Ame III - Religion

Question 1

How did Amenhotep successfully fulfull his role of upholding the ma’at?

Answer 1

through pleasing the gods, securing the maintenance of Egypt’s economic wealth.

Question 2

What did he begin to promote and what did he do to himself?

Answer 2

He began to promote the Aten and deified himself in order to be worshipped as a god during his lifetime, protecting his status as a pharaoh.

Question 3

What did he to do related to the god of Amun?

Answer 3

He built further temples, ascribed his military success to the support of Amun and invested a significant portion of Egypt’s wealth towards the priesthood of Amun, even calling himself the son of Amun

Question 4

What kind of power did Amun priesthood have which contradicted Amenhotep’s promotion of it ?

Answer 4

However, the Amun priesthood soon held a significant amount of power which rivalled the pharaoh, playing a part in deciding who sat on the throne by giving or withdrawing the support of the god.

Question 5

Quote to show the power of Amun priesthood:

Answer 5

As Redford states,

“Amun’s cult and his priesthood had become an association wherein political power seekers could fulfil themselves”

Question 6

What was Amehotep’s response to the gaining power and control of the Amun priesthood?

Answer 6

Amenhotep may have became concerned and threatened that he may lose kingship, shifting his attention and investment to a form of the sun god, Aten, a political challenge to the power of the Amun priesthood

Question 7

What did he associate Aten with instead to go against Amun?

Answer 7

He associated Aten with a cult of the king and began building temples for the Aten, added Aten to names of buildings and even his daughter, Bakenaten

Question 8

What did his interest in Aten do to his successor?

Answer 8

His interest in Aten may have shaped his successor, Akhentaen to completely reform Egypt’s main god from Amun to Aten during his own reign

Question 9

What happened to Amenhotep since he was deified? (With archaeological evidence)

Answer 9

By Amenhotep being deified, statues of him were worshipped in a number of temples, continuing his legacy, with a relief in a temple at Soleb depicting him worshipping and making offerings to an an image of himself as a god

Question 10

What did his deification and statues of him further reinforce?

Answer 10

This further reinforces his godly status and promote his influence and power, being referred to as the ‘Dazzling sun Disk’. His shift in interest to Aten influenced Akhenaten for his own religious revolution during his reign which would later have a major impact in Egypt.

Question 11

part 1 of story of divine birth:

Answer 11

Inscriptions state Amun-Re visited Thutmose IV’s wife in disguise of her husband when she was sleeping in her chamber.

Question 12

part 2 story of divine birth:

Answer 12

She woke up from “his divine aroma”, revealing himself as god and made love. The god told her that he placed a ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt in her body.

Question 13

part 3 story of divine birth: (QUOTE)

Answer 13

Words spoken by Amun-Re: “Amenhotep, ruler of Thebes, is the name of this child I have placed in your body… He shall exercise the beneficent kingship in this whole land…He shall rule the two land like Ra forever.”

Question 14

What is the purpose of the divine birth?

Answer 14

• Gain favour with ppl, make seem legitimate ruler and that he has essence of god within him = Pharaoh (connection to god)
• To raise status, no one would want to hurt/assassinate him in fear of Amun-Re. It may also offend gods if he didn’t become pharaoh.
• Justify his reign and persuade people for need of having unified leader of Upper and Lower Egypt rather than separate.

Question 15

What is Amenhotep known as?

Answer 15

• “Prolific builder, benevolent ruler” (modern sources)
• looked as archetypal pharaoh to look up to.
• Egypt was the unrivalled leader of known world and time of relative peace and prosperity.

Question 16

What was his massive and high quality building program a reflection of?

Answer 16

Amenhotep’s massive and high quality building program was a reflection of his wealth and power during his reign, earning his reputation for magnificence

Question 17

What did he gain from the expansion of his empire?

Answer 17

From the expansion of his empire, he gained wealth through tax, trade and access to resource from foreign states by maintaining positive relations with the rulers, but also through the success of his predecessors

Question 18

What was one of the focus of his building programs?

Answer 18

One of the focus of this program was the creation and renovation of temples.

Question 19

What was his greatest building achievement?

Answer 19

known to be the Temple of Amun at Luxor. It was a religious centre, dedicated to Amun-Ra and a political centre as part of ancient city of Thebes (capital of Egypt)

Question 20

What is the Temple of Amun and Luxor built for?

Answer 20

Built for the celebration of the Opet festival. Statues of Theban trinity of Amun, Mut and Khonsu taken from their shrines in Karnak to southern harem.

Question 21

What archeological evidence is at the Temple of Amun at Luxor that contributes to his relation with Amun?

Answer 21

A relief on the eastside of the temple depicts the royal birth scene which legitimised his reign and was often used as propaganda to show his achievements and status as a pharaoh.

Question 22

What addition did he make to the Temple of Amun at Karnak?

Answer 22

Amenhotep also made addition to the Temple of Amun at Karnak, building a third pylon and adding a hypostyle hall

Question 23

What evidence at Temple of Amun Karnak is there and what does it show?

Answer 23

On the south side of the hypostyle wall shows a relief of the coronation of Amenhotep III by the Egyptian gods, emphasising his strong connection to the gods and god like status as the pharaoh

Question 24

What did he successfully show from the extensive building program?

Answer 24

Amenhotep successfully showed his wealth and power through one of the most extensive building program any pharaoh has accomplished.

Question 25

What did the temples reinforce for Amenhotep?

Answer 25

The temples reinforced the religious role of the pharaoh as the intermediary between the gods and the people of Egypt and demonstrated his access to resources and wealth from his foreign relations at a time of peace and prosperity