10 little-known facts and bold theories about the Great Sphinx of Giza

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Sometimes referred to as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, the Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the iconic symbols of ancient Egypt. This structure offers modern people an invaluable glimpse into the past. Many hope that one day the Sphinx may help to understand the true purpose of the pyramids, next to which it "sits". Despite everything scientists know (or think they know) about the Sphinx, there are still many questions to be answered. Unsurprisingly, there are many interesting facts and conspiracy theories associated with this monumental sculpture.

1. Thutmose IV

According to legend, Thutmose IV (even before he became pharaoh) fell asleep somehow under the head of the Sphinx, which was already buried up to his neck in the sand at that time. And he dreamed that Sfenx spoke to him about promised that if the Egyptian dug him up, he would become the new pharaoh.

Upon awakening, Thutmose began digging up the sand around his head and continued to do so until he discovered a magnificent structure. According to legend, the Sphinx kept its promise, and this man became Pharaoh Thutmose IV. Interestingly, Thutmose IV is the grandfather of Akhenaten (originally known as Amenhotep IV), an extremely controversial figure in the history of ancient Egypt.

2. Buried in the sand

Over the years, even the best archaeologists have never seen the entire Sphinx. When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798, he saw only the head of the Sphinx. The rest was buried in the sand. Only thanks to the tenacity of the Frenchman Emile Barez, in 1925, the Sphinx was completely cleared of sand deposits.

3. Solid piece of rock

The ancient monument was carved from a huge piece of limestone and is impressive in size (73 meters long and 21 meters high). The Great Sphinx is the largest known sphinx sculpture of the ancient world. To say that this is an amazing achievement in the history of construction and architecture would be an understatement. Many even dispute the fact that people could do this.

However, whoever erected this sculpture - the ancient Egyptians, aliens, or presented some unknown ancient civilization - its importance in the world of archeology can hardly be overestimated. The temple closest to the Sphinx is built of stone blocks weighing more than 200 tons each. Moreover, the blocks were mined at about the same time that the Sphinx was being built.

4. Pharaoh Khafre

Although the importance of the Sphinx for the people who built it is obvious, no inscriptions have been found on this sculpture, no historical documents that would contain at least some information about this monument. Many leading historians and Egyptologists insist on the version that the Sphinx was built at the direction of Pharaoh Khafre.

5. Artificial cavity

In 1997, Joe Jahoda and Dr. Joseph Shore conducted seismological studies, the results of which suggest that there is indeed some kind of empty space under the Sphinx (and, exactly where Casey pointed out). In addition, this blank space was found to be too precise to be of natural origin (perfectly accurate 90-degree angles).

According to two researchers, they believe that this cavity was created artificially. They wanted to get permission from the Egyptian authorities to excavate the area, but they were refused, like all other researchers who wanted to study the issue.

6. "I have been here since the beginning of time."

“I have been here since the beginning of time,” says the inscription on the stele, which is installed between the paws of the Sphinx. According to ancient Egyptian scriptures, then, during the so-called "Zep Tepi", the gods lived and walked next to people. According to ancient records, this was a golden age. Of course, most mainstream historians insist that this is a legend. Others, however, believe that this is real.

One such researcher is Robert Bauval, who studied the Sphinx, its history and its origins for decades. His theory, known as the Orion Correlation Theory, suggests that the location of the Sphinx and the pyramids correlates with the belt of the constellation Orion, and moreover, in 10,450 BC the match was perfect. If this theory is correct, then the Sphinx is at least 12,500 years old, that is, it is much older than historians claim.

7. Water erosion

While leading scientists insist that the Sphinx was probably built around 2500 BC, there is plenty of evidence and ongoing research that suggests the structure is much older. One scientist who has done extensive research on this claim is geologist Robert Schoch. He claims that the water erosion on the sides of the Sphinx is evidence of its real age.

According to Schoch's research, this corrosion has been occurring for thousands of years, which means regular and constant precipitation. And similar weather in Egypt was, according to geological evidence, somewhere between 7,000 and 12,000 years ago. If so, then the Sphinx is at least 12,000 years old, but some argue that it is even hundreds of thousands of years old.

8. Keeper of the Necropolis

Although most historians believe that the face of the Sphinx is the face of the aforementioned Khafre, many argue that the prototype of the statue was not at all human. Some theories suggest that it was a lion, but there is no mention or illustration of lions having a similar "status" in ancient Egyptian society. In addition, the Sphinx pose is not typical of a lion.

Given the enormous amount of effort that had to be made to build the Sphinx, it can be assumed that the animal would be depicted close to reality. The Sphinx's pose is more in line with the way the dog sits. The fact that Anubis, the god with the head of a dog (or jackal), is also considered the "Keeper of the Necropolis" (and the Giza plateau can be considered such a necropolis), it is possible that the Sphinx was originally a statue of Anubis at the time of construction, and then his face was changed.

9. Hall of records

A number of researchers claim that there is a so-called Hall of Records under the Sphinx. If you believe the legend, then it contains esoteric knowledge and a complete history from the beginning of time. There is also a seemingly fantastic version that the keepers of this knowledge are the surviving Atlanteans, who moved to Egypt and preserved invaluable information about their civilization there. The presence of such a hall has been repeatedly announced by a medium and a mystic. But the only way to verify that is to carry out excavations.

10. Tomb of Osiris

The god Osiris is considered to be a creature from myths, but next to the Sphinx there is a grave in which Osiris is supposedly buried. There are many theories today about this. Some scholars believe that this tomb is symbolic, while others are sure that Osiris was a real character and found rest in this particular tomb.

The version about the reality of the existence of Osiris is close to those who share the theory of ancient astronauts and extraterrestrial influence on the culture of Ancient Egypt. They consider Osiris a real alien and his grave a stargate.

BONUS

Scientists believe that the Egyptian desert holds many more secrets and mysteries to be discovered. In fact, many more structures and artifacts can be buried in the sands. A number of researchers even insist that there is a great opportunity to find another sphinx. For example, Jerry Cannon and Malcolm Hutton note that in almost all ancient Egyptian manuscripts, the sphinxes are depicted in pairs. This means that there is a high probability that the second sphinx (or its ruins) is located somewhere not far from the Great.

Interesting discoveries are being made today. it is impossible not to mention about 5 startling archaeological finds in recent years that made history rewrite.