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James Karl Hoffmeier
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Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by James K. Hoffmeier (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 25 ratings
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Pharaoh Akhenaten, who reigned for seventeen years in the fourteenth century B.C.E, is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt. His odd appearance and his preoccupation with worshiping the sun disc Aten have stimulated academic discussion and controversy for more than a century. Despite the numerous books and articles about this enigmatic figure, many questions about Akhenaten and the Atenism religion remain unanswered.

In Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism, James K. Hoffmeier argues that Akhenaten was not, as is often said, a radical advocating a new religion, but rather a primitivist: that is, one who reaches back to a golden age and emulates it. Akhenaten's inspiration was the Old Kingdom (2650-2400 B.C.E.), when the sun-god Re/Atum ruled as the unrivaled head of the Egyptian pantheon. Hoffmeier finds that Akhenaten was a genuine convert to the worship of Aten, the sole creator God, based on the Pharoah's own testimony of a theophany, a divine encounter that launched his monotheistic religious odyssey. The book also explores the Atenist religion's possible relationship to Israel's religion, offering a close comparison of the hymn to the Aten to Psalm 104, which has been identified by scholars as influenced by the Egyptian hymn.

Through a careful reading of key texts, artworks, and archaeological studies, Hoffmeier provides compelling new insights into a religion that predated Moses and Hebrew monotheism, the impact of Atenism on Egyptian religion and politics, and the aftermath of Akhenaten's reign.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0199792085
  2. Edition
    1st
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    February 13, 2015
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    46423 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the history of ideas one early figure stands out as an initiator of change, Akhenaten, king of Egypt. His attempt to simplify understanding of divine power represents a bold exercise in critical thinking. Hoffmeier's book lays out clearly and authoritatively the historical context and the nature of the prevailing concepts against which Akhenaten reacted." --Barry Kemp, Director, the Amarna Project

"Hoffmeier offers a stimulating and judicious re-evaluation of the many controversial historical issues related to the Amarna Period. Particularly thought-provoking is a new interpretation of the origins of Akhenaten's religious ideas based on a phenomenology of religion approach. Akhenaten's experience is identified as a theophany and is examined against other encounters with the divine found in ancient Near Eastern sources. Exploring the questions of whether Atenism was monotheistic and whether it could have influenced Hebrew monotheism, the book will also be of great interest to Biblical scholars." --Boyo Ockinga, Associate Professor of Ancient History, Macquarie University, Sydney

"James Hoffmeier draws upon the latest scholarly research to inform this new study of Atenism. Well-versed in the religious traditions of Egypt, Israel, and the Near East, Hoffmeier utilizes phenomenological, linguistic, and archaeological approaches to argue that Akhenaten's 'heretical' religion was a potent combination of revelation and revivalism. His own excavations of Atenist remains at the border fortress of Tell el-Borg also bring fresh evidence to bear on ever-intriguing issues." --Ellen Morris, Department of Classics and Ancient Studies, Barnard College

"Hoffmeier does an excellent job placing Akhenaten and his religion in the broader context of the history and religions of the entire ancient Near East. Drawing upon texts, archaeological data (including new evidence from his excavations in the Sinai), architecture, and art, he provides innovative insight on a subject that has been extensively studied by so many others." --Emily Teeter, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

"Hoffmeier's book provides a fluent read, especially for those who are more or less familiar with Egyptological terminology. All in all, it is an excellent and stimulating contribution and provides a truly in-depth introduction to the religion of Akhenaten's period and its origins." --Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism is an accessible and lucid handbook
to the massive history of scholarship on Akhenaten's religion."-- Paul Allen, Yale University

"It is an excellent and stimulating contribution and provides a truly in-depth introduction to the religion of Akhenaten's period and its origins."--Peter C. Nadig, Freie Universität Berlin

About the Author

James K. Hoffmeier was born and raised in Egypt where his passion for the archaeology of Egypt began. During graduate school, he worked with the Akhenaten Temple Project and participated in excavations (1975-1978). From 1999-2008 he directed excavations in North Sinai and in 2005 he discovered unexpected evidence of Akhenaten's religious revolution. Since 1976, Hoffmeier has taught courses on Egyptian history, archaeology, and religion, as well as in the field of Old Testament, and has engaged in research and writing on areas where Egyptology and the Hebrew Bible intersect.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00T7FEQPO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (February 13, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 13, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 46423 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 25 ratings

About the author

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James Karl Hoffmeier

James Karl Hoffmeier

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James K. Hoffmeier (PhD, University of Toronto), who has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels for more than thirty years, is now professor of Old Testament and Near Eastern archaeology at Trinity International University. Born and raised in Egypt, he has been a refugee from war and an alien in two different countries, making him sensitive to immigration issues.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
25 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

H. B. Baldwin
5.0 out of 5 stars A Reexploration of the idea that Akhenaten was the first ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
A Reexploration of the idea that Akhenaten was the first monotheist and that his ideas led eventually to Moses. The connection was first recognized by Sigmund Freud in Moses and Monotheism. but revisited here.
5 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on monotheism
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2019
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Great book. Great condition.
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R. D. Pogge
4.0 out of 5 stars A secular perspective on Akhenaten's conversion
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
Dr. James K. Hoffmeier wrote an excellent book titled Akhenaten & the Origins of Monotheism. It is filled with an abundance of data about archaeological discoveries related to Akhenaten and his religious beliefs; but he takes the unbeliever’s view that Judaism is a man-made religion that developed during (or shortly after) the Babylonian captivity. He tries to make the data fit his view that the Bible is just a myth written after the fall of the New Kingdom. He suggests that some of Akhenaton’s monotheistic views survived a couple of centuries and influenced the invention of Judaism.

I, on the other hand, see that Dr. Hoffmeir’s data is much more compatible with the Biblical narrative. The Hebrew beliefs gave rise to Akhenaton’s monotheism—not vice versa.

Dr. Hoffmeier, coming from a secular perspective, is puzzled by how Akhenaten could have so suddenly made such a radical change in his religious beliefs. This is a great mystery shared by many Egyptologists. He concludes that Akhenaten must have had some life-changing mystical experience, like the Apostle Paul did on the Damascus Road. Hoffmeier believes that Paul had an imaginary encounter with Jesus that seemed so real that it caused him to radically change his religious beliefs. Hoffmeier believes that Akhenaten must have had a similarly convincing delusion.

I believe that just as Paul had an authentic, life-altering experience, Akhenaten did, too. I believe that life-altering experience consisted of ten plagues and a military disaster. How could anyone witness such a display of the power of the God of Israel and not be influenced?
13 people found this helpful
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Tom1
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2015
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great
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Peter Hemming
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me.
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2019
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This book is suited more for Egyptian history scholars; not for someone, like me, with a casual interest in this subject. I had hoped to learn more about the story of the Armana Period and its art, but I didn't find it here. This was too dull and boring for me.
One person found this helpful
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twestbrook
5.0 out of 5 stars Hoffmeier delivers in an accessible way a thorough treatment of ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2017
Hoffmeier delivers in an accessible way a thorough treatment of the evidence regarding Akhenaten's departure from the standard Egyptian religious structure to Atenism. The author analyzes the emergence of Atenism in light of the Egyptian and ancient Near Eastern context as well as the direct epigraphic and other literary records. He also compares Atenism to Yahwism and discusses whether or not there could be a direct cause-effect relationship. Without divulging the conclusions, I suggest interested students of Egyptology and Old Testament check out this work for themselves.
4 people found this helpful
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Michael R
1.0 out of 5 stars Overpriced garbage borrowing from Freud
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
First of all, the price of this book new is ludicrous. Secondly, it is basically arguing what Freud did--that Akhenaten invented monotheism and Moses got the idea from the Egyptians. Quite surprising from a supposed "Christian" scholar.
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Top reviews from other countries

Henri Warnants
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2017
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Excellent!!!
One person found this helpful
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Donnacha Delong
2.0 out of 5 stars Deeply disappointing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2021
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The information in this book about Akhenaten and the period of Egyptian history is great, but the biblical elements are not. The author falls back on the Bible as factual in rejecting the idea that The Hymn to Aten influenced Psalm 104. He never considers the fact that, while Akhenaten is an historical figure with lots of archaeology backing up what we know about him, Moses is a legendary figure in a legendary story that probably never happened the way it's described in the Bible.
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steven e blomer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2015
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Welcome addition to Amarna period.
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