Glossary of Historical Names
Akhenaten Pharaoh of Egypt during 1353–1334/6 BCE. Son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
Akhetaten A new capital of ancient Egypt established 1346 BCE during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Amenhotep III Pharaoh of Egypt during 1391–1353 BCE. Father of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Amorites Semitic people living in what is today Syria and western Iraq. Their kingdom was known as Amurru.
Amun Also known as Amun-Ra, the chief deity in ancient Egypt and patron god of Thebes.
Amurru Ancient kingdom of the Amorite people in today’s Syria. It disappeared around 1200 BCE.
Ankhesenaten Also known as Ankhesenamun, one of Pharaoh Akhenaten’s six daughters.
Anubis The Egyptian jackal-headed protector of the dead and embalming, also the god of funerals and death.
Astarte The Greek name for the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar.
Aten The name of the only god, displayed as the sun, during Pharaoh Akhenaten’s monotheistic reform period.
Ay Pharaoh of Egypt briefly after Tutankhamun and the possible father of Queen Nefertiti.
Aziru The Canaanite ruler of Amurru kingdom during Pharaoh Akhenaten’s reign. Originally a vassal of Egypt, but later switched sides to the Hittites.
Ba In ancient Egypt, the part of the soul that makes a person unique, i.e. gives him his personality.
Baal A Semitic name for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Middle East.
Babylon An ancient city in today’s Iraq.
Bastet The Egyptian cat-headed goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music and love.
Beketaten The daughter of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his consort Queen Tiye and sister to Pharaoh Akhenaten.
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Book of the Dead An ancient Egyptian funerary text written on papyrus. It contained various spells and was often placed in the tomb amongst other offerings to ease the passage in to the afterlife.
Burnaburiash The Kassite ruler of Babylon during 1359 – 1333 BCE.
Byblos An ancient trade and port city in today’s Lebanon.
Chaldea An ancient Semitic nation in today’s Iraq.
Carchemish An ancient city in the border of today’s Turkey and Syria.
City of the Dead A large cemetery area close to Thebes on the opposite side of the Nile. Valley of the Kings is the best known part of this area.
Crete A large island in the Mediterranean, part of today’s Greece. Famous for its Minoan civilisation that came to an end abruptly.
Deben An old Egyptian weight unit. Its definition varied in different times, but during Pharaoh Akhenaten’s reign 1 deben was equivalent to approximately 91 grams.
Devourer A female demon in ancient Egyptian religion with a body that was part lion, hippopotamus and crocodile. She would devour impure souls and prevent them from entering the afterlife. Also known as Ammit.
Egypt An ancient civilisation and country in north-east Africa that still exists today. The river Nile runs through it.
Gaza An ancient and modern city in today’s Palestine.
Habirus A nomadic tribe active in the Middle East during 1800-1100 BCE. Some research regards them as the forefathers of the Hebrews.
Hatshepsut A female Pharaoh who reigned Egypt over a hundred years before the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. She is well-known for her colonnaded mortuary temple close to the Valley of the Kings.
Hattusa An ancient capital of the Hittite empire in today’s Turkey. Herihor The High Priest of Amun at Thebes. He lived over 200 years after the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten, but is described as his contemporary by the author.
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