What Is The Sphinx?

In the middle of the desert there is a monument memorializing a civilization wrapped in mystery. For many years, archeologists have tried to decipher the origins of the Sphinx through analysis of whatever records that they could find and by studying the statue itself. Although it is easy to believe that the Sphinx was an Egyptian made wonder, researchers have found that the Egyptians may not have built the Sphinx. Instead, the Sphinx having been built by an earlier civilization, then found by the Egyptians and remodeled. Although the Sphinx sits among monuments built by the Egyptians, signs point to another origin. The Sphinx is a massive stone monument which was built by an ancient civilization that was not the Egyptians which is evident
Though the Egyptians built complex monuments, most records were lost that specified how and who built this particular monument (Hadingham). The Sphinx is an ancient monument remodeled to honor the Pharaohs. Although there is no convincing evidence as to which Pharaoh it should honor, we know for certain that it models a creature with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The Sphinx exists today with a temple built in front of it. The temple was assumedly used for worship of this sphinxlike figure. Between the Sphinx’s paws is a stone, which tells the story of a young prince that, discovered the Sphinx covered in sand up to its neck (Allen). The Sphinx told the prince in a dream that if the he would dig him out, the young royal would grow to become the king of Northern Egypt. Doing as the monument wished, he dug out the Sphinx and remodeled it so it shone in
As legend would have it, a young Egyptian prince called Thutmose IV found the Sphinx in the desert. He fell asleep under a shadow of the Sphinx’s head and in a dream he had the Sphinx supposedly told him to uncover him, so he would become the king of Egypt. The Sphinx was uncovered and its legend was born. This giant statue predates the Pyramids by many years (Allen). The stone that the Sphinx is carved out of is an existing piece of limestone from the site, not constructed from blocks of limestone moved to the site like the Pyramids of Giza. When the Sphinx was found buried up to its neck, it makes you wonder why a great civilization such as this would let this great monument fade away. This is because the Sphinx was found, not made. When it was repainted and refurbished, a temple was built in front of the Sphinx (Hadingham). Because of this, archeologists believe that this temple was constructed to worship the Sphinx and guard Egypt from oncoming danger as it faced the rising sun. Pharaoh Thutmose IV started a religious cult to honor the Sphinx after it was found (Hadingham). The temple was built much later than the Sphinx and Egyptian hieroglyphics have been found on the temple, so one can assume it is Egyptian. Also, bits of a beard have been found around the Sphinx proving that the Sphinx had a beard, and this is significant since many rulers in Egypt liked to sport some facial hair.