Description
Book SynopsisDuring his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this “heretic” pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses were one and the same man. In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life: how he was brought up by Israelite relatives, ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne. Osman reveals the Egyptian components in the monotheism preached by Moses as well as his use of Egyptian royal ritual and Egyptian religious expression. He shows that even the Ten Commandments betray the direct influence of Spell 125 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Moses and Akhenatenprovides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions are correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin.
Trade Review"The classic work which redefines the timeframe of the Exodus and places it firmly in the age of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Essential reading for all Bible historians." * Andrew Collins, author of From the Ashes of Angels and Gateway to Atlantis *
"His study makes for an interesting alternative perspective." * Nexus, March/April 2003 *
Table of ContentsMoses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus Foreword
Introduction
Chronology of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties
1 Bricks Without Straw
2 Was Moses a King?
3 The Israel Stela
4 Rebellion in Sinai
5 Sojourn?and the Mother of Moses
6 The Rightful Son and Heir
7 The Coregency Debate (I)
8 The Coregency Debate (II)
9 The Reign of Horemheb
10 A Chronology of Kings
11 The Birthplace of Akhenaten
12 Akhenaten: The Early Years
13 Horizon of the Aten
14 The Tomb of Akhenaten
15 The Fallen One of Amarna
16 Corridors of Power
17 The First Monotheist
18 The 'Magic' Rod of Moses
19 Who Was Who? ? and the Death of Moses
Epilogue
Appendices
A The Shasu Wars
B The Amarna Rock Tombs of Huya and Meryre II
C The Mos Case
D Pi-Ramses and Zarw
E The Body in Tomb No. 55
F Some Further Evidence of Survival
G The Hebrews
Notes
Bibliography
Index
