Topical Encyclopedia
Amarna refers to an archaeological site in Egypt, known for its historical significance during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BC. This site is particularly notable for the discovery of the Amarna Letters, a collection of clay tablets that provide valuable insights into the political and diplomatic relations of the time, including interactions with various Canaanite city-states and other regions mentioned in the Bible.
Historical ContextAmarna, originally known as Akhetaten, was established by Pharaoh Akhenaten as the new capital of Egypt. Akhenaten is known for his religious reforms, which included the promotion of the worship of Aten, the sun disk, as the supreme deity. This monotheistic shift was a significant departure from the traditional Egyptian polytheistic beliefs and had profound effects on the region's political and religious landscape.
The Amarna LettersThe Amarna Letters, discovered in the late 19th century, consist of approximately 380 cuneiform tablets. These letters are primarily diplomatic correspondence between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru, as well as with other regional powers such as Babylon, Assyria, and the Hittites. The letters are written in Akkadian, the diplomatic lingua franca of the time.
Biblical ConnectionsThe Amarna Letters provide a backdrop to the geopolitical environment during the period of the Judges and the early monarchy in Israel. Although the Bible does not explicitly mention Amarna, the letters offer context to the biblical narrative by illustrating the complex relationships between Egypt and the Canaanite city-states. This period aligns with the time of the Israelite settlement in Canaan, as described in the books of Joshua and Judges.
The letters mention several cities and regions that are also found in the biblical text, such as Jerusalem, Gezer, and Lachish. For instance, the ruler of Jerusalem, Abdi-Heba, is a correspondent in the Amarna Letters, highlighting the city's significance long before its conquest by King David.
Cultural and Religious SignificanceThe religious reforms of Akhenaten, centered at Amarna, have intrigued scholars and theologians, particularly in their apparent monotheistic tendencies. While Akhenaten's worship of Aten differs from the monotheism of the Israelites, some have speculated on possible influences or parallels. However, the Bible presents the worship of Yahweh as distinct and divinely revealed to the patriarchs and Moses, as seen in passages like
Exodus 3:14, where God reveals Himself to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM."
Archaeological InsightsThe archaeological findings at Amarna, including the city layout, temples, and art, provide a glimpse into the unique cultural and religious practices of Akhenaten's reign. The art style, characterized by its realism and departure from traditional Egyptian forms, reflects the broader changes initiated by the pharaoh.
The Amarna period was relatively short-lived, as Akhenaten's successors, including Tutankhamun, restored the traditional religious practices and moved the capital back to Thebes. Despite its brief duration, the Amarna period remains a critical point of study for understanding the ancient Near East and its connections to the biblical world.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
AMARNA, TELL EL-tel-el-a-mar'-na. SeeTELL EL-AMARNA.
Library
Editor's Preface
... and it must be no slight satisfaction to him to find that on the whole his system
of transliteration is confirmed by the cuneiform tablets of Tel el-Amarna....
Chapter xxxiii
... made. Such tokens of respect to the number of seven were the customary homage
tendered to kings according to the el-Amarna tab1ets....
Canaan
... The cuneiform tablets found at Tel el-Amarna in Upper Egypt give us a vivid picture
of its condition at the close of the Eighteenth dynasty....
Introduction
... of early Oriental history, and reversed the critical judgments which had prevailed
in regard to it, was that of the cuneiform tablets of Tel el-Amarna....
Egypt
... king. He left the city of his fathers, and built a new capital farther north,
where its ruins are now known as Tel el-Amarna. Here...
Chapter xiv
... before"""east". Damm??seq is the ancient city of Damascus, known also
later from theAmarna tablets as Dimaski. 16. That Abram...
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 5
... Atonu and Khuitniatonu -- Change of physiognomy in Khuniaton, his character, his
government, his relations with Asia: the tombs of Tel el-Amarna and the art of...
The Place of the Old Testament in Divine Revelation
... by conquest and by commerce, the dominant civilization of the Euphrates valley had
been regnant in the land of Canaan, The Tell-el-Amarna letters, written from...
The Old Testament and Archeology
... to certain inscriptions which throw considerable light on conditions in Palestine
before the Hebrew conquest, namely, the so-called Tel-el-Amarna tablets.[7...
The Christian View of the Old Testament
... Style, 21. Taylor Cylinder, 138 f. Tel-el-Amarna tablets, 125 ff. Temple, 179. Textual
criticism, 68 ff., 74. Tiglath-pileser IV, 134 ff. Tirhaka, 139 f....
Thesaurus
Amarna... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
AMARNA, TELL EL-.
tel-el-a-mar'-na. See TELL EL-
AMARNA.
...El-amarna
El-amarna. Elamarna, El-amarna. Elamites . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia TELL EL-AMARNA; TABLETS. tel-el-a-mar'-na, I...
Lachish (22 Occurrences)
... Lachish has been identified with Tell-el-Hesy, where a cuneiform tablet has been
found, containing a letter supposed to be from Amenophis atAmarna in reply to...
Arvad (2 Occurrences)
... The inhabitants were called Arvadites. The name is written Aruada or Arada in the
Tell-el-Amarna tablets. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ARVAD; ARVADITES....
Elamarna
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia TELL EL-AMARNA; TABLETS. tel-el-a-mar'-na,
I. INTRODUCTION 1. Name 2. Discovery 3. Physical Character II....
Tablets (31 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia TELL EL-AMARNA; TABLETS. tel-el-a-mar'-na,
I. INTRODUCTION 1. Name 2. Discovery 3. Physical Character II....
Melchizedek (12 Occurrences)
... One of theAmarna tablets is from Ebed-Tob, king of Jerusalem, the successor of
Melchizedek, in which he claims the very attributes and dignity given to...
Tell (3056 Occurrences)
... (n.) A hill or mound. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. TELL EL-AMARNA; TABLETS.
tel-el-a-mar'-na, I. INTRODUCTION 1. Name 2. Discovery 3. Physical Character II...
Melchisedec (10 Occurrences)
... having neither beginning of days nor end of life"; he "abideth a priest continually."
The answer is perhaps to be had among the Tell el-Amarna Letters, among...
Canaan (102 Occurrences)
... 4. History (1) Stone Age (2) Bronze Age (3) A Babylonian Province (4) Jerusalem
Founded (5) The Hyksos (6) Egyptian Conquest (7) Tell el-Amarna Tablets 5. The...
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