| Great Hymn To The Aten |
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| ancient egyptian literature | |
| ancient egyptian religion | |
| atenism | |
| hymns | |
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The Hymn suggests that Akhenaten considered Aten (the disk of the sun) as the only God , and Creator of the universe, particularly in the verses translated as: How many are your deeds Though hidden from sight O Sole God beside whom there is many You made the earth as you wished, you alone All peoples, herds, and flocks All upon earth that walk on legs All on high that fly on wings The lands of Khor and Kush The land of Egypt You set every man in his place You supply their needs Everyone has his food His lifetime is counted Their tongues differ in speech Their characters likewise Their skins are distinct For you distinguished the peoples The hymn portrays the sun as the giver of all life, plunging the land into darkness and danger during the night, to reawaken to life, work and praise with the dawn. There is great emphasis on the diversity and holiness of all living things, who praise the Aten with their every action. Akhenaten's religious reforms (later regarded heretical and reverted by his successor Tutankhamun ) is the earliest known example of Monotheistic thought, exluding Abraham. The Hymn has a remarkable similarity to Psalm 104 , with which it is frequently compared. The "Hymn to the Aten" was set to music by Philip Glass in his opera '' Akhnaten ''. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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