Akhenaten

Akhenaten, or Amenhotep IV, was pharaoh of Egypt from 1353 - 1336 B.C. as part of the 18th dynasty. He rejected the traditional gods of Egypt in favor of the sun, which he called Aton. He moved the capital from Thebes to Akhetaton (modern Amarna) to escape the influence of the priests of Ra.

Statues of him show an artistic form new in Egypt, including various deformities which have led some scholars to conclude he had Marfan's syndrome or Frolich’s syndrome. However, various courtiers were also depicted similarly.

The mysterious disappearance of his wife Nefertiti from the historical record has led scholars to many speculations, ranging from her usurping power to Akhenaten's banishing her.

Akhenaton died young was succeeded by the mysterious Semenkhhare, who ruled for only a year or two. There is much speculation concerning Semenkhhare, including one theory that "he" was Nefertiti posing as a man. Semenkhhare was succeeded by Tutankhamun, Akhenaton's son and still a boy at this time. Tutankhamun reversed many of his father's policies. Egypt reverted to polytheism and the priests of Amun regained their power.

Akhenaten and Moses

The similarities between Akhenaten's monotheism and the monotheism described in the Pentateuch has led some historians to speculate about correlations between Akhenaten and Moses. Akhenaten's religion is the earliest historical example of a monotheistic religion.

Sigmund Freud proposed that Moses was Ikhnaton's priest, and that the Exodus happened soon after the pharaoh's death.