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A review by saltygalreads
Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth by John Darnell, Colleen Darnell
4.0
Egypt's Golden Couple is an exploration of the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, who ruled Egypt from 1352-1336 BCE during the Eighteenth Dynasty. Most people would recognize the iconic bust of Nerfertiti, with her tall conical hat, full lips and beautiful lined eyes. They are also known as the parents of the famous boy-king of Egypt, Tutankhamun. This heavily researched book outlines the ways in which Akhenaten relegated the many ancient gods of Egypt to the background, and elevated Aten, the sun god, to prominence as the one and only god of Egypt at the time. Through a myriad of ceremonies, spectacles, writings and rituals, Akhenaten and Nefertiti also elevated themselves as the representation of Aten on earth - essentially gods themselves through which their subjects could connect and communicate with their god.
This is a research-heavy book, which delves into the rituals of these rulers and their ancient writings, as well as their life with their seven children. It provides fascinating insight into the methods that the rulers used to create mystery, reverence and spectacle around themselves, so that they might convince their subjects to revere the god of Akhenaten's choosing and regard the royal family as deserving of worship and loyalty. Given that some 1345 years later in basically the same region of the world, a Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the living representative of God on earth and the only path to heaven, creating spectacles and miracles to convince people to follow him; it does cause one to think deeply about the ways in which humans can be convinced to believe and pursue faith and worship.
This is a well-researched and fascinating book. It is not for the casual reader or someone with only a passing interest in Egyptology, however if you are a non-fiction reader with an interest in ancient religion and ritual, or in Egyptian dynasties, then you will most certainly enjoy it. Many thanks St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.
This is a research-heavy book, which delves into the rituals of these rulers and their ancient writings, as well as their life with their seven children. It provides fascinating insight into the methods that the rulers used to create mystery, reverence and spectacle around themselves, so that they might convince their subjects to revere the god of Akhenaten's choosing and regard the royal family as deserving of worship and loyalty. Given that some 1345 years later in basically the same region of the world, a Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the living representative of God on earth and the only path to heaven, creating spectacles and miracles to convince people to follow him; it does cause one to think deeply about the ways in which humans can be convinced to believe and pursue faith and worship.
This is a well-researched and fascinating book. It is not for the casual reader or someone with only a passing interest in Egyptology, however if you are a non-fiction reader with an interest in ancient religion and ritual, or in Egyptian dynasties, then you will most certainly enjoy it. Many thanks St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.