AKHENATEN - EGYPT'S FALSE PROPHET

Much has been written about this compelling, controversial pharaoh whose appearance - elongated and effete - is totally at odds with that of the traditional Egyptian ruler. Scholars have speculated that he was perhaps a eunuch or a sufferer from a genetic disorder or even a woman. Known today as a heretic, Akhenaten sought to impose upon Egypt and its people the worship of a single god, radically affecting the country in every way, from art to the written language. In this immensely readable reevaluation, Nicholas Reeves presents an entirely new perspective on the turbulent events of Akhenaten's seventeen-year reign. Reeves argues that Akhenaten cynically used religion for purely political ends in a calculated attempt to reassert the authority of the king, thus concentrating power in his own hands. Ultimately his revolution failed as political, financial, and moral corruption overwhelmed the regime. His traditionalist successors showed little mercy, and with a ruthless determination systematically expunged all traces of Akhenaten's existence. 141 illustrations, 23 in color.