Akhenaten is an exhaustive demonstration of politics’ ability
to appropriate and distort history to its own ends.  Dominic Monterrat
uses the Pharaoh Akhenaten as a touchstone in his exploration of this phenomenon. 
As a historical text, Montserrat presents a well-rounded and literal retelling
of “the facts” of what is actually known (not inferred) about this most
interesting and elusive of Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.  This allows
readers, even if they are unfamiliar with ancient Egyptian history or Akhenaten’s
rein, to understand the permutations and perversions that this history
has been subjected to in modern times.

 Akhenaten has been portrayed as a religious reformer, a revolutionary,
a master architect, a mamma’s boy, a physical degenerate, a pedophile,
an incestuous bigamist, an open homosexual and the world’s “first individual”. 
Montserrat explores all of these images of Akhenaten.  He first does
this by relating the conception to the history and then by methodically
debunking the appropriated conception and thus returning Akhenaten from
symbol status to that of enigmatic historical figure.

 The basic tenant of Montserrat’s text seems to be that scholars
have always viewed Egyptian history through Western or Euro-centric eyes,
and he provides convincing evidence for this claim.  This skewing
of the vision has contributed to the misinterpretation of the few reliably
applicable primary documents relating to Akhenaten and his court.  
By bringing Akhenaten back to the source material, Monserrat strengthens
Akhenaten as a pure historical figure, free from modern assumptions.

 The book is extremely well organized in its arguments, addressing
each misconception in turn, ordered by appropriating group.  He discusses
political movements, religious interpretations, issues of ethnicity, literary
interpretations and finally Akhenaten’s adoption by several sexual-political
groups.

 Anyone who studies history in any context, be it professionally
or for entertainment, tends to absorb the assumptions made in the works
of historians.  Before I began Montserrat’s book, I had a fairly firm
idea of who Akhenaten was.  I found that much of my information was
anecdotal and certainly not from primary texts, and I found myself calling
into question many of the things that I had been taught regarding Akhenaten.
Montserrat certainly succeeded in his goal.

 As a historical text and argument regarding the history of Akhenaten,
Akhenaten 
is an excellent read.  As an exercise in self-examination and a forced
re-examination of what one thought was true, it is even better.

© 2001 Marysusan Noll

Marysusan Noll lives on Long Island, NY.

Categories: General