King Akhenaten was one of the most original minds known to us in Egyptian history. His bringing up was probably far more favorable to awakening powers of thought than was usually the case with the Pharaohs. Through his mother, Queen Tiy, he had been in close contact with the religions of Mesopotamia, perhaps even with Israelite monotheism; suddenly he cast off the traditions of his own country and all its multitudinous deities of heaven, earth, and the underworld, and devoted himself to the worship of one god, visible and exalted, before whom all else seemed either petty, gross, or unreal. His motto, as Professor Petrie has remarked, was "living in truth"; and according to his lights he lived up to it. Fervently he adored his god; and we may well believe that the words of this hymn are those which flowed from his own heart as he contemplated the mighty and beneficent power of the Sun. This heretical doctrine roused the passions of the orthodox, who, triumphing over Akhenaten's reform, condemned his monuments to systematic destruction. Beautiful is thy resplendent appearing on the horizon of heaven, O living Aten, thou who art the beginning of life. When thou ascendest in the eastern horizon thou fillest every land with thy beauties; Thou art fair and great, radiant, high above the earth; Thy beams encompass the lands to the sum of all that thou hast created. Thou art the Sun; thou catchest them according to their sum; Thou subduest them with thy love. Though thou art afar, thy beams are on the earth; Thou art in the sky, and day followeth thy steps. When thou settest on the western horizon of heaven, The land is in darkness like unto death; They sleep in their chambers; Their heads are covered, their nostrils are closed, the eye seeth not his fellow; All their goods are stolen from under their heads, and they know it not. Every lion cometh forth out of its cave, All creeping things bite. The earth is silent, and he that made them resteth on his horizon. At dawn of day thou risest on the horizon and shinest as Aten by day. Darkness flees, thou givest forth thy rays, the two lands are in festival day by day; They wake and stand upon their feet, for thou hast raised them up; Their limbs are purified, they clothe themselves with their garments; Their hands are uplifted in adoration at thy rising. The whole land goeth about its several labors. Flocks rest in their pastures; Trees and plants grow green; Birds fly forth from their nests,-- Their wings are adoring thy _Ka_.[218] All flocks leap upon their feet; All flying things and all hovering things, they live when thou risest upon them. Ships pass down-stream, and pass up-stream likewise, Every way is open at thy rising. The fishes on the river leap up before thee; Thy rays are within the great waters.