The Akhenaten Material

This is a peculiar lecture, posted on YouTube by the Theosophical Society Adyar. Or not so peculiar, since many esoteric and new agey groups claim that ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten was a spiritual master of some kind. The reason is, of course, his monotheism. It´s possible that Akhenaten´s cult of the sun disc (the Aten) was the world´s first monotheist religion. Since monotheism is considered "good" in the Western imagination, while polytheism is "bad", Akhenaten has usually been cast in the role of ascended master of the White Lodge. Or even as Moses! 

This lecturer goes even further, and projects an entire channelled New Age message onto the old pharaoh (with the inevitable space aliens), complete with a "revolutionary" message that sounds heavily anachronistic. He attacks "the one percenters", claims that Akhenaten liberated the Egyptians peasants, and that he was subsequently overthrown by the "military-industrial complex". In Egypt 3,300 years ago? The message from the aliens seems to be "The Law of One" (alias "The Ra Material"), which I haven´t read, but which is currently very popular in New Age and metaphysical circles. 

As for Akhenaten - the real one - he was probably a mad king of the classical sort who wanted to create a hyper-centralist Egyptian state with a cult centered on himself as the only true prophet of the Aten. Thus, his attacks on the powerful polytheist priesthoods were wholly self-serving. Indeed, he may have come close to completely destroying ancient Egypt in the process. Once again: the only reason why he is considered interesting in the modern West is his "monotheism" and some "Epicurean" traits. For all we know, Akhenaten wasn´t a pristine revolutionary, but rather Egypt´s very own Joe Stalin! But thankfully a much less succesful one. 

With that, I leave you for now. Commander Ashtar, over and out.