12 - 18 July 2001
Issue No.542
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 12 - 18 July 2001 Issue No.542 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Two kings, two books
Sir- I would like to draw your attention to two recent books on ancient history that are of great interest. First is Akhenaton: Egypt's False Prophet by Nicholas Reeves, published in London by Thames and Hudson.
I am personally delighted with every new book on this New Kingdom Pharaoh especially as Akhenaton is one of my favourite historical figures. His theological ideas created turmoil or "a revolution" as the author of the present book terms it.
Nicholas Reeves's basic approach to Akhenaton is not, as is revealed by the title he chose for the book, to question whether the king's religious reforms created the world's first true monotheism. Instead he argues that Akhenaton was interested only in "amassing power" through religion rather than in reaching divine truth -- a preposterous and totally untrue claim, in my humble opinion.
According to Reeves "Akhenaton was clearly not a man open to reasoned argument, far above the sphere of ordinary mortals, he demanded from his subjects complete and utter subservience. The tomb and temple reliefs show him and his family adored by a groveling populace, but the adoration is far from spontaneous. Closer inspection reveals that the people are kept in check by large numbers of troops with batons. The people were confused by the man's religious vision, frightened by the ruthless manner in which it was imposed, and quite likely appalled by his personal behaviour."
The people may certainly have been confused by Akhenaton's unique religious vision but is it not very far fetched to assume that the soldiers or royal attendants who were the customary retinue for an Egyptian King were "agents of oppression"?
Reeves seems to forget that Akhenaton more or less lost what was then the Egyptian Empire in Asia Minor by refusing to send Egyptian troops to help beleaguered allies. He did this because he did not believe in the use of force and, perhaps preceding Alexander the Great, believed in some sort of "brotherhood of man."
Does this sound like a power-mad king? And would such a king compose a hymn to Ateu which says in part: "How manifold are thy works! They are hidden from the sight of men, O Sole God, like unto whom there is no other!" And "when the chick in the egg chips within the shell, thou gives him the breath to sustain him. Thou createst for him his proper tern within the egg, so that he shall break it and come forth from it to testify to his completion as he runs about on his two feet when he emergeth."
Does the author of the above hymn sound like a power-mad charlatan? And had he really wanted to "amass power," whatever that means, would he take on the powerful high priests of Amun?
When Reeves implies a comparison with Hitler and Stalin then he is being absolutely outrageous.
The other interesting book that has recently appeared on the market is King David: The Real Life Of The Man Who Ruled Israel by Jonathan Kirsch, published by Ballantine Books.
In a taut, dramatic narrative Kirsch brings David, king of the Jews, to life from his slaying of Goliath the giant Philistine warrior, his challenge to the weak rule of Saul, his tragic and possibly homosexual relationship with Saul's son to his celebrated reign in Jerusalem.
Although possessing every flaw and failing a mortal is capable of, including seducing and impregnating one of his officers' wife and then sending the man to a certain death against the enemy, David was nevertheless showered with blessings from God.
What else does Kirsch say about David? He was a veracious lover, a merciless warrior capable of deep cunning and blood thirsty violence. This book made such a favourable impression on me that I have decided to read this author's other two books Moses and The Harlot By The Side Of The Road'.
Mamdouh El Dakhakhni
Alexandria
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page