11. Ancient Egypt’s Most Famous Ruler
In 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen (reigned, circa 1333 – 1323 BC). That archaeological feat triggered a wave of Egypto-mania that swept the world, and that hasn’t receded since. Relics from the ancient ruler, nicknamed King Tut in pop culture, traveled the globe and were seen by millions in exhibits for which people waited in line for hours. Ancient Egyptian references made their way into popular culture, and musical hits such as “Old King Tut” topped the charts. Even US President Herbert Hoover caught the Tutankhamen bug, and named his dog King Tut. Today, Tutankhamen is the best known ancient Egyptian pharaoh. It is ironic, because ancient Egyptians saw him as one of their least memorable and most insignificant pharaohs.
Tutankhamen’s father, Pharaoh Akhenaten, and his wife-sister Nefertiti (royal incest was common in ancient Egypt), had been radical religious reformers who overthrew the Egyptian religion that had dominated the Nile Valley for centuries. In place of its many gods, they ordered the worship of a single deity: Aten. Akhenaten and Nefertiti also displaced the Egyptian priesthood, who until then had acted as middlemen between worshippers and the gods. Instead, they made themselves the main conduit through which divine blessings flowed to the people. When the priests objected, the couple closed the main temple at Karnak, seized its treasury, fired the priests, and moved hundreds of miles away to a new city, purpose-built for the worship of Aten. The traditional Egyptian priests were understandably upset. As seen below, they undid all of Akhenaten’s religious works as soon as he died.
