In the Light of the Dazzling Aten: An Ancient Egyptian TL

[Merovingian]

“The land is in darkness in the manner of death”
—From the Great Hymn to the Aten

Year Twenty in the reign of Akhenaten Neferkheperura-Waenre given Life, Strength, and Health

Akhenaten had fundamentally changed Egypt’s religion in ways no pharaoh had previously done. He had laid the foundations of a religious tradition that would go on to change the history of the world in ways neither he nor any of his contemporaries could possibly have imagined. He was, however, still mortal, and he now lay on his deathbed surrounded by his wife and children. “Do not be sad” he told them “for soon I shall take my place alongside the Aten in the land of Aaru. My son, Tutankhaten, soon you shall ascend to the throne of the Two Lands. You shall rule wisely and justly, I know, but I ask you to be not just a ruler but a teacher of your people. Bring the Two Lands and beyond into the Aten’s light. Yet know this, you cannot rule alone. To my wife, Nefertiti, and my daughters Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten, Neferneferure, and Setepenre, you shall advise Tutankhaten and guide him on the path of Ma’at. Live on Ma’at, all of you, and live in the light of the Aten.” And just like that, the King of Egypt drew his last breath. Tutankhaten gave what would be his first order as Lord of the Two Lands; “Let it be known…that the Great King has gone to the west[1].”
* * *
Akhenaten would be mummified and placed in a tomb constructed in a wadi in Akhetaten. Akhenaten’s tomb was decorated with religious artwork portraying the glories of the Aten, as well as with hieroglyphic inscriptions exalting the Aten and Akhenaten. The pharaoh himself would be buried in a granite sarcophagus in the center of the tomb. He was notably not buried with any possessions, in contrast to the vast sums of wealth in other pharaoh’s tombs. This comparatively humble tomb would become the single holiest place in the Atenist religion. After ten days of morning, Tutankhaten would be crowned as Great King of Egypt. There was much jubilation in Akhetaten as Tutankhaten placed upon his head first the red deshret crown of Lower Egypt, then the white hedjet crown of Upper Egypt, and finally the combined sekhemty crown of the Two Lands unified.

Tutankhaten’s ascension to the Horus Throne brought about a few changes. For starters, it was no longer called the Horus Throne, instead being variously called the Throne of the Two Lands, the Throne of the Two Ladies[2], and most frequently the Throne of Sedge and the Bee. Tutankhaten would al so not take the title “Son of Ra” as previous kings had, for that title belonged to Akhenaten alone. He would, however, claim the new titles “Judge of Judges” and “Viceregent of the Aten Upon Earth”. Tutankhaten would cause some controversy when he elevated his Kassite-born “barbarian” wife Ankhaten, the daughter of King Burna-Buriash II of Babylon, to the position of Great Royal Wife[3]. Though their marriage had originally been a purely diplomatic affair at a time when neither was old enough to fully understand the implications, they had grown to love each other. Ankhaten had also become quite Egyptian in her mannerisms, with her prayers to Marduk and Ishtar growing quiet and replaced with hymns and prayers to the Aten(hence the name “Ankhaten”). However, to the Egyptian people, she was merely a barbarian and a foreigner.

Despite the air of controversy around Akhetaten, Tutankhaten’s marriage to Ankhaten secured Egypt’s alliance with Babylonia’s Kassite dynasty. Between Egypt’s Mittani and Babylonian allies lay the rising power of Assyria under King Ashur-uballit I. For now, Egypt and Assyria remained at peace. However, the ambitious Ashur-uballit could not be kept at bay for long. It would come sooner rather than later when tensions between the Two Lands and the Land of Ashur would erupt, and the Near East would be changed for ever.







[1]Ancient Egyptian euphemism for death

[2]The Two Ladies were mythological personifications of Upper and Lower Egypt. They were traditionally seen as goddesses, but with the rise of Atenism they’re seen as metaphorical representations

[3]While previous Egyptian kings had married foreign princesses, elevating a woman of foreign birth to the position of Great Royal Wife(that is, the “main wife” within the king’s harem) likely would have caused some controversy with the notoriously xenophobic Egyptians

 

[Merovingian]

“Lo, this has been known since the world was young.”
—From the Dialogues of the Two Kings

The Dialogues of the Two Kings can be roughly divided into earlier and later dialogues. The early dialogues are generally believed to represent actual conversations between Tutankhaten and his father, while in the later dialogues Tutankhaten begins to use Akhenaten as a mouthpiece as he develops his own views[1]. Specifically, the early dialogues tend to be heavily philosophical, dealing with topics such as Ma’at, Isfet, and man’s place within the cosmos, while the later dialogues are more strongly mythological, telling stories that explain the underlying philosophy, often taken from traditional Egyptian myth. It is the later dialogues that explain the origins of the universe, the creation of man, and various other stories.

In the Dialogues, it is explained how in the beginning, there was only shapeless chaos manifested as a vast ocean called Nun. From this vast ocean of Nun, the Aten created himself from himself, which is described in great detail. First, there was the first thought of Ma’at within the Isfet of Nun. This thought generated more thoughts, which eventually coalesced into the first word ever spoken; Ra. With this first spoken word, an idea could now be described and thus be given form. Thus, the god Ra created himself. With Ra’s self-creation, Ma’at was established, and the forces of Isfet retreated into the Duat, coalescing and manifesting as the demonic serpent Apep, who began to attack creation with the aim of destroying it and reestablishing shapeless, formless chaos. Ra thus incarnated himself as the Aten, keeping watch over creation from on high and protecting it against the forces of Isfet.

The Dialogues later go on to explain how the Aten created numerous living things to assist in the struggle against Isfet. He created the plants and animals, each of which lived on Ma’at in their own way, before finally creating the first two humans; Shu and Tefnut[2]. The Aten elevated Shu and Tefnut as the highest of all living things, and as a result they began to grow arrogant and prideful. They began to believe that they had become even greater than the Aten, and rebelled against him, only to be swiftly defeated. As punishment for their sins, they were cast out of the paradisiacal realm of Aaru. If they and their descendants lived on Ma’at, than upon death they would be allowed to return to Aaru. If not, than they would be cast into the dark pits of the Duat. Thus, the role of mankind in the Atenist cosmology was now firmly established.

Shu and Tefnut would have numerous children who would settle different parts of the world. Their son Geb and his wife Nut would settle in Egypt alongside several others, where they had four children; Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. Osiris and Isis would marry, as would Set and Nephthys. Eventually, it was decided that the people would need a king to guide them, and Osiris and Set both put forth their names as potential candidates. Seeking to prove his worth, Osiris taught the people how to farm, while Set simply demanded that they make him king. Grateful for Osiris’ invention of agriculture, the people made him their king, and Set became deeply envious. He would go on to murder Osiris and usurp the throne, sending his brother’s now-pregnant wife Isis into the desert, where she gave birth to a son, Horus. Osiris would be reborn in Aaru, where the Aten appoint him as judge of the dead. Horus, meanwhile, would go on to try to reclaim his father’s throne and restore Ma’at, for Set’s usurpation had allowed Isfet to take hold. Horus returns to Egypt at twenty years old, gathering an army to expel Set and reclaim the throne. Set, meanwhile, is cast out into the desert. Thus, the king’s role as the upholder of Ma’at was established.

Perhaps the most important mythical story outlined in the Dialogues was that of the nightly journey of the Aten. During the day, the Aten traveled through the sky on his solar barque, watching over his creation from on high and safeguarding it against Isfet. However, at night, the Aten descended into the Duat. Once in the Duat, the Aten would engage in his nightly struggle against Apep. So long as Ma’at remained stronger than Isfet, than the Aten would emerge victorious, but if Isfet ever prevailed than Apep would be able to defeat the Aten. This defeat would ultimately be nothing more than a temporary setback, but it would mean the destruction of all creation. Keeping Apep at bay was not the Aten’s only role to play in the Duat, however. Every night, he would allow those amongst the damned who had truly repented would be allowed to join him on his solar barque, where he would take them to Aaru.

The Dialogues also establishes several other classes of supernatural beings besides the Aten. One such class of supernatural beings were the demons[3], or powerful supernatural beings that were nevertheless not gods, for there was only one god. Most of Egypt’s traditional pantheon were explained as being demons who were mistakenly worshipped as gods, thus claiming that Egypt’s traditional polytheism had emerged from Atenism rather than the other way around. Prominent demons included Bes, who protected women during childbirth , Min, who oversaw plant fertility, the Two Ladies of Upper and Lower Egypt, and the malevolent serpent Apep who wished to destroy all of creation. Like humans, it was believed that they could choose between Ma’at and Isfet, but unlike humans were immortal. Another class of supernatural beings was established with the concept of sainthood[4]. Saints in Atenism are particularly devout humans who were elevated in the afterlife by the Aten for their deeds. Prominent saints included Osiris, Horus, and Akhenaten’s entire family. Finally, Akhenaten himself was given the entirely unique position as the prophet and intermediary of the Aten.

The Dialogues of the Two Kings would be written by Tutankhaten over the course of his life. Individual dialogues would be used in religious education to teach about the core doctrines of Atenism. They would be codified into a single, comprehensive text during the reign of King Netjerhotep, several generations after Tutankhaten. The Dialogues would go on to become the principal holy text of the Atenist religion. The Late Egyptian language which it was written in would go on to be seen as a holy language by Atenists around the world. The philosophical lessons and stories outlined in the Dialogues would go on to long outlast ether Akhenaten or Tutankhaten, as well as all of their descendants.







[1]Sort of like the relationship between Socrates and Plato IOTL

[2]Shu and Tefnut IOTL where the Egyptian gods of air and moisture, respectively. Early in his reign, Akhenaten would identify himself as Shu(and Nefertiti as Tefnut), but this would be sidelined later on.

[3]Demons in ancient Egyptian religion were not explicitly malevolent, simply being supernatural beings that weren’t quite worthy of being called “gods.” Atenism retains this viewpoint, but the worship of demons is explicitly forbidden. Rituals to ward them off or placate them are not, however, provided you are asking the Aten to do so.

[4]I’m using “saint” as a roughly equivalent English word, but the concept is similar enough that I think I can use it

 

[Merovingian]

“Lo, it is written!”
—From the Dialogues of the Two Kings

Ancient Egypt was an incredibly long-lasting civilization, and its language changed significantly within this span of time. The earliest recorded form of the Egyptian language was called Old Egyptian, which would later develop into Middle Egyptian with the advent of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. Following the collapse of the Middle Kingdom and later the rise of the New Kingdom[1], Middle Egyptian continued to be used as a literary and religious language while replaced by another dialect, New Egyptian, as the vernacular. Akhenaten IOTL encouraged the use of the New Egyptian vernacular rather than Middle Egyptian, and ITTL that trend will continue. The Great Hymn to the Aten, Akhenaten’s legal code, and the Dialogues of the Two Kings have all been written in New Egyptian, and eventually New Egyptian(or Classical Egyptian, as it will be called ITTL) will come to be seen as a holy language to Atenists similar to Hebrew in Judaism, Qur’anic Arabic in Islam, and Latin in the Catholic Church IOTL.

Egypt at the time of Akhenaten had two scripts; the older hieroglyphic script of which I’m sure most of you are more familiar, and the newer hieratic script, which was itself a cursive form of the hieroglyphic script that predated it. With the advent of Atenism, the older hieroglyphic script will be used to write religious texts, while falling out of favor for everything else. In the long run, the hieroglyphic and hieratic scripts will come to be seen as sacred and profane, respectively[2]. Hieroglyphic writing will eventually come to be seen as more of an art form than anything practical, similar to Arabic or Chinese calligraphy IOTL[3]. People will get more creative with their hieroglyphic designs, and elaborate hieroglyphic patterns will decorate Atenist sun-temples. The hieratic script, meanwhile, will be simplified and standardized over time.

The rise of Atenism will also effect Egypt’s scribal tradition. There was a considerable overlap between priests and scribes in Ancient Egypt, something which will not be true of Atenism. There will still be a now-secularized scribal class trained in hieratic script frequently employed by the imakhy nobility and by the state to write down various inscriptions. Meanwhile, all members of an Atenist kenbet will be expected to be literate in the sacred hieroglyphic script. In the long run, you mights see the development of wandering scribes-for-hire seeking employment by some nobleman. The scribes might become akin to the church in Medieval Europe and the Confucian bureaucracy in China; it would be a respected institution and a method of social mobility in an otherwise stratified world. One major difference is that scribes ITTL will work as individuals at the behest of an employer, rather than having some overarching organization. At various times in history they will be respected as paragons of virtue, and loathed for being obscenely wealthy and woefully corrupt. What is certain is that even Egypt’s language will be effected by Akhenaten’s reforms, as will every other aspect of Egyptian life.




[1]The idea of an Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom is a modern concept that did not exist in Ancient Egyptian historiography, however, I use it here to give a sense of when things are happening

[2]Although ironically the word “hieratic” comes from the Greek word “hieratika“ meaning “priestly”

[3]Hieroglyphics will also be used to write Atenist scripture

 

[TrevorFromStarWarsBackup]

Keep this up!

 

[Zireael]

Ancient Egypt developing into something akin to Chinese bureaucracy is a concept I've seen tossed around here a couple times, but no TL got that far (past the start of the Common Era). I'm hoping this one will

Q: will hieratic script develop further like it did IOTL, giving rise to various alphabets?

 

[Oracle of Sobek 𓆋]

Q: will hieratic script develop further like it did IOTL, giving rise to various alphabets?

Hieratic really only gave rise to Demotic, which in turn contributed a few letters to Coptic and served as the basis for cursive Meroitic. Otherwise early alphabetic scripts derived direct inspiration from Hieroglyphs (except Ugaritic - being cuneiform-based), and the OG of those, Proto-Sinaitic, came about possibly as early as 1900 BCE and certainly by 1500 BCE - well before the PoD here.

 

[Merovingian]

Ancient Egypt developing into something akin to Chinese bureaucracy is a concept I've seen tossed around here a couple times, but no TL got that far (past the start of the Common Era). I'm hoping this one will

It certainly might…

Q: will hieratic script develop further like it did IOTL, giving rise to various alphabets?

Like @Oracle of Sobek 𓆋 said, hieratic really only developed into Demotic(which won’t exist ITTL, although something similar might). Hieratic script ITTL will go through a process of standardization and simplification, with a single standard version of hieratic being studied by all Egyptian scribes.

 

[Merovingian]

“Sing, o Two Lands, of the great Tutankhaten! The son of wise Akhenaten who expelled Isfet from Singira[1]!”
—From the Egyptian Book of Kings by Ramose of Waset

Not long after Tutankhaten ascended to the throne, his father-in-law King Burna-Buriash II of Babylonia died, and he was succeeded by his half-Assyrian son Kara-hardash. Kara-hardash’s reign would ultimately be short, as he was deposed and killed not even a year into his reign. Ashur-uballit responded to the death of his grandson by invading Babylonia and installing another puppet, this time a full-blooded Kassite by the name of Kurigalzu II. Unfortunately for Ashur-uballit, his supposed puppet-king turned out to be less oral than he expected, turning against Assyria. Kurigalzu invaded Assyria, being repelled at the Battle of Sugagu, only a day’s journey south of Assur. Ashur-uballit went on the counterattack, invading Babylonia again.

Tutankhaten, by way of his marriage to the Kassite-born Ankhaten, was drawn into this conflict. He set out through Retjenu[2] and the lands of the Mittani to attack Assyria from the west. Ashur-uballit, distracted by the war with the Kassites, sent his son Enlil-Nirari to fend off the impending Egyptian invasion. Ebill-Nirari deposed the aging Mittani King Tushratta, installing a usurper by the name of Shuttarna, and incited Egypt’s erstwhile vassal, King Aziru of Amurru, into rebellion against the pharaoh. Meanwhile, Tushratta’s son Shattiwaza fled to Egypt and Tutankhaten began his march through Retjenu.
* * *
Kingdom of Byblos, Year Seven in the Reign of Tutankhaten Khaemakhet[3] Given Life, Strength, and Health

Rib-Hadda, the aging King of Byblos, was beyond grateful with the arrival of the Egyptians. Aziru and his troops had fled northward with the arrival of the Egyptians, sparing his city from their constant raids. Rib-Hadda bowed before the Great King of Egypt, seven times on the belly and seven times on the back, before the Egyptian king told him “it is from the Aten that we have attained such great victory” and instructed Rib-Hadda to erect a roofless temple to this “Aten”, for which priests from Egypt would be imported to attend. A strange request, he thought, but it was the least he could do to repay the saviors of his city.

The Egyptians set out from Byblos towards Amurru. Tutankhaten’s forces besieged the city, and Aziru’s defended it. The battle raged on, with no end in sight until Aziru would be brought down by unlikely circumstances. Amid the battle, one of the horses pulling Aziru’s chariot would fall to an Egyptian arrow. This caused confusion among the other horses, and Aziru’s chariot would be surrounded by the Egyptians. Aziru was deposed as King of Amurru, with an Egyptian puppet placed on the throne, and Tutankhaten set out for the land of Hanigalbat[4], where he would meet Enlil-Nirari.
* * *
The conflict between Assyria and the Kassites happened IOTL, the difference being that Egypt gets involved ITTL. This will release a horde of butterflies that will leave TTL almost unrecognizable by the time of the Bronze Age Collapse, certainly by the present day. It seems that the Aten’s light will soon spread into the Lands of Hanigalbat and Ashur.






[1]Egyptian name for Mesopotamia

[2]Egyptian name for Canaan

[3]Roughly “He Who Appears Upon the Horizon”

[4]The Mitanni Kingdom

 

[Merovingian]

“He did do battle against the doers of Isfet, and he did teach the path of Ma’at in Singira as Akhenaten did in Egypt.”
—From the Egyptian Book of Kings by Ramose of Waset

Tutankhaten met with Shattiwaza and began to campaign into Hanigalbat, meeting Enlil-nirari at Alalakh. Tutankhaten’s comparatively smaller Egyptian force was able to encircle Enlil-Nirari’s larger Assyrian-Mitanni army. Enlil-Nirari would be forced to retreat, meeting with Shuttarna’s Mitanni force. Tutankhaten would face against Shuttarna and Enlil-Nirari at the Mitanni capital of Washukanni. Upon entering Washukanni, Tutankhaten gave the battle cry “Ma’at is established, Isfet is expelled!” The cry echoed through the ranks, until only the single word “Ma’at!” echoed through Washukanni. The Egyptian soldiers and charioteers cried “Ma’at!” as they stormed the great citadel of Washukanni. The resolve of the Egyptians would ultimately overpower Enlil-Nirari and Shuttarna. Tutankhaten ordered that a stela be erected proclaiming in Egyptian, Hurricane, and Akkadian “I, Tutankhaten, King of Egypt, Great King, Pharaoh, Lord of the Two Lands, High Priest of the Aten, Judge of Judges, have restored the rightful King of Hanigalbat to the throne. The usurper Shuttarna defiled the order of Ma’at, and he brought Isfet into Hanigalbat[1]. By restoring the rightful king, I have restored Ma’at to the land of Hanigalbat.”

With Shattiwaza placed on the Mitanni throne and Hanigalbat firmly in Egyptian hands, Tutankhaten set out for Assyria. Tutankhaten met a small Assyrian force at Qattara, against which he would emerge victorious. However, events in Egypt would force him to turn back. Akhenaten would receive at letter from his sister Meketaten proclaiming that “the king’s mother Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti has gone to the west.” Tutankhaten returned to Egypt, leaving an Egyptian garrison in Washukanni to defend Hanigalbat. Ashur-uballit agreed to leave Hanigalbat alone providing that Enlil-Nirari, whose life Tutankhaten had spared both due to his Atenist beliefs and as a bargaining tool, be returned to Assyria. The war between Assyria and the Kassites would end with Kurigalzu remaining on the throne while parts of Babylonia were annexed into Assyria. Tutankhaten’s victories in Retjenu and Hanigalbat would result in the army becoming a bastion of Atenism, and quite fanatical at that. The Lord of the Two Lands Tutankhaten Khaemakhet had proven himself before his country and the world, but his story had only just begun.







[1]The Hurrian and Akkadian inscriptions would use the local words for “order“ and “chaos” in place of the Egyptian “Ma’at” and “Isfet”

 

[Merovingian]

“Living disk, origin of light.”
—From the Great Hymn to the Aten

The King’s Mother Neferneferuaten Nefertiti was given a lavish funeral before being buried alongside her husband in Akhetaten’s royal wadi. With her passing, the first generation of Atenists had formally passed on the torch. Tutankhaten’s victories in Retjenu and Hanigalbat had resulted in the Egyptian military becoming a bastion of Atenism, and would eventually result in the spread of religion beyond Egypt. In Byblos, Amurru, and Washukanni, Tutankhaten had ordered the construction of Atenist sun-temples which would be staffed by Egyptian priests. After a generation or two, the Egyptian priests would be replaced with native ones as a local Atenist community developed. After all, the Great Hymn to the Aten mentioned Syria and Kush as well as Egypt and clearly revered to the Aten as a god of all lands.

However, Atenism would need to fully take root in Egypt before the radiant sun-disk could spread its rays throughout Egypt’s empire. To accomplish this goal, Tutankhaten set out to teach others about the Aten, just as his father had done for him. Prominent noblemen would send their sons to the royal palace at Akhetaten, where Tutankhaten would teach them religious lessons. An idea of teacher-student relationships began to develop within Atenism in which the Aten taught Akhenaten, who taught Tutankhaten, who taught the third generation of Atenists, who would teach the fourth, etc. Roughly a year after his return from Hanigalbat, Ankhaten would bear Tutankhaten a son by the name of Atenemhat[1]. Tutankhaten’s reign, like those of his father and grandfather, was one of peace and prosperity for the Two Lands.

Starting with Akhenaten and continuing under Tutankhaten, an Atenist clergy began to develop. This clergy originated with Akhenaten, who according to Atenist beliefs was the adopted son and direct emissary of the Aten. In Akhenaten’s absence, his successors were to serve as High Priests of the Aten. The King in his role as High Priest would be advised by a Great Kenbet consisting of his family members. Beneath the King, each sepat was administered by a magistrate, with every town within a sepat having its own judge who oversaw his own kenbet. The kenbut would be staffed with community elders who were well-read in Atenist law, and served essentially as law courts. Beneath the kenbut were the Atenist laity. A unique idea of Tutankhaten’s was that of universal priesthood; all male Atenists upon coming of age would be officially recognized as entering the priesthood and thus under Atenist law could perform rituals in the sun-temples.

Atenist temple services were held thrice per day; at sunrise, at noon, and at sunset. Temple services always began with the singing of the Great Hymn, followed by a communal prayer towards the Sun. Temple serviced involved the shaking of a sacred instrument known as the sistrum, usually during the singing of the Geat Hymn. After the prayers were completed, offerings of bread and beer would be made at the various altars that adorned every sun-temple. The sun-temple was to serve as the center of the community. Not only was it to be a place of worship, but it was also where food was stored and important decisions were made, as well as where children were educated[2]. Tutankhaten would continue to refine the religion that his father had founded throughout his reign, and it was through his efforts that the Aten went from the god of one man and his immediate family to the national god of Egypt and eventually the universal god of a world religion.






[1]” The Aten is Foremost”

[2]Said education would be purely religious

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

Who will be rival of Aten? Buddhism?

 

[Lalli]

Who will be rival of Aten? Buddhism?

Probably Phoenician/Canaanite polytheism. It is yet long time even to Buddha's birth.

 

[Merovingian]

Who will be rival of Aten? Buddhism?

Probably Phoenician/Canaanite polytheism. It is yet long time even to Buddha's birth.

Right now, Atenism’s biggest rival is the traditional Egyptian religion, particularly the local village gods. Atenism will also have to compete with Canaanite and Hurricanes polytheism as it spreads throughout Egypt’s empire. In the long run, Atenism’s biggest rival will most likely be some variation of Zoroastrianism. Exactly when Zoroaster lived is disputed with some putting him even before Akhenaten and others putting him around the same time as Cyrus and Darius, with somewhere in between being most likely. Regardless of whether or not Zoroaster himself exists ITTL, a religions similar to Zoroastrianism will likely still arise, since its likely that Zoroaster IOTL simply codified a pre-existing religious tradition. Both Atenism and Zoroastrianism are monotheistic religions based around a cosmic struggle in which mankind plays a key role, however for Zoroastrians this struggle is seen as beetween good(asha) and evil(druj), while for Atenists this struggle is between order(Ma’at) and chaos(Isfet). I suspect Atenist and *Zoroastrian theologians will be very interested in each other’s ideas, viewing them with a mix of fascination and disgust simply due to being both too similar and too different.

Another major rival to Atenism will be whatever emerges in the aftermath of the Greek Dark Ages. OTL Hellenistic civilization will be butterflied away, but a major civilization will still arise in Greece. A major factor for what happens in Greece will be whether or not the Phoenicians become Atenists. If they do, than they will likely introduce Atenism to Greece alongside their alphabet(which ITTL would be hieratic). If the Phoenicians remain pagan, than Greece probably will as well. It’s also possible that the Egyptians could be the ones to most strongly influence Greece ITTL, however. In the event that post-Dark Age Greece doesn’t fall into the Atenist cultural sphere, it will likely create its own religious or philosophical worldview that could compete with Atenism. An idea I’ve considered is that the Greeks could create their own monotheistic or at least henotheistic religion under Egyptian influence similar to Zoroastrianism’s influence on Judaism IOTL, but I don’t think this is particularly likely.

Judaism and its offshoots are definitely butterflied away; by the time of the Bronze Age Collapse, Canaan will be fully Atenized and Yahweh will be some forgotten Pre-Atenist Canaanite storm god. Moving beyond the Near East, you mentioned Buddhism as a potential rival to Atenism. Sorry to disapoint you, but depending on how long the butterflies take to reach India, Buddhism is probably butterflied away. That said, the same flourishing of religious ideas in India that created the Buddha IOTL will still happen, just with different characters and ideas involved. The Vedas have already been composed by this point, as have some of the earlier Upanishads. Something akin to the shramana movement that produced Buddhism and Jainism(as well as heavily influencing modern Hinduism) IOTL will still probably happen as a reaction against the previous Vedic religion.

In China, the Shang will still be replaced by the Zhou, but nothing after that is certain. OTL Chinese religions like Daoism and Confucianism are likely butterflied away, but something else will arise in their place. The precedent of the Mandate of Heaven has already been established by the overthrow of the Shang by the Zhou, so it will still play a role in whatever comes out of China ITTL. The worship of Shangdi will likely continue ITTL, and some variation upon Shangdi-worship will be practiced in China ITTL. Much like IOTL, you will have various philosophers trying to find out what the best way to gain the Mandate of Heaven is. I could see a system emerging in which Shangdi grants the Mandate of Heaven based on personal piety.

Across the ocean, I’m putting a butterfly net around the Americas until contact is established. As a result similar religious traditions will develop as IOTL. Mesoamerican religion by the time of the Aztecs had a unique form of dualism called dialectical monism in which the world is ultimately a unified whole, but that whole manifests itself in parts. This unified whole was called Teotl(pronounced “ta-ot”), personified as the pantheistic god of duality Ometeotl. In this worldview, the individual’s goal in life was to find balance within the constantly shifting Teotl. The Andean peoples, meanwhile, saw the world as a series of different natural forces competing for power, with change being seen as the result of asymmetries in these power dynamics. Pacha, or balance, was to be achieved through ayni, or reciprocal exchange. Therefore, mutual cooperation and harmony was seen as the highest value. This worldview was also animistic, with ancestors and various nature spirits being worshipped. However, neither of these belief systems will enter the scene until centuries later.

 

[Merovingian]

“All people, herds and flocks,
all on Earth that walk on legs,
all on high that fly with their wings.
And in the foreign lands of Khar and Kush, in the land of Egypt,
you place every man in his place,
you make what they need,
so that everyone has his food,
his lifespan counted.”
—From the Great Hymn to the Aten

The rise of Atenism will have significant effects both within and beyond Egypt. That much is self-evident. However, the sheer scale of the changes to world history that a successful Akhenaten would bring about are almost unfathomable. In Akhenaten’s Great Hymn, the Aten is specifically framed as a universal god rather than a particular god of Egypt; Khar and Kush, or respectively Syria and Nubia, are mentioned as being more-or-less equals to Egypt in the eyes of the Aten. Sure, Egypt is a bit closer to his heart than other countries, but that just means that it’s the duty of every good Atenist to help the Aten spread his rays to all the corners of the world. This is significant because it means the development of a universal religion centuries before any universal religions appeared IOTL. IOTL, the spread of religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Daoism, Confucianism, etc. would have profound effects on the civilizations that adopted them. ITTL, that same process will occur, only centuries earlier.

While the Axial Age theory has its flaws(Akhenaten himself and possibly Zoroaster showed up before the so-called Axial Age, while those trivial footnotes Jesus and Muhammad were centuries after), I still think it’s useful enough as a descriptive term that I will be using it. However, the Axial Age had the potential to occur centuries earlier, with Akhenaten himself being evidence for this. Outside Egypt, the language in the Gathas seems to indicate that Zoroaster may have even lived before Akhenaten[1], while in India the Vedas and earlier Upanishads were being composed and in China the cult of Shangdi was being developed into a fairly coherent worldview. However, this raises another question; if the potential for Axial Age thought existed in the late Bronze Age, than why didn’t it happen? To which I would respond that it arguably did, but the traditions that developed were just overshadowed.

In Egypt, Akhenaten’s religious reforms would be reversed after his death, while in China the replacement of the Shang by the Zhou led to Shangdi falling out of favor and replaced with Tian, ultimately leading to the development of Daoism and Confucianism. In India the Brahmanical tradition would survive and ultimately give rise to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, while in Iran Zoroastrianism would fully take off. ITTL, however, Alhenaten’s reforms were successful, while alternate migration patterns may lead to divergences in India and China. Within the context of the Near East, Atenism will spread into Canaan and Syria, and from their throughout the Mediterranean. TTL’s residents will most certainly view the rise of Atenism as one of the most important events in history.






[1]Although I am somewhat skeptical of this theory

 

[Merovingian]

“I have conquered Sapinuwa, home of the once-great Nesili.”
—Victory Stella erected by Uhha-Ziti of Arzawa

Once, the Hittite Empire had been great. The ancestors of the Hittites, the Nesili, had conquered their empire from the Haitians and Lucian’s who had once inherited their land. The language of the Nesili would become the new lingua franca, and the gods of the Nesili such as Tarhunta and Arinniti would grow to become more prominent than the old gods of Hatti. And yet, the language of Hatti would still be spoken, the gods of Hatti still worshipped, and the Nesili would base their capital in Hattusa and be known to other peoples as “Haitians.” Under the rule of the Nesili, Hatti had become a great power worthy of respect.

The Hittite Empire had been great, but those days had long gone. Mismanagement by the incompetent kings Tudhaliya II and Tudhaliya III had resulted in the collapse of Hittite power. Their once-illustrious capital of Hattusa had fallen to the barbarian Kaskians, whose endless looting and plundering had reduced it to a shadow of its former self. The Hittites had failed to secure their border against the minor Kingdom of Hayasa-Azzi. The once-great Hittite Empire had been reduced to a minor regional kingdom based out of Sapinuwa. It seemed that the Nesili had lost the favor of Arinniti, that the hadantatar[1] of the world had been upended. However, nature abhors a vacuum, and in the Hittites’ absence it was only inevitable that a new empire would rise.

To the north of the old Hittite Empire lay the Kingdom of Arzawa. The Arzawans had long lived in the shadow of the Hittites, but with the collapse of Hittite power, King Uhha-Ziti of Arzawa saw an opportunity. The Arzawans began to expand southwards, the petty kings of Anatolia falling before them. It would not be soon before the Arzawans would come into conflict with the declining Hittite “Empire.” However, no such conflict happened. An Aging Tudhaliya III was eager to ally with the rising power of Arzawa in exchange for Arzawans assistance against the Hayasans or Kaskians. And thus, the Hittite Empire had finally fallen not with a bang but a whimper. The Hittites could no longer be called an empire, and what was left would become the Kingdom of Sapinuwa, a vassal of the King of Arzawa in Apasa[Ephesos][2]. Once, the Hittite Empire had been great. Now, they had fallen from greatness into obscurity just as so many empires had before, and so many would in the future.





[1]Hadantatar was a Hittite concept roughly equivalent to the Egyptian Ma’at

[2]As the Arzawans expand into central Anatolia, they’ll probably move their capital further inland simply due to Bronze Age logistics

 

[Zireael]

Bronze Age logistics is my favorite part of this update

 

[Merovingian]

Bronze Age logistics is my favorite part of this update

I mean, how about you try running an Anatolian empire from Ephesus with Bronze Age technology...

 

[Aluma]

I mean, how about you try running an Anatolian empire from Ephesus with Bronze Age technology...

Gimme!

It's the world learn the glory of the Alumites!

 

[Oracle of Sobek 𓆋]

I mean, how about you try running an Anatolian empire from Ephesus with Bronze Age technology...

This might actually be doable if Arzawa is keen on becoming a naval power (how is Uhha-Ziti's relationship with the Lukka-land factions?) that rules inland Anatolia through vassal-kings... But they'll have stiff competition from the Mycenaeans on that front.

Anyway, I dig a stronger Arzawa. Historically Amenhotep III sought a marriage alliance with Tarḫuntaradu of Arzawa as part of a broader program of Aegean diplomacy. I suspect future Atenist pharaohs could want to revisit this.

 

[Merovingian]

This might actually be doable if Arzawa is keen on becoming a naval power (how is Uhha-Ziti's relationship with the Lukka-land factions?) that rules inland Anatolia through vassal-kings... But they'll have stiff competition from the Mycenaeans on that front.

Anyway, I dig a stronger Arzawa. Historically Amenhotep III sought a marriage alliance with Tarḫuntaradu of Arzawa as part of a broader program of Aegean diplomacy. I suspect future Atenist pharaohs could want to revisit this.

Arzawa and Egypt will be at various times allies, rivals, and something in between. The rise of Arzawa also means that the butterflies will start flapping their wings among the Mycenaeans.