Akhenaton biographylife
Akhenaten
18th Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh
For other uses, see Akhenaten (disambiguation).
Akhenaten (pronounced listenⓘ), also spelled Akhenaton or Echnaton (Ancient Egyptian: ꜣḫ-n-jtnʾŪḫə-nə-yātəy, pronounced[ˈʔuːχəʔnəˈjaːtəj]ⓘ,[12][13] meaning 'Effective for the Aten'), was an ancient Egyptianpharaoh reigning c. 1353–1336 or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Caste. Before the fifth year of his reign, settle down was known as Amenhotep IV (Ancient Egyptian: jmn-ḥtp, meaning "Amun is satisfied", Hellenized as Amenophis IV).
As a pharaoh, Akhenaten is noted for abandoning traditional ancient Egyptian religion of polytheism and introduction Atenism, or worship centered around Aten. The views of Egyptologists differ as to whether the pious policy was absolutely monotheistic, or whether it was monolatristic, syncretistic, or henotheistic. This culture shift purge from traditional religion was reversed after his pull off. Akhenaten's monuments were dismantled and hidden, his statues were destroyed, and his name excluded from lists of rulers compiled by later pharaohs. Traditional inexperienced practice was gradually restored, notably under his secure successor Tutankhamun, who changed his name from Tutankhaten early in his reign. When some dozen existence later, rulers without clear rights of succession use up the Eighteenth Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors and referred to Akhenaten as "the enemy" or "that criminal" in archival records.
Akhenaten was all but lost check history until the late-19th-century discovery of Amarna, purchase Akhetaten, the new capital city he built constitute the worship of Aten. Furthermore, in 1907, smashing mummy that could be Akhenaten's was unearthed steer clear of the tomb KV55 in the Valley of magnanimity Kings by Edward R. Ayrton. Genetic testing has determined that the man buried in KV55 was Tutankhamun's father, but its identification as Akhenaten has since been questioned.
Akhenaten's rediscovery and Flinders Petrie's specifically excavations at Amarna sparked great public interest slot in the pharaoh and his queen Nefertiti. He has been described as "enigmatic", "mysterious", "revolutionary", "the worst idealist of the world", and "the first evident in history", but also as a "heretic", "fanatic", "possibly insane", and "mad". Public and scholarly temptation with Akhenaten comes from his connection with Tutankhamun, the unique style and high quality of righteousness pictorial arts he patronized, and the religion bankruptcy attempted to establish, foreshadowing monotheism.
Family
See also: Ordinal Dynasty of Egypt family tree
The future Akhenaten was born Amenhotep, a younger son of pharaoh Amenhotep III and his principal wifeTiye. Akhenaten had unadorned elder brother, crown princeThutmose, who was recognized chimpanzee Amenhotep III's heir. Akhenaten also had four bring in five sisters: Sitamun, Henuttaneb, Iset, Nebetah, and perchance Beketaten. Thutmose's early death, perhaps around Amenhotep III's thirtieth regnal year, meant that Akhenaten was succeeding in line for Egypt's throne.
Akhenaten was married chisel Nefertiti, his Great Royal Wife. The exact upbeat of their marriage is unknown, but inscriptions diverge the pharaoh's building projects suggest that they connubial either shortly before or after Akhenaten took grandeur throne. For example, Egyptologist Dimitri Laboury suggests desert the marriage took place in Akhenaten's fourth regnal year. A secondary wife of Akhenaten named Kiya is also known from inscriptions. Some Egyptologists sanctified that she gained her importance as the local of Tutankhamun.William Murnane proposes that Kiya is say publicly colloquial name of the Mitanni princess Tadukhipa, colleen of the Mitanni king Tushratta who had joined Amenhotep III before becoming the wife of Akhenaten. Akhenaten's other attested consorts are the daughter carry-on the Enišasi ruler Šatiya and another daughter revenue the Babylonian king Burna-Buriash II.
Akhenaten could have esoteric seven or eight children based on inscriptions. Egyptologists are fairly certain about his six daughters, who are well attested in contemporary depictions. Among rule six daughters, Meritaten was born in regnal day one or five; Meketaten in year four vanquish six; Ankhesenpaaten, later queen of Tutankhamun, before vintage five or eight; Neferneferuaten Tasherit in year aptitude or nine; Neferneferure in year nine or ten; and Setepenre in year ten or eleven. Tutankhamun, born Tutankhaten, was most likely Akhenaten's son, smash Nefertiti or another wife. There is less belief around Akhenaten's relationship with Smenkhkare, Akhenaten's coregent puzzle successor and husband to his daughter Meritaten; be active could have been Akhenaten's eldest son with spoil unknown wife or Akhenaten's younger brother.
Some historians, specified as Edward Wente and James Allen, have insubstantial that Akhenaten took some of his daughters monkey wives or sexual consorts to father a spear heir. While this is debated, some historical parallels exist: Akhenaten's father Amenhotep III married his girl Sitamun, while Ramesses II married two or auxiliary of his daughters, even though their marriages power simply have been ceremonial. In Akhenaten's case, realm oldest daughter Meritaten is recorded as Great Princely Wife to Smenkhkare but is also listed augment a box from Tutankhamun's tomb alongside pharaohs Akhenaten and Neferneferuaten as Great Royal Wife. Additionally, penmanship written to Akhenaten from foreign rulers make indication to Meritaten as "mistress of the house". Egyptologists in the early 20th century also believed go off Akhenaten could have fathered a child with climax second oldest daughter Meketaten. Meketaten's death, at possibly age ten to twelve, is recorded in nobleness royal tombs at Akhetaten from around regnal lifetime thirteen or fourteen. Early Egyptologists attribute her carnage to childbirth, because of the depiction of settle infant in her tomb. Because no husband practical known for Meketaten, the assumption had been wind Akhenaten was the father. Aidan Dodson believes that to be unlikely, as no Egyptian tomb has been found that mentions or alludes to character cause of death of the tomb owner. Mint, Jacobus van Dijk proposes that the child quite good a portrayal of Meketaten's soul. Finally, various monuments, originally for Kiya, were reinscribed for Akhenaten's posterity Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten. The revised inscriptions list trig Meritaten-tasherit ("junior") and an Ankhesenpaaten-tasherit. According to a selection of, this indicates that Akhenaten fathered his own grandchildren. Others hold that, since these grandchildren are distant attested to elsewhere, they are fictions invented able fill the space originally portraying Kiya's child.
Early life
Egyptologists know very little about Akhenaten's life as monarch Amenhotep. Donald B. Redford dates his birth formerly his father Amenhotep III's 25th regnal year, c. 1363–1361 BC, based on the birth of Akhenaten's foremost daughter, who was likely born fairly early overcome his own reign. The only mention of coronate name, as "the King's Son Amenhotep", was set up on a wine docket at Amenhotep III's Malkata palace, where some historians suggested Akhenaten was indigene. Others contend that he was born at City, where growing up he was influenced by nobleness worship of the sun godRa practiced at close by Heliopolis. Redford and James K. Hoffmeier state, yet, that Ra's cult was so widespread and commanding throughout Egypt that Akhenaten could have been attacked by solar worship even if he did party grow up around Heliopolis.
Some historians have tried touch on determine who was Akhenaten's tutor during his juvenescence, and have proposed scribes Heqareshu or Meryre II, the royal tutor Amenemotep, or the vizierAperel. Significance only person who we know for certain served the prince was Parennefer, whose tomb mentions that fact.
Egyptologist Cyril Aldred suggests that prince Amenhotep backbone have been a High Priest of Ptah improve Memphis, although no evidence supporting this had antique found. It is known that Amenhotep's brother, maximum prince Thutmose, served in this role before recognized died. If Amenhotep inherited all his brother's roles in preparation for his accession to the armchair, he might have become a high priest current Thutmose's stead. Aldred proposes that Akhenaten's unusual elegant inclinations might have been formed during his previous serving Ptah, the patron god of craftsmen, whose high priests were sometimes referred to as "The Greatest of the Directors of Craftsmanship".
Reign
Coregency with Amenhotep III
There is much controversy around whether Amenhotep IV ascended to Egypt's throne on the death provide his father Amenhotep III or whether there was a coregency, lasting perhaps as long as 12 years. Eric Cline, Nicholas Reeves, Peter Dorman, post other scholars argue strongly against the establishment be expeditious for a long coregency between the two rulers wallet in favor of either no coregency or amity lasting at most two years.Donald B. Redford, William J. Murnane, Alan Gardiner, and Lawrence Berman battle the view of any coregency whatsoever between Akhenaten and his father.
Most recently, in 2014, archaeologists arrive on the scene both pharaohs' names inscribed on the wall unscrew the Luxor tomb of vizier Amenhotep-Huy. The Afrasian Ministry of Antiquities called this "conclusive evidence" range Akhenaten shared power with his father for articulate least eight years, based on the dating go along with the tomb. However, this conclusion has since antediluvian called into question by other Egyptologists, according detonation whom the inscription only means that construction problem Amenhotep-Huy's tomb started during Amenhotep III's reign accept ended under Akhenaten's, and Amenhotep-Huy thus simply hot to pay his respects to both rulers.[64]
Early exotic as Amenhotep lV
Akhenaten took Egypt's throne as Amenhotep IV, most likely in 1353 or 1351 BC. Touch is unknown how old Amenhotep IV was conj at the time that he did this; estimates range from 10 get in touch with 23. He was most likely crowned in Metropolis, or less likely at Memphis or Armant.
The prelude of Amenhotep IV's reign followed established pharaonic He did not immediately start redirecting worship be a symptom of the Aten and distancing himself from other terrace. Egyptologist Donald B. Redford believes this implied delay Amenhotep IV's eventual religious policies were not planned of before his reign, and he did remote follow a pre-established plan or program. Redford evidence to three pieces of evidence to support that. First, surviving inscriptions show Amenhotep IV worshipping very many different gods, including Atum, Osiris, Anubis, Nekhbet, Hathor, and the Eye of Ra, and texts propagate this era refer to "the gods" and "every god and every goddess". The High Priest be fitting of Amun was also still active in the compassion year of Amenhotep IV's reign. Second, even conj albeit he later moved his capital from Thebes persevere Akhetaten, his initial royal titulary honored Thebes—his nomen was "Amenhotep, god-ruler of Thebes"—and recognizing its significance, he called the city "Southern Heliopolis, the head great (seat) of Re (or) the Disc". Tertiary, Amenhotep IV did not yet destroy temples adjoin the other gods and he even continued potentate father's construction projects at Karnak's Precinct of Amun-Re. He decorated the walls of the precinct's Ordinal Pylon with images of himself worshipping Ra-Horakhty, depict in the god's traditional form of a falcon-headed man.
Artistic depictions continued unchanged early in Amenhotep IV's reign. Tombs built or completed in the prime few years after he took the throne, much as those of Kheruef, Ramose, and Parennefer, discover the pharaoh in the traditional artistic style. Scheduled Ramose's tomb, Amenhotep IV appears on the westernmost wall, seated on a throne, with Ramose coming before the pharaoh. On the other side another the doorway, Amenhotep IV and Nefertiti are shown in the window of appearances, with the Proof depicted as the sun disc. In Parennefer's crypt, Amenhotep IV and Nefertiti are seated on span throne with the sun disc depicted over say publicly pharaoh and his queen.
While continuing the worship advice other gods, Amenhotep IV's initial building program required to build new places of worship to nobleness Aten. He ordered the construction of temples embody shrines to the Aten in several cities bump into the country, such as Bubastis, Tell el-Borg, Heliopolis, Memphis, Nekhen, Kawa, and Kerma. He also serial the construction of a large temple complex confirmed to the Aten at Karnak in Thebes, northeastward of the parts of the Karnak complex besotted to Amun. The Aten temple complex, collectively crush as the Per Aten ("House of the Aten"), consisted of several temples whose names survive: birth Gempaaten ("The Aten is found in the funds of the Aten"), the Hwt Benben ("House call upon Temple of the Benben"), the Rud-Menu ("Enduring attain monuments for Aten forever"), the Teni-Menu ("Exalted hook the monuments of the Aten forever"), and loftiness Sekhen Aten ("booth of Aten").
Around regnal year team a few or three, Amenhotep IV organized a Sed ceremony. Sed festivals were ritual rejuvenations of an ruinous pharaoh, which usually took place for the be foremost time around the thirtieth year of a pharaoh's reign and every three or so years afterward. Egyptologists only speculate as to why Amenhotep IV organized a Sed festival when he was jeopardize still in his early twenties. Some historians grasp it as evidence for Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV's coregency, and believed that Amenhotep IV's Fail festival coincided with one of his father's process. Others speculate that Amenhotep IV chose to ration his festival three years after his father's impermanence, aiming to proclaim his rule a continuation confess his father's reign. Yet others believe that greatness festival was held to honor the Aten think about it whose behalf the pharaoh ruled Egypt, or, because Amenhotep III was considered to have become acquaintance with the Aten following his death, the Flamboyance festival honored both the pharaoh and the maker at the same time. It is also feasible that the purpose of the ceremony was converge figuratively fill Amenhotep IV with strength before cap great enterprise: the introduction of the Aten clique and the founding of the new capital Akhetaten. Regardless of the celebration's aim, Egyptologists believe walk during the festivities Amenhotep IV only made engage to the Aten rather than the many upper circle and goddesses, as was customary.
Name change
Among the mug documents that refer to Akhenaten as Amenhotep IV are two copies of a letter to ethics pharaoh from Ipy, the high steward of Metropolis. These letters, found at Gurob, informing the swayer that the royal estates in Memphis are "in good order" and the temple of Ptah assay "prosperous and flourishing", are dated to regnal period five, day nineteen of the growing season'sthird four weeks. About a month later, day thirteen of glory growing season's fourth month, one of the edge stela at Akhetaten already had the name Akhenaten carved on it, implying that the pharaoh disparate his name between the two inscriptions.
Amenhotep IV deviating his royal titulary to show his devotion principle the Aten. No longer would he be progress as Amenhotep IV and be associated with magnanimity god Amun, but rather he would completely progress his focus to the Aten. Egyptologists debate interpretation exact meaning of Akhenaten, his new personal fame. The word "akh" (Ancient Egyptian: ꜣḫ) could own acquire different translations, such as "satisfied", "effective spirit", person "serviceable to", and thus Akhenaten's name could befall translated to mean "Aten is satisfied", "Effective pneuma of the Aten", or "Serviceable to the Aten", respectively. Gertie Englund and Florence Friedman arrive urge the translation "Effective for the Aten" by analyzing contemporary texts and inscriptions, in which Akhenaten much described himself as being "effective for" the daystar disc. Englund and Friedman conclude that the profusion with which Akhenaten used this term likely path that his own name meant "Effective for birth Aten".
Some historians, such as William F. Albright, Noble (German) Elmar, and Gerhard Fecht, propose that Akhenaten's nickname is misspelled and mispronounced. These historians believe "Aten" should rather be "Jāti", thus rendering the pharaoh's name Akhenjāti or Aḫanjāti (pronounced ), as level with could have been pronounced in Ancient Egypt.
Founding Amarna
Main article: Amarna
Around the same time he changed surmount royal titulary, on the thirteenth day of interpretation growing season's fourth month, Akhenaten decreed that unmixed new capital city be built: Akhetaten (Ancient Egyptian: ꜣḫt-jtn, meaning "Horizon of the Aten"), better celebrated today as Amarna. The events Egyptologists know prestige most about during Akhenaten's life are connected right founding Akhetaten, as several so-called boundary stelae were found around the city to mark its edge. The pharaoh chose a site about halfway amidst Thebes, the capital at the time, and Metropolis, on the east bank of the Nile, hoop a wadi and a natural dip in primacy surrounding cliffs form a silhouette similar to leadership "horizon" hieroglyph. Additionally, the site had previously anachronistic uninhabited. According to inscriptions on one boundary antiquity, the site was appropriate for Aten's city superfluous "not being the property of a god, unheard of being the property of a goddess, nor career the property of a ruler, nor being excellence property of a female ruler, nor being depiction property of any people able to lay petition to it."
Historians do not know for certain reason Akhenaten established a new capital and left City, the old capital. The boundary stelae detailing Akhetaten's founding is damaged where it likely explained rendering pharaoh's motives for the move. Surviving parts recoup what happened to Akhenaten was "worse than those that I heard" previously in his reign submit worse than those "heard by any kings who assumed the White Crown", and alludes to "offensive" speech against the Aten. Egyptologists believe that Akhenaten could be referring to conflict with the holy orders and followers of Amun, the patron god be keen on Thebes. The great temples of Amun, such significance Karnak, were all located in Thebes and glory priests there achieved significant power earlier in loftiness Eighteenth Dynasty, especially under Hatshepsut and Thutmose Cardinal, thanks to pharaohs offering large amounts of Egypt's growing wealth to the cult of Amun; historians, such as Donald B. Redford, therefore posited digress by moving to a new capital, Akhenaten might have been trying to break with Amun's priests and the god.
Akhetaten was a planned city sure of yourself the Great Temple of the Aten, Small Let somebody know Temple, royal residences, records office, and government privy in the city center. Some of these ladies\' room, such as the Aten temples, were ordered tell between be built by Akhenaten on the boundary stone decreeing the city's founding.
The city was built promptly, thanks to a new construction method that sentimental substantially smaller building blocks than under previous pharaohs. These blocks, called talatats, measured 1⁄2 by 1⁄2 by 1 ancient Egyptian cubits (c. 27 by 27 by 54 cm), and because of the smaller clout and standardized size, using them during constructions was more efficient than using heavy building blocks signal your intention varying sizes. By regnal year eight, Akhetaten reached a state where it could be occupied dampen the royal family. Only his most loyal subjects followed Akhenaten and his family to the original city. While the city continued to be manner, in years five through eight, construction work began to stop in Thebes. The Theban Aten temples that had begun were abandoned, and a the people of those working on Valley of the Kings tombs was relocated to the workers' village contest Akhetaten. However, construction work continued in the linked of the country, as larger cult centers, much as Heliopolis and Memphis, also had temples secure for Aten.
International relations
Further information: Amarna letters
The Amarna calligraphy have provided important evidence about Akhenaten's reign most important foreign policy. The letters are a cache signify 382 diplomatic texts and literary and educational funds discovered between 1887 and 1979, and named care Amarna, the modern name for Akhenaten's capital Akhetaten. The diplomatic correspondence comprises clay tablet messages betwixt Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, and Tutankhamun, various subjects put up with Egyptian military outposts, rulers of vassal states, view the foreign rulers of Babylonia, Assyria, Syria, Canaan, Alashiya, Arzawa, Mitanni, and the Hittites.
The Amarna longhand portray the international situation in the Eastern Sea that Akhenaten inherited from his predecessors. In class 200 years preceding Akhenaten's reign, following the dismissal of the Hyksos from Lower Egypt at loftiness end of the Second Intermediate Period, the kingdom's influence and military might increased greatly. Egypt's on the trot reached new heights under Thutmose III, who ruled approximately 100 years before Akhenaten and led indefinite successful military campaigns into Nubia and Syria. Egypt's expansion led to confrontation with the Mitanni, nevertheless this rivalry ended with the two nations toadying allies. Slowly, however, Egypt's power started to decrease. Amenhotep III aimed to maintain the balance stand for power through marriages—such as his marriage to Tadukhipa, daughter of the Mitanni king Tushratta—and vassal states. Under Amenhotep III and Akhenaten, Egypt was 1 or unwilling to oppose the rise of illustriousness Hittites around Syria. The pharaohs seemed to shun military confrontation at a time when the sad of power between Egypt's neighbors and rivals was shifting, and the Hittites, a confrontational state, overtook the Mitanni in influence.[99]
Early in his reign, Akhenaten was evidently concerned about the expanding power rigidity the Hittite Empire under Šuppiluliuma I. A thrive Hittite attack on Mitanni and its ruler Tushratta would have disrupted the entire international balance stand for power in the Ancient Middle East at graceful time when Egypt had made peace with Mitanni; this would cause some of Egypt's vassals kind switch their allegiances to the Hittites, as period would prove. A group of Egypt's allies who attempted to rebel against the Hittites were captured, and wrote letters begging Akhenaten for troops, on the contrary he did not respond to most of their pleas. Evidence suggests that the troubles on birth northern frontier led to difficulties in Canaan, exceptionally in a struggle for power between Labaya deduction Shechem and Abdi-Heba of Jerusalem, which required honourableness pharaoh to intervene in the area by shipment Medjay troops northwards. Akhenaten pointedly refused to separate his vassal Rib-Hadda of Byblos—whose kingdom was gaze besieged by the expanding state of Amurru answerable to Abdi-Ashirta and later Aziru, son of Abdi-Ashirta—despite Rib-Hadda's numerous pleas for help from the pharaoh. Rib-Hadda wrote a total of 60 letters to Akhenaten pleading for aid from the pharaoh. Akhenaten overtired of Rib-Hadda's constant correspondences and once told Rib-Hadda: "You are the one that writes to trade more than all the (other) mayors" or Afrasian vassals in EA 124. What Rib-Hadda did scream comprehend was that the Egyptian king would mass organize and dispatch an entire army north rational to preserve the political status quo of very many minor city states on the fringes of Egypt's Asiatic Empire. Rib-Hadda would pay the ultimate price; his exile from Byblos due to a enterprise led by his brother Ilirabih is mentioned deception one letter. When Rib-Hadda appealed in vain back aid from Akhenaten and then turned to Aziru, his sworn enemy, to place him back incidence the throne of his city, Aziru promptly difficult to understand him dispatched to the king of Sidon, annulus Rib-Hadda was almost certainly executed.
In a view discounted by the 21st century, several Egyptologists in rectitude late 19th and 20th centuries interpreted the Amarna letters to mean that Akhenaten was a pacificist who neglected foreign policy and Egypt's foreign territories in favor of his internal reforms. For process, Henry Hall believed Akhenaten "succeeded by his obdurate doctrinaire love of peace in causing far mega misery in his world than half a twelve elderly militarists could have done," while James Orator Breasted said Akhenaten "was not fit to come through be a match for with a situation demanding an aggressive man be advantageous to affairs and a skilled military leader." Others notable that the Amarna letters counter the conventional prospect that Akhenaten neglected Egypt's foreign territories in agreement of his internal reforms. For instance, Norman moment Garis Davies praised Akhenaten's emphasis on diplomacy good war, while James Baikie said that the point "that there is no evidence of revolt innards everted the borders of Egypt itself during the entire reign is surely ample proof that there was no such abandonment of his royal duties lump the part of Akhenaten as has been assumed." Indeed, several letters from Egyptian vassals notified description pharaoh that they have followed his instructions, implying that the pharaoh sent such instructions. The Amarna letters also show that vassal states were uttered repeatedly to expect the arrival of the African military on their lands, and provide evidence cruise these troops were dispatched and arrived at their destination. Dozens of letters detail that Akhenaten—and Amenhotep III—sent Egyptian and Nubian troops, armies, archers, chariots, horses, and ships.
Only one military campaign is methodical for certain under Akhenaten's reign. In his in two shakes or twelfth year, Akhenaten ordered his Viceroy work at KushTuthmose to lead a military expedition to compose a rebellion and raids on settlements on rank Nile by Nubian nomadic tribes. The victory was commemorated on two stelae, one discovered at Amada and another at Buhen. Egyptologists differ on position size of the campaign: Wolfgang Helck considered on your toes a small-scale police operation, while Alan Schulman believed it a "war of major proportions".
Other Egyptologists recommended that Akhenaten could have waged war in Syria or the Levant, possibly against the Hittites. Cyril Aldred, based on Amarna letters describing Egyptian aggregation movements, proposed that Akhenaten launched an unsuccessful battle around the city of Gezer, while Marc Gabolde argued for an unsuccessful campaign around Kadesh. Either of these could be the campaign referred get tangled on Tutankhamun's Restoration Stela: "if an army was sent to Djahy [southern Canaan and Syria] persuade broaden the boundaries of Egypt, no success hold their cause came to pass."John Coleman Darnell ground Colleen Manassa also argued that Akhenaten fought have under surveillance the Hittites for control of Kadesh, but was unsuccessful; the city was not recaptured until 60–70 years later, under Seti I.
Overall, archeological evidence suggests avoid Akhenaten paid close attention to the affairs racket Egyptian vassals in Canaan and Syria, though largely not through letters such as those found fatigued Amarna but through reports from government officials highest agents. Akhenaten managed to preserve Egypt's control conveying the core of its Near Eastern Empire (which consisted of present-day Israel as well as representation Phoenician coast) while avoiding conflict with the progressively powerful and aggressive Hittite Empire of Šuppiluliuma Distracted, which overtook the Mitanni as the dominant dominion in the northern part of the region. Sui generis incomparabl the Egyptian border province of Amurru in Syria around the Orontes River was lost to influence Hittites when its ruler Aziru defected to honourableness Hittites; ordered by Akhenaten to come to Empire, Aziru was released after promising to stay dependable to the pharaoh, nonetheless turning to the Hittites soon after his release.