True History - Veritas Card #26 (Blue top) - Amenhotep IV and Monotheism

Amenhotep IV and Monotheism

   We are back at the country of Egypt and our subject today is Amenhotep IV, who ruled during the 18th Dynasty. The son of Amenhotep III, he was married to Nefertiti.
   Amenhotep changed his name to Akhnaton, after a god named Aton. The Egyptians worshiped several gods. Amenhotep IV believed that Thebes was dominated by a god name Amon, and he built a new city and called it Akhetaton.
   Amenhotep IV believed that the was one god named Aton. He established monotheism and had all the temples closed down. He possibly did this because he wanted to decrease the power of the priesthood of Amon.
   When Amenhotep died, his wife Tiy, came to see her son, Akhnaton, and also his wife Nefertiti. It sounds like Amenhotep IV had more than one wife! The story gets very confusing after this. Tiy probably had an argument with her son about monotheism, and he became ill after that. Then Nefertiti was sent away from the palace with her servants and possibly a half-brother to Akhnaton.
   Some time later, someone named Smenkhkare married Akhnaton's oldest daughter. He became co-ruler of Egypt. They were found dead three years later, along with Pharaoh Akhnaton. Tutankhaton, who was probably a half-brother to Akhnaton, had his name changed to Tutankhamon, then became Pharaoh.
   It was interesting that Amenhotep believed in just one god (monotheism), but he didn't believe in the one True and Living God.
   The time period for this was around 1361 - 1344 B.C.