Tut - religion

Question 1

what is the main source for the period?

Answer 1

the restoration stela

Question 2

who was the restoration stela written by?

Answer 2

Probably written by Horemheb on behalf of Tut.

Question 3

What does the stela state?

Answer 3

Outline the action that ‘Tut’ planned to take to restore Egypt
Also mentions the state of Egypt during the Amarna period and the deplorable (terrible) conditions in Empire

Question 4

Actions from Stela: what did he outline for solution?

Answer 4

to suppress evil in land, restore order, make Egypt ‘flower again’, and please Amun.

Question 5

Actions from Stela: What did he build?

Answer 5

many statues of chief gods. The epithets given to him – The king who spent his life making images – indicate scale of activities

Question 6

Actions from Stela: Why were numerous statues of Amun with features of Tut set around Thebes?

Answer 6

to emphasises return to orthodoxy, king was shown with Amun and Mut as divine son.

Question 7

Actions from Stela: what did he rebuild/repair? establish?

Answer 7

damaged temples and ordered restoration of their revenues

Established new priesthoods

Question 8

Actions from Stela: Who were recruited for the temples?

Answer 8

Male/female slaves and entertainers e.g. singers

Question 9

Actions from Stela: What was most of his building activities devoted to?

Answer 9

the temple complexes at Thebes

Question 10

What did Ay/Horemheb do with their succession after him?

Answer 10

destroyed all cartouches of Tut and replaced with their own to take credit for these buildings

Question 11

What did his advisors, Horemheb, Maya, Huy realise?

Answer 11

for economic and social reasons, temples throughout the land had to be reopened and the old gods and cults reinstated. – immediately restore confidence of people

Question 12

What did the king and queen change their names to?

Answer 12

• King changes name from Tutankhaten -> Tutankhamun

* Queen from Ankhesenpaaten -> Ankhesenamun

Question 13

What did it mean when they changed their names?

Answer 13

• Despite changes of name and worship of Amun, did not turn away from Aten.
• Aten cult probably continued for 10 years alongside traditional religion

Question 14

What was happening during this transition period of (10 years) Aten-> Amun?

Answer 14

• In this transition period, seemed to have been mixture of Amun and Aten references.
E.g. cartouches on throne enclosed Amun names of king and queen as well as featuring a sun disk icon

Question 15

what was the purpose of restoration stela?

Answer 15

The restoration Stela served as a record of the state of Egypt during the Amarna period. It provided evidence that it was in a state of disarray and corruption due to Akhenaten’s religious revolution which made the traditional gods turn “their backs upon this land” and the deterioration of the temples.

Question 16

what was happening with the military campaigns?

Answer 16

The empire was in a poor state and there was a decline of success in military campaigns due to the lack of support by the gods, as evident in the stela stating “If the army was sent to Djahi to extend the frontiers of Egypt, no success of theirs came at all”.

Question 17

what happened to the temples?

Answer 17

due to the abandonment/neglect of the traditional gods, temples began to deteriorate/decline resulting from the neglect and lack of maintenance during the Amarna period, “the temples of the gods and goddesses…had gone to pieces…their shrines had become desolate”

Question 18

what did he do to restore eygyptian empire?

Answer 18

gaining the support of the gods again, reopening/rebuilding the temples
He was able to re-establish Egypt as a prosperous state

Question 19

what did he exceed past pharaohs in?

Answer 19

. Tut exceeded past pharaohs in the offerings and sacrifices to honour and please the gods after the neglect of Ak’s religious changes. He hoped to revive the traditional Egyptian religion and seek forgiveness of the gods once again

Question 20

evidence of offering more than past pharaohs?

Answer 20

As clearly stated in the stela, “he gave more than had been formerly. He surpassed what had been done since the times of his ancestors”.

Question 21

why did he restore temples?

Answer 21

The restoration of damaged and neglected temples was also ordered to satisfy the gods, adding vast wealth to the temples from gold to lapis-lazuli.

Question 22

evidence of restoring temples

Answer 22

“He increased all taxes to the temples” and honoured the gods once again

Question 23

what happened as result of his actions?

Answer 23

the gods were now satisfied and a time of peace and prosperity was about to be initiated.

Question 24

evidence of Ma’at being restored

Answer 24

The ma’at had been restored by Tut as highlighted in “the gods and goddesses who are in this land, their hearts were full of joy and the lords of the sanctuaries were jubilating”.

Question 25

what role did he complete? what did he establish himself as?

Answer 25

Tut completed his role of gaining the gods favour as the “beloved son of Amun-Re, king of the gods”. He established himself as a god-like pharaoh, related to the powerful god, gaining respect and legitimacy of his throne.