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New Kingdom - Amarna Period: The Great Hymn to Aten
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July 1, 2023When you read this short text (less than 10 pages), you almost immediately imagine yourself in a biblical atmosphere. At first glance, it is a paean to the creator of all things. In very poetic language, that creator – the solar disk Aten - and its work are incensed, highlighting how it animates everything. The label 'hymn' is therefore well deserved. But the sting is in the tail: in it the writer of this hymn is called the son of God and the only one who knows God. If you know that the official writer of this text is the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, then suddenly the poem of praise turns into a propagandistic pamphlet and we are left somewhat sobered.
So we are talking about that infamous, "heretical" pharaoh, who reigned from c. 1353 to c. 1336 and who was formerly regarded as the inventor of monotheism. Various studies are still appearing about his exclusive sun disc cult and Egyptologists are therefore far from agreeing on how to interpret this special period in Ancient Egyptian history (see the review in my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). There certainly is a political-propagandistic aspect to it, but even apart from that, this text exudes an exceptional poetic power, and the spiritual message that everything in our world is one, is remarkable to say the least.
So we are talking about that infamous, "heretical" pharaoh, who reigned from c. 1353 to c. 1336 and who was formerly regarded as the inventor of monotheism. Various studies are still appearing about his exclusive sun disc cult and Egyptologists are therefore far from agreeing on how to interpret this special period in Ancient Egyptian history (see the review in my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). There certainly is a political-propagandistic aspect to it, but even apart from that, this text exudes an exceptional poetic power, and the spiritual message that everything in our world is one, is remarkable to say the least.
How manifold it is, what thou hast made!
They are hidden from the face (of man).
O sole god, like whom there is no other!
Thou didst create the world according to thy desire,
Whilst thou wert alone: All men, cattle, and wild beasts,
Whatever is on Earth, going upon (its) feet,
And what is on high, flying with its wings.
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November 15, 2025This is one of the most commented on texts of Ancient Egypt. That's because the writer is said to be none other than pharaoh Akhenaten (ca 1350-1330), the 'heretical' king who presumedly did away with the traditional Egyptian religion and introduced monotheism. This hymn is inscribed in the tomb of one of his faithful servants, so perhaps the text was indeed written by Akhenaten or a scribe of his. Anyway, in addition to the poetic aspect, the political aspect is also striking: the pharaoh calls himself the only one who knows the exclusively venerated solar disc, thus confirming his unique place as a mediator between god and the world.
The latter is by no means new: from the beginning, the pharaohs have seen their role as at least a crucial intermediary between the gods and the people, and in various phases of Ancient Egyptian history this simply amounted to a deification of the king. Ancient Egypt had many gods, but in the course of the New Kingdom trends were noticeable towards a more exclusive relationship. For example, the role of the sun god Atum was increasingly formulated in exclusive terms. At a certain moment the solar disk Aten also came into view. Most probably, this had to do with a political struggle: in the course of the 15th century and the beginning of the 14th the power of the priests of the Atum temple in Karnak had become very great, and the pharaohs wanted to build a counterweight to this. And that would ultimately have resulted in the extreme policy of Akhenaten who allowed only the cult of the Aten and banned all others.
The above sketch is what has become the majority view in Egyptology in recent decades. But before, and still, there are many others. So it's not all that simple. Anyway, this text exudes the intuition that everything is animated, “created” by a single god/primal force – an intuition that was later made the central focus in various monotheistic religions. Whether this means that this hymn and Akhenaten himself directly or indirectly influenced that later monotheism is a question which I cannot and will not answer; whole libraries have already been written about this too.
Personally, I can only warn against overly simplistic (causal) connections: there are centuries between the monotheism of Akhenaten and that of the Hebrews, for example. And don't forget that at least in the Ancient Near East the interaction of worldviews and religious beliefs was so dynamic and complex, and that so few sources survive, that compiling a genealogy is a daring, if not impossible, task. So beware of too simplistic theories.
The latter is by no means new: from the beginning, the pharaohs have seen their role as at least a crucial intermediary between the gods and the people, and in various phases of Ancient Egyptian history this simply amounted to a deification of the king. Ancient Egypt had many gods, but in the course of the New Kingdom trends were noticeable towards a more exclusive relationship. For example, the role of the sun god Atum was increasingly formulated in exclusive terms. At a certain moment the solar disk Aten also came into view. Most probably, this had to do with a political struggle: in the course of the 15th century and the beginning of the 14th the power of the priests of the Atum temple in Karnak had become very great, and the pharaohs wanted to build a counterweight to this. And that would ultimately have resulted in the extreme policy of Akhenaten who allowed only the cult of the Aten and banned all others.
The above sketch is what has become the majority view in Egyptology in recent decades. But before, and still, there are many others. So it's not all that simple. Anyway, this text exudes the intuition that everything is animated, “created” by a single god/primal force – an intuition that was later made the central focus in various monotheistic religions. Whether this means that this hymn and Akhenaten himself directly or indirectly influenced that later monotheism is a question which I cannot and will not answer; whole libraries have already been written about this too.
Personally, I can only warn against overly simplistic (causal) connections: there are centuries between the monotheism of Akhenaten and that of the Hebrews, for example. And don't forget that at least in the Ancient Near East the interaction of worldviews and religious beliefs was so dynamic and complex, and that so few sources survive, that compiling a genealogy is a daring, if not impossible, task. So beware of too simplistic theories.
August 8, 2016
“As you dispel the dark,
As you cast your rays,
The Two Lands are in festivity.
Awake they stand on their feet,
You have roused them.”
The sun is kind of a big deal. Without it life cannot exist; indeed it is the first and most important ingredient. And while most organisms relish the sun’s nourishing presence, few appreciated it quite as much as early agricultural societies (particularly Egypt, who didn’t have stormy skies to challenge the Sun god’s supremacy). Hymns and prayers were constructed to thank and flatter this powerful deity so he may continue to rise every morning and bring light to the Two Lands. This worship reached its height around the 14th century BCE with Pharaoh Akhenaton, who attempted to force monotheism on the Egyptian empire, albeit unsuccessfully. He was, however, successful at endorsing the greatest artistic upheaval Egypt had ever seen, with particular improvements in sculpture and literature. One great piece from this era is “Hymn to the Sun,” a short poem celebrating Aten the Sun god, and the good he brings to Earth.
My favorite aspect of the hymn is how palpable the feelings of awe and terror are. It draws close attention to the darkness that engulfs the world every night at dusk. All creation fears the blackness, and prays for light to return in the morning. So far, it always has, but the day may come when Aten denies us his rays of mercy and all life will end. We must worship him to ensure that never happens. And the hymn is very clear about the reward: with daybreak birds sing, men plow the land, fruit grows in abundance, the crocodile escapes his egg, the wind blows our sails favorably, and much more. “Risen, radiant, distant, near.” Of the whole universe our personal star, devoted to our cause yet strangely remote, is most responsible for our happiness. We owe it many thanks.
It’s this profound appreciation for the enigmatic cosmos that powers religion. Akhenaton hated the superfluous worship of many deities; he knew which one was important. As Pharaoh he felt an affinity with the Sun. He too must shine benevolently on his people, he too must nourish them. And at dusk, when he dies, he must be reborn to escort Egypt through the next day. Such is the endless cycle of leadership—without guidance, all is dark. It’s unfortunate this insightful monotheism was torn asunder after Akhenaton’s death, replaced with the tedious proliferation of gods. But the feelings of gratitude would never leave the people. Why does the sun rise in our favor, everyday without end? Why are we given this opportunity? How can we reciprocate the gift? One way to start is by acknowledging, and appreciating, the deity behind it all.
As you cast your rays,
The Two Lands are in festivity.
Awake they stand on their feet,
You have roused them.”
The sun is kind of a big deal. Without it life cannot exist; indeed it is the first and most important ingredient. And while most organisms relish the sun’s nourishing presence, few appreciated it quite as much as early agricultural societies (particularly Egypt, who didn’t have stormy skies to challenge the Sun god’s supremacy). Hymns and prayers were constructed to thank and flatter this powerful deity so he may continue to rise every morning and bring light to the Two Lands. This worship reached its height around the 14th century BCE with Pharaoh Akhenaton, who attempted to force monotheism on the Egyptian empire, albeit unsuccessfully. He was, however, successful at endorsing the greatest artistic upheaval Egypt had ever seen, with particular improvements in sculpture and literature. One great piece from this era is “Hymn to the Sun,” a short poem celebrating Aten the Sun god, and the good he brings to Earth.
My favorite aspect of the hymn is how palpable the feelings of awe and terror are. It draws close attention to the darkness that engulfs the world every night at dusk. All creation fears the blackness, and prays for light to return in the morning. So far, it always has, but the day may come when Aten denies us his rays of mercy and all life will end. We must worship him to ensure that never happens. And the hymn is very clear about the reward: with daybreak birds sing, men plow the land, fruit grows in abundance, the crocodile escapes his egg, the wind blows our sails favorably, and much more. “Risen, radiant, distant, near.” Of the whole universe our personal star, devoted to our cause yet strangely remote, is most responsible for our happiness. We owe it many thanks.
It’s this profound appreciation for the enigmatic cosmos that powers religion. Akhenaton hated the superfluous worship of many deities; he knew which one was important. As Pharaoh he felt an affinity with the Sun. He too must shine benevolently on his people, he too must nourish them. And at dusk, when he dies, he must be reborn to escort Egypt through the next day. Such is the endless cycle of leadership—without guidance, all is dark. It’s unfortunate this insightful monotheism was torn asunder after Akhenaton’s death, replaced with the tedious proliferation of gods. But the feelings of gratitude would never leave the people. Why does the sun rise in our favor, everyday without end? Why are we given this opportunity? How can we reciprocate the gift? One way to start is by acknowledging, and appreciating, the deity behind it all.
March 1, 2018
Interesting
October 3, 2024
The Hymn to Aten is a beautiful poem that captures Pharaoh Amenhotep IV's devotion to the sun-god. Much of it focuses on the god's creator powers, with imagery of birth and Aten as the source of life. It also examines the love the god feels for his people, especially Amenhotep and his wife, Nefertiti. Overall, it captures quite well the awe one might feel at a creator god. As a Christian, I found it interesting that it could almost foreshadow or point to God—who strikes awesome fear and devotion into us!
October 7, 2016
Very interesting.
January 13, 2016
Read the translation of Miriam Lichtheim. Powerful and surprising.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews