We find out what happened to Akhenaten….
As usual, full text is below the fold.
[Scene 1: ancient Egypt]
Khnum: Did you hear the news? The Pharaoh Akhenaten is dead!
Sekhmet: And the humans stopped believing that there is only one god.
Hathor: We can go back to being gods and goddesses again.
Bes: The humans need lots of gods and goddesses.
Khnum: Like me, Khnum, the god who made all living creatures from clay on my potter’s wheel.
Sekhmet: Like me, Sekhmet, the goddess of war, with magic that can help with healing.
Hathor: Like me, Hathor, the sky goddess who is also a cow.
Bes: Like me, Bes, the cheeky god who protects humans from evil.
Aten: And me, Aten, god of the sun.
Khnum: Sorry, Aten, but you’ve been downgraded.
Aten: What do you mean, downgraded?
Sekhmet: They’re changing your name to Re.
Hathor: They’re going to combine you with with Amun, the creator god.
Aten: But I was just getting used to being the only god!
Bes: That’s what happens when you’re a god. You’re important for a while, then the humans forget all about you.
[Scene 2: 21st century]
Greg: Aten was the only god for maybe fifty years. Then they went back to having lots of gods and goddesses.
Emma: And now we’ve mostly forgotten all those other gods and goddesses.
Greg: Some people say Pharaoh Akhenaten was the first Unitarian, because he only believed in one god.
Sarah K.: I’m not sure I want to claim him as a Unitarian.
John: Yeah, he doesn’t seem very nice.
Sarah D.: This story makes me wonder about gods and goddesses.
Emma: Me, too. Maybe gods and goddesses are just imaginary.
Sarah: Maybe humans have never really understood gods and goddesses.
John: Maybe there’s some truth in all the gods and goddesses.
Sarah D.: Maybe gods and goddesses change over time.
Greg: And maybe we should never trust someone who thinks they know all there is to know about gods and goddesses.
British police box image: CC BY SA 2.0 Immanuel Burton