Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus

Description

During his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this "heretic" pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses was one and the same man. In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life; how, he was brought up by Israelite relatives. Ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne. MOSES AND AKHENATEN provides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions were correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin.

Ahmed Osman was born in Cairo in 1934, where he studied law. He is also the author of Stranger in the Valley of Kings, Out of Egypt, and The House of the Messiah. He has lived in England since 1964.

"The classic work which redefines the timeframe of the Exodus and places it firmly in the age of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Essential reading for all Bible historians." * Andrew Collins, author of From the Ashes of Angels and Gateway to Atlantis * "His study makes for an interesting alternative perspective." * Nexus, March/April 2003 *