Synopses & Reviews
A reinterpretation of biblical and Egyptian history that shows Moses and the Pharaoh Akhenaten to be one and the same. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Provides dramatic evidence from both archaeological and documentary sources. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; A radical challenge to long-established beliefs on the origin of Semitic religion. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;During his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this andldquo;hereticandrdquo; pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses were one and the same man. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life: how he was brought up by Israelite relatives, ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Osman reveals the Egyptian components in the monotheism preached by Moses as well as his use of Egyptian royal ritual and Egyptian religious expression. He shows that even the Ten Commandments betray the direct influence of Spell 125 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. andlt;Iandgt;Moses and Akhenatenandlt;/Iandgt; provides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions are correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin.
Review
andquot;His study makes for an interesting alternative perspective.andquot;
Review
"The classic work which redefines the timeframe of the Exodus and places it firmly in the age of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Essential reading for all Bible historians."
Review
"The classic work which redefines the timeframe of the Exodus and places it firmly in the age of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Essential reading for all Bible historians." < b=""> Andrew Collins <> , author of < i=""> From the Ashes of Angels <> and < i=""> Gateway to Atlantis <>
Review
"His study makes for an interesting alternative perspective." < i=""> Nexus <> , March/April 2003
Synopsis
A reinterpretation of biblical and Egyptian history that shows Moses and the Pharaoh Akhenaten to be one and the same.
- Provides dramatic evidence from both archaeological and documentary sources.
- A radical challenge to long-established beliefs on the origin of Semitic religion.
During his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this "heretic" pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses were one and the same man.
In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life: how he was brought up by Israelite relatives, ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne.
Osman reveals the Egyptian components in the monotheism preached by Moses as well as his use of Egyptian royal ritual and Egyptian religious expression. He shows that even the Ten Commandments betray the direct influence of Spell 125 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Moses and Akhenaten provides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions are correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin.
About the Author
Ahmed Osman was born in Cairo in 1934, where he studied law. He is also the author of andlt;Iandgt;Stranger in the Valley of Kings, Out of Egyptandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;The House of the Messiahandlt;/Iandgt;. He has lived in England since 1964.
Table of Contents
andlt;bandgt;Moses and Akhenaten:andlt;/bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodusandlt;/iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt; Foreword andlt;BRandgt; Introduction andlt;BRandgt; Chronology of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties andlt;BRandgt;1 Bricks Without Straw andlt;BRandgt;2 Was Moses a King? andlt;BRandgt;3 The Israel Stela andlt;BRandgt;4 Rebellion in Sinai andlt;BRandgt;5 Sojourn?and the Mother of Moses andlt;BRandgt;6 The Rightful Son and Heir andlt;BRandgt;7 The Coregency Debate (I) andlt;BRandgt;8 The Coregency Debate (II) andlt;BRandgt;9 The Reign of Horemheb andlt;BRandgt;10 A Chronology of Kings andlt;BRandgt;11 The Birthplace of Akhenaten andlt;BRandgt;12 Akhenaten: The Early Years andlt;BRandgt;13 Horizon of the Aten andlt;BRandgt;14 The Tomb of Akhenaten andlt;BRandgt;15 The Fallen One of Amarna andlt;BRandgt;16 Corridors of Power andlt;BRandgt;17 The First Monotheist andlt;BRandgt;18 The 'Magic' Rod of Moses andlt;BRandgt;19 Who Was Who? ? and the Death of Moses andlt;BRandgt; Epilogue andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;Appendices andlt;BRandgt;A The Shasu Wars andlt;BRandgt;B The Amarna Rock Tombs of Huya and Meryre II andlt;BRandgt;C The Mos Case andlt;BRandgt;D Pi-Ramses and Zarw andlt;BRandgt;E The Body in Tomb No. 55 andlt;BRandgt;F Some Further Evidence of Survival andlt;BRandgt;G The Hebrews andlt;BRandgt; Notes andlt;BRandgt; Bibliography andlt;BRandgt; Indexandlt;/iandgt;