Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb

The book Amarna Sunset tells the story of the decline and fall of the pharaoh Akhenaten's religious revolution in the fourteenth century BC, including the deaths of many of the king's loved ones, his attempts to guarantee the revolution, and the last frenzied assault on the god Amun. It outlines the events of the subsequent five decades that saw the extinction of the royal line, an attempt to place a foreigner on Egypt's throne, and the accession of three army officers. It concludes that the mother of Tutankhamun was Nefertiti and that the queen was joint-pharaoh with her husband Akhenaten and her son, instrumental in beginning the return to orthodoxy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Publication date: 30 May 2018
Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press

Amarna Sunset vividly portrays the tragic decline and downfall of Pharaoh Akhenaten's religious revolution in the fourteenth century BC. Beginning at the height of his reign in Year 12, the book traces the subsequent collapse that led to the untimely demise of numerous close associates of the king, including his beloved wife and children. In his desperate bid to ensure the survival of his revolution, Akhenaten attempted to establish a system of co-rulers, but this ultimately failed. The final chapter of the book recounts the frenzied assault on the god Amun, marking a pivotal moment in the revolution's trajectory.

Over the ensuing five decades, the royal line came to an end, and attempts were made to install a foreign ruler on the throne of Egypt. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, and three army officers eventually ascended to power. Among the remarkable conclusions reached in Amarna Sunset is the identification of Nefertiti as the mother of Tutankhamun. Furthermore, the book reveals that Nefertiti shared the throne with her husband Akhenaten and her son, making her a joint-pharaoh. This revelation played a significant role in initiating the return to orthodoxy, undoing the life-work of her erstwhile husband before her enigmatic disappearance.

This fully updated and extensively revised paperback edition incorporates new evidence and discussions that have emerged in the decade since the book's original publication. Amarna Sunset, in conjunction with its companion volume, Amarna Sunrise, offers readers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of Egyptian history during the golden years of the Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789774168598
Edition number: Revised Edition