Akhenaten, the Heretic Pharaoh: A Different View

Akhenaten, the Heretic Pharaoh, took on the might of the priesthood of Amun-Ra; and, enforced by the military, temples were shut down, and the names of the gods were hacked out from statues and inscriptions the length and breadth of Egypt. All the gods were banned and everyone had to worship the Aten. Akhenaten and his family, more concerned about their new religion, left the empire unprotected and weakened – an ineffectual king more interested in poetry and nature rather than ruling. Statues and inscriptions depict Akhenaten and his family with long thin necks, sloping foreheads and elongated skulls, and this has led to claims that the king suffered from various disorders—or even that he was female. An ugly misshapen man struggling with his own mental and physical abnormalities. This is the story that most history books will tell you, but is it true?

Ted Loukes, independent researcher in the field of ancient civilizations, will pull back the curtain on the history of the ‘Heretic Pharoh’ in his fascinating premier Talk with an Expert chat with Ancient Origins Premium.

Ted has been on a voyage of discovery for over forty years, questioning man's origins by digging through ancient texts, inscriptions, myths and legends. He is author of the book Moses and Akhenaten: Brothers in Alms.