ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Atenism

Atenism is a type of religion that was practiced in ancient Egypt a long time ago. It was started by a pharaoh named Akhenaten, who wanted to worship only one god called Aten instead of many gods that the people of Egypt used to worship.

So, Atenism is basically a religion that focuses on worshiping just one god, Aten. This is different from the religion of the people of ancient Egypt, who believed in many different gods and goddesses, and had different rituals for each of them.

Akhenaten believed that Aten was the only true god and that he was the creator of all things. He wanted everyone in Egypt to worship Aten and not any other gods. This idea of having just one god was new and different from what the people of Egypt were used to.

Atenism had a few special features that made it different from other religions. For instance, Akhenaten built a new capital city called Amarna which had no temples dedicated to any other gods except for Aten. He also got rid of the traditional ways of worship that were followed in Egypt, like animal sacrifices.

In order to worship Aten, Akhenaten introduced new ways of worship. People used to pray to Aten by facing the sun and waving their hands. Akhenaten also wrote hymns praising Aten, which were sung during religious ceremonies.

Atenism was a significant development in the history of religion because it introduced a new concept of monotheism, the belief in just one god. Although it did not last forever - after Akhenaten's death, the people of Egypt went back to their old ways of worshipping many gods and goddesses - it still left a lasting impact.
Related topics others have asked about: