 In the reign of Akhenaten ( c . 1353 – 1336 BC ) in the mid @-@ New Kingdom , a single solar deity , the Aten , became the sole focus of the state religion . Akhenaten ceased to fund the temples of other deities and erased the gods ' names and images on monuments , targeting Amun in particular . This new religious system , sometimes called Atenism , differed dramatically from the polytheistic worship of many gods in all other periods . Whereas , in earlier times , newly important gods were integrated into existing religious beliefs , Atenism insisted on a single understanding of the divine that excluded the traditional multiplicity of perspectives . Yet Atenism may not have been full monotheism , which totally excludes belief in other deities . There is evidence suggesting that the general populace was still allowed to worship other gods in private . The picture is further complicated by Atenism 's apparent tolerance for some other deities , like Shu . For these reasons , the Egyptologist Dominic Montserrat suggested that Akhenaten may have been monolatrous , worshipping a single deity while acknowledging the existence of others . In any case , Atenism 's aberrant theology did not take root among the Egyptian populace , and Akhenaten 's successors returned to traditional beliefs . 
 In the reign of Akhenaten ( c . 1353 – 1336 BC ) in the mid @-@ New Kingdom , a single solar deity , the Aten , became the sole focus of the state religion . Akhenaten ceased to fund the temples of other deities and erased the gods <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>names and images on monuments , targeting Amun in particular . This new religious system , sometimes called Atenism , differed dramatically from the polytheistic worship of many gods in all other periods . Whereas , in earlier times , newly important gods <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> integrated into existing religious beliefs , Atenism insisted on a single understanding of the divine <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a>excluded the traditional multiplicity of perspectives . Yet Atenism may <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>not</mark></a>have <a href='negative_concord' title='5'><mark>been</mark></a> full monotheism , which totally <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>excludes</mark></a> belief in other deities . <a href='dey_it' title='7'><mark>There</mark></a> is evidence suggesting that the general populace was still allowed to worship other gods in private . The picture <a href='drop_aux' title='8'><mark>is</mark></a>further complicated by Atenism <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>apparent tolerance for some other deities , like Shu . For these reasons , the Egyptologist Dominic Montserrat suggested that Akhenaten may have been monolatrous , worshipping a single deity while acknowledging the existence of others . In <a href='None' title='10'><mark>any</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='11'><mark>case</mark></a> , Atenism <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>aberrant theology did not take <a href='negative_concord' title='13'><mark>root</mark></a> among the Egyptian populace , and Akhenaten <a href='null_genetive' title='14'><mark>'s</mark></a>successors returned to traditional beliefs . 
In the reign of Akhenaten ( c . 1353 – 1336 cos ) in the mid @-@ New Kingdom , a single solar deity , da Aten , became the sole focus of the state religion . Akhenaten ceased to fund the temples of other deities and erased the gods  names and images on monuments , targeting Amun in particular . This new religious system , sometimes called Atenism , differed dramatically from tdapolytheistic worship of many gods in all other periods . Whereas , in earlier times , newly important gods was integrated into existing religious beliefs , Atenism insisted on a single understanding of thdaivine excluded thedaaditional multiplicity of perspectives . Yet Atenism may have ain't full monotheism , which totally exclude belief in other deities . It is evidence suggesting that the daeral populace was still allowed to worship other gods in private . The pic further complicated by Atenism  apparent tolerance for some other deities , like Shu . For dem reasons , the Edatologist Dominic Montserrat suggested dat Akhenaten may have been monolatrous , worshipping a single deity while acknowledging the existence of others . In no case , Atenism  aberrant theology did not take no root among the Egyptian populace , and Akhenaten  successors returned to traditional beliefs .