Egyptian Dreams

[anneke]

Akhenaten had a sed festival in his 3rd year. Usually those are held only after 30 years, so that’s a bit odd.

I wondered if there could be aconnection to one of Amenhotep III's festivals. Amenhotep III had festivals in years 30, 34, and 37. Maybe he had another one planned for year 40?

Looking at some different cases I wondered what would happen with respect to the other known events. Would some of those significant dates line up?

Version I. Akhenaten year 3 = Amenhotep III year 30
In this scenario Akhenaten would have become Pharaoh in year 28. This means Tuthmosis (crown prince) would have had to be dead by then.
Year 1 Akhenaten / Year 28 Amenhotep III begin co-regency
Year 3 Akhenaten / Year 30 Amenhotep III: 1st Festival in Thebes
Year 7 Akhenaten / Year 34 Amenhotep III : Amenhotep III’s 2nd festival, Akhenaten would have lived in Amarna so would not have participated?
Year 10 Akhenaten / Year 37 Amenhotep III: 3rd festival for Amenhotep III in Thebes.
Year 12 Akhenaten / Year 39 Amenhotep III : Amenhotep III dies Akhenaten has a tribute as documented in some Amarna tombs.


Version II. Akhenaten year 3 = Amenhotep III year 34
Year 1 Akhenaten / Year 32 Amenhotep III begin co-regency. Maybe Akhenaten was too young in year 30 to become co-regent?
Year 3 Akhenaten / Year 34 Amenhotep III: 2nd Festival in Thebse for Amenhotep, 1st festival for Akhenaten
Year 6 Akhenaten / Year 37 Amenhotep III : Amenhotep has 3rd festival, Akhenaten now lives in Akhetaten
Year 8 Akhenaten / Year 39 Amenhotep III: Amenhotep dies and Akhenaten changes the name of the Aten soon after and becomes more fanatical.

Version III. Akhenaten year 3 = Amenhotep III year 37
Dan zou dus Akhenaten in year 35 op de troon zijn gekomen.
Year 1 Akhenaten / Year 35 Amenhotep III begin co-regency
Year 3 Akhenaten / Year 37 Amenhotep III: 3rd Festival in Thebes for Amenhotep III, 1st for Akhenaten.
Year 5 Akhenaten / Year 39 Amenhotep III : Amenhotep dies and Akhenaten changes name and moves to Akhetaten.

Version IV. Akhenaten year 3 = Amenhotep III year 40
Year 1 Akhenaten / Year 38 Amenhotep III begin co-regency
Year 3 Akhenaten / Year 40 Amenhotep III: Amenhotep III would have died as the preparations for a 4th festival had already started. Akhenaten takes the throne and fills in for his father at the festival.
Soon after this event Akhenaten changes his name and moves to Amarna.

Somehow version 4 appeals to me. It would have Amenhotep III possibly being ill towards the end of his life. He decides to ensure the continuity of government by installing Amenhotep IV as his co-ruler in year 38. Amenhotep III does continue in his sequence of sed festivals. But he dies and Amenhotep III decides to continue with the festivities and takes his father’s place.

I know that just because it sounds nice, that doesn’t mean it has to be true .

What do people think? Do any of the scenarios sound likely?
Is it “none of the above”? Did Akhenaten just decide to hold a festival out of the blue?

[anneke]

Image from the festival from the FitzWilliam Museum:

[Rozette]

After reading the abstract of Dorman, P. F. article "The Temple of Soleb: A Final Word on the Coregency, version IV sound likely to me.
Quote Anneke :
Version IV. Akhenaten year 3 = Amenhotep III year 40
Year 1 Akhenaten / Year 38 Amenhotep III begin co-regency
Year 3 Akhenaten / Year 40 Amenhotep III: Amenhotep III would have died as the preparations for a 4th festival had already started. Akhenaten takes the throne and fills in for his father at the festival.
Soon after this event Akhenaten changes his name and moves to Amarna.


Dorman, P. F. , 2008-04-25 "The Temple of Soleb: A Final Word on the Coregency
The publication by the Institut français d’archéologie orientale of the ruins of Soleb Temple, based on a manuscript written by Michela Schiff Giorgini prior to her tragic death in 1978 and recently edited with great care by Natalie Beaux, provides a clear answer to the question of whether Amenhotep III enjoyed a long coregency with his son, Akhenaton. Although the majority of scholars no longer accepts a 12-year period of co-rule, or even a coregency of any length, it is worthwhile reviewing evidence that offers a definitive coda to a question that has long plagued historians of the New Kingdom.
The task of evaluating the evidence from Soleb is made somewhat problematic in that the publication of the temple architecture and decoration (in Soleb III, Soleb IV, and Soleb V) is a faithful articulation of Mme. Schiff Giorgini’s own research of several decades ago and does not attempt to update her interpretations in light of more recent scholarship. Although based on sound archaeological information, these three volumes on Soleb misconstrue the time frame during which the temple was built; rather than stretching over 32 years of the reign of Amenhotep III, the earliest parts of the temple were doubtless erected just in time for the celebration of the first jubilee in regnal year 30 and the last can be dated to the king’s final years. The reliefs in the portico of the first pylon, which belong to last phase of building, show that Amenhotep IV surcharged a number of his father’s cartouches there before he changed his name to Akhenaton in his own regnal year 5. This paper plots the salient information on a suggested timeline for a 12-year coregency and demonstrates that such a lengthy period of co-rule can be embraced only if one accepts the unlikely scenario that Akhenaton began the usurpation of his father’s cartouches six years before the death of Amenhotep III.



Part of a painted sandstone scene dating to the first five years of Akhenaten's reign from Karnak (64.197.1).
The cloak and the scene looks like a part of the Heb sed festival.
Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

[anneke]

That's very interesting! Thanks for sharing that.

The only thing that made me even consider a longer co-regency is the apparent age of Tiye at her death - assuming the mummy of the elder lady is hers. The mummy is described as being of a "middle aged woman" But with the ca 38 years under Amenhotep III, 14 more after his death and possibly a very young age when she married, this may all work out.

I wonder if the rise to the throne could mean Akhenaten turned 16 in that year? Then he would have been born in ca year 22. He would have been one of the younger children of Amenhotep and Tiye?

The inscriptions from Soleb are interesting. The changes only in the later constructed scenes is something that would point to to version IV as you mention.

That's good enough for me for the time being.

[Achnatom]