In writing the play, Christie was assisted by the eminent Egyptologist, Stephen Glanville,[1] who was a friend of both her and her husband, Max Mallowan.

In May 1972, Christie came across the manuscript, and sent it to her publisher in view of the interest in ancient Egypt prompted by the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition which ran at the British Museum from 30 March until 30 September of that year, although she admitted that it would be an expensive production to stage.

She made minor revisions to her 1937 manuscript and asked that it be published;[3] however there were still major differences between events in the play and what was then known of this time in Egyptian history (such as Akhnaton now being known to have a second wife called Kiya).

Queen Tiye (called Tyi in the play) greets the delegation together with her son, Akhnaton, who is described as a "fragile-looking boy with intelligent eyes".

Akhnaton is revealed to the audience as an artist, poet and mystic who believes in a world where all men are free and fighting will end through love.

Nefertiti's calculating sister, Nezzemut asks her dwarf servant, Para, for a vision of the future through sand divining.

Scene 3 – A bank of the Nile, 300 miles below Thebes (A month later): On his royal barge, Akhnaton decides on the spot for his new city of Horizon (at the site of modern-day Amarna).

Scene 2 – The King's Pavilion in the City of Horizon (six months later): Akhnaton is revealed as the sculptor of the famous bust of Nefertiti (see right).

Akhnaton is convinced that the religion of Amon is to blame and issues decrees to wipe all traces of him from Egypt – even from the tombs of the dead.

Scene 1 – The King's Pavilion (three years later): Akhnaton is weak and ill, but still believing in the goodness of men, he is still deaf to the pleas of Horemheb who begs to be allowed to deal with the insurrectionists across Egypt and its provinces.

Scene 2 – A Street in No Amon (six months later): Horemheb and Meriptah hear the people as they mourn the dead who have lost their lives through famine, plague and attack from outside.

Scene 3 – A room in the High Priest's House (the same day): Meriptah, Horemheb, Tutankhaton and Nezzemut plan Akhnaton's overthrow.

Scene 4 – A Room in the Palace of the city of Horizon (a month later): One tragedy after another falls on Akhnaton as he hears of further rebellions across Egypt, as Horemheb tells him that he no longer supports him, that his son-in-law Tutankhaton has turned against him and that the supposedly finished cult of Amon has risen again.

He falls into a hysterical fever at these events, prompting Nezzemut to suggest that Para make one of her famous brews (i.e. poison) to calm him.