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
because of the state of the stones on the Sphinx itself and throughout Egyptian history the sphinx is highly revered.

As a gateway to one of the wonders of the ancient world (Calvert), it is no wonder why archeologists flock to the site to try and decipher the riddle of its origin.
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
glory.
The idea that the Egyptians built the Sphinx can be debated since there is no actual record stating who built it. Some people think that the Egyptians built the Sphinx. The Egyptian civilization spanned many centuries, so it is easy to think that in that time the Egyptians built the Sphinx, however the Sphinx is shown to predate the Great Pyramids by many centuries. This is based off of the stone the Sphinx is made of and the fact that there no records saying the Egyptians built it, but there are records saying the Egyptians found it. Also, the Egyptians aren’t the only ones to worship a sphinxlike figure (Hadingham), so it is possible for another culture to have built the Sphinx as a site of worship. There is even a theory floating around that aliens came down from outer space to construct the monument, which makes sense since aliens are often used as an easy way to describe a seemingly impossible event. However, there are no solid facts to support that aliens had anything to do with the Sphinx since the existence of aliens themselves has yet to be proven. Even though there are lots of theories, there is only one that can be correct.
The Sphinx was found by the Egyptians and then remodeled for one of their Pharaohs.
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.
Pharaohs loved to build or modify great monuments to memorialize themselves, such as the Valley of the Kings with the many tombs of great Kings and Princes.
Throughout Egyptian lore the Sphinx appears as an intelligent being who guards important treasures. This fierce being appears a lot in temples around Egypt and in artwork such as pottery and paintings. It makes sense that when the Egyptians found the great monument they would keep it and claim it was their own. The Egyptians probably get the idea of a Sphinx from a previous civilization, just as the Romans adopted their alphabet from the Etruscans. The Greeks coined the term sphinx a few centuries later. (Hadingham) When they found the Sphinx, an Emperor, probably Khafre, began remodeling the Sphinx and claiming it as his own. The Egyptians never kept good records, in fact, proof that the Sphinx was remodeled surfaced on the dream stele, which is the stone sitting in between the Sphinx’s paws telling of how Thutmose uncovered the Sphinx (Allen). Egypt is a land of great wonder and fascinating mysteries. Even today, as tourists gaze upon the great Sphinx of Giza, the origins of this great monument are unknown. Through extensive archeological research one can trace the Sphinx back to a previous civilization, although no one knows for certain who it was. However, data undoubtedly points to the Sphinx having been remodeled by the Egyptians, because of the condition of the Sphinx itself and the great presence of the Sphinx throughout Egyptian lore.