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Ikhanaton

Ikhanaton

9.9
An ancient Egyptian ruler who rejected old gods and promoted worship of the sun disc Aten
  • proper noun
  • /ɪkˈhænəˌtɒn/
: Ikhnatón
  • Ikhanaton is remembered for his attempt to shift Egyptian religion to the worship of a single deity, Aten.

Examples

  • Artifacts from the reign of Ikhanaton often depict the sun disc prominently.

  • Many historians debate whether Ikhanaton's reforms had a lasting impact on Egyptian society.

  • The pharaoh Ikhanaton changed the religious landscape of ancient Egypt.

  • Did Ikhanaton really reject all the traditional Egyptian gods?

  • Ikhanaton is remembered for his attempt to shift Egyptian religion to the worship of a single deity, Aten.

  • Artifacts from the reign of Ikhanaton often depict the sun disc prominently.

  • The pharaoh Ikhanaton changed the religious landscape of ancient Egypt.

Synonyms

Akhenaten
vsIkhanaton
7 9.9

An ancient Egyptian king who made Egyptians worship only the sun disk Aten

focuses on the death year 1358 BC rather than the reign dates
Akhenaton
vsIkhanaton
1 9.9

A ruler of ancient Egypt who rejected old gods and made the sun god Aten the main god

is the same person but uses a different spelling of the name
Amenhotep IV
vsIkhanaton
1 9.9

A king of Egypt known for changing the religion to worship the sun disc Aten

highlights the death year 1358 BC rather than regnal naming details

Surface Forms

Ikhanaton main

Etymology

Ikhanaton comes from ancient Egyptian name parts: the first part Ikhan means 'effective for' and the second part Aten is the name of the 'sun disc'. So, his name shows his special connection to the sun god and helps explain why he tried to make Aten the main god.