Free Essays on Nefertiti

Nefertiti (The Great Wife) The Egyptians always named the pharaoh’s wife the â€Å"great wife,† somewhat in the way that Americans refer to the president’s wife as the 1st lady. The great wife legitimized her husband’s exercise of power through religious beliefs. The Egyptians believed that she was divinely born and that Amon took the human form of her husband, impregnated her, oversaw the development of the child in her womb, and ensured a healthy delivery. Thus the child was the offspring of both the god and the pharaoh. The great wife couldn’t legally be pharaoh, for only a male could exercise that power. But she could make a man’s right to power. The Egyptians literally and formally considered hers the throne of power, although her power was passive rather than active. Egyptians artists depicted the great wife with much care as the pharaoh. They stylized her body as that of th4e ideal woman, and her portrait was more idealized than realistic. So stood things until Nefertiti, who was an exceptional great wife. She was not content to play a passive role in Egyptian life. Like her husband Akhenaten she passionately embraced the worship of Aton. She used her position to support her husband’s zeal to spread god’s worship. Together they built a new palace at Akhenaten, the present Amarna, away from the old centers of power. There they developed and promulgated the cult of Aton to the exclusion of the traditional deities. Nearly the only literary survival of their religious belief is the â€Å"Hymn of Aton† which declares Aton to be the only god. It also mentions Nefertiti as the great royal consort whom he Akhenaten loves, the mistress of the Two Lands. Akhenaten later stripped Nefertiti of her crown name, which was equivalent of divorce, and exiled her to a palace in the northernmost part of Amarna. It is quite possible, but beyond proof, that Akhenaten wanted a reconciliation with the old gods and their priests. The ... Free Essays on Nefertiti Free Essays on Nefertiti Queen Nefertiti Nefertiti was one of the most famous and beautiful Ancient Egyptian. Her name means, " the beautiful one has come." Nefertiti ruled with her husband, Akhenaten. They ruled together for 17 years from 1362-1379 B.C. Nefertiti and Akhenaten believed in one god, Re, the sun god. Due to this belief they destroyed all of the other god's temples and built a new capital city called Akhetaten. They also had a big family with six daughters. One of her daughters married King Tut. Nefertiti joined her husband in worship of a new religion that celebrated the power of the sun-disk Aten. Akhenaten formed a city where only this religion was practiced. He named this city Akhetaten which means the â€Å"horizon of Aten†. This put much impact on the Egyptian culture. After taking part in helping her husband, Nefertiti changed her name to Neferneferuaten_Nefertiti which means â€Å"The Aten is radiant of radiance because the beautiful one has come†. Together they transformed the religious practices of ancient Egyptians. Queen Nefertiti was known as the most beautiful woman in the world. One of the best known Egyptian treasures is a bust of her that can be found in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. But she was more than just a beautiful face because she was also the daughter of Ay, a nobleman who was the brother of Queen Tiy. Nefertiti is perhaps one of the best known queens of Egypt who is in more artwork and sculptures than even King Akhenaten. In 1340 B.C. Nefertiti died. Nefertiti and her husband's tomb have not yet been found. I think she had an impact on Africa because she established one of the world’s first monotheistic religions.... Free Essays on Nefertiti Nefertiti (The Great Wife) The Egyptians always named the pharaoh’s wife the â€Å"great wife,† somewhat in the way that Americans refer to the president’s wife as the 1st lady. The great wife legitimized her husband’s exercise of power through religious beliefs. The Egyptians believed that she was divinely born and that Amon took the human form of her husband, impregnated her, oversaw the development of the child in her womb, and ensured a healthy delivery. Thus the child was the offspring of both the god and the pharaoh. The great wife couldn’t legally be pharaoh, for only a male could exercise that power. But she could make a man’s right to power. The Egyptians literally and formally considered hers the throne of power, although her power was passive rather than active. Egyptians artists depicted the great wife with much care as the pharaoh. They stylized her body as that of th4e ideal woman, and her portrait was more idealized than realistic. So stood things until Nefertiti, who was an exceptional great wife. She was not content to play a passive role in Egyptian life. Like her husband Akhenaten she passionately embraced the worship of Aton. She used her position to support her husband’s zeal to spread god’s worship. Together they built a new palace at Akhenaten, the present Amarna, away from the old centers of power. There they developed and promulgated the cult of Aton to the exclusion of the traditional deities. Nearly the only literary survival of their religious belief is the â€Å"Hymn of Aton† which declares Aton to be the only god. It also mentions Nefertiti as the great royal consort whom he Akhenaten loves, the mistress of the Two Lands. Akhenaten later stripped Nefertiti of her crown name, which was equivalent of divorce, and exiled her to a palace in the northernmost part of Amarna. It is quite possible, but beyond proof, that Akhenaten wanted a reconciliation with the old gods and their priests. The ...