Akhenaten (also spelled Echnaton, known before the fifth year of his reign as Amenhotep IV) is best known for introducing a revolutionary form of monotheism to ancient Egypt. He abandoned traditional Egyptian polytheism and introduced the worship of the Aten. An early inscription likens him to the sun as compared to the stars. Later official language avoids calling the Aten a god, giving the solar deity a status above mere gods.
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