Customer Reviews

Oedipus and Akhnaton: Myth and History

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The works by the late Dr. Velikovsky have generated a LOT of controversy in the scientific community, including vicious attacks by the renowned, late Dr. Carl Sagen. This book, however, cannot be attacked so easily by the scientific community because it deals with a subject that they tend to abhor ... mythology.

Velikovsky, an internationally acclaimed author (some would label him a genius), makes a scholarly analysis of the Oedipus myth of the Greeks and how it relates to the Egyptians. He proceeds to draw many parallels between Pharaoh Akenaten (Tutankamen's father) and Oedipus.

Whether or not Velikovsky is correct in his analysis, I cannot say. But reading this book caused me to expand my thinking about how mythology might get started based on actual, historic events.

From the author of "Worlds in Collision" (1950) and "Age is in Chaos : From Exodus to King Akhenaton", we see compelling evidence that just as Henry Schliemann may have found "Troy", Velikovsky may have found the real Akhenaton.

We find a lot of pictures and supporting evidence that the timeline of the pharaohs may have been a tad off. And in the process of finding the actual timeline, we also find an intriguing mystery. As we search through the Greek epics to find if there's really been a Troy war did Odysseus really exist, we must also ask ourselves what about the legend of Oedipus?

I will not go into the details of how this legend may be based on a historical truth as that's why you are buying the book. I can tell you that you will never look at history the same way afterwards.

For a better understanding of Akhenaton, you may want to read Sigmund Freud's "Moses and Monotheism."

Moses and Monotheism

At the beginning of this book Immanuel Velikovsky asks the intriguing, and quite reasonable, question: Why does the Oedipus legend have a sphinx outside of the Greek city of Thebes, when the sphinx is not part of Greek mythology? He then points out that Egypt, which has a very famous sphinx, also has a city named Thebes. Could the Oedipus legend be a Greek retelling of a historical event that took place in Egypt? From these speculations Velikovsky goes on to present an immense body of data and convincing interpretation of such data, to show that events and people surrounding the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, Akhnaton, correspond to the major elements and characters in the Oedipus story. This is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. I realize that many scientists are highly skeptical of Velikovsky's books showing various allegedly mythical stories to have a basis in historical evidence. I am a scientist with 44 years experience at a major research laboratory, and I find many of Velikovsky's positions to be both logical and based on sound historical and archeological evidence. Velikovsky was not a crackpot as some would claim; rather he was one of the most brilliant thinkers of the 20th century.

One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. A true-life detective story outlining the dramatic events surrounding the life of the heretic pharaoh Akhnaton and his children. As usual, Velikovsky's scholarship is first-class and his research meticulous. A far superior book to those of recent imitators, who have produced their own "theories" about Akhnaton and Tutankhamun, based largely on the (unacknowledged) inspiration of Velikovsky's work, and resting on much shakier foundations than the original.
Although Velikovsky here shows himself to be a master detective, he actually missed some crucial evidence in his support. The most important of this relates to Manetho/Josephus' story of Osarsiph and the wars of the "polluted wretches". According to this, a pharaoh named Amenophis, who sought to "see the gods," was advised by a seer named Amenophis "son of Papis," to expel certain "polluted wretches" from the country. These can only be Akhnaton (Amenhotep IV) and his namesake the seer Amenhotep, son of Hapu. After the "polluted persons" have been expelled, the seer has pangs of conscience over their treatment, and, after warning the king that the country was destined to be invaded, commits suicide. The prophesied invasion comes, and is led by one Osarsiph, who can only be Smenkhare. The latter, being too closely associated with Akhnaton, would have likewise been deemed "polluted" or "unclean." The pharaoh tnen flees, without even a token battle, and reatreats, with all his followers, into Ethiopia (Nubia).
All this is strikingly confirmed by archaeology, which shows a survival of the Aton cult in Nubia even as far as the time of the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty. (A cult shrine named Gem Aton is mentioned several times by Tirhaka). This circumstance led Breasted, among others, to surmise that the Twenty-fifth Dynasty had been founded by refugees from Egypt at the end of the Amarna Period.
With each passing year, more and more evidence emerges vindicating Velikovsky.

Velikovsky,who was truly an "original" the like of which only passes this way once, proves to the reader that the ancient Greek myth of Oedipus was actually based on the true life story of Akhnaton ,the pharoah who is known as the first monotheist. The story is strange evocative and poignant. I think there should be a Velikovsy revival !

Oedipus and Akhnaton, the first book I ever read that was written by Immanuel Velikovsky, the person often accused of creating pseudo science, is an excellent reading. One need/should not believe everything he writes; but to see how he correlates different issues and facts and analyzes them in his own style is fascinating. Perhaps many of his conclusions are inaccurate, but so could be many of the so-called "scientific" findings.

Science or Pseudo-Science, this book opened my eyes to many interesting issues. For example, it points out the possibility that Akhnaton (Akhen Aton or Amenhotep IV) could well be the person who introduced the concept of monoatheism to (at least, his part of) the world.

I also learnt from this book a feature common to many saviors or heroes: A tyrranical king, who embarks on a infanticide, following a divine prediction, to avoid danger; a child separated from his family and drifted away to a far off land for his safety; the kid's return as a grown up to his own land to educate or rule his people etc. Velikovsky mentions Jesus Christ, Oedipus and Akhnaton; but I would also like to add the name of Hindu god, Lord Krishna, to the list.

This book is full of parallels between the lives of Oedipus and Akhnaton. I don't know how many of these are true or accurate (for example, Velikovksy's reconstruction of Tutankhamen's murder episode is perhaps not valid anymore); but it's an excellent reading.