingdom was of its king. -Nobody ever considered a possession as belonging -to the nation which had laid hands upon it, -but only to that nation’s king. It mattered -very little to the Syrian peoples whether their -owner was an Egyptian or a Syrian, though -perhaps they preferred to be possessed by one -of their own race. Akhnaton was thus doing -his will with his own property. He was -refusing to fight for his own possessions; he -was acting literally upon the Christian principle -of giving the cloak to him who had stolen the -coat. Patriotism was a sentiment unknown to -the world: devotion to the king’s personal -interest was all that actuated loyalty in the -subject, and the monarch himself had but his -own interests to consider. Thus Akhnaton cannot -be accused of ruining his country by his -refusal to go to war. He was entitled to do -what he liked with his own personal property, -and if he sacrificed his possessions to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -principles, the sacrifice was made upon God’s -high altar, and the loss would be felt by him -alone. Such a loss, it is true, would probably -break his heart; for he loved Syria dearly, and -he had had such great hopes of uniting the -empire by the tie of a common religion. But -for good or ill, he was determined to stand -aloof from the struggles upon which Syria was -now entering.</p> - - -<h3>3. THE FAITHLESSNESS OF AZIRU.</h3> - -<p>While Aziru, the Amorite, schemed on the -borders of Asia Minor, a Syrian prince named -Itakama suddenly set up an independent kingdom -at Kadesh and joined hands with the -Hittites, thus cutting off the loyal city of Tunip, -the friendly kingdom of Mitanni, and the territory -of the faithless Aziru from direct intercourse -with the Lebanon and Egypt’s remaining -possessions in Palestine and Syria. Three loyal -vassal kings, perhaps assisted by Dushratta of -Mitanni, attacked the rebels, but were repulsed -by Itakama and his Hittite allies.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span></p> - -<p>Aziru at once turned the situation to his own -advantage. Hemmed in between the Hittites -on the north and this new kingdom of Kadesh -on the south, he collected his armies and -marched down the Orontes to the Mediterranean -coast, capturing the cities near the mouth -of that river and adding them to his possessions. -Should the Hittites ask him to give an account -of these proceedings, he could reply that he was, -as it were, the advance-guard of the Hittite -invasion of Syria, and was preparing the road -for them. Should Itakama question him, he -could say that he was, with friendly hands, -linking the Hittites with Kadesh. And should -Akhnaton call upon him for an explanation, he -could answer that he was securing the land for -the Egyptians against the Hittite advance.</p> - -<p>No doubt Aziru preferred to keep his peace -with the Hittites the most secure, for it was -obvious that they were the rising people; but -at the same time he did not yet dare to show -any hostility to Egypt, whose armies might at -any moment be launched across the Mediterranean. -Unable to hold a position of independence, -he now thought it most prudent to allow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -the northmen to swarm southwards through his -dominions, from Amki over and around the -Lebanon to Kadesh, where their ally Itakama -dwelt. In return for this assistance he seems to -have been allowed a free hand in the forwarding -of his own interests, and we now find him turning -his attention to the sea-coast cities of Simyra -and Byblos, which nestled at the western foot -of the Lebanon. Here, however, he received a -check, and failed to obtain a footing. He therefore -marched eastwards to the city of Niy, which -he captured, slaying its king; and both to the -Hittites and to the Egyptians he seems to have -pretended that he had taken this step in their -interests.</p> - -<p>On hearing of the fall of this city the -governor of Tunip wrote a pathetic appeal to -Akhnaton, asking for help; for he was now -quite isolated, and he knew that Aziru was a -free-lance who cared not a jot for any but his -own welfare.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“To the King of Egypt, my lord,” runs the -letter. “The inhabitants of Tunip, thy servant. -May it be well with thee, and at the feet of our -lord we fall. My lord, Tunip, thy servant, speaks,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -saying: Who formerly could have plundered Tunip -without being plundered by Thothmes III.? The -gods ... of the King of Egypt, my lord, dwell in -Tunip. May our lord ask his old men [if it be -not so.] Now, however, we belong no more to -our lord, the King of Egypt.... If his soldiers -and chariots come too late, Aziru will make us -like the city of Niy. If, however, we have to -mourn, then the King of Egypt will mourn over -these things which Aziru has done, for he will -turn his hand against our lord. And when Aziru -enters Simyra Aziru will do to us as he pleases, -in the territory of our lord the King, and on -account of these things our lord will have to -lament. And now Tunip, thy city, weeps, and her -tears are flowing, and there is no help for us. -For twenty years we have been sending to our -lord the King, the King of Egypt, but there has -not come to us a word—no, not one.”</p></div> - -<p class="noindent">Several points become apparent from this letter. -One sees that in the more distant cities of Syria -the significance of Akhnaton’s new religion was -not understood. The governor of Tunip refers -to the old gods of Egypt worshipped in that -town, and he knows not, or cannot be brought -to believe, that Akhnaton has become a monotheist. -One sees that the memory of the terrible -Thothmes III. and his victorious armies was still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -in men’s minds, and was probably one of the -main causes of the long-continued peace in Syria. -Akhnaton’s father, Amonhotep III., had not concerned -himself greatly with regard to his foreign -dominions, and, as the people of Tunip had been -asking for assistance for twenty years, it would -seem that the danger which now beset them -was already feared before that Pharaoh’s death.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_234_fp.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Letter from Ribaddi to the King of Egypt, reporting the progress -of the rebellion under Aziru.</em><br /> -<span class="fs80">(British Museum, No. 29,801.)</span></div> -</div> - -<p>How, one asks, could Akhnaton read such a -letter as this, and yet refuse to send a relieving -army to Syria? Byblos and Simyra were still -loyally holding out; and troops disembarked at -these ports could speedily be marched inland to -Tunip, could crush Hakama at Kadesh, and -could frighten Aziru into giving real assistance -to Dushratta and other loyal kings in holding -the Hittites back behind the Amanus Mountains. -But this was Akhnaton’s Gethsemane, if -one may say so with reverence; and like that -greater Teacher who, thirteen hundred years -later, was to preach the self-same doctrine of -personal sacrifice, one may suppose that the -Pharaoh suffered a very Agony as he realised -that his principles were leading him to the loss -of all his dearest possessions. His restless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -generals in Egypt, eager to march into Syria, -must have brought every argument to bear -upon him; but the boy would not now turn -back. “Put up thy sword into his place,” he -seems to have said; “for all they that take -the sword shall perish with the sword.”</p> - - -<h3>4. THE FIGHTING IN SYRIA BECOMES GENERAL.</h3> - -<p>At this time the King of Byblos was one -named Ribaddi, a fine old soldier who was loyal -to Egypt in his every thought and deed. He -wrote to Akhnaton urging him to send troops -to relieve the garrison of Simyra, upon which -Aziru was again pressing close; for if Simyra -fell, he knew that Byblos could not for long -hold out. Presently we find that Zimrida, the -king of the neighbouring port of Sidon, has -opened his gates to Aziru, and has marched with -him against Tyre. Abimilki, the King of Tyre, -at once wrote to Akhnaton asking for assistance; -but on receiving no reply he, too, appears -to have thrown in his lot with Aziru. Ribaddi -was now quite isolated at Byblos; and from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -the beleaguered city he wrote to the Pharaoh telling -him that “Simyra is like a bird in a snare.” -Akhnaton made no reply; and in a short time -Ribaddi wrote again, saying, “Simyra, your -fortress, is now in the power of the Khabiri.”</p> - -<p>These Khabiri were the Beduin from behind -Palestine, who were being used as mercenaries -by Aziru, and who themselves were making -small conquest in the south on their own -behalf. Thus the southern cities of Megiddo, -Askalon, Gezer, and others, write to the Pharaoh -asking for aid against them. Exasperated, however, -by Akhnaton’s inaction, Askalon and Gezer, -together with the city of Lachish, threw off <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'the Egptian yoke'">the -Egyptian yoke</ins> and attacked Jerusalem, which was -still loyal to Egypt, being held by an officer -named Abdkhiba. This loyal soldier at once -sent a despatch to Akhnaton, part of which -read as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The King’s whole land, which has begun -hostilities with me, will be lost. Behold the -territory of Seir, as far as Carmel, its princes -are wholly lost; and hostility prevails against -me.... As long as ships were upon the sea -the strong arm of the King occupied Naharin -and Kash, but now the Khabiri are occupying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -the King’s cities. There remains not one prince -to my lord, the King; every one is ruined.... -Let the King take care of his land, and ... let -him send troops.... For if no troops come in -this year, the whole territory of my lord the King -will perish.... If there are no troops in this -year, let the King send his officer to fetch me -and my brothers, that we may die with our lord, -the King.</p></div> - -<p>To this letter the writer added a postscript -addressed to Akhnaton’s secretary, with whom he -was evidently acquainted. “Bring these words -plainly before my lord the King,” runs this -pathetic appeal. “The whole land of my lord, -the King, is going to ruin.”</p> - -<p>The letters sent to Akhnaton from the few -princes who remained loyal form a collection -which even now moves the reader. To Akhnaton -they must have been so many sword-thrusts, and -one may picture him praying passionately for -strength to set them aside. Soon it would seem -that the secretaries hardly troubled to show -them to him; and ultimately they were so effectually -pigeon-holed that they have only recently -been discovered. The Pharaoh permitted himself -to answer some of them, and seems to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -asked questions as to the state of affairs; but -never does he offer any encouragement. Lapaya, -one of the princes of the south, who had evidently -received a communication from Akhnaton -in which his fidelity was questioned, wrote saying -that if the Pharaoh ordered him to drive a -sword of bronze into his heart he would do so. -It is a commentary upon the veracity of the -Oriental that in subsequent letters this prince is -stated to have attacked Megiddo, and ultimately -to have been slain while fighting against the -Egyptian loyalists.</p> - -<p>Addudaian, a king of some unknown city of -south Judea, acknowledges the receipt of a letter -from Akhnaton in which he was asked to remain -loyal; and he complains, in reply, of the loss of -various possessions. Dagantakala, the king of -another city, writes imploring the Pharaoh to -rescue him from the Khabiri. Ninur, a queen -of a part of Judea, who calls herself Akhnaton’s -handmaid, entreats the Pharaoh to save her, -and records the capture of one of her cities by -the Khabiri.</p> - -<p>And so the letters run on, each telling of some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span> -disaster to the Egyptian cause, and each voicing -the bitter complaint of those who were being -sacrificed to the principles of a king who had -grasped the meaning of civilisation too soon.</p> - - -<h3>5. AZIRU AND RIBADDI FIGHT TO A FINISH.</h3> - -<p>Meanwhile Ribaddi was holding Byblos valiantly -against Aziru’s armies, and many were the -despatches which he sent to Akhnaton asking -for assistance against Aziru. Nothing could have -been easier than the despatch of a few hundred -men across the Mediterranean to the beleaguered -port, and the number which Ribaddi asks for is -absurdly small. Akhnaton, however, would not -send a single man, but instead wrote a letter -of gentle rebuke to Aziru, telling him to come to -the City of the Horizon to explain his conduct. -Aziru wrote at once to one of Akhnaton’s -courtiers who was his friend, telling him to -speak to the Pharaoh and to set matters right.</p> - -<p>He explained that he could not leave Syria at -that time, for he must remain to defend Tunip<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -against the Hittites. The reader, who has seen -the letter written by the governor of Tunip -asking for help against Aziru, will realise the -perfidy of this Amorite, who was now, no doubt, -preparing to capture Tunip for the sake of its -riches, and, having done so, would tell Akhnaton -that he had entered it to hold it against the -Hittites.</p> - -<p>Akhnaton then wrote to Aziru insisting that -he should rebuild the city of Simyra, which he -had destroyed; but Aziru again replied that he -was too busy in defending Egyptian interests -against the inroads of the Hittites to give his -attention to this matter for at least a year. To -this Akhnaton sent a mild reply; but Aziru, -fearing that the letter might contain some -matter which it would be better for him not to -hear, contrived to evade the messenger, and the -despatch was brought back to Egypt. He wrote -to the Pharaoh, however, saying that he would -see to it that the cities captured by him -should continue to pay tribute as usual to -Egypt.</p> - -<p>The tribute seems to have reached the City -of the Horizon in correct manner until the last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -years of the reign,<a name="FNanchor_77" id="FNanchor_77"></a><a href="#Footnote_77" class="fnanchor">[77]</a> though probably it was much -less in quantity than had been customary. There -was general confusion in Syria, as we have seen; -but, as in the case of the struggle between Aziru -and Ribaddi, where both professed their loyalty -to Egypt, so, in all the chaos, there was a make-believe -fidelity to the Pharaoh. The tribute was -thus paid each year by a large number of cities, -and it was probably not till the seventeenth -and last year of Akhnaton’s reign that this -pretence of loyalty was altogether discarded.</p> - -<p>In desperate straits at Byblos, Ribaddi made -a perilous journey to the neighbouring city of -Beyrût in order to attempt to collect reinforcements. -No sooner had he left, however, than -an insurrection occurred at Byblos, and Ribaddi -paid for his loyalty to Egypt by losing the -support of his own subjects. Presently Beyrût -surrendered to Aziru, and Ribaddi was forced to -fly. After many an adventure the stout old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -king managed to regain control of Byblos, and -to set about the further defence of the city.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Aziru had paid a rapid visit to -Egypt, partly to justify his conduct and partly, -no doubt, to ascertain the condition of affairs -on the Nile. With Oriental cunning he managed -to satisfy Akhnaton that his intentions -were not hostile to Egypt, and so returned to -the Lebanon. Ribaddi, hearing of this, at once -sent his son to the City of the Horizon to expose -Aziru’s perfidy and to plead for assistance -against him. At the same time he wrote to -Akhnaton a pathetic account of his misfortunes. -Four members of his family had been taken -prisoners; his brother was constantly conspiring -against him; old age and disease pressed -heavily upon him. All his possessions had been -taken from him, all his lands devastated; he -had been reduced by famine and the privations -of a long siege to a state of utter destitution, -and he could not much longer hold out. “The -gods of Byblos,” he writes, “are angry with me -and sore displeased; for I have sinned against -the gods, and therefore I do not come before my -lord the King.” Was his sin, one wonders, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -adoption for a while of Akhnaton’s faith? To -this communication Akhnaton seems to have -made no reply.</p> - - -<h3>6. AKHNATON CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO -SEND HELP.</h3> - -<p>The messengers who arrived at the City of -the Horizon of Aton, dusty and travel-stained, -to deliver the many letters asking for help, -must have despaired indeed when they observed -the manner in which the news was received. -Hateful to these hardy soldiers of the empire -were the fine quays at which their galleys -moored; hateful the fair villas and shaded -avenues of the city; and thrice hateful the -rolling hymns to the Aton which came to them -from the temple halls as they hurried to the -Pharaoh’s palace. The townspeople smiled at -their haste in this city of dreams; the court -officials delayed the delivery of their letters, -scoffing at the idea of urgency in the affairs of -Asia; and finally these wretched documents, -written—if ever letters were so written—with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -blood and with tears, were pigeon-holed in the -city archives and utterly forgotten save by -Akhnaton himself. Instead of the brave music -of the drums and bugles of the relieving army -which these messengers had hoped to muster, -there rang in their maddened ears only the -ceaseless chants of the priestly ceremonies and -the pattering love-songs of private festivals. -Newly come from the sweat and the labour of -the road, their brains still racked with the -horror of war and yet burning with the vast -hopes of empire, they looked with scorn at -the luxury of Egypt’s new capital, and heard -with disgust the dainty tales of the flowers. -The lean, sad-eyed Pharaoh, with his crooked -head and his stooping shoulders, would speak -only of his God; and, clad in simple clothes -unrelieved by a single jewel, there was nothing -martial in his appearance to give them hope. -From the beleaguered cities which they had so -lately left there came to them the bitter cry -for succour; and it was not possible to drown -that cry in words of peace, nor in the jangle of -the systrum or the warbling of the pipes. -Who, thought the waiting messengers, could resist -that piteous call: “Thy city weeps, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -her tears are flowing”? Who could sit idle in -the City of the Horizon when the proud empire, -won with the blood of the noblest soldiers of -the great Thothmes, was breaking up before their -eyes? What mattered all the philosophies in -the world, and all the gods in heaven, when -Egypt’s great dominions were being wrested from -her? The splendid Lebanon, the white kingdoms -of the sea, Askalon and Ashdod, Tyre and Sidon, -Simyra and Byblos, the hills of Jerusalem, Kadesh -and the great Orontes, the fair Jordan, Tunip, -Aleppo, the distant Euphrates.... What counted -a creed against these? God? The truth? The -only god was He of the Battles, who had led -Egypt into Syria; the only truth the doctrine -of the sword, which had held her there for so -many years.</p> - -<p>Looking back across these thirty-two centuries, -can one yet say whether the Pharaoh was in the -right, or whether his soldiers were the better -minded? On the one hand there is culture, -refinement, love, thought, prayer, goodwill, and -peace; on the other hand, power, might, health, -hardihood, bravery, and struggle. One knows -that Akhnaton’s theories were the more civilised, -the more ideal; but is there not a pulse<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -which stirs in sympathy with those who were -holding the citadels of Asia? We can give our -approval to the ideals of the young king, but -we cannot see his empire fall without bitterly -blaming him for the disaster. Yet in passing -judgment, in calling the boy to account for the -loss of Syria, there is the consciousness that -above our tribunal sits a judge to whom war -must assuredly be abhorrent, and in whose -eyes the struggle of the nations must utterly -lack its drama. Thus, even now, Akhnaton -eludes our criticism, and but raises once more -that eternal question which as yet has no -answer.</p> - - -<h3>7. AKHNATON’S HEALTH GIVES WAY.</h3> - -<p>It is possible that the Pharaoh now realised -his position, and one may suppose that he tried -as best he could to pacify the turbulent princes -by all the arts of diplomacy. It does not seem, -however, that he yet fully appreciated the catastrophe -which was now almost inevitable—the -complete loss of Syria. He could not bring -himself to believe that the princes of that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -country would play him false; and he could -have had no idea that he was being so entirely -fooled by such men as Aziru. But when at -last the tribute ceased to come in regularly, then, -too late, he knew that disaster was upon him.</p> - -<p>The thoughts which now must have held sway -in his mind could not have failed to carry him -down the dark steps of depression to the very -pit of despair, and one may picture him daily -cast prone upon the floor before the high altar -of the Aton, and nightly tossing sleepless upon -his royal bed. It seems that he had placed -great reliance upon a certain official, named -Bikhuru, who was acting as Egyptian commissioner -in Palestine; but now it is probable -that he received news of that unfortunate personage’s -flight, and later of his murder.<a name="FNanchor_78" id="FNanchor_78"></a><a href="#Footnote_78" class="fnanchor">[78]</a> Then -came the report that Byblos had fallen, and one -is led to suppose that that truly noble soldier -Ribaddi did not survive the fall of the city -which he had so tenaciously held. The news -of the surrender of other important Egyptian -strongholds followed rapidly, and still there -came the pathetic appeal for help from the -minor posts which yet held out.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span></p> - -<p>Akhnaton was now about twenty-eight years -of age, and already the cares of the whole world -seemed to rest upon his shoulders. Lean and -lank was his body; his face was thin and lined -with worry; and in his eye one might, perhaps, -have seen that hunted look which comes to those -who are dogged by disaster. It is probable that -he now suffered acutely from the distressing -malady to which he was a victim, and there -must have been times when he felt himself -upon the verge of madness. His misshapen -skull came nigh to bursting with the full -thoughts of his aching brain, and the sad knowledge -that he had failed must have pressed upon -his mind like some unrelenting finger. The -invocations to the Aton which rang in his head -made confusion with the cry of Syria. Now he -listened to the voices of his choirs lauding the -sweetness of life; and now, breaking in upon the -chant, did he not hear the solemn voices of his -fathers calling to him from the Hills of the West -to give account of his stewardship? Could he -then find solace in trees and in flowers? Could -he cry “Peace” when there was red tumult in -his brain?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span></p> - -<p>His moods at this time must have given cause -for the greatest alarm, and his behaviour was, -no doubt, sufficiently erratic to render even those -nobles who had so blindly followed him mistrustful -of their leader. In a frenzy of zeal in -the adoration of the Aton, Akhnaton now gave -orders that the name of all other gods should -suffer the same fate as that of Amon, and should -be erased from every inscription throughout -the land. This order was never fully carried -out; but one may still see in the temples of -Karnak, Medinet Habu, and elsewhere, and upon -many lesser monuments, the chisel marks which -have partially blurred out the names of Ptah, -Hathor, and other deities, and have obliterated -the offending word “gods.”</p> - -<p>The consternation which this action must have -caused was almost sufficient to bring about a -revolution in the provinces, where the old gods -were still dearly loved by the people. The -erasing of the name of Amon had been, after -all, a direct war upon a certain priesthood, and -did not very materially affect any other localities -than that of Thebes. But the suppression of the -numerous priesthoods of the many deities who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -held sway throughout Egypt threw into disorder -the whole country, and struck at the heart not -of one but of a hundred cities. Was the kindly -old artificer Ptah, with his hammer and his -chisel, to be tumbled into empty space? Was -the beautiful, the gracious Hathor—the Venus -of the Nile—to be thrown down from her celestial -seat? Was it possible to banish Khnum, the -goat-headed potter who lived in the caves of the -Cataract, from the life of the city of Elephantine; -the mysterious jackal Wepwat from the hearts -of the men of Abydos; or the ancient crocodile -Sebek from the ships and the fields of Ombos? -Every town had its local god, and every god -its priesthood; and surely the Pharaoh was -mad who attempted to make war upon these -legions of heaven. This Aton, whom the king -called upon them to worship, was so remote, -so infinitely above their heads. Aton did not sit -with them at their hearth-side to watch the -kettle boil; Aton did not play a sweet-toned -flute amongst the reeds of the river; Aton did -not bring a fairy gift to the new-born babe. -Where was the sacred tree in whose branches -one might hope to see him seated?—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span>where -was the eddy of the Nile in which he -loved to bathe?—and where was the rock at -whose foot one might place, as a fond offering, -a bowl of milk? The people loved their old -gods, whose simple ways, kind hearts, and -quick tempers made them understandable to -mortal minds. But a god who reigned alone -in solitary isolation, who, more remote even -than the Jehovah of the Hebrews, rode not -upon the clouds nor moved upon the wings of -the wind, was hardly a deity to whom they -could open their hearts. True, the sunrise and -the sunset were the visible signs of the godhead; -but let the reader ask any modern Egyptian -peasant whether there is aught to stir the -pulses in these two great phenomena, and he -will realise that the glory of the skies could not -have appealed particularly to the lesser subjects -of Akhnaton, who, moreover, were not permitted -to bow the knee to the flaming orb itself. When -the Christian religion took hold of these peasants, -and presented for their acceptance the same -idea of a remote though loving and considerate -God, it was only by the elevation of saints and -devils, angels and powers of darkness, almost to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -the rank of demigods, that the faith prospered. -But Akhnaton allowed no such tampering with -the primary doctrine, and St George and all -the saints would have suffered the erasure of -their very names.</p> - - -<h3>8. AKHNATON’S LAST DAYS AND DEATH.</h3> - -<p>The troubles which Akhnaton by such actions -gathered around himself, while disturbing to his -adherents, must have given some degree of -pleasure to those nobles who saw in the king’s -downfall the only hope of Egypt. Horemheb, -the commander-in-chief of the inactive armies, -could now begin to prepare himself against the -time when he should lead a force into Syria -to restore Egyptian prestige. Tutankhaton, -betrothed to Akhnaton’s third daughter, could -dream of the days when he would make himself -Pharaoh, and carry the court back to glorious -Thebes. Even Meryra, the High Priest of -Aton, seems to have allowed his thoughts to -drift away from the City of the Horizon -wherein the sun of Egypt’s glory had set, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> -it does not seem that he ever made use of the -tomb there prepared for him. These last stages -of Akhnaton’s life must thus have been embittered -by a doubt of the sincerity of his -closest friends, and by the knowledge that, in -spite of all their protestations, he had failed to -plant “the truth” in their hearts.</p> - -<p>The queen had borne him no son to succeed to -the throne, and there appeared to be nobody -to whom he could impart what he felt to be -his last instructions. There can be no question -that he was still greatly loved by those who -surrounded his person, but there were few who -hoped that his religion, so disastrous to Egypt, -would survive him. In this extremity Akhnaton -turned to a certain noble, probably not of royal -blood, whose name seems to have been Smenkhkara, -though some have read it Saakara.<a name="FNanchor_79" id="FNanchor_79"></a><a href="#Footnote_79" class="fnanchor">[79]</a> Nothing -is known regarding his previous career, but one -may suppose that he appeared to Akhnaton to -be the least unreliable of his followers. To him -the king imparted his instructions, revealing all -that words could draw from his teeming brain.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -The little Princess Merytaton, now but twelve -years of age, was called from her games, and -with pomp and ceremony was married to this -Smenkhkara, thus making him the legitimate -heir to the throne, Merytaton being the eldest -daughter and sole heiress of the Pharaoh.</p> - -<p>Feeling that his days were numbered, Akhnaton -then associated Smenkhkara upon the throne with -him as co-ruler, and was thus able to familiarise -the people with their future lord. In later -years, after Akhnaton’s death, Smenkhkara was -wont to write after his name the words “beloved -of Akhnaton,” as though to indicate that his -claim to the throne was due to Akhnaton’s -affection for him, as well as to the rights -derived from his wife.</p> - -<p>But what mattered the securing of the succession -to the throne when that throne had -been shaken to its very foundations, and now -seemed to be upon the verge of utter wreck? -Akhnaton could no longer stave off the impending -crash, and from all sides there gathered the -forces which were to overwhelm him. His -government was chaotic. The plotting and -scheming of the priests of Amon showed signs -of coming to a successful issue. The anger of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -the priesthoods of the other gods of Egypt -hung over the palace like some menacing storm-cloud. -The soldiers, eager to march upon Syria -as in the days of the great Thothmes III., -chafed at their enforced idleness, and watched -with increasing restlessness the wreck of the -empire.</p> - -<p>Now through the streets of the city there -passed the weary messengers of Asia hurrying -to the palace, no longer bearing the appeals -of kings and generals for support, but announcing -the fall of the last cities of Syria and the -slaughter of the last left of their rulers. The -scattered remnants of the garrisons staggered back -to the Nile at the heels of these messengers, -pursued to the very frontiers of Egypt by the -triumphant Asiatics. From the north the Hittites -poured into Syria; from the south the -Khabiri swarmed over the land. As the curtain -is rung down on the turbulent scene, one -catches a glimpse of the wily Aziru, his hands -still stained with the blood of Ribaddi and of -many another loyal prince, snatching at this -city and trampling on that. At last he has -cast aside his mask, and with the tribute which -had been promised to Egypt he now, no doubt,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span> -placates the ascending Hittites, whose suzerainty -alone he admits.</p> - -<p>The tribute having ceased, the Egyptian treasury -soon stood empty, for the government of the -country was too confused to permit of the proper -gathering of the taxes, and the working of the -gold-mines could not be organised. Much had -been expended on the building of the City of -the Horizon, and now the king knew not where -to turn for money. In the space of a few years -Egypt had been reduced from a world power -to the position of a petty state, from the richest -country known to man to the humiliating condition -of a bankrupt kingdom.</p> - -<p>Surely one may picture Akhnaton now in his -last hours, his jaw fallen, his sunken eyes widely -staring, as the full realisation of the utter failure -of all his hopes came to him. He had sacrificed -Syria to his principles; but the sacrifice was of -no avail, since his doctrines had not taken root -even in Egypt. He knew now that the religion -of the Aton would not outlive him, that the -knowledge of the love of God was not yet to -be made known to the world. Even at this -moment the psalms of the Aton were beating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -upon his ears, the hymns to the God who had -forsaken him were drifting into his palace with -the scent of the flowers; and the birds which he -loved were singing as merrily in the luxuriant -gardens as ever they sang when they had inspired -a line in the king’s great poem. But -upon him now there had fallen the blackness of -despair, and already the darkness of coming -death was closing around him. The misery of -failure must have ground him down as beneath -the very mountains of the west themselves, -and the weight of the knowledge of all that -he had lost could not be borne by his enfeebled -frame.</p> - -<p>History tells us only that, simultaneously with -the fall of his empire, Akhnaton died; and the -doctors who have examined his body report that -death may well have been due to some form -of stroke or fit. But in the imagination there -seems to ring across the years a cry of complete -despair, and one can picture the emaciated figure -of this “beautiful child of the Aton” fall forward -upon the painted palace-floor and lie still amidst -the red poppies and the dainty butterflies there -depicted.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs120"><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">VIII.</a><br /> - -THE FALL OF THE RELIGION OF -AKHNATON.</h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Thus disappeared the most remarkable figure in early Oriental history.... -There died with him such a spirit as the world had never -seen before.”—<span class="smcap">Breasted</span>: ‘History of Egypt.’</p></div> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<h3>1. THE BURIAL OF AKHNATON.</h3> - - -<p class="noindent">The body of Akhnaton was embalmed in the -city which he had founded; and while these -mortal parts of the great idealist were undergoing -the lengthy process of mummification, the -new Pharaoh Smenkhkara made a feeble attempt -to retain the spirit of his predecessor in the new -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régime</i>. Practically nothing is known of his -brief reign, but it is apparent from subsequent -events that he entirely failed to carry on the -work of Akhnaton, and the period of his -sovereignty is marked by a general tendency to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -abandon the religion of the Aton. Smenkhkara -had dated the first year of his reign from the -day of his accession as co-ruler with Akhnaton, -and thus it is that there are no inscriptions -found which record his first year, although there -are many references to his second year. The -main event must have occurred some three -months after the commencement of his sole -reign, when the body of Akhnaton was carried -in solemn state through the streets of the city -and across the desert to the tomb which had -been made for him in the distant cliffs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_258_fp.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>Death Mask of Akhnaton.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>The mummy had been wrapped, as was usual, -in endless strips of linen; and amongst these -there was placed upon the royal breast a necklace -of gold, and over the face an ornament cut -in flat gold foil representing a vulture with wings -outstretched—a Pharaonic symbol of divine protection. -In many burials of this dynasty a -vulture such as this was placed upon the -mummy; and representations of an exactly -similar ornament are shown in the tombs of -Sennefer and others at Thebes. It is somewhat -surprising that the body of Akhnaton, -who was so averse to all old customs, should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -thus have this royal talisman upon it; and it -would seem that some of the strict rules of -the Aton worshipper had already been relaxed -by his successor. Akhnaton had retained but -three of the ancient divine symbols, so far as -one can tell from the reliefs and paintings—namely, -the uræus or cobra, the sphinx, and -the hawk, which were often used as ornaments. -But one may ask whether the vulture had -really been dispensed with by him. It is true -that he banned the vulture-hieroglyph in the -inscriptions, as we have already seen on the -outer coffin of Queen Tiy;<a name="FNanchor_80" id="FNanchor_80"></a><a href="#Footnote_80" class="fnanchor">[80]</a> but his reason for -so doing was that by such a hieroglyph the -name of the goddess Mut was called to mind, -and that goddess, being the consort of Amon, -was not to be tolerated. The vulture which -was laid upon the mummy, however, had nothing -to do with Mut, nor had it any likeness -to the hieroglyph. It was originally a representation -of the presiding genius of Upper -Egypt, and corresponded to the uræus, which -primarily represented the power of Lower Egypt. -It is true, again, that it was the custom for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -Pharaohs to be shown in the sculptures and -paintings with this vulture hovering in protection -over their heads, and that Akhnaton seems -to have dispensed with such a symbol. But -this was perhaps due to the fact that the disk -and rays, symbolic of Aton, had taken its place -above the royal figure. There is no reason, -after all, to suppose that this form of vulture was -absolutely banned, since the uræus and the hawk -were retained;<a name="FNanchor_81" id="FNanchor_81"></a><a href="#Footnote_81" class="fnanchor">[81]</a> and though, as will presently be -seen, it will be natural to think that it was placed -on Akhnaton’s mummy at his successor’s suggestion, -there is nothing to show that Akhnaton -himself did not desire it to be laid there.</p> - -<p>Over the linen bandages on the body there -were placed ribbons of gold foil encircling the -mummy—probably around the shoulders, the -middle, and the knees,—joined to other ribbons -running the length of the body at the back -and front. These ribbons were inscribed with -Akhnaton’s name and titles, and thus recorded -for all time the identity of the mummy to which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span> -they adhered. Money being somehow found, the -body was wrapped in sheets of pure gold, sufficiently -thin to be flexible, and was placed in a -splendid coffin, designed in the usual form of a -recumbent figure, and inlaid in a dazzling manner -with rare stones and coloured glass. Down the -front of this coffin ran a simple inscription, the -hieroglyphs of which were also inlaid. It read: -“The beautiful prince, The Chosen One of Ra, the -King of Upper and Lower Egypt, living in Truth, -Lord of the Two Lands, Akhnaton, the beautiful -child of the living Aton, whose name shall live -for ever and ever.”<a name="FNanchor_82" id="FNanchor_82"></a><a href="#Footnote_82" class="fnanchor">[82]</a> There is one curious feature -about this inscription. When Akhnaton made -the outer coffin for his mother, in or about the -twelfth year of his reign, he was particularly -careful not to use the hieroglyph representing -the goddess Maat when writing the word <em>maat</em>, -“truth.” But this sign is employed now upon -his own coffin; and one can only presume, -therefore, that the coffin was made after Akhnaton’s -death, and that the new Pharaoh Smenkhkara<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> -had not the same objection to the -representation of the goddess as had his -predecessor. We may now better understand -the presence of the vulture symbol also; for -it is obvious that before Akhnaton’s funeral had -taken place his strict <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régime</i> had been relaxed.</p> - -<p>The royal mummy was now carried to its tomb -and there deposited, together with such funeral -furniture and offerings as were considered necessary. -The four alabaster canopic jars, always -conspicuous in an Egyptian burial, were here -not wanting. The stopper of each jar was -exquisitely carved to represent the head of -Akhnaton, wearing the usual male wig of the -period, and having the royal cobra upon the -forehead. From these heads one sees that the -art of Akhnaton was modified immediately after -his death, and its more pronounced characteristics -were already being toned down. This -slackening in the rules which Akhnaton had -made shows us how entirely dependent the -movement had been upon its leader; and we -realise the more clearly how strong a character -was his. Ere even the king’s burial had -taken place the death of his religion was assured.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>2. THE COURT RETURNS TO THEBES.</h3> - -<p>Smenkhkara died, or was deposed, about a -year after Akhnaton’s death. He was succeeded -by another noble, Tutankhaton,<a name="FNanchor_83" id="FNanchor_83"></a><a href="#Footnote_83" class="fnanchor">[83]</a> who, in order -to legitimise his accession, obtained in marriage -Akhnaton’s second daughter Ankhsenpaaton, a -girl barely twelve years old. Thus Smenkhkara’s -wife, Merytaton, became a dowager-queen -at the age of thirteen or so, and her little sister -took her place upon the throne.</p> - -<p>By this time the priests of Amon had begun -to hold up their heads once more, and to -scheme for the downfall of Aton with renewed -energy. Pressure was soon brought to bear -on Tutankhaton, and he had not been upon the -throne more than a year or so when he was -persuaded to consider the abandonment of the -City of the Horizon and his return to Thebes. -He did not yet turn entirely from the religion -of the Aton, but attempted to take a middle -course between the two factions, giving full<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -licence both to the worshippers of the Aton -and to those of Amon. Horemheb, the commander-in-chief -of the idle army, seems to have -been one of the leaders of the reactionary movement. -He did not concern himself so much -with the religious aspect of the question: there -was as much to be said on the one side as on -the other. But it was he who knocked at -the doors of the heart of Egypt and urged -the nation to awake to the danger in Asia. -For him there were no scruples as to warfare, -and the doctrine of the sword found favour -in his sight. An expedition was fitted out, -and the reigning Pharaoh was persuaded to -lead it. Thus we read that Horemheb was -“the companion of his Lord upon the battlefield -on that day of the slaying of the Asiatics.”<a name="FNanchor_84" id="FNanchor_84"></a><a href="#Footnote_84" class="fnanchor">[84]</a> -Akhnaton had dreamed of the universal peace -which still is a far-off wraith to mankind; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -Horemheb was a practical man in whom that -dream would have been but weakness which -was such mighty strength in the dead king.</p> - -<p>The new Pharaoh now changed his name -from Tutankhaton to Tutankhamon, and, to the -sound of martial music, returned to Thebes. -The City of the Horizon was left to its fate, -and it was not long before the palaces and -the villas became the home of the jackals and -the owls, while the temples were partly pulled -down to provide stone for other works. However -much the reigning Pharaoh differed in -views from Akhnaton, it would not have been -possible to leave the royal body lying in sight -of this wreck of all the hopes that had been -his. Akhnaton, moreover, was Tutankhamon’s -father-in-law, and it was only through the rights -of Akhnaton’s daughter that the Pharaoh held -the throne. His memory was still regarded -with reverence by many of his late followers, -and there could be no question of leaving his -body in the deserted city. It was therefore -carried to Thebes in its coffin, together with -the four canopic jars, and was placed, for want -of a proper sepulchre, in the tomb of Queen -Tiy, which had been reopened for the purpose.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span></p> - -<p>Tutankhamon showed the trend of his policy -by both restoring the temple of the Aton at -Karnak and at the same time repairing the -damage done by Akhnaton to the works of -Amon. The style of art which he favoured was -a modified form of Akhnaton’s method, and the -influence of his movement is still apparent in -the new king’s work. He did not reign long -enough, however, to display much originality, -and after a few years he disappears, almost -unnoticed, from the stage. On his death the -question of inviting Horemheb to fill the vacant -throne must have been seriously considered, but -there was another candidate in the field. This -was Akhnaton’s father-in-law, Ay, who had been -one of the most important nobles in the group -of courtiers at the City of the Horizon. It was -he who had sheltered Queen Nefertiti before she -had passed into Akhnaton’s palace, and it was -in his tomb that the great hymn to the Aton -was inscribed. He had been loudest in the -praises of the preacher king and of his doctrines, -and he still retained the title “Father-in-law” -as his most cherished designation.</p> - -<p>Religious feeling at this time was running -high, for the partisans of Amon and those of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span> -Aton seem still to have been struggling for the -supremacy, and Ay appeared to have been regarded -as the most likely man to bridge the -gulf between the two factions. A favourite of -Akhnaton, and still tolerant of all that was -connected with the late movement, he was not -averse to the cult of Amon, and by conciliating -both parties he managed to obtain the throne -for himself. His power, however, did not last -for long, and as the priests of Amon regained -the confidence of the nation at the expense of -the worshippers of the Aton, so the prestige of -Ay declined. His past relationship to Akhnaton, -which even as king be carefully recorded within -his cartouche, now told against him rather than -for him, and about eight years after the death -of Akhnaton he disappeared like his predecessors.</p> - - -<h3>3. THE REIGN OF HOREMHEB.</h3> - -<p>There was now no question who should succeed. -All eyes were turned to Horemheb, who had -already almost as much power as the Pharaoh. -The commander-in-chief at once ascended the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span> -throne, and was received by the populace with -the utmost rejoicings. At this time there was -living at Thebes the Princess Nezemmut, the -sister of Akhnaton’s Queen Nefertiti, and hence -the daughter of Dushratta, King of Mitanni. -Owing to previous inter-marriages between the -royal house of Egypt and that of Mitanni, both -Nefertiti and Nezemmut were descendants of -Pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Nezemmut -had come to Egypt early in the reign of -Akhnaton, and later had perhaps married some -Egyptian nobleman; but she was now a widow, -and had recently been appointed to the post -of “Divine Consort,”—that is to say, High -Priestess—of Amon. As she was probably the -younger sister of Nefertiti, she may have been -about six years of age when Nefertiti was -married to Akhnaton at the age of eight. -Hence she would have been about twenty-three -at his death, and would now be just over -thirty.</p> - -<p>To this princess, as representing both the rights -of the old line of Pharaohs and those of the god -Amon, without the now condemning close relationship -to Akhnaton which characterised the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> -other existing royal princesses, Horemheb was -at once married. The religion of the Aton was -now fast disappearing. In a tomb dating from -the third year of Horemheb’s reign, the words -“Ra whose body is Aton” occur; but this is the -last mention of the Aton, and henceforth Amon-Ra -is unquestionably supreme. A certain Pa-atonemheb, -who had been one of Akhnaton’s -favourites, was at about this time appointed -High Priest of Ra-Horakhti at Heliopolis, and -thus the last traces of the religion of the Aton -were merged into the Heliopolitan theology, -from which that religion at the beginning had -emanated.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_270_fp.jpg" width="800" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<em>The Temple at Luxor.</em></div> -</div> - -<p>The neglected shrines of the old gods once -more echoed with the chants of the priests -throughout the whole land of Egypt. Inscriptions -tell us that Horemheb “restored the -temples from the pools of the Delta marshes to -Nubia. He fashioned a hundred images ... -with all splendid and costly stones. He established -for them daily offerings every day. All -the vessels of their temples were wrought of -silver and gold. He equipped them with priests -and with ritual priests, and with the choicest of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span> -the army. He transferred to them lands and -cattle, supplied with all necessary equipment.” -By these gifts to the neglected gods Horemheb -was striving to bring Egypt back to its natural -condition; and with a strong hand he was -guiding the country from chaos to order, from -fantastic Utopia to the solid old Egypt of the -past. He was, in fact, the preacher of sanity, -the very apostle of the Normal.</p> - -<p>He led his armies into the Sudan, and returned -with a procession of captive chieftains roped before -him. He had none of Akhnaton’s qualms regarding -human suffering, and these unfortunate -prisoners are seen to have their arms bound in -the most cruel manner. Finding the country -to be lawless he drafted a number of stern laws, -and with sound justice administered his kingdom. -Knowing that Syria could not long remain quiet, -he organised the Egyptian troops, and so prepared -them that, but a few years after his death, -the soldiers of the reigning Pharaoh were swarming -once more over the lands which Akhnaton -had lost.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>4. THE PERSECUTION OF AKHNATON’S MEMORY.</h3> - -<p>The priests of Amon-Ra had now begun openly -to denounce Akhnaton as a villain and a heretic, -and as they restored the name of their god -where it had been erased, so they hammered -out the name and figure of Akhnaton wherever -they saw it. Presently they pulled down the -Aton temple at Karnak, and used the blocks -of stone in the building of a pylon for Amon-Ra. -Soon it was felt that Akhnaton’s body -could no longer lie in state, together with that -of Queen Tiy, in the Valley of the Tombs of -the Kings. The sepulchre was therefore opened -once more and the name “Akhnaton” was everywhere -erased from the inscriptions, as was his -figure from the scenes upon the shrine of Queen -Tiy. The mummy was lifted from its coffin and -the royal name was cut out of the gold ribbons -which passed round it, both at the back and -the front. It was then replaced in the coffin, -and from this the name was also erased.</p> - -<p>The question may be asked why it was that -the body was not torn to pieces and scattered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span> -to the four winds, since the king was now so -fiercely hated. The Egyptians, however, entertained -a peculiar reverence for the bodies of -their dead, and it would have been a sacrilege -to destroy the mummy even of this heretic. -No thought could be entertained of breaking up -the body upon which the divine touch of kingship -had fallen: that would have been against -all the sentiments which we know the Egyptians -to have held. The cutting out of the name -of the mummy was sufficient punishment: for -thereby the soul of the king was debarred from -all the benefits of the earthly prayers of his -descendants, and became a nameless outcast, -wandering unrecognised and unpitied through -the vast underworld. It was the name “Akhnaton” -which was hated so fiercely; and one -may perhaps suppose that the priests would have -been willing to substitute the king’s earlier -name, Amonhotep, upon the mummy had they -been pressed to do so. His name and figure as -Amonhotep IV. is not damaged upon the monuments; -but only the representations of him -after the adoption of the name Akhnaton have -been attacked.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span></p> - -<p>The tomb, polluted by the presence of the heretic, -was no longer fit for Tiy to rest in; and the body -of the queen was therefore carried elsewhere, perhaps -to the sepulchre of her husband Amonhotep -III. The shrine, or outer coffin, in which her -mummy had lain was pulled to pieces, and an -attempt was made to carry it out of the tomb -to its owner’s new resting-place, but this arduous -task was presently abandoned, and one portion -of the shrine was left in the passage, while the -rest remained in sections in the burial-chamber. -Some of the queen’s toilet utensils which had -been buried with her were also left, probably by -mistake. The body of Akhnaton, his name taken -from him, was now the sole occupant of the -tomb. The coffin in which it lay rested upon -a four-legged bier some two feet or so from the -ground, and in a niche in the wall above it stood -the four canopic jars. And thus, with a curse, -the priests left their great enemy. The entrance -of the tomb was blocked with stones, and -sealed with the seal of the necropolis; and all -traces of its mouth were hidden by rocks and -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</i>.</p> - -<p>The priests would not now permit the name of -Akhnaton to pass a man’s lips, and by the end<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span> -of the reign of Horemheb, the unfortunate boy -was spoken of in official documents as “that -criminal.” Not forty years had passed since -Akhnaton’s death, yet the priesthood of Amon -was as powerful as it had ever been at any -period of its existence. There were still living -men who had been old enough at the time of -the Aton power to grasp its doctrines; and -those same eyes which had looked upon the fair -City of the Horizon might now disturb the -creatures of the desert in the ruined courts -where the grave boy-Pharaoh had presided so -lately. These men joined their voices to that -crowd of priests who, not daring to allow the word -Akhnaton to form itself upon their lips, poured -curses upon the excommunicated and nameless -“criminal.” Through starry space their execrations -passed, searching out the wretched ghost -of the boy, and banning him, as they supposed, -even in the dim uncertainties of the Lands -of Death. Over the hills of the west, up the -stairs of the moon, and down into the caverns -under the world, the poor twittering shadow -was hunted and chased by the relentless magic -of the men whom he had tried to reform. There -was no place for his memory upon earth, and in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span> -the under-world the priests denied him a stone -upon which to lay his head. It is not easy now -to realise the full meaning to the Egyptians of -the excommunication of a soul: cut off from -the comforts of human prayers; hungry, forlorn, -and wholly desolate; forced at last to whine -upon the outskirts of villages, to snivel upon -the dung-heaps, to rake with shadowy fingers -amidst the refuse of mean streets for fragments -of decayed food with which to allay the pangs of -hunger caused by the absence of funeral-offerings. -To such a pitiful fate the priests of Amon -consigned “the first individual in history”; and -as an outcast amongst outcasts, a whimpering -shadow in a place of shadows, the men of Thebes -bade us leave the great idealist, doomed to the -horrors of a life which will not end, to the -misery of a death that brings no oblivion.</p> - - -<h3>5. THE FINDING OF THE BODY OF AKHNATON.</h3> - -<p>Thus, sheathed in gold, the nameless body -lay, while the fortunes of Egypt rose and fell -and the centuries slid by. A greater teacher<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span> -than Akhnaton arose and preached that peace -which the Pharaoh had foreshadowed, and soon -all Egypt rang with the new gospel. Then -came the religion of Muhammed, and the days -of the sword returned. So the years passed, -and many a wise man lived his life and disappeared; -but the first of the wise men of -history lay undiscovered in the heart of the -Theban hills.</p> - -<p>Now it happened that there was a fissure in -the rocks in which the sepulchre was cut, and -during the rains of each season a certain amount -of moisture managed to penetrate into the -chamber. This gradually rotted the legs of the -bier upon which Akhnaton’s body lay, and at last -there came a time when the two legs at the head -of the coffin gave way and precipitated the royal -body on to the ground. The bandages around -the mummy had already fallen almost to powder, -and this jerk sent the golden vulture which was -resting upon the king’s face on to his forehead, -where it lay with the tail and claws resting over -the left eye-socket of the skull. Presently the -two remaining legs of the bier collapsed, and -the whole coffin fell to the ground, the lid being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span> -partly jerked off, thus revealing the king’s head -at one end and his feet at the other, from all of -which the flesh had rotted away.</p> - -<p>In January 1907 the excavations in the Valley -of the Tombs of the Kings which were being -conducted by Mr Theodore Davis, of Newport, -Rhode Island, U.S.A., on behalf of the Egyptian -Government, brought to light the doorway of -the tomb, and it was not long before an entrance -was effected. A rough stairway led down into -the hillside, bringing the excavators<a name="FNanchor_85" id="FNanchor_85"></a><a href="#Footnote_85" class="fnanchor">[85]</a> to the -mouth of the passage, which was entirely blocked -by the wall which the priests had built after they -had entered the tomb to erase Akhnaton’s name. -Beyond this wall the passage was found to be -nearly choked with the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</i> of the three earlier -walls, the first of which had been built after -Queen Tiy had been buried here, the second -after Akhnaton’s agents had entered the tomb -to erase the name of Amon, and the third after -Akhnaton’s body had been laid beside that of his -mother. On top of this heap of stones lay the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span> -side of the funeral shrine of the queen which the -priests had abandoned after attempting to carry -it out with her mummy. In the burial-chamber -beyond, the remaining portions of this shrine -were found. Upon these one saw the figures -of Akhnaton and his mother worshipping beneath -the rays of the Aton. The inscriptions showed -the erasure of the name of Amonhotep III., and -the substitution in red ink of that king’s second -name, Nebmaara; and one observed that at a -later date the name and figures of Akhnaton had -been hammered out.</p> - -<p>At one side lay the coffin of Akhnaton, as it had -fallen from the bier. The name of Akhnaton -upon the coffin had been erased, but was still -readable; and the gold ribbons from which his -name had been cut out still encircled the body, -back and front. The golden vulture lay as has -been described above, and the necklace still -rested on the breast, while the whole decaying -body was found to be wrapped in sheets of gold. -In a recess above this coffin stood the canopic -jars, and in another part of the tomb Queen Tiy’s -toilet utensils were found, from one of which the -name of Amonhotep III. had been erased.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span></p> - -<p>The bones, when examined by Dr Elliot -Smith, F.R.S., were found to be those of a -young man of not more than about twenty-eight -years of age,—that is to say, the age at which -Akhnaton has been shown in the above pages -to have died. The skull was pronounced to be -that of a man who suffered from epileptic fits, -and who was probably subject to hallucinations. -Curiously enough, the idiosyncrasies of this misshapen -skull are precisely those which Lombroso -has stated to be so usual in a religious reformer. -The face had crumbled away, but the lower -jaw was intact; and when this was placed in -position one could see at once the great resemblance -to the well-known portraits of Akhnaton -which had survived the wreck of his city.</p> - -<p>There could thus be no doubt that the -mummy of this wonderful Pharaoh had at last -been found; but since Akhnaton had always -been thought, though without particular reason, -to have been a much older man, the identity -was questioned. It was suggested that the body -was perhaps that of Smenkhkara, the successor -of Akhnaton, which by some error had managed -to be placed in Akhnaton’s coffin. But how,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> -then, did the gold ribbons inscribed with -Akhnaton’s name manage to be placed around -the body? And apart from the extreme improbability -that the mummy which was thus -labelled with Akhnaton’s name, and which lay -in his coffin, should be that of any other king -but Akhnaton, one may ask in this case how -it is that the body has the well-known physical -characteristics of the great heretic if it be -that of Smenkhkara, who was not related to -the king?</p> - -<p>It has been stated that the presence of the -vulture upon the body is against the identification -with Akhnaton. This has already been -shown to be capable of explanation; but it may -here be noted that if Smenkhkara would not -have placed the vulture upon Akhnaton’s body, -then by the same token the mummy is not -likely to be that of Smenkhkara, and there -is certainly no other prince of this period with -whom to identify the body. In conclusion, it -may be added that of all the royal mummies -now known there is not one which can be so -clearly shown to belong to the Pharaoh with -whom it has been identified as this mummy can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span> -be shown to belong to Akhnaton. The body -was lying in a coffin inscribed with Akhnaton’s -name; it was bound round with ribbons inscribed -with his name; it had the physical characteristics -of the portraits of Akhnaton; it had the idiosyncrasies -of a religious reformer such as he was; -it was that of a man of Akhnaton’s age as deduced -from the monuments; it lay in the tomb -of Akhnaton’s mother; those who had erased -the names must have thought it to be Akhnaton’s -body, unless one supposes an utter chaos of cross-purposes -in their actions; and finally, there is -nobody else who, with any degree of probability, -it could be.</p> - -<p>Thus one may say that, without the vaguest -shadow of a doubt, the body of this the most -remarkable figure of early Oriental history has -been brought to light; and with this assurance -we may close this sketch of his life, which has -been written partly for the purpose of thus -explaining the significance of Mr Davis’s great -discovery, and partly to introduce the general -reader to one of the most interesting characters -ever known. In this brief outline it has only -been possible to touch upon the main characteristics<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span> -which the few remaining inscriptions -and monuments seem to reveal; but to the -most casual reader it will be apparent that -there stands before him a personality of surprising -vigour and amazing originality, and one -deserving of careful study. In an age of superstition, -and in a land where the grossest polytheism -reigned absolutely supreme, Akhnaton -evolved a monotheistic religion second only to -Christianity itself in purity of tone. He was -the first human being to understand rightly -the meaning of divinity. When the world -reverberated with the noise of war, he preached -the first known doctrine of peace; when the -glory of martial pomp swelled the hearts of -his subjects, he deliberately turned his back -upon heroics. He was the first man to preach -simplicity, honesty, frankness, and sincerity; -and he preached it from a throne. He was -the first Pharaoh to be a humanitarian; the -first man in whose heart there was no trace of -barbarism. He has given us an example three -thousand years ago which might be followed -at the present day: an example of what a -husband and a father should be, of what an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span> -honest man should do, of what a poet should -feel, of what a preacher should teach, of what -an artist should strive for, of what a scientist -should believe, of what a philosopher should -think. Like other great teachers he sacrificed -all to his principles, and thus his life plainly -shows—alas!—the impracticability of his doctrines; -yet there can be no question that his -ideals will hold good “till the swan turns black -and the crow turns white, till the hills rise up -to travel, and the deeps rush into the rivers.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="MAP" id="MAP"></a> -<p class="p4" /> -<p class="pfs80">MAP OF AKHETATON, THE CITY OF THE HORIZON OF ATON.<br /> -(<span class="smcap">Tel el Amarna</span>)</p> -<img src="images/i_map.jpg" width="800" alt="" /> -<a href="images/i_map-large.jpg"> -<span class="screenonly fs60 center">click here for larger image.</span></a> -<div class="caption"> - -<span class="fs80">SURVEY DEP. CAIRO 1909 (151) <span class="pad6"><cite>FROM THE CAIRO SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL.</cite></span><br /> - -NOTE: Of the Boundary Stelae only those lettered A, B, F, J, K, M, N, P, Q, R, S, U, V and X,<br /> -still remain. The position of these is shown upon the Map.</span></div> -</div> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<h2 class="no-brk fs135 lsp2"><a name="INDEX" id="INDEX"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">INDEX.</a></h2> - -<hr class="r20" /> - - -<div class="fs80"> -<br /> -Aahmes I., <a href="#Page_7">7</a><br /> -<br /> -Abdkhiba, governor of Jerusalem, appeal of, to Akhnaton for help, <a href="#Page_236">236</a><br /> -<br /> -Adonis, connection of, with Aton, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>, <a href="#Page_37">37</a>, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -<a name="AKH" id="AKH"></a> -Akhnaton, personality of, <a href="#Page_2">2</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—ancestors of, <a href="#Page_7">7</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—birth of, <a href="#Page_42">42</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—change of name from Amonhotep to, <a href="#Page_45">45</a> <a href="#Footnote_14">note</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_53">53</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—accession of, <a href="#Page_58">58</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—first years of the reign of, <a href="#Page_62">62</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—new city founded by, <a href="#Page_88">88</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—site of the city selected by, <a href="#Page_92">92</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—foundation ceremonies performed by, <a href="#Page_94">94</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—departure of, from Thebes, <a href="#Page_105">105</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—age of, <a href="#Page_110">110</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—religion of Aton formulated by, <a href="#Page_115">115</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—tenth to twelfth years of the reign of, <a href="#Page_149">149</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—similarity of the hymn of, to Psalm civ., <a href="#Page_155">155</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—representations of, in his palace, <a href="#Page_167">167</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—historical events of tenth to twelfth years of the reign of, <a href="#Page_169">169</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—thirteenth to fifteenth years of the reign of, <a href="#Page_189">189</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—name of Amon obliterated by, <a href="#Page_193">193</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—affection of, for his family, <a href="#Page_208">208</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—friends of, <a href="#Page_213">213</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—troubles of, <a href="#Page_217">217</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—last two years of the reign of, <a href="#Page_223">223</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—conscientious objections of, to warfare, <a href="#Page_226">226</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—health of, gives way, <a href="#Page_246">246</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—last days and death of, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—fall of the religion of, <a href="#Page_258">258</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—burial of, <a href="#Page_258">258</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—body of, brought to Thebes, <a href="#Page_266">266</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—persecution of the memory of, <a href="#Page_272">272</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—finding of the body of, <a href="#Page_276">276</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—ideals of, <a href="#Page_283">283</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Amon or Amon-Ra, worship of, <a href="#Page_12">12</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—priesthood of, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—break with the priesthood of, <a href="#Page_88">88</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Akhnaton obliterates the name of, <a href="#Page_193">193</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—restoration of the worship of, <a href="#Page_272">272</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -Amonhotep I., <a href="#Page_7">7</a><br /> -<br /> -Amonhotep II., <a href="#Page_10">10</a><br /> -<br /> -Amonhotep III., “the Magnificent,” <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_28">28</a>, <a href="#Page_33">33</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—second name of, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Amonhotep IV.: see <a href="#AKH">Akhnaton</a><br /> -<br /> -Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu, the “wise man,” <a href="#Page_33">33</a><br /> -<br /> -Animal worship, <a href="#Page_18">18</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Ankhsenpaaton, third daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, <a href="#Page_109">109</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Apis, the sacred bull, worship of, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a><br /> -<br /> -Apiy, letter to Akhnaton from, <a href="#Page_85">85</a><br /> -<br /> -Art, the new style of, <a href="#Page_68">68</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_101">101</a><br /> -<br /> -Aswan, commemoration tablet at, <a href="#Page_107">107</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—statue of Amonhotep III. at, <em>ib.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -Aton, the name, <a href="#Page_37">37</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a> and <a href="#Footnote_35">note</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—rise of, <a href="#Page_45">45</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—development of the religion of, <a href="#Page_76">76</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—nature of the religion of, <a href="#Page_84">84</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—founding of new city for the worship of, <a href="#Page_88">88</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—religion of, formulated, <a href="#Page_115">115</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—connections of the worship of, with older religions, <a href="#Page_135">135</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—hymns of the worshippers of, <a href="#Page_149">149</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span><span class="pad1">—Meryra made high priest of, <a href="#Page_158">158</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—development of the religion of, <a href="#Page_189">189</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—great temple of, <a href="#Page_198">198</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—City of the Horizon of, <a href="#Page_202">202</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—downfall of the religion of, <a href="#Page_264">264</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -Auta, Queen Tiy’s chief sculptor, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a><br /> -<br /> -Ay, foster-parent of Queen Nefertiti, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—palace of, <a href="#Page_204">204</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—accession of, to the throne, <a href="#Page_268">268</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <em>ib.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -Aziru, the Amorite prince, unscrupulous dealings of, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Baketaton, sister of Akhnaton, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>, <a href="#Page_212">212</a><br /> -<br /> -Bek, art taught to, by Akhnaton, <a href="#Page_76">76</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—sculptures of, at Aswan, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Canopic jars, the, in Akhnaton’s tomb, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a><br /> -<br /> -Child-marriages, frequency of, in Egypt, <a href="#Page_112">112</a><br /> -<br /> -Christianity, comparison of Akhnaton’s faith with, <a href="#Page_143">143</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -“City of the Brightness of Aton,” new name of, given to Thebes, <a href="#Page_65">65</a><br /> -<br /> -City of the Horizon of Aton, founding of, <a href="#Page_90">90</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Akhnaton’s residence at, <a href="#Page_107">107</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—gardens of, <a href="#Page_127">127</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—inscriptions on the sepulchres at, <a href="#Page_149">149</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Queen Tiy’s visit to, <a href="#Page_176">176</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Queen Tiy’s residence and death at, <a href="#Page_184">184</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—shrines and temples in, <a href="#Page_196">196</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—beauty of, <a href="#Page_202">202</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Akhnaton’s tomb near, <a href="#Page_207">207</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—abandonment of, by the court, <a href="#Page_264">264</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—removal of Akhnaton’s body from, <a href="#Page_266">266</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—desolate condition of, <a href="#Page_275">275</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Delta, “House” of Aton in the, <a href="#Page_191">191</a><br /> -<br /> -Demigods and Spirits, worship of, <a href="#Page_18">18</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Domestic life of Akhnaton, reliefs and paintings on tombs showing the, <a href="#Page_167">167</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -<a name="DUS" id="DUS"></a> -Dushratta, King of Mitanni, marriage of Nefertiti, daughter of, to Prince Amonhotep (Akhnaton), <a href="#Page_56">56</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—<ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'marriage of Nesemmut'">marriage of Nezemmut</ins>, daughter of, to Horemheb, <a href="#Page_269">269</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -“Effulgence which comes from Aton,” name of Aton changed to, <a href="#Page_192">192</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Fayum, “House” of Aton in the, <a href="#Page_191">191</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Gebel Silsileh, tablets at the quarries of, <a href="#Page_63">63</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the name Amonhotep erased at, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Gods of Egypt, the, <a href="#Page_11">11</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Akhnaton orders the erasure of the names of, in inscriptions, <a href="#Page_249">249</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Goodness of Aton, the, <a href="#Page_127">127</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Hathor, worship of, <a href="#Page_16">16</a><br /> -<br /> -Hatshepsut, Queen, <a href="#Page_8">8</a><br /> -<br /> -Heliopolis, temple of Aton at, <a href="#Page_191">191</a><br /> -<br /> -Hermonthis, temple of Aton at, <a href="#Page_191">191</a><br /> -<br /> -Hermopolis, temple of Aton at, <a href="#Page_191">191</a><br /> -<br /> -Hittite invasion of Syria, the, <a href="#Page_223">223</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Horakhti Aton, erection of temple at Karnak to, <a href="#Page_63">63</a>, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_89">89</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—restoration of the temple to, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—destruction of the temple to, <a href="#Page_272">272</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Horemheb, tomb of, <a href="#Page_67">67</a> and <a href="#Footnote_29">note</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_265">265</a> <a href="#Footnote_84">note</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—presence of, with the troops in Asia, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—accession of, to the throne, <a href="#Page_268">268</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_269">269</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—reign of, <a href="#Page_270">270</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -Horus, the hawk god, worship of, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>, <a href="#Page_16">16</a><br /> -<br /> -Huya, scenes sculptured on the tomb of, <a href="#Page_170">170</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Isis, worship of, <a href="#Page_15">15</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Karnak, temple to Horakhti Aton at, <a href="#Page_63">63</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_89">89</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—temples and shrines at, <a href="#Page_63">63</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—restoration of the Aton temple at, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—destruction of the Aton temple at, <a href="#Page_272">272</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Khnum, the ram-headed deity, worship of, <a href="#Page_16">16</a><br /> -<br /> -Khonsu, the god of the moon, worship of, <a href="#Page_13">13</a><br /> -<br /> -Kirgipa or Gilukhipa, wife of Amonhotep III., <a href="#Page_39">39</a>, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>, <a href="#Page_55">55</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -“Lord of the Breath of Sweetness,” Akhnaton’s name of, <a href="#Page_61">61</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Mahu, scenes on the tomb of, <a href="#Page_215">215</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Meketaton, second daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, <a href="#Page_101">101</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <a href="#Page_219">219</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Memphis, temple of Aton at, <a href="#Page_191">191</a><br /> -<br /> -Meryra, appointment of, as high priest of Aton, <a href="#Page_158">158</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—scenes sculptured on the tomb of, <a href="#Page_159">159</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Merytaton, first daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, <a href="#Page_83">83</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_254">254</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Min or Min-Ra, worship of, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>, <a href="#Page_27">27</a><br /> -<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span>Mnevis, the sacred bull, worship of, <a href="#Page_135">135</a><br /> -<br /> -Mut, the consort of Amon, worship of, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a><br /> -<br /> -Mutemua, wife of Thothmes IV., <a href="#Page_23">23</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_28">28</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Nebmaara, second name of Amonhotep III., <a href="#Page_186">186</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a><br /> -<br /> -Nefernefernaton fourth daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Neferneferura, fifth daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, <a href="#Page_208">208</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="NEF" id="NEF"></a> -Nefertiti (Tadukhipa), marriage of Prince Amonhotep (Akhnaton) to, <a href="#Page_55">55</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—birth of the first daughter of, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—second daughter of, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—third daughter of, <a href="#Page_109">109</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—fourth daughter of, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—fifth daughter of, <a href="#Page_208">208</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—sixth and seventh daughters of, <a href="#Page_209">209</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Nezemmut, sister of Queen Nefertiti, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>, <a href="#Page_212">212</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, to Horemheb, King of Egypt, <a href="#Page_269">269</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Nubia, imperial regard of Akhnaton for, <a href="#Page_189">189</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—temple of Aton in, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Osiris, god of the dead, worship of, <a href="#Page_20">20</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Palace of Akhnaton, description of the, <a href="#Page_205">205</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Psalm civ., similarity of Akhnaton’s hymn to, <a href="#Page_155">155</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Ptah, the Vulcan of Egypt, worship of, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>, <a href="#Page_85">85</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Ra or Ra-Horakhti, the sun-god, worship of, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a><br /> -<br /> -Rames, Vizir of Upper Egypt, tomb of, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_148">148</a><br /> -<br /> -Ribaddi, King of Byblos, appeals of, to Akhnaton for help, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <a href="#Page_247">247</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Set, the worship of, <a href="#Page_16">16</a><br /> -<br /> -Setepenra, sixth daughter of Akhnaton, birth of, <a href="#Page_209">209</a><br /> -<br /> -“Shade of the Sun,” the, Queen Tiy’s private temple called, <a href="#Page_182">182</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—statues in, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Smenkhkara, Akhnaton’s successor to the throne, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_254">254</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—association of, with Akhnaton, as co-ruler, <em>ib.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—accession of, as sole ruler, <a href="#Page_258">258</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <a href="#Page_264">264</a></span><br /> -<br /> -“Son of God,” Akhnaton the, by traditional right, <a href="#Page_130">130</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -“Son of the Sun,” the title of, held by the Pharaohs, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>, <a href="#Page_71">71</a>, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>, <a href="#Page_197">197</a><br /> -<br /> -Soul, spiritual needs of the, after death, <a href="#Page_138">138</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—material needs of the, <a href="#Page_143">143</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the excommunication of a, <a href="#Page_276">276</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Sunrise and sunset, worship of Aton at, <a href="#Page_124">124</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Syria, imperial regard of Akhnaton for, <a href="#Page_189">189</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—temple of Aton in, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Hittite invasion of, <a href="#Page_223">223</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Akhnaton’s policy in, <a href="#Page_226">226</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the fighting in, becomes general, <a href="#Page_235">235</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Tadukhipa: see <a href="#NEF">Nefertiti</a><br /> -<br /> -Temple of Aton, description of the great, <a href="#Page_198">198</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Tender Father of all Creation, Aton as the, <a href="#Page_118">118</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Thebes, discoveries in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings near, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—booty brought by Thothmes III. to, <a href="#Page_8">8</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the deities of, <a href="#Page_12">12</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the court at, <a href="#Page_35">35</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the royal palace at, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>, <a href="#Page_43">43</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—new name of “City of the Brightness of Aton” given to, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—departure of the court from, <a href="#Page_105">105</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Queen Tiy’s continued residence at, <a href="#Page_176">176</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Queen Tiy’s tomb at, <a href="#Page_185">185</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—return of the court to, <a href="#Page_264">264</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—body of Akhnaton brought to, <a href="#Page_266">266</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—finding of Akhnaton’s body at, <a href="#Page_277">277</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<br /> -Thothmes I., <a href="#Page_8">8</a><br /> -<br /> -Thothmes II., <a href="#Page_8">8</a><br /> -<br /> -Thothmes III., <a href="#Page_8">8</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Thothmes IV., <a href="#Page_10">10</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a><br /> -<br /> -Tiy, Queen, birth and childhood of, <a href="#Page_26">26</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_29">29</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—children of, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>, <a href="#Page_43">43</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of the parents of, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—birth of Amonhotep or Akhnaton, son of, <a href="#Page_43">43</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—the power of, <a href="#Page_49">49</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of the consort of, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—visit of, to the City of the Horizon, <a href="#Page_176">176</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—visit of, to her temple, <a href="#Page_182">182</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <a href="#Page_184">184</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—tomb of, <a href="#Page_185">185</a> <em>et seq.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—Akhnaton’s body placed in the tomb of, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>, <a href="#Page_282">282</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—body of, removed, <a href="#Page_274">274</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Tribal gods, names of, <a href="#Page_12">12</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -True God, Aton as the, <a href="#Page_115">115</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Tuau, wife of Yuaa, Priest of the god Min, <a href="#Page_26">26</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_30">30</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span><span class="pad1">—death and burial of, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Tunip, letter to Akhnaton from the governor of, <a href="#Page_232">232</a><br /> -<br /> -Tutankhaton, the throne usurped by, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of, <a href="#Page_264">264</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—name of, changed to Tutankhamon, <a href="#Page_266">266</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—return of, to Thebes, <em>ib.</em></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death of, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Ty, foster-parent of Queen Nefertiti, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Valley of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes, the, discoveries in, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<span class="pad1">—burial of Yuaa and Tuau in, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> -<br /> -Vulture, representation of a, used in burials, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>, <a href="#Page_259">259</a> <em>et seq.</em>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Wady Hammamât, inscriptions near the quarries of, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a><br /> -<br /> -Warfare, Akhnaton’s conscientious scruples to, <a href="#Page_226">226</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -Worship of Aton at sunrise and sunset, <a href="#Page_124">124</a> <em>et seq.</em><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -Yuaa, Priest of the god Min, birth of, <a href="#Page_25">25</a><br /> -<span class="pad1">—marriage of Tiy, the daughter of, to Amonhotep III., <a href="#Page_29">29</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—personality of, <a href="#Page_32">32</a></span><br /> -<span class="pad1">—death and burial of, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> -</div> - - -<p class="p4 pfs80">THE END.</p> - - -<p class="p4 pfs60">PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Breasted: A History of Egypt.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> N. de G. Davies: The Rock Tombs of El Amarna. 5 vols.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Now out of print.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_4" id="Footnote_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> Published by the Chicago University, 1906.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_5" id="Footnote_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> As will be recorded at the end of this volume, the body of -Akhnaton was discovered by Mr Theodore M. Davis at Thebes -early in 1907; but at the time of writing (1908) the results have -not been published in book form, though various articles have -appeared.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_6" id="Footnote_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> The writer has to thank the editors of ‘The Quarterly Review,’ -‘Blackwood’s Magazine,’ and ‘The Century Magazine,’ for permitting -him to embody in this volume certain portions of articles -contributed by him to the pages of those journals.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_7" id="Footnote_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> <a href="#Page_110">Page 110</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_8" id="Footnote_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> <a href="#Page_100">Page 100</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_9" id="Footnote_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> The sphinx tablet.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_10" id="Footnote_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Of Thothmes III. at Karnak, of Aahmes I. at Abydos, and of -Senusert III. at Amada.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_11" id="Footnote_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> These ages are discussed on <a href="#Page_111">pages 111</a> and <a href="#Footnote_55">178 (note)</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_12" id="Footnote_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> Petrie, History, ii. p. 183. The portrait upon which he bases -this statement, however, may be that of Akhnaton (fig. 115, p. -182). The mouth and chin are extremely like those of Yuaa, as -seen in his mummy; but again they both have a close resemblance -to the head of Amonhotep III. (<em>idem</em>, fig. 120, p. 188). Of course, -such evidence is extremely frail, and must not be too much relied -upon.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_13" id="Footnote_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> Breasted, Records, ii. 865, note h.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_14" id="Footnote_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> He took the name Akhnaton in about the sixth year of his -reign.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_15" id="Footnote_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> His statue is at Turin. See also Erman, ‘Life in Ancient -Egypt,’ p. 297.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_16" id="Footnote_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> <a href="#Page_39">Page 39</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_17" id="Footnote_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> Recently discovered by the present writer whilst repairing this -tomb.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_18" id="Footnote_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> His mummy is that of a man of not more than fifty.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_19" id="Footnote_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> The wise man Amonhotep-son-of-Hapu was steward of Princess -Setamon’s estate, but this may have been previous to her mention -in her grandparents’ tomb.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_20" id="Footnote_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> <a href="#Page_111">Page 111</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_21" id="Footnote_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> <a href="#Page_56">Page 56</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_22" id="Footnote_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> It is usual for Egyptian girls to become mothers at about the -age of thirteen, though sometimes earlier. They often continue to -bear children at intervals of about two years, over a period of thirty -years or so. Fifteen children is thus the usual number of a family, -but half these generally die in babyhood.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_23" id="Footnote_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> Maspero.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_24" id="Footnote_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> Scarabs of the early period are sometimes inscribed <em>Neb-nef-nezem</em>, -which has this meaning.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_25" id="Footnote_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> The date of this work is not exactly known, but as it was certainly -finished before the king founded his new city, it must have -been commenced immediately upon his accession.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_26" id="Footnote_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> The word <em>benben</em>, “shrine,” has the hieroglyph of an obelisk at -the end of it, which has led to some mistranslations. Perhaps the -temple was built somewhat on the plan of that at Abusêr, where an -obelisk stood in an open court.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_27" id="Footnote_27"></a><a href="#FNanchor_27"><span class="label">[27]</span></a> It is possible that “found” is a mistranslation.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_28" id="Footnote_28"></a><a href="#FNanchor_28"><span class="label">[28]</span></a> Thus corresponding to the Silsileh quarry tablet, where Amon -is worshipped.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_29" id="Footnote_29"></a><a href="#FNanchor_29"><span class="label">[29]</span></a> This tomb of Horemheb seems to have been begun and finished -in the early years of Akhnaton’s reign, to have been left alone during -the remainder of the reign, and to have received the addition -of doorposts (see <a href="#Footnote_84">note on p. 265</a>) after the death of Akhnaton. -Fragments of the tomb are now divided between Leiden, Bologna, -Vienna, Alexandria, and Cairo; and it would seem that all except -those in the Cairo museum (the doorposts) are from the earlier -period. The titles on the Cairo fragments are far more elaborate -than those on the others. See Breasted, Records, iii. 1 ff.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_30" id="Footnote_30"></a><a href="#FNanchor_30"><span class="label">[30]</span></a> We know from the “Palermo stone” that the kingdom of -Lower Egypt was much more ancient than that of Upper Egypt.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_31" id="Footnote_31"></a><a href="#FNanchor_31"><span class="label">[31]</span></a> In later times the name of Tiy and the Pharaoh’s second name -were erased, but the name Amonhotep was not damaged. The -facsimile copy here given was made on the spot by the present writer -in correction of a previous copy made by Golénischeff. It is published -in his ‘Travels in the Upper Egyptian Deserts’ (Blackwood).</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_32" id="Footnote_32"></a><a href="#FNanchor_32"><span class="label">[32]</span></a> Meaning the god.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_33" id="Footnote_33"></a><a href="#FNanchor_33"><span class="label">[33]</span></a> Griffith: Kahun Papyri. Text, p. 91.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_34" id="Footnote_34"></a><a href="#FNanchor_34"><span class="label">[34]</span></a> Is there a distant connection between Mnevis and the Minoan -bull of Crete? See <a href="#Page_183">p. 183</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_35" id="Footnote_35"></a><a href="#FNanchor_35"><span class="label">[35]</span></a> The god is sometimes called “Aton” simply, and sometimes -<em>Pa Aton</em>, “the Aton”; just as we speak of “Christ” or “the -Christ,” and of “Lord” or “the Lord,” this latter being the actual -meaning of “Aton.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_36" id="Footnote_36"></a><a href="#FNanchor_36"><span class="label">[36]</span></a> The translation here given is based upon that published by -Davies in Amarna V.; but the year cannot be the fourth, as there -stated as probable, since in the above-mentioned letter dated in year -5 the king is still called Amonhotep, whereas in this inscription he -is called Akhnaton.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_37" id="Footnote_37"></a><a href="#FNanchor_37"><span class="label">[37]</span></a> The day is not certain; perhaps it is day 4.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_38" id="Footnote_38"></a><a href="#FNanchor_38"><span class="label">[38]</span></a> For the sake of brevity it is often called “the City of the -Horizon,” simply, in this volume.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_39" id="Footnote_39"></a><a href="#FNanchor_39"><span class="label">[39]</span></a> Mediterranean people.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_40" id="Footnote_40"></a><a href="#FNanchor_40"><span class="label">[40]</span></a> This has reference to the rays which come from the Aton.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_41" id="Footnote_41"></a><a href="#FNanchor_41"><span class="label">[41]</span></a> This seems to have been a temple.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_42" id="Footnote_42"></a><a href="#FNanchor_42"><span class="label">[42]</span></a> The second name of Amonhotep III., Akhnaton’s father.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_43" id="Footnote_43"></a><a href="#FNanchor_43"><span class="label">[43]</span></a> The second name of Thothmes IV., Akhnaton’s grandfather.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_44" id="Footnote_44"></a><a href="#FNanchor_44"><span class="label">[44]</span></a> The <em>ater</em> corresponds to the Greek <em>schoinos</em>, and the <em>khe</em> is the -<em>schoenium</em> of 100 cubits, 40 <em>khe</em> making one <em>ater</em>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_45" id="Footnote_45"></a><a href="#FNanchor_45"><span class="label">[45]</span></a> See <a href="#Footnote_55">note on p. 178</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_46" id="Footnote_46"></a><a href="#FNanchor_46"><span class="label">[46]</span></a> Davies, Amarna, I. 45.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_47" id="Footnote_47"></a><a href="#FNanchor_47"><span class="label">[47]</span></a> The idea is that the Aton does not die as dies the sunlight.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_48" id="Footnote_48"></a><a href="#FNanchor_48"><span class="label">[48]</span></a> Probably by royal descent is meant.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_49" id="Footnote_49"></a><a href="#FNanchor_49"><span class="label">[49]</span></a> In Egyptian this title reads <em>Pa shera nefer en pa Aton</em>. In the -tomb of a certain Amonhotep, at El Assasîf, temp. Amonhotep III., -the deceased Amonhotep I. is called <em>Pa shera nefer en Amon</em>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_50" id="Footnote_50"></a><a href="#FNanchor_50"><span class="label">[50]</span></a> So Prof. Breasted translates the Egyptian <em>sehetep</em>, though it -would be possible to give it other interpretations.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_51" id="Footnote_51"></a><a href="#FNanchor_51"><span class="label">[51]</span></a> Cf. such expressions as “When thou settest they die,” and -others used in Akhnaton’s hymns.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_52" id="Footnote_52"></a><a href="#FNanchor_52"><span class="label">[52]</span></a> Professor Breasted’s translation.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_53" id="Footnote_53"></a><a href="#FNanchor_53"><span class="label">[53]</span></a> In the tomb of Huya the scene is dated in the twelfth year, as -here recorded, and there are four daughters shown, which is the -number one is led by other evidence to suppose were then alive. -The scene in the tomb of Meryra II. has precisely the same date, -but six daughters are shown, and there is evidence to show that that -number is not to be looked for previous to the fifteenth year of the -reign, the first daughter being born in about the fifth year, the -second in the seventh, the third in the ninth, the fourth in the -eleventh, the fifth in the thirteenth, and the sixth in the fifteenth -year, in all probability. Thus the scene in Meryra II. may perhaps -represent no particular reception of the tribute of any one year, but -the artist may have had in mind the great tribute of the twelfth -year while representing the occurrence in the fifteenth or sixteenth -year, at which date his work was taking place. Or again the date in -this latter tomb may be a misreading or miswriting. The scene described -above is that represented in the tomb of Meryra, as it is -more elaborate than the other; but the inscription is that found in -the tomb of Huya.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_54" id="Footnote_54"></a><a href="#FNanchor_54"><span class="label">[54]</span></a> Her first child, it will be remembered, was born when she was -about thirteen.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_55" id="Footnote_55"></a><a href="#FNanchor_55"><span class="label">[55]</span></a> It is probable, as has been stated on <a href="#Page_111">p. 111</a>, that she was married -to Amonhotep III. in about her tenth year, and was thus about -forty-six when he died. She could not have been much more, -for her daughter Baketaton must have been born but a year or so -before Amonhotep’s death, and it is improbable that she would -bear children after forty-five, if as late as that.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_56" id="Footnote_56"></a><a href="#FNanchor_56"><span class="label">[56]</span></a> It is to be noticed that there are pomegranates amongst the -fruit, which indicates that the visit was made during the summer, -as do the light costumes also.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_57" id="Footnote_57"></a><a href="#FNanchor_57"><span class="label">[57]</span></a> Davies: Amarna, iii. 8, note 1.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_58" id="Footnote_58"></a><a href="#FNanchor_58"><span class="label">[58]</span></a> This is to be observed also in some other inscriptions of the -period.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_59" id="Footnote_59"></a><a href="#FNanchor_59"><span class="label">[59]</span></a> Breasted: History of Egypt, p. 364.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_60" id="Footnote_60"></a><a href="#FNanchor_60"><span class="label">[60]</span></a> <a href="#Page_177">Page 177</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_61" id="Footnote_61"></a><a href="#FNanchor_61"><span class="label">[61]</span></a> It is usual to date the tombs roughly by the number of daughters -shown, presuming that the artist represented all the children living -at the time. But though this gives us the lowest possible year, it -does not always give us the highest, for daughters are obviously -sometimes omitted when the available space was cramped.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_62" id="Footnote_62"></a><a href="#FNanchor_62"><span class="label">[62]</span></a> <a href="#Page_63">Page 63</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_63" id="Footnote_63"></a><a href="#FNanchor_63"><span class="label">[63]</span></a> <a href="#Page_107">Page 107</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_64" id="Footnote_64"></a><a href="#FNanchor_64"><span class="label">[64]</span></a> Davies: El Amarna, iii., Pl. xviii.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_65" id="Footnote_65"></a><a href="#FNanchor_65"><span class="label">[65]</span></a> <a href="#Page_182">Page 182</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_66" id="Footnote_66"></a><a href="#FNanchor_66"><span class="label">[66]</span></a> Davies: El Amarna.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_67" id="Footnote_67"></a><a href="#FNanchor_67"><span class="label">[67]</span></a> Wilkinson: Modern Egypt, ii. 69.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_68" id="Footnote_68"></a><a href="#FNanchor_68"><span class="label">[68]</span></a> Davies: El Amarna.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_69" id="Footnote_69"></a><a href="#FNanchor_69"><span class="label">[69]</span></a> It is probable that there was some likeness between Akhnaton’s -temples and those dedicated to the sun in early days, as, for example -that at Abusêr.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_70" id="Footnote_70"></a><a href="#FNanchor_70"><span class="label">[70]</span></a> Perhaps this is a part of the royal palace.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_71" id="Footnote_71"></a><a href="#FNanchor_71"><span class="label">[71]</span></a> Petrie: El Amarna.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_72" id="Footnote_72"></a><a href="#FNanchor_72"><span class="label">[72]</span></a> Petrie: History of Egypt, ii. 219.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_73" id="Footnote_73"></a><a href="#FNanchor_73"><span class="label">[73]</span></a> <a href="#Page_75">Page 75</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_74" id="Footnote_74"></a><a href="#FNanchor_74"><span class="label">[74]</span></a> <a href="#Page_192">Page 192</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_75" id="Footnote_75"></a><a href="#FNanchor_75"><span class="label">[75]</span></a> She probably married some Egyptian noble, and her future -career is recorded on <a href="#Page_269">p. 269</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_76" id="Footnote_76"></a><a href="#FNanchor_76"><span class="label">[76]</span></a> The plaster has now fallen off, and little of the original decoration -remains. The tomb is seldom visited by tourists, being seven -miles back from the river; but it is in charge of the Government -custodian.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_77" id="Footnote_77"></a><a href="#FNanchor_77"><span class="label">[77]</span></a> The reception of the tribute recorded in the tomb of Meryra II. -(see <a href="#Page_170">page 170</a>), although dated in the twelfth year of the reign, may -represent a later event, since six daughters are shown in the scene; -and it is not likely that the sixth daughter was born before the -fifteenth year. Perhaps the date is a misreading or miswriting, -influenced by that given in the tomb of Huya.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_78" id="Footnote_78"></a><a href="#FNanchor_78"><span class="label">[78]</span></a> Breasted: History, p. 388.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_79" id="Footnote_79"></a><a href="#FNanchor_79"><span class="label">[79]</span></a> It is doubtful whether the second sign is <em>menkh</em> or <em>ȧa͑</em>, they -being somewhat alike.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_80" id="Footnote_80"></a><a href="#FNanchor_80"><span class="label">[80]</span></a> <a href="#Page_187">Page 187</a>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_81" id="Footnote_81"></a><a href="#FNanchor_81"><span class="label">[81]</span></a> The scarab, another symbol from older times, seems to have -been retained, for a gold heart-scarab is said to have been found -in Akhnaton’s tomb.—Petrie: History of Egypt, ii. 220.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_82" id="Footnote_82"></a><a href="#FNanchor_82"><span class="label">[82]</span></a> <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'In Egytian'">In Egyptian</ins>: Ḥeq nefer, Ra͑ setept, Seten bati, A͑nkh em Mȧa͑t, -Neb taui, Akhnaton, Pa sherȧ nefer en Pa Aton a͑nkh, enti ȧuf a͑nkhu -ren ḥeḥ zet. This was all that was written upon the coffin.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_83" id="Footnote_83"></a><a href="#FNanchor_83"><span class="label">[83]</span></a> Probably he is to be identified with Tutu, a well-known noble -of this period—the words <em>ankhaton</em>, “Living in Aton,” being added -to make the name more majestic.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_84" id="Footnote_84"></a><a href="#FNanchor_84"><span class="label">[84]</span></a> See <a href="#Footnote_29">note on page 67</a>. This inscription is found on the doorposts -of the tomb of Horemheb, which, by the greatly increased titles, were -set up some time after the rest of the tomb was finished, and thus -probably in the reign of Tutankhaton. A fragment of gold-leaf has -recently been found showing this king in his chariot charging Asiatic -enemies. The present writer recently found part of a shrine of his -in the desert on the road to the gold mines. See ‘Travels in the -Upper Egyptian Deserts’ (Blackwood).</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_85" id="Footnote_85"></a><a href="#FNanchor_85"><span class="label">[85]</span></a> The present writer assisted at the opening of this tomb. A full -account of the find will be published by Mr Davis, and therefore -only a brief description, already published with Mr Davis’s permission -in article form, must be given here.</p></div></div> - - -<div class="transnote pg-brk"> -<a name="TN" id="TN"></a> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been<br /> -corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within<br /> -the text and consultation of external sources.</p> - -<p>Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,<br /> -and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained: for example,<br /> -burial-chamber, burial chamber; underworld, under-world; intrust;<br /> -unbiassed; engrained.</p> -<br /> -<p> -<a href="#Page_xi">Pg xi</a>: ‘ART OF AKHNATION’ replaced by ‘ART OF AKHNATON’.<br /> -<a href="#Page_xii">Pg xii</a>: ‘MAP OF AKHHETATON’ replaced by ‘MAP OF AKHETATON’.<br /> -<a href="#Page_158">Pg 158</a>: ‘who seens to have’ replaced by ‘who seems to have’.<br /> -<a href="#Page_178">Pg 178</a>: ‘elaborate footsools’ replaced by ‘elaborate footstools’.<br /> -<a href="#Page_205">Pg 205</a>: ‘the light rooves’ replaced by ‘the light roofs’.<br /> -<a href="#Page_236">Pg 236</a>: ‘the Egptian yoke’ replaced by ‘the Egyptian yoke’.<br /> -<a href="#Page_262">Pg 262</a> Footnote <a href="#Footnote_82" class="fnanchor">[82]</a>: ‘In Egytian’ replaced by ‘In Egyptian’.<br /> -<br /> -Index.<br /> -<a href="#DUS">Dushratta</a>: ‘marriage of Nesemmut’ replaced by ‘marriage of Nezemmut’.<br /> -<br /> -</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life and Times of Akhnaton, by -Arthur Edward Pearse Weigall - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AKHNATON *** - -***** This file should be named 62434-h.htm or 62434-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/4/3/62434/ - -Produced by John Campbell and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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