Sphinx Research Paper

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One of the largest, most recognizable, and famed statues in Egypt is The Great Sphinx of Giza. It is one of the many ancient monuments of Egyptian culture. The statue, carved from limestone, stands 66 feet in height, 63 feet wide, and 238 feet long. The giant statue overlooks the city of Giza, which is only a short drive away from the monument. The massive statue models a ginormous lion body, with a human pharaoh head. The Sphinx was carved out of limestone in the Giza plateau during the reign of King Khafre (2558-2532 BCE.) Khafre reigned during the time of Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2613-2181.) Although that is when most think it was built, there is some speculation among some Egyptologists. Some believe it was built by his brother Djedefre …show more content…

In Egyptian translation, the word means “living image,” which the Egyptians referred to the monument as well as other depictions of royal things. The Egyptian sphinx also looks a lot like a Greek sphinx from the story of Oedipus, with the head of a woman and the body of a beast. The name conjured up by the Egyptians during the New Kingdom of Egypt (1570-1069 BCE) was Horemakhet, or Horus of the Horizon. In fact a cult (a religious movement) was established to worship the god Horus (god of the sky) in association with the Sphinx. The patron of this cult is Amenhotep II (1425-1400 BCE.) He built the Sphinx a temple so that the people of the cult could worship Khufu and Khafre, who were representatives of Horus on earth. Amenhotep II’s son also had a large role in the popularity of the Sphinx. There is a story of how Prince Thutmose fell asleep near the Sphinx and had a dream. The dream included the Sphinx speaking to Thutmose about how the sand around him was bothersome, so the Sphinx offered a deal to the prince, restore the Sphinx and then become the next pharaoh of Egypt. Thutmose accepted and now the dream in on a stela in front of the Sphinx, telling the story of Pharaoh Thutmose IV of

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