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Atenism, also known as the Amarna Heresy, was erased from Egyptian culture after the death of its founder, Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (a.k.a. Akhenaten). How would history have differed if this proto-monotheism survived the death of Akhenaten and became firmly entrenched in ancient Egyptian society? How would it have affected the cultures around Egypt and how would the political and cultural history differ from the OT?
My own thoughts are that Egypt would become less class-structured, not depending on a specific priestly caste, and would become an even more powerful empire than it was at the time. I would think that this would result from the unitarian and exclusive religious policy of Aten as a universal, singular deity as it had become by the end of Akhenaten's reign. This would be analogous to the Islamic Empire, an essentially Arabic empire invigorated by the fanatical inspiration of Islam.
What does everyone else think? I am somewhat new to this genre, and would really like to know your opinions and reasoning.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
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