Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which other names and words were sometimes erased during Akhenaten’s persecution of older gods?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Sculpted head of Akhenaten, ancient Egyptian pharaoh, with elongated facial features and a tall, ornate headdress, displayed at the Alexandria National Museum. — Akhenaten Akhenaten, sculpture in the Alexandria National Museum, Egypt.

During his religious revolution, Akhenaten initiated an intense persecution of older deities, most notably the Theban god Amon, whose name was systematically excised from monuments throughout Egypt.12

In addition to Amon, Akhenaten targeted other figures and terms associated with traditional Egyptian religion:

Mut: Amon’s consort was also subject to these erasures.2
"Gods": The plural word for "gods" was occasionally expunged from inscriptions.12

The reasons for this widespread destruction remain unclear, though it occurred alongside the elevation of the Aton as the sole beneficent provider and the suspension of traditional cults.31