'A' is For Akhenaten

NOTE:  Well, let the A-Z Challenge begin!  Before you start (and I hope you do), I must emphasize that what you're about to read over the next month merely scratches the surface.  If you wish to learn more, may I suggest you dig even deeper.  Also, since we're talking Penwasser Place here, not everything you read is factual.  Come to think of it, most of what you read is not factual.  But, some is.  Good luck with that! 

'A' is For Ahkenaten

Got a condo made of stonah

 

"Come on.  You know that's bullshit."

   Akhenaten or Akhenaton or Echnaton or Lou (to his close friends) was the tenth pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty from 1353 BC-1336 BC (or “BCE” to you politically-correct ninnies).  Or 1351-1334.  People aren’t positive.  Basically, it was a long-ass time ago.

Older than even Keith Richards

    Beginning his reign as Amenhotep IV, he changed his name to “Akhenaten” (meaning “effective of Aten”) in the fifth year of his reign (those crazy teenagers) when he abolished Egypt’s ancient polytheistic (meaning veneration of many gods.  Or parrots) cult in favor of that wacky Atenism, which venerated the sun.  And whose motto was MEGA (Make Egypt Great Again).  Perhaps.

    Anyway, he founded the city of Amarna, which was meant to be the headquarters for the new religion.  However, for reasons which will become clear, it disappeared into the desert and wasn’t discovered until the 19^th century.

The ruins of Amarn...oops, sorry.  This is Los Angeles.

 

Not to be confused with "Amana."
Hey, I wouldn't blame you if you were. 
There's all sort of crazy stuff here.

   When Lou died, Atenism died with him.  Follow-on rulers ordered that mention of his name be stricken from all aspects of Egyptian life.  This included all executive orders royal pronouncements, religious inscriptions, monuments, and his name was even excluded from a list of list of rulers by later pharaohs, preventing his election to the Egyptian Hall of Fame.   

"He was called 'that criminal' and 'Nile Crocodile Dung."

    The city of Amarna was even abandoned.  And not just because it wasn’t prime beachfront property.

The Red Sea was sooooooo close.
NOTE: Their wives went to Nag Hammadi

  

"Come on.  You gotta admit, that was pretty funny."

"What'd I say?"

    The residents were encouraged to relocate to Memphis, which proved to be a disappointment, due to lack of jazz and good barbecue.

    Bottom line, not a popular guy.  Especially once he left.

    And not just because he smelled like croc poop.