In the previous post, we witnessed some interesting facts about the society of the ancient Egyptian and his personal mindset of some 3000+ years ago, particularly regarding the complex and unyielding religious structure that was bound up in everything of the day, and in turn by royal decree - bound up every individual into a complex way of being that was designed towards giving his every service directly into the pagan priest’s hand in his respective duty to maintain the status quo; such that was ultimately formulated to deliver the residing Pharaoh into his pyramid and from there into the over world of the multitude of pagan deities headed by ‘Amen’ - where he would join in the heavenly fun and frolic with just a tad of duty.
Right into the middle of this enshrined societal regimen of total focus upon the prevailing religious system, assumedly headed by Amen (the sun deity), such that it was basically the only reason for the common man to be alive in the first place, emerged a clear alternative from out of apparent obscurity, when the maternal great grandson of the Biblical figure Joseph - the eleventh son of Jacob/Israel, ascended the throne of the land. In one of his first moves, the energetic young ruler Akhenaten (left) overturned the entire society of ancient Egypt when he outlawed and eliminated the very structure of steadfast generational religious observance in one enormous sweep, and in it’s place instituted a far more relaxed monotheistic understanding, with the focus now being toward ‘The Aten’ (The One and Only - Creator).
Akhenaten was in turn deposed 17 years hence and found himself in exile via the wealthy pagan priesthood of Amen, who had spent the last decade and a half plotting their revenge whilst their previous lucrative scam was consummately outlawed. His son (born) Tutankhaten subsequently ascended the throne under the name change (to Tutankhamen), and in so doing; the previous staunch religious observance of pagan adherence under royal decree returned in force, which resulted in a newly disenfranchised group, being the followers of Akhenaten’s ‘Aten’, who now had a major choice to make – to either revert to the reinstated religious (pagan) law of the land, or become the new slave workers in the granite quarries. Either way, they were now again under the severe bondage of subjugation to Pharaoh and the prevailing pagan religious system, after a relatively short period of a serious freedom from such adherent requirement.
Therefore, through the Egyptian record over this short period, the planet briefly witnessed its very first experience of a monotheistic observance through the outstanding, focused and forthright hand of Akhenaten. With this, man also experienced for the first time what religious freedom was all about, yet after an all too brief sampling, his witness was again to return to the previous slavish structure of pagan decree, occasioning a realm of little personal worth or respect, other than what is by law to be offered as human fodder for the ruler’s supposed future exaltation into greatness in the realm of the ‘gods’.
It is generally believed by many Egyptologists that Akhenaten died at the end of his 17 year reign, being replaced by King Tut or even his uncle for a short bridging period, however they are at a complete loss to explain why, if this is so; was Akhenaten’s body never placed in his own pyramid? Of course, in the year 2008, we can easily observe at least one reason why this is so – because he never accepted the pagan mythical understanding that he was on his personal journey towards the realm of the pagan deities, to be the next ‘god’ so to speak. Therefore, he had no use of the promotion engine that was the pyramid. However there is a far more significant reason that Akhenaten’s burial is not on any Egyptian record – because he did not at that time die, but was rather sent into exile after being made aware of the upcoming coup, and managing to escape into the surrounding desert in order to avoid being murdered in the overthrow.
The problem with much of the finer detail in regards this era particularly, of Egyptian history; is that for many reasons - the historical evidence has been progressively and purposely erased and altered by the Amen priesthood of the time in their determination to hide their defiling activities and criminal behavior, and furthermore by successive religious institutions in their respective purpose of disguising the obvious linkage of their mythical belief structure, as being directly entwined with this predominantly pagan period. As we delve further, we will witness an emerging picture of deep religious complexity and deception, but in the end the multiple connections will be as obvious as the light of day – once we know what we are looking at.
So Akhenaten had to evaporate into the night in order to save his life, and therefore found himself banished into obscurity - or so the Egyptian priesthood had hoped. But could a man of such courage, resolve and clarity of imagination really resign himself so meekly to disappear into anonymity, never to be heard of again? Could Akhenaten truly resign himself to abandoning those still entrapped in
Akhenaten was in his mid thirties when he found himself outside the only society he had known, and had been the supreme ruler over, therefore it is easy to suppose that he was a little exhausted from his years as Pharaoh, fighting against the monumental unhappiness of non-believers headed by a powerful pagan priesthood who had their societal adoration and lucrative activities denied them by his laws. So we would certainly sympathise with him if he disappeared forever into the quiet and simple nomadic lifestyle of the rest of the world of the time. However;
* Disappear - he did not!
** Remain silent - he did not!
*** Abandon his followers - he did not!
For we will soon discover that Akhenaten returned to
We know that when Akhenaten first ascended the throne as Pharaoh, he varied his name from that given him as a child by replacing the reference to “Amen” with “Aten’. He also took on the regal identity of Thutmosis IV but rejected the other official title of Amenhotep IV, likewise eliminating any reference to Amen and the oppressive pagan religious structure under this name of the society prior to his ascension. When he re-entered Egypt after his 40 year exile; for the purpose of securing the release of ‘his’ (now reduced to slave) followers of - ‘The Aten’, he retained and identified himself by the very same name, by simply dropping the pharaonic identifications thereof (Thut and IV) – becoming simply ‘Mosis’ (Moses).
So the return of Akhenaten some 40 years later to demand of the Pharaoh of the day, to “Let my people go, so they can worship (The Aten) in the wilderness!”, was in fact a demand to release from a captivity of slavery based upon religious grounds, each of those who remained in Egypt, still adherent to his previous (but now paganised) belief in the One and Only – ‘The Aten’. It was a demand to cease the legal requirement upon those who choose to serve ‘The Aten’ - to be released from the continuing yoke upon them in relation to the pagan ‘Amen’. Therefore, we can see that with the return to Egypt of the leader of the ‘alternative’ way of relating to the ‘What Is’ of our existence, came also the culmination of the ULTIMATE DIVIDE – between the religious majority who seek to remain in the bondage of ‘religion’, and those few who seek to serve an alternative - a non-religious One Only – REALITY - of “WHAT IS”.
Indeed, the distinction had been abundantly made to every Egyptian in no uncertain manner, some 57 or so years previous, and again 17 years later - between;
A. A binding and staunch religious observance based upon a fanciful set of beliefs as from the determinations of a man (or men) on the one hand, and;
B. A courageous non-religious recognition of the ‘What Is’ of our existence and the REALITY over it on the other.
And now, 40 years later, this choice was being set in the purest alabaster through this momentous and courageous action of Akhenaten/Moses.
The citizen of Egypt had;
1. COME from the history of a highly complex religious system that for many generations had progressively bound him hand and foot to the extent, that his very existence had only one purpose – to promote through the medium of an ever more wealthy priesthood - his Pharaoh into the heavens as the next ‘god’;
2. THROUGH a 17 year period of a clear ALTERNATIVE, proving the previous to be a lie,
3. THEN found himself straight back - for a further 40 years, into the previous bondage.
He had experienced, commencing some 57 years prior; the offer of freedom through an ALTERNATIVE non-religious way of being - for up to 17 years, when Akhenaten made the most profound statement that the previous religious way of life is patently rubbish, and then went on to prove it beyond doubt when the world did not fall into the promised utter darkness, ruin and chaos as a result of the mythical ‘Amen’ being eliminated from societal reverence. He witnessed that the sun did not disappear into the underworld as a punishment for
The Egyptian subsequently; 17 years later experienced the return of the bondage of religious domination over his life, when the priesthood of Amen re-assumed control over society, in their re-commenced romancing and beguiling of the Pharaoh for their own purposes.
It is obvious that it was the ‘ruler’ who first melted at the concept that it was by virtue of his position as figurehead of the world; that he had been chosen to eventuate in eternal life in the heavens as the next ‘god’. And with his ( future) afterlife resting in the palm of the hands of the priesthood, they were again given free reign to skin alive the rest of the population, as towards this mythical purpose. So the regular guy in the street Egyptian witnessed his very real return toagain being a 'slave to the (religious) system' in the stated promotion of Pharaoh towards his 'godly' afterlife, but more essentially in the true purpose – the maintenance of the priest as the wealthiest and most worshiped-by-default member of society.
So what Akhenaten actually achieved for the first and arguably most profound time in man’s history, was to clearly define the TWO ALTERNATIVES for every living human being ever born, when he made this clear distinction abundantly obvious. He first;
- Proved that mythological belief and worship is utterly WORTHLESS, except for the purposes of the priesthood - to maintain their religious control over their constituents –by whatever manipulation they can invent for such purposes. He then;
- Offered an alternative – which had NOTHING whatsoever to do with religion, but was and is all about relating in an entirely intelligent manner to the ‘What Is’ of our ongoing existence. He subsequently;
- Returned 40 years later to complete his witness for every human being then and since - and a few months later; stamped this choice in solid rock - which the witnessing of this blog will delve into shortly. He finally;
- Led all who selected to again take hold of freedom from religion - away from the bondage they had endured.
Therefore when Akhenaten (Moses) returned to
A. REMAIN – with the great multitude - in the well trodden bondage of religious observance - as designed by man, or
B. SEPARATE (come out of) – with the few – from such a yoking adherence - into the promised and previously demonstrated freedom available on the outside.
Historical record will explain that the vast majority of Egypt chose to remain rather than risk their chances according the promised freedom - from religion, and even those few who selected to join the exodus from their now ravaged homeland, could not fully leave their predilection to religious observance fully behind, but fought continually with Akhenaten/Moses over the next 40 years of wandering in the wilderness in order to maintain their refusal to fully adopt the freedom from religion on offer.
Of course, the more observant reader will have already noticed a great many significant indicators of great concern through this and the previous post, as to the parallels even within our world of this very moment. However, what will unfold over the next couple of posts will be a deepening witness that will be astounding in no small measure. In particular, we will look into what was so different about Akhenaten's presented 'ALTERNATIVE', how this impacted upon those who eventually followed him out of Egypt in the Biblical 'Exodus'; and especially how it is still most relevant for us - in a most astounding observation imaginable for our 'now' - and future.
The most profound of choices for every living human will be ever more clearly outlined as we continue to seek the REALITY that was 3000+ years ago for Akhenaten and still is today -
“WHAT IS” YAHWEH
