Page "Henotheism" Paragraph 16

While the ancient Egyptian beliefs usually recognized many gods, worship was often focused primarily upon a supreme deity, and this focus also changed from time to time.

When Amenhotep IV became Pharaoh ( circa 1353 BC ), the supreme deity was considered to be Amun-Ra ( itself the result of an earlier rise to prominence of the cult of Amun, resulting in Amun becoming merged with the sun god Ra ).

Gradually, the new pharaoh shifted the focus to the god Aten, eventually declaring that Aten was not merely the supreme god, but the only god.

He changed his own name to " Akhenaten " and eventually ordered removal from the temples of the name Amun ( as well as references to the plural ' gods ').

After his death, the prior religious establishment was restored to power, and Amun-Ra once again became supreme, among many lesser deities.