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Book 21 Sphinx of Egypt Mysteries

Download or read book 21 Sphinx of Egypt Mysteries written by Samuel Shepherd and published by Samuel Shepherd. This book was released on 101-01-01 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 🌟 Unveil the Secrets of Ancient Egypt's Iconic Sphinx! 🌟 Dive into the mysteries of the Great Sphinx of Giza with "21 Sphinx of Egypt Mysteries: Ancient Egyptian Secrets Revealed." This captivating book takes you on a journey through millennia of history, exploring the enigmatic allure and profound cultural significance of one of the world's most iconic monuments. 🔍 Discover the Origins: Step back in time to the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom and uncover the fascinating story behind the Sphinx's creation during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre. Delve into the architectural marvels and engineering feats that shaped this colossal statue, standing as a testament to ancient Egyptian ingenuity. 🔮 Explore Symbolic Meanings: Beyond its imposing physical presence, the Sphinx holds deep symbolic meanings. From its association with the sun god Ra to its role as a guardian of the necropolis, each chapter unveils a different facet of its spiritual significance in ancient Egyptian religion and mythology. 🌍 Global Cultural Impact: Trace the Sphinx's influence across civilizations and epochs, from its depiction in Greek mythology as a riddle-posing guardian to its timeless resonance in modern art, literature, and popular culture. Explore how this ancient wonder continues to inspire awe and curiosity worldwide. 🔬 Latest Discoveries and Insights: Gain exclusive access to the latest archaeological findings and scientific advancements that shed new light on the Sphinx's mysteries. Learn about groundbreaking research techniques and digital modeling that reveal hidden chambers and unravel its geological secrets. 📜 Educational and Inspirational: Whether you're a history buff, an avid traveler, or simply intrigued by ancient mysteries, "21 Sphinx of Egypt Mysteries" offers a rich tapestry of knowledge and adventure. Engage with detailed illustrations, historical insights, and expert analysis that bring the Sphinx's story to life. 🛍️ Limited Time Offer: Immerse yourself in the wonders of ancient Egypt with "21 Sphinx of Egypt Mysteries: Ancient Egyptian Secrets Revealed." Available now for a special introductory price, this book is a must-have addition to any library or collection dedicated to history, archaeology, and cultural heritage. Unlock the secrets of the Sphinx and embark on a journey through the sands of time. Order your copy today and experience the magic of ancient Egypt like never before! Order Now!

Book The Sphinx Mystery

    Book Details:
  • Author : Robert Temple
  • Publisher : Simon and Schuster
  • Release : 2009-01-20
  • ISBN : 1594778841
  • Pages : 653 pages

Download or read book The Sphinx Mystery written by Robert Temple and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-01-20 with total page 653 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A book that verifies the existence of secret underground chambers beneath the Sphinx and demonstrates its origins as the Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis • Includes an anthology of eyewitness accounts from early travelers who explored the secret chambers before they were sealed in 1926 • Reveals that the Sphinx was originally carved as a monumental crouching Anubis, the Egyptian jackal god of the necropolis Shrouded in mystery for centuries, the Sphinx of Giza has frustrated many who have attempted to discover its original purpose. Accounts exist of the Sphinx as an oracle, as a king’s burial chamber, and as a temple for initiation into the Hermetic Mysteries. Egyptologists have argued for decades about whether there are secret chambers underneath the Sphinx, why the head-to-body ratio is out of proportion, and whose face adorns it. In The Sphinx Mystery, Robert Temple addresses the many mysteries of the Sphinx. He presents eyewitness accounts, published over a period of 281 years, of people who saw the secret chambers and even went inside them before they were sealed in 1926--accounts that had been forgotten until the author rediscovered them. He also describes his own exploration of a tunnel at the rear of the Sphinx, perhaps used for obtaining sacred divinatory dreams. Robert Temple reveals that the Sphinx was originally a monumental Anubis, the Egyptian jackal god, and that its face is that of a Middle Kingdom Pharaoh, Amenemhet II, which was a later re-carving. In addition, he provides photographic evidence of ancient sluice gate traces to demonstrate that, during the Old Kingdom, the Sphinx as Anubis sat surrounded by a moat filled with water--called Jackal Lake in the ancient Pyramid Texts--where religious ceremonies were held. He also provides evidence that the exact size and position of the Sphinx were geometrically determined in relation to the pyramids of Cheops and Chephren and that it was part of a pharaonic resurrection cult.

Book Fun Facts About The Great Sphinx Of Giza For Kids

Download or read book Fun Facts About The Great Sphinx Of Giza For Kids written by Alexis Perra and published by . This book was released on 2021-05-13 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Egypt, the land of pharaohs and pyramids never fails to amaze its visitors with its rich culture, mysteries, and monolithic pieces from medieval times. One such mighty monument that has hundreds and thousands of spectators completely in awe is the Great Sphinx Of Giza, an imposing statue body of a lion and head of a human. Carved out of a single block of the surrounding limestone bedrock, this colossal Egyptian antiquity is claimed to be the oldest and the largest known sculpture in the world. In Ancient Egypt, the sphinx is believed to guard and protect the Pharaohs so it comes as no surprise that you will see its giant statue near a pyramid, a Pharaoh's burial place. Learn more fun facts about the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Book Egypt s Ancient Mysteries

Download or read book Egypt s Ancient Mysteries written by Ramon Gerosa and published by . This book was released on 2021-05-13 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Egypt, the land of pharaohs and pyramids never fails to amaze its visitors with its rich culture, mysteries, and monolithic pieces from medieval times. One such mighty monument that has hundreds and thousands of spectators completely in awe is the Great Sphinx Of Giza, an imposing statue body of a lion and head of a human. Carved out of a single block of the surrounding limestone bedrock, this colossal Egyptian antiquity is claimed to be the oldest and the largest known sculpture in the world. In Ancient Egypt, the sphinx is believed to guard and protect the Pharaohs so it comes as no surprise that you will see its giant statue near a pyramid, a Pharaoh's burial place. Learn more fun facts about the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Book Secrets of the Sphinx

Download or read book Secrets of the Sphinx written by James Giblin and published by Scholastic. This book was released on 2004 with total page 47 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James Cross Giblin, this year's winner of the Sibert Medal, has written a stunning exploration of one of history's most mysterious structures. The Great Sphinx is one of the largest sculptures in the world. Six stories high and a city block wide, it has stood guard over the pyramids of Egypt's Giza Plateau for 4,500 years. Who built the Sphinx and why? And how did primitive sculptors manage to carve such a towering monument? In search of answers, James Cross Giblin takes readers back to a time before written history and traces the trail of clues left behind by the ancient Egyptians. As he explores various theories, Giblin seamlessly incorporates fascinating information on the pyramids, the Rosetta Stone, Atlantis, and more.

Book All About Great Sphinx Of Giza

Download or read book All About Great Sphinx Of Giza written by Gregory Geoghan and published by . This book was released on 2021-05-13 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Egypt, the land of pharaohs and pyramids never fails to amaze its visitors with its rich culture, mysteries, and monolithic pieces from medieval times. One such mighty monument that has hundreds and thousands of spectators completely in awe is the Great Sphinx Of Giza, an imposing statue body of a lion and head of a human. Carved out of a single block of the surrounding limestone bedrock, this colossal Egyptian antiquity is claimed to be the oldest and the largest known sculpture in the world. In Ancient Egypt, the sphinx is believed to guard and protect the Pharaohs so it comes as no surprise that you will see its giant statue near a pyramid, a Pharaoh's burial place. Learn more fun facts about the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Book Edgar Cayce and the Hall of Records

Download or read book Edgar Cayce and the Hall of Records written by John M. Bunker and published by . This book was released on 2014-10-26 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The famous psychic and healer, Edgar Cayce, was providing clues in the "life readings" he gave nearly a century ago to the location of a lost Hall of Records. This hidden chamber is said to contain historical archives and artifacts from the most remote times in prehistory. Yet, it remains undiscovered. Most people have assumed that it will be found in a chamber under the Sphinx at Giza, but all attempts to locate it there have met with failure. At last the evidence has been reevaluated outside of the traditional thinking, to reveal incredible new conclusions that are difficult to argue. The sphinx that guards the Hall of Records is not the Giza Sphinx at all, but rather a sphinx star constellation in the night sky. And the Hall of Records is not below the ground, but rather elevated up among the stars at the top of the great middle pyramid at Giza. Finally, we can point directly to a spot and say with confidence, "This is where the Hall of Records will be found." The facts are irrefutable!

Book Origins of the Sphinx

Download or read book Origins of the Sphinx written by Robert M. Schoch and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-03-16 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New research and evidence that the Sphinx is thousands of years older than previously thought • Contrasts what Egyptologists claim about the Sphinx with historical accounts and new research including reanalysis of seismic studies and updates to Schoch’s water weathering research and Bauval’s Orion Correlation Theory • Examines how the Sphinx is contemporaneous with Göbekli Tepe, aligned with the constellation Leo, and was recarved during the Old Kingdom era of Egypt • Reveals that the Sphinx was built during the actual historical Golden Age of ancient Egypt, the period known in legend as Zep Tepi No other monument in the world evokes mystery like the Great Sphinx of Giza. It has survived the harsh climate of Egypt for thousands of years and will remain long after our own civilization is gone. According to orthodox Egyptology, the Sphinx was built around 2500 BCE as a memorial to the pharaoh Khafre. Yet this “fact” has scant to no supportive evidence. When was the Sphinx really built and, most importantly, why? In this provocative collaboration from two Egyptology outsiders, Robert M. Schoch, Ph.D., and Robert Bauval combine their decades of research to show how the Sphinx is thousands of years older than the conventional Egyptological timeline and was built by a long forgotten pre-Pharaonic civilization. They examine the known history of the Sphinx, contrasting what Egyptologists claim with prominent historical accounts and new research, including updates to Schoch’s geological water weathering research and reanalysis of seismic studies. Building on Bauval’s Orion Correlation Theory, they investigate the archaeoastronomical alignments of the monuments of the Giza Plateau and reveal how the pyramids and Sphinx were built to align with the constellations of Orion and Leo. Analyzing the evidence for a significantly older construction phase at Giza and the restoration and recarving of the Sphinx during the Old Kingdom era, they assert that the Sphinx was first built by an advanced pre-Pharaonic civilization that existed circa 12,000 years ago on the Giza Plateau, contemporaneous with the sophisticated Göbekli Tepe complex. The authors examine how the monuments at Giza memorialize Zep Tepi, the Golden Age of legend shown here to be an actual historical time period from roughly 10,500 BCE through 9700 BCE. Moving us closer to an understanding of the true age and purpose of the Great Sphinx, Schoch and Bauval provide evidence of an early high civilization witnessed by the Great Sphinx before the end of the last ice age.

Book Sphinx  Guardian of Lost Secrets

Download or read book Sphinx Guardian of Lost Secrets written by ChatStick Team and published by ChatStick Team. This book was released on 2024-02-27 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 🔍📚 Dive into the enigmatic world of the Sphinx with "Sphinx: Guardian of Lost Secrets." This captivating eBook unravels the mysteries of one of the most iconic symbols of ancient mythology. 🏺🦁 Explore the Sphinx’s origins in Egyptian culture, its profound role in Greek myths, and its evolution through the ages. From the towering Great Sphinx of Giza to the riddle-bearing creature of Greek lore, each page is a journey through history and legend. 🤔💫 Why does the Sphinx hold such a timeless allure? Discover how this legendary figure has shaped our understanding of ancient myths and left an indelible mark on our cultural heritage. Unearth the archaeological discoveries that have reshaped our views, delve into the various theories about its origins, and contemplate the unresolved mysteries that surround this guardian of secrets. 🎨🌍 The Sphinx's influence extends beyond ancient sands; it's a muse in modern literature, film, and art, symbolizing the eternal quest for knowledge. "Sphinx: Guardian of Lost Secrets" is not just a historical exploration; it's a reflection on the Sphinx's role in bridging mythological narratives and its impact on our modern understanding of ancient cultures. 🌟 Perfect for history buffs, mythology enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by the mysteries of the ancient world, this eBook offers a comprehensive and engaging look at the Sphinx's enduring legacy. 📖 Grab your copy now and embark on an enlightening journey through time, uncovering the secrets of the Sphinx! #SphinxMysteries #AncientSecrets #MythologyLovers #HistoryReads #EbookDiscovery

Book The Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza

Download or read book The Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures of the Sphinx and the pyramids. *Discusses the theories about their age, construction, and purpose. *Covers the archaeological and cultural history of the Sphinx and the pyramids. *Includes footnotes and a Bibliography. "When we find something new at Giza, we announce it to the world. The Sphinx and the Pyramids are world treasures. We are the guardian's of these treasures, but they belong to the world." - Zahi Hawass, Egyptologist The pyramids of Egypt are such recognizable symbols of antiquity that for millennia, people have made assumptions about what they are and why they exist, without full consideration of the various meanings these ancient symbolic structures have had over the centuries. Generations have viewed them as symbols of a lost past, which in turn is often portrayed as a world full of romance and mystery. This verbal meaning has become associated with the structures through the tourism industry, where intrigue obviously boosts ticket sales. In fact, the Egyptian pyramids are so old that they were also drawing tourists even in ancient times. In antiquity, the Great Pyramid of Giza was listed as one of Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and it is the only one still surviving today. The age and structural integrity of the pyramids also make them symbols of longevity and power, which is only fitting because those are two purposes the ancient pharaohs who commissioned these works intended them to serve. For the pharaohs, the construction of these large monuments presented an opportunity for them to showcase their influence and become something to be remembered by, both in the society they ruled and in the annals of history that would follow. Even as new dynasties came and went, and even as Egypt was subjected to foreign domination and rulers from across the world, the pyramids have continued to stand as a prominent testament to Ancient Egypt's glorious past. The famous "Riddle of the Sphinx," told by Sophocles in his play Oedipus Rex in the 5th century B.C., characterized the sphinx as a clever and powerful creature, and even today young kids learn about the story. But the mysteries of the Egyptian statue were discussed even among the ancient Romans; Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman author and philosopher killed in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., wrote in his Natural Histories that contemporary Egyptians considered the Sphinx a "divinity" and "that King Harmais was buried in it." Nearly 2,000 years later, people still wonder about the origins of the statue, but most believe it was constructed around the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C. As anyone who has seen the statue is now aware, it has suffered weatherization damage, and even the sources of the damage has been debated and turned into the stuff of legend, as evidenced by the story of Napoleon's French soldiers shooting off the Sphinx's nose. In conjunction with that, there are mysteries over the archaeological history of the statue, including whether the ancient Egyptians themselves attempted to excavate the Sphinx and clear the sands that were beginning to cover it up. This book comprehensively covers the facts, mysteries, and theories surrounding the pyramids and the Sphinx. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about them like never before.

Book The Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza  the History and Mysteries Behind Ancient Egypt s Famous Monuments

Download or read book The Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza the History and Mysteries Behind Ancient Egypt s Famous Monuments written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by . This book was released on 2013-09-22 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures of the Sphinx and the pyramids. *Discusses the theories about their age, construction, and purpose. *Covers the archaeological and cultural history of the Sphinx and the pyramids. *Includes footnotes and a Bibliography. "When we find something new at Giza, we announce it to the world. The Sphinx and the Pyramids are world treasures. We are the guardian's of these treasures, but they belong to the world." - Zahi Hawass, Egyptologist The pyramids of Egypt are such recognizable symbols of antiquity that for millennia, people have made assumptions about what they are and why they exist, without full consideration of the various meanings these ancient symbolic structures have had over the centuries. Generations have viewed them as symbols of a lost past, which in turn is often portrayed as a world full of romance and mystery. This verbal meaning has become associated with the structures through the tourism industry, where intrigue obviously boosts ticket sales. In fact, the Egyptian pyramids are so old that they were also drawing tourists even in ancient times. In antiquity, the Great Pyramid of Giza was listed as one of Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and it is the only one still surviving today. The age and structural integrity of the pyramids also make them symbols of longevity and power, which is only fitting because those are two purposes the ancient pharaohs who commissioned these works intended them to serve. For the pharaohs, the construction of these large monuments presented an opportunity for them to showcase their influence and become something to be remembered by, both in the society they ruled and in the annals of history that would follow. Even as new dynasties came and went, and even as Egypt was subjected to foreign domination and rulers from across the world, the pyramids have continued to stand as a prominent testament to Ancient Egypt's glorious past. The famous "Riddle of the Sphinx", told by Sophocles in his play Oedipus Rex in the 5th century B.C., characterized the sphinx as a clever and powerful creature, and even today young kids learn about the story. But the mysteries of the Egyptian statue were discussed even among the ancient Romans; Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman author and philosopher killed in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., wrote in his Natural Histories that contemporary Egyptians considered the Sphinx a "divinity" and "that King Harmais was buried in it". Nearly 2,000 years later, people still wonder about the origins of the statue, but most believe it was constructed around the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C. As anyone who has seen the statue is now aware, it has suffered weatherization damage, and even the sources of the damage has been debated and turned into the stuff of legend, as evidenced by the story of Napoleon's French soldiers shooting off the Sphinx's nose. In conjunction with that, there are mysteries over the archaeological history of the statue, including whether the ancient Egyptians themselves attempted to excavate the Sphinx and clear the sands that were beginning to cover it up. This book comprehensively covers the facts, mysteries, and theories surrounding the pyramids and the Sphinx. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about them like never before.

Book The Riddle of the Sphinx

Download or read book The Riddle of the Sphinx written by J. Munsell Chase and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Secrets of Ancient Egypt

Download or read book The Secrets of Ancient Egypt written by Federico Puigdevall and published by Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2017-12-15 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Howard Carter's discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1923 sparked worldwide fascination about ancient Egypt, and the mysteries of the Egyptians still loom large. The Pyramids, the Sphinx, mummies, surviving artwork, and more all hold priceless clues about what life was like in ancient Egypt. This book takes a closer look at the information that archaeology has revealed and the lasting impact of these findings.

Book The Mysterious Sphinx

Download or read book The Mysterious Sphinx written by Hilton Hotema and published by Health Research Books. This book was released on 1996-09 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The chances are that we are only using about 1% of the power of our brain. Just imagine the amazing results if we could unlock just a fraction of the power of the remaining 99%.

Book Sphinx

    Book Details:
  • Author : Christiane Zivie-Coche
  • Publisher : Cornell University Press
  • Release : 2004
  • ISBN : 9780801489549
  • Pages : 142 pages

Download or read book Sphinx written by Christiane Zivie-Coche and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Sphinxes are legion in Egypt--what is so special about this one?... We shall take a stroll around the monument itself, scrutinizing its special features and analyzing the changes it experienced throughout its history. The evidence linked to the statue will enable us to trace its evolution... down to the worship it received in the first centuries of our own era, when Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans mingled together in devotion to this colossus, illustrious witness to a past that was already more than two millennia old."--from the IntroductionThe Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the few monuments from ancient Egypt familiar to nearly everyone. In a land where the colossal is part of the landscape, it still stands out, the largest known statue in Egypt. Originally constructed as the image of King Chephren, builder of the second of the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx later acquired new fame in the guise of the sun god Harmakhis. Major construction efforts in the New Kingdom and Roman Period transformed the monument and its environs into an impressive place of pilgrimage, visited until the end of pagan antiquity.Christiane Zivie-Coche, a distinguished Egyptologist, surveys the long history of the Great Sphinx and discusses its original appearance, its functions and religious significance, its relation to the many other Egyptian sphinxes, and the various discoveries connected with it. From votive objects deposited by the faithful and inscriptions that testify to details of worship, she reconstructs the cult of Harmakhis (in Egyptian, Har-em-akhet, or "Horus-in-the-horizon"), which arose around the monument in the second millennium. "We are faced," she writes, "with a religious phenomenon that is entirely original, though not unique: a theological reinterpretation turned an existing statue into the image of the god who had been invented on its basis."The coming of Christianity ended the Great Sphinx's religious role. The ever-present sand buried it, thus sparing it the fate that overtook the nearby pyramids, which were stripped of their stone by medieval builders. The monument remained untouched, covered by its desert blanket, until the first excavations. Zivie-Coche details the archaeological activity aimed at clearing the Sphinx and, later, at preserving it from the corrosive effects of a rising water table.

Book The Pharaoh Returns

    Book Details:
  • Author : Narayan Sirdesai
  • Publisher : Notion Press
  • Release : 2021-09-09
  • ISBN : 1638735905
  • Pages : 331 pages

Download or read book The Pharaoh Returns written by Narayan Sirdesai and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2021-09-09 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Egypt is an archeologist’s delight, a tourist’s dream vacation, a sculptor’s pilgrimage location and a philosopher’s learning destination. This is due to the country’s extraordinary, ancient civilization that poses more questions than answers to today’s scientists, researchers and intelligentsia. There are many secrets and mysteries surrounding ancient Egypt – the life of the pharaohs, construction of megastructures like the pyramids and the Sphinx, their gods, temples and rituals, arts, occult sciences and hieroglyphs and concepts of mummification and afterlife. All these subjects have been discussed in detail and made interesting to absorb the interest of readers. This book also briefly covers the history of Egypt from 2500 BC to the Greek, Roman and Arab conquests of Egypt till 646 AD. During the research that was done for the book, the author discovered a lot of similarities between the contemporaneous Egyptian and Indian civilizations, and they have been succinctly brought out. Many people around the world have heard about the greatness of ancient Egypt but lack the in-depth knowledge about what exactly transpired in that era. The Egyptian civilization that lasted for nearly three millennia is unparalleled in the annals of world history in terms of their exceptional advancement and unique culture. This book is a sincere attempt to demystify Egypt for the layman, and showcases the entire ancient Egyptian history along with its secret mysteries for readers. I assure you that this book will be a great learning and revealing experience.

Book History s Greatest Mysteries  the Sphinx

Download or read book History s Greatest Mysteries the Sphinx written by Charles River Editors and published by . This book was released on 2013-09-04 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures of the Sphinx and important people and events in its history. *Discusses the theories about its age, construction, and purpose. *Covers the archaeological and cultural history of the Sphinx. *Includes footnotes and a Bibliography. "It is the antiquity of the Sphinx which thrills us as we look upon it, for in itself it has no charms. The desert's waves have risen to its breast, as if to wrap the monster in a winding-sheet of gold. The face and head have been mutilated by Moslem fanatics. The mouth, the beauty of whose lips was once admired, is now expressionless. Yet grand in its loneliness, - veiled in the mystery of unnamed ages, - the relic of Egyptian antiquity stands solemn and silent in the presence of the awful desert - symbol of eternity. Here it disputes with Time the empire of the past; forever gazing on and on into a future which will still be distant when we, like all who have preceded us and looked upon its face, have lived our little lives and disappeared." - John Lawson Stoddard, 1898 One of the oldest and most famous statues of the world, the Great Sphinx at Giza has fascinated people for thousands of years. While the sphinx was a well known mythological creature among various ancient civilizations, the Egyptian statue that is now most famously associated with the creature is full of mysteries that have been endlessly debated throughout the centuries and continue to be hotly contested among scholars. The famous "Riddle of the Sphinx", told by Sophocles in his play Oedipus Rex in the 5th century B.C., characterized the sphinx as a clever and powerful creature, and even today young kids learn about the story. But the mysteries of the Egyptian statue were discussed even among the ancient Romans; Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman author and philosopher killed in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., wrote in his Natural Histories that contemporary Egyptians considered the Sphinx a "divinity" and "that King Harmais was buried in it". Nearly 2,000 years later, people still wonder about the origins of the statue, but most believe it was constructed around the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C. As anyone who has seen the statue is now aware, it has suffered weatherization damage, and even the sources of the damage has been debated and turned into the stuff of legend, as evidenced by the story of Napoleon's French soldiers shooting off the Sphinx's nose. In conjunction with that, there are mysteries over the archaeological history of the statue, including whether the ancient Egyptians themselves attempted to excavate the Sphinx and clear the sands that were beginning to cover it up. The Great Sphinx at Giza continues to be a source of endless fascination and mystery, but everyone can agree that it is a marvelous and interesting structure. History's Greatest Mysteries: The Sphinx comprehensively covers the facts, mysteries, and theories surrounding the ancient statue and the mythological creature the statue was modeled after. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the Sphinx like you never have before, in no time at all.