The pharaonic king Amenhotep IV came to power in the 13th century BC. A few years later, he changed his name to Akhenaten - "the living spirit of Aten", and led a series of religious reforms that made Aten, the sun god, the main divine being in Egypt
The pharaonic king Amenhotep IV came to power in the 13th century BC. A few years later, he changed his name to Akhenaten - "the living spirit of Aten", and led a series of religious reforms that made Aten, the sun god, the main divine being in Egypt. He destroyed the temples of some of the other gods, and promoted the belief in Athens alone as the supreme and only god. Aten became different from the previous gods: it was forbidden to present his image in a statue, and he became a more abstract being, omnipresent and omnipotent.
Sound familiar? The faith in Athens is known today as the first monotheistic faith. Sigmund Freud, the renowned psychologist and history buff, already wrote in the 19th century about the similarity between the belief in Athens and early Judaism. He believed that Moses was one of the ancient priests of Aton, who had to leave Egypt together with other believers, after the death of Akhenaten. This theory has not yet been proven, and it is hard to believe that it will ever be substantiated, given the amount of time that has passed since that time. If it is true, then Judaism is nothing more than a derivative of the Egyptian worship of the sun god. And this, as we recently learn, may have resulted from an ill-fated epileptic seizure.
For a long time, researchers of ancient Egypt wondered why Akhenaten is shown in the wall paintings as having a female body, with wide hips and a prominent belly. This phenomenon has been explained through a large number of medical conjectures, but the explanation found by Hotan Ashrafian surpasses them all, if only in the fact that it may also explain Akhenaten's divine visions.
Ashrafian, a surgeon with an interest in medical history at London's Imperial College, examined paintings and sculptures of Akhenaten, his brothers, and his father and grandfather, and recognized that they all had a similar physiology, and all died relatively young, for unexplained reasons. He suspects that they all have a hereditary form of epilepsy resulting from a defect in the temporal lobe. The temporal lobe affects the secretion of hormones into the body, and can in some cases damage the production of testosterone in males, thus affecting the shape of the body. This, at least, is the theory he put forward in an article he recently published.
The most interesting fact related to temporal lobe epilepsy is that the attacks of the disease are sometimes accompanied by hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. It is therefore no wonder that it is also linked with religious feelings. The epileptic seizures can start as a result of exposure to the sun. And here, according to the ancient sources, both Akhenaten and his grandfather Thutmose IV had visions at noon. Thothmosis was foretold in his vision of his reign as king. Akhenaten received a special visit from the Sun God, who personally convinced him to abandon the religions of his ancestors and start worshiping Athene alone.
The supposed epileptic seizures may also explain the fact that every member of this line of ancient pharaohs, from Thutmose IV to Tutankhamun, died at a relatively young age. Tutankhamun himself died when he was only 18 years old. The circumstances of his death are still unclear, but Egyptian researchers suspect that he died as a result of an infection that spread to his leg after falling from a carriage. Was the fall due to an epileptic fit? We will probably never know that.
And that, in the end, is the problem with the whole theory. It makes sense and connects many points, but in the end it cannot be proven or disproved. Many kings died at a young age, or converted, without having to explain the event by any disease. Epilepsy, in particular, does not leave signs that can be easily interpreted after thousands of years - even in the well-preserved Egyptian mummies.
Whether or not Akhenaten suffered from epilepsy, we cannot deny the depth of his commitment to the new God. He abandoned all ancient traditions and the affairs of the kingdom to devote himself to the worship of the sun. This extremism was in his hands, and it seemed that he was not able to convince the rest of the people - or even his son - of the righteousness of his way. He died at the age of 33, and his son Tutankhamun took his place when he was only nine years old. The child-king returned the gods of Egypt to their proper place, and the vision of monotheism disappeared in Egypt for two thousand years or more.
Who was Akhenaten? Epileptic? A man of vision? A religious fanatic? I don't know, and I'm afraid to accept the epilepsy theory as the truth. In the same breath, I see it as a particularly fascinating explanation for the emergence of monotheistic religion, or any religion. If it is true, then it means that the first monotheistic religion originates from hallucinations that come from a physiological and terribly prosaic reason: a failure of the body and brain that led to the creation of a unique and extraordinary idea, which spread throughout history to the present day, and according to certain interpretations even formed the basis of the Hebrew God.
How many other epileptics throughout history founded their own religions and cults? How many of those religions have survived to this day?
I have a feeling the real number is bigger than we'd like to think.
31 תגובות
Thank you, R.H
After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jews switched to a calendar based on the appearances of the moon. Ancient books, such as the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees, talk about the importance of the solar calendar (not to mention, God forbid, because it is a reminder of the pagan cult) and come out in spades against the lunar calendar. The transition to the lunar calendar was initiated by rabbis, especially Rabbi Akiva, in the context of denouncing the corruption of the temple priests. This time it's not my invention. I heard these things in Rachel Elior's lectures. See for example "Who pushed the scrolls from the Judean desert into the abyss of womanhood and why?" in the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVuSxDteaA&feature=relmfu
Hello Yuval.
interesting.
Over time, I also got the impression that the ancient Jews worshiped the sun. I also found worship of the sun god among the Egyptians. Sun worship in general is in the folklore of almost every people/culture. It is also interesting that Muslims prefer the moon.
Hello R.H. ☼ We haven't spoken in a long time 🙂
I found in Wikipedia, under "Medicine Hebrew punctuation", that "Hebrew punctuation was invented at the beginning of the Middle Ages." In its beginning, it was intended to establish the traditional pronunciation of the Tanakh." The Middle Ages is an even later period than I indicated. My assumption that "calf" is a circle and not a calf is based on the understanding of the ancient Egyptian religion which the image appearing here in the article accurately illustrates. In general, it seems to me that the biblical writers gave Aaron a bit more credit than the later commentators (including our Ruby 😛 ) gave him. It doesn't seem to me that he would convert abstract faith into a casual statue of an animal.
Look for someone to argue with you. Sweet dreams.
I don't have to tell them, everyone including them knows it.
When you have conclusive archeological proof more reliable than this historical document "the Torah", we can continue to debate seriously. Until now, you have been spreading baseless fabric stories as if you are traveling in time from the biblical era and telling us based on personal information...
Maybe you are?
Ruby
So the Muslims will not agree with you. Feel free to tell them all that, really.
Besides, there is no such thing as an "original document". These are writings (if you can call it that) that were collected over hundreds of years by several people and put together as the Jewish canon. And at the time of the invention of printing, they generally popularized the canon.
The Koran is a historical document from the seventh century AD if I'm not mistaken, based on the original document, the Torah.
As we know, Christianity also relies on the Torah and other sacred documents.
I would not cancel the ancient original document, even if it is sacred to the Jewish people and tells grandmother's stories to children in the guise of a scientific article...
Ruby
It is a historical document like the Koran is a historical document. And if you don't agree with it, tell it to a billion and a half Muslims, and don't confuse your brain.
jubilee
It was definitely as interesting as the article - to read your response.
"The biblical pundits (who worked hundreds of years later, in the seventh century AD) attributed these calves, and especially the golden calf built by Aaron, a young calf" - what is the evidence for this? Who are those scorers?
Let's say the symbols appeared where you wrote, why don't you know that the punctuation marks were wrong? (Forgive me, I'm a bit weak in the Torah as well, and I'd be happy for an explanation).
It meets all the criteria of defining an ancient historical document from before Josephus Flavius and others with the backing of the Dead Sea Scrolls and others and other archaeological findings.
Unlike the stories you write without foundation.
Whereas I, unlike you, do not understand how a sane person who is not brainwashed can classify the Torah as a historical document.
jubilee,
I don't understand why you neglect a historical document like the Torah and use pseudo-scientific data to deny Jewish history.
In the relief "Akhenaten and his family worship the sun god" the sun god appears as a circle (in full spelling, circle) gold. The Bible testifies that in the temples built in the north and south of the Kingdom of Israel, in Dan and Bethel, golden calves were placed. Solomon's temple also had golden calves and copper calves (probably representing the moon god). The writers of the version of the Bible that has been preserved to this day attribute a negative religious meaning to the golden calves, because they were a tough competition. It is not impossible that these calves inspired the story of the building of the golden calf by Aaron the priest, whose descendants the priests of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem considered themselves. As is often the case, the meaning of words changes, and the biblical passages (which operated hundreds of years later, in the seventh century AD) attributed these calves, and especially the golden calf built by Aaron, to a young calf 😛
Not only in Egypt. Our private history also knows about kings who caused religious revolutions following bouts of madness. Saul is described as suffering from depression and is told that he slaughtered all the priests of Neb. It was said about Jehu "because he will act in madness", and he slaughtered the priests of the god Baal and exterminated their worship from the land. Josiah also carried out comprehensive religious reforms, including the slaughter of priests, and it is not impossible that madness was at the root of his motives.
To be precise, according to the Torah / Sages / Kabbalah, the divine existence was, is, and always will be from the time when there was no time to the time when time began to be measured and to this day.
The period of the first man, until Noah / the flood and later until Abraham is a kind of initiation period in which God accompanies the human family step by step on earth.
Avraham was the first to write the Book of Creation and actually made souls together with his wife Sarah for the sake of belief in one God and led them to the land of Canaan and is considered the first founder of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.
The fact that founders of religions worked under the influence of substances, and prophets like Nostradamus,
It does not detract from their operation. Under certain conditions it is not necessary to take drugs in order to reach them
And it is known that Buddhist meditators (from the word meditation) or scientific researchers arrive at this mindset -
The chains of consciousness are freed more from fundamental conclusions and there is readiness at an unconscious level, perhaps of the thinking area
The parallel - known as "irrational", to take into account possibilities that are not taken into account in the constraints of consciousness
the usual ones For example, with meditators, it is the possibility to contain in their consciousness the environment beyond the borders
The body, and among scientific researchers, to break conventions: for example Schrödinger who visited India, - the idea of the wave function
Instead of the deterministic world (although the foundation was laid by de Broglie). For example, Einstein, which we don't have
He knew that he acted with an illusory effect, but surely broke conventions, of the space that engulfs itself, despite the absence of an ether. It seems to me that there was a man who believed and met with Gandhi - a kind of prophet in the last century. Like Newton, and it has nothing to do with it
End - The great scientists of all ages were believers, much to the chagrin of the atheists.
The second point: a tribe of priests from Judah, decides that belief in one God is the truth. Let's look at the effect created
About 3000 years later. Not all by the power of the sword, but by the power of the people's need in the hope that it will carry them beyond the everyday. It is possible that there is a reality that we have not yet deciphered. We can explain the holocaust in light of this, but faith in the future is even better.
There was not always hostility between religion and science. Today there is competition, and therefore the hostility is severe. In the Middle Ages if it weren't for the church
A scientific research center would not have been maintained.
Regarding Akhenaten and Moshe - the idea crossed my mind and I think it is likely to be true, but I have no proof. my son
Israel in half are exiles from Egypt who united in Canaan with the Chaldeans of Ur into one kingdom.
At first I believed that Professor Finkelstein was right and there were two kingdoms. Today we know that most
There were two kingdoms at the time, but there was the House of David (Golan Heights tombstone).
יוני
You are a poor commenter, which indicates his own lack of knowledge of the history of the reality in which he lives.
A poor article that shows the author's lack of knowledge of history
Ruby, to be precise, according to the Torah and/or Sages, there was always at least one believer in one God.
From the first Adam to Eber, and Eber still lived in the time of Abraham and there is a belief that he and there taught Jacob Torah.
For the sake of historical accuracy, the belief in one God began with Abram (Abraham our father) when he received the divine command, Go, go to the land that I say to you....(Parasha of the Week).
This is about 500 years before the time of Moses.
Ami,
I actually like kind articles and intellectual challenges. The problem is that the article was published under a weekend of skepticism, and should be an article by a skeptic. As such an article it should convince the audience of the truth and superiority of the skeptical approach, but in my humble opinion it does not meet the standards it claims to represent.
Now I am left to decide according to this article, if the skeptical approach is acceptable to me or if I should accept other approaches.
In addition to this, when someone who is not considered a "skeptic" makes claims similar in method to this article, they are dismissed after the fact by skeptics with the fervor of "here we are bringing back the Middle Ages and going to burn scientists".
You will agree with me that such duality does not contribute to science or truth.
I'm sorry if I'm "ruining parties for skeptics" here (it sounds better in English), and I have no doubt that DarRoey Tsezana is a scientist of the highest order, but this article did not deliver the intended goods.
The article is very kind and presents an idea/possibility and an intellectual challenge. In the commentary it is said that this theory is not proven at all and it is doubtful if it will be proven. You don't always have to write about matters that Roi does brilliantly when he writes with a dash of theoretical humor as mentioned.
It is advisable to replace the word theory with the word hypothesis...
The article is interesting, but its discussion is nothing more than a conspiracy theory...so many maybes and speculations, certainly not a scientific theory...
Maybe Amenhotep suffered from a hormonal imbalance, maybe it caused him epilepsy, maybe it caused hallucinations, and maybe it was in the middle of the day, and maybe all of this led to the worship of the sun as the only god, and maybe Moses was an Egyptian religious priest who was influenced by this and created the Jewish religion... and all this relying on A relief of Amenhotep! Wow! are you serious???
I understood that you are on the weekend of "skepticism" and it is probably an attempt to "introduce Judaism/religion" but it is "introduction below the belt".
If you claim to represent the skeptics, and as skeptics to flaunt scientific superiority, I expect you to obey the scientific laws you claim to represent and at least set a personal example in your words...
Thanks to the author of the article, it will be said that he is aware of the problems and he mentions it again and again. But I have already read better articles by the author, and more convincing...
Unfortunately, this article only proves that skepticism can also be infected with "messianic zeal"... a zeal that comes to protect science from "churches that burn infidels", but in the end loses the way it advocates...
I actually understood that the origin of the Jewish religion is mainly from Babylon:
Stories that came mainly from the Gilgamesh stories (the flood, Moses in the ark, the rivers in the Garden of Eden, etc.), so could it be that the Jewish religion was indeed mainly shaped in Babylon, but its roots are mainly in the Egyptians?
And on another subject, regarding visions, I was actually thinking about other phenomena such as drug use, schizophrenia, etc.
This is an article at the level of a creationist article.
This is an article that does not deserve to be published in a scientific magazine.
If it cannot be proven or disproved, it is definitely not a theory. The information here is not even a scientific hypothesis.
For the holidays - indeed a fantastic article
It is not appropriate for a professional skeptic like Roy to bring such a delusional article.
Diagnosis of epilepsy surgery by pictures??
"He believed that Moses was one of the ancient priests of Athens" with all due respect to Freud, so what if he believed??
"The main divine entity in Egypt. He destroyed the temples of some of the other gods, and promoted the belief in Athens alone as the supreme and only god" single or main?? Something here is illogical. Destroyed the temples of some or all of the idols??
In the pagan culture, kings changed every two weeks or so, so what does this have to do with monotheism?
Sun worship is a form of idolatry, maybe the writer doesn't understand what monotheism is?
What is the connection between the Torah and Moses our Lord and the sun gods? From the point of view of the context and the internal content of the worshipers of these religions?
Although it is written in the article about 5 times in the article that nothing can be proven here, but it is a fantasy of the writer with some subtle evidence and some reinforcements for this theory, so why bring it up??
Just a funny article.
Connecting to the Oracle of Delphi topic.
The Oracle of Delphi was a temple in the Greek city of Delphi.
The priestesses of the temple were known for their ability to predict the future - although they would speak in a vague language
And an expert was needed to translate their visions.
In the 20th century it was discovered that the location of the temple was over a geological fracture from which gas leaked (I don't remember which gas).
The priests who stayed for most of the day in the closed temple where they lived most of their lives, were affected by the gas which caused them to hallucinate.
This is a scientific explanation for a very significant historical myth in the ancient world that greatly influenced ancient leaders and peoples in making decisions.
Roy Cezana
Peace.
Fascinating article. Thanks.
It is interesting to note in this context (epilepsy), Muhammad the prophet. It is also known that visions appeared to him while he was in the cave. (And as far as I know, according to these visions they "stitched" the Koran, several centuries later).
Think about it, it is known that the priests of the religions were and some of them still are drugged, the Hindus, the Rastafarians, the Jews (the incense of the drugs?) the fat/Indians, and more..
Even people on the brink of death claim visions of a religious nature.
God creates hallucinations? Or hallucinations produce God?
What is certain is that if there is a God, he is probably in favor of drug legalization! (-:
Excellent article!
Indeed Akhenaten seems to have invented the idea of the one God. If there was a man named Moses, he may have perfected the idea of God even more abstract and external to the world and created the Jewish religion.
In this regard, I recommend reading the fascinating book by biblical scholar Professor Israel Knohl "Where did we come from?"