Why was monotheism unusual in it time and place?

Monotheism was certainly unusual when it surfaced in the reign of Amenhotep IV, who renamed himself Akhenaten. ancient Egypt was a strongly polytheistic society, and the worship of gods was a major industry. The priesthood were not happy about Akenaten's monotheistic experiment, and returned the country to polytheism after his death, when his son, the boy-king Tutankhamun ruled.