Pharaoh.SEPHARAOH.SE

Amenhotep IV in hieroglyphs

tenth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty
Prenomen: Neferkheperura waenra
Also known as: Akhenaten·Akhenaton·Echnaton·Amenophis IV
Accession1352 BC
End of reign1334 BC
Duration18 years
Highest attested yearYear 17
Amenhotep IV reigned for five years before changing his name to Akhenaten, keeping only the throne name of his original titulary. He is especially famed for introducing the worship of Aten above all other gods, sometimes described as monotheism, which it was not. His name in the Amarna letters is Nibhururiya, which is the Akkadian renditon of his throne name Neferkheperura.

Titulary & Hieroglyphs

kA-nxt qAi-Swti
Ka nakht qa shuty
kꜢ-nḫt ḳꜢꞽ-šwtꞽ
"The strong bull, high of plumes"
Before name change
Urkunden des aegyptischen Altertums IV, 1963
Gebel el-Silsila rock inscription
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:H1·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 110i
kA-nxt mrj-jtn
Ka nakht mery Aten
kꜢ-nḫt mrꞽ-ꞽtn
"The strong bull, beloved of Aten"
After name change
Davis, The rock tombs of Amarna, VI, plate XXXII
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:H2·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 107d
kA-nxt mrj-jtn
Ka nakht mery Aten
kꜢ-nḫt mrꞽ-ꞽtn
"The strong bull, beloved of Aten"
After name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:H3·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 91a
kA-nxt mrj-jtn
Ka nakht mery Aten
kꜢ-nḫt mrꞽ-ꞽtn
"The strong bull, beloved of Aten"
After name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:H3·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 107d
kA-nxt mrj-jtn
Ka nakht mery Aten
kꜢ-nḫt mrꞽ-ꞽtn
"Beloved of Aten"
After name change
d'Avennes, Monuments (1847), pl. 13
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:H2
wr-nsyt-m-jpt-swt
Wer nesyt em Ipet-sut
wr-nsyt-m-ꞽpt-swt
"Great of kingship in Karnak"
Before name change
Urkunden des aegyptischen Altertums IV, 1963
Gebel el-Silsila rock inscription
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:N1·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 110i
wr-nsyt-m-Axtjtn
Wer nesyt em Akh et Aten
wr-nsyt-m-Ꜣḫtꞽtn
"Great of kingship in Akhetaten"
After name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:N2·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 105c
wTs-xaw-m-iwnw-Smaj
Wetjes khau em Iunu shemau
wṯs-ḫꜤw-m-ꞽwnw-šmꜤꞽ
"Elevated of appearances in southern Heliopolis (Thebes)"
Before name change
Urkunden des aegyptischen Altertums IV, 1963
Gebel el-Silsila rock inscription
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:G1·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 110i
wTz-rn-n-jtn
Wetjes ren en Aten
wṯz-rn-n-ꞽtn
"Who has elevated the name of Aten"
After name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:G2·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 105c
nfr-xprw-ra wa-n-ra
Nefer kheperu Ra, wa en Ra
nfr-ḫprw-rꜤ wꜤ-n-rꜤ
"The beautiful one of the manifestations of Ra, the unique one of Ra"
Before name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:T2·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 110d
nfr-xprw-ra wa-n-ra
Nefer kheperu Ra, wa en Ra
nfr-ḫprw-rꜤ wꜤ-n-rꜤ
"The beautiful one of the manifestations of Ra, the unique one of Ra"
After name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:T3·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 105c, 107d
jmn-Htp nTr HqA wAst
Amenhotep, netjer heqa Waset
ꞽmn-ḥtp nṯr ḥḳꜢ wꜢst
"Amenhotep, God and ruler of Thebes"
Before name change
Legrain, "Les steles d'Amenothes IV". ASAE 3. 260
jmn-Htp nTr HqA wAst aA-m-aHaw.f
Amenhotep, netjer heqa Waset aa em ahauef
ꞽmn-ḥtp nṯr ḥḳꜢ wꜢst ꜤꜢ-m-ꜤḥꜤw.f
"Amenhotep, the god and ruler of Thebes, great in respect of his lifetime"
Before name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:E1·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 110d
Ax-n-jtn
Akh en Aten
Ꜣḫ-n-ꞽtn
"Living spirit of the Aten"
After name change
Beckerath, Handbuch: 142-143, 10:E4·Lepsius, Denkmäler III, 103

Sources of antiquity

AuthorGreekTranscriptionReign
JeromeChenchres16 years

References