Akhenaten Gave Us the 4th of July

Let's get down to it, the USA is a concept founded way before July 4, 1776.  Thousands of years before Columbus was aware of the existence of our Western Hemisphere, the vision of equality and justice for all was founded in ancient Egypt. 

In his book, "The Sceret Destiny of America," Manly P Hall tells us that as far back as in ancient Egyptian times, the Western Hemisphere we call America, was chosen as the sight of a World Wide Democracy headquarters. And the roots of this nation can be seen in Akhenaten, the first democratic, humanitarian, and the first internationalist. 

Akhenaten saw that the duty of the ruler is to protect for all the right to live well, to think, to dream, to hope, to aspire, and for these beliefs he cheerfully gave his life. 

Akhenaten, Pharaoh of Egypt, throned under the title Amen-Hotep IV, was the first ruler in recorded history to exemplify social consciousness in the administration of a great nation. He had been ruler only a few years before he challenged the  priesthood and proclaimed a new spiritual dispensation, and to escape his enemies he built a new capitol city one hundred and sixty miles up the Nile from Cairo.  His new faith was Atonism; and he named his city Khut-en-Aton -- the horizon of the Aton -- and dedicated the city with these words: "Ye behold the City of the Horizon of Aton, which the Aton has desired me to make as a monument to the great Majesty forever. For it was Aton, my Father, that brought me to this City of the Horizon."

As High Priest of his new religion, Amen-Hotep IVchanged his name to Akhnaton, becasue the older name included the word Amen, whose faith he had rejected. 

Charles F. Potter, in his History of Religion, says of Akhenaten that he was, "the first pacifist, the first realist, the first monotheist, the first democrat, the first humanitarian, the fist internationalist, and the first person to found a religion."

Akhenaten, seated in the garden of his palace, spent many hours watching the flight of birds and listening to the voices of little creatures.  He tells us that he found "the Aton" in all of them; and that his heart went out to them, and he gave thanks for the goodness in everything that lived. Although through the years, most have attributed "Aton" to a monolithic Man god, I believe it was more of the Universal Law Akhnton had tapped in, but as all good souls, attributed his blessing to his father and mother. 

Akhenaten was a Pharaoh who traveled alone through the countryside, meeting the peasants and slaves, and sharing the simple food of the poor. He could not accept the inequalities of birth, wealth, or physical estate as a justification for men persecuting each other or exploiting one another. He saw every living thing as devine. If I might add, he sounds like an earlier incarnation of the original Buddha, but I'll save that story for another time. 

As might be expected, the Amon-Ra priesthood didn't like this and after so took control of the Hittite nation's army to invade Akhnaton in the name of Amen, but Akhnaton wouldn't retaliate, the dreamer king saw his lands pillaged and his cities conquered, but he would not kill his enemies for they were children of the world. 

Akhenaten died in his thirty-sixth year, at the altar of the temple of the faith he created. When his mummy case was found, the following prayer to the Aton was discovered inscribed on the golden foil beneath his feet: "I breathe the sweet breath which comes forth from Thy mouth.  I behold Thy beauty every day...Give me Thy hands, holding Thy spirit, that I may receive it and may be lifted by it. Call Thou upon my name unto eternity, and it shall never fail."

So why am I writing about Akhenaten on this July 4th, 2026? Democracy.  For this is the backbone of the Republic our founders intrusted us with. So, enjoy your hotdogs, watermelon, and fireworks, but don't forget the reason for the season. Love Thy neighbor, peace, justice, and equality for all. It's as American as Apple Pie.

Why is the hotdog one of America's favorite foods?  

Besides being associated with the esoteric "Dog Days of Summer," the term dog has been used as a synonym for sausage since the 1800s, with one thought being that it came from accusations that sausage makers used dog meat, starting in at least 1845.  In the early 20th century, consumption of dog meat in Germany was common. The suspicion that sausages contained dog meat was "occasionally justified."  Enjoy your meat this summer you ferocious meat eaters.


The Reason You Will Drink Too Much Beer This Day, eat Dog Meat, and possibly blow off your index finger with a firecracker?

The Declaration of Independence.   Yes, that liberal doctrine that provided the ideological foundations for the democratic government of the United States, promoting the idea that the government exists to serve the people, who elect representatives to express their will.  A "social contract" between people and their rulers, which can be dissolved if rulers fails to promote the people's welfare for a group of white supremacist -- I added the last part.

Least you forget, please read the following section out loud today and take a deep breath, it really is okay to be liberal boys-and-girls, it is the basis for the founding of this great country:

 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

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Concordia

 In ancient times, the 4th of July was the date that Pax, the Roman goddess of peace and harmony, who was also identified with the Greek goddess Concordia, was honored with a considerable amount of feasting and revelry.

Happy 4th Everyone!