The Sphinx Mystery

The Forgotten Origins of the Sanctuary of Anubis

Robert Temple, Olivia Temple

$59.99

Paperback

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English

Inner Traditions Bear and Company
20 January 2009

Egyptian archaeology & Egyptology

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.

By: Robert Temple
With: Olivia Temple
Imprint: Inner Traditions Bear and Company
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 667g
ISBN: 9781594772719
ISBN 10: 1594772711
Pages: 576
Publication Date: 20 January 2009
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction by Olivia Temple Introduction by Robert Temple 1 Sphinx Obsession 2 The “Secret Chamber” beneath the Sphinx 3 An Amazing Survival 4 The Face of the Sphinx 5 The Sphinx as Anubis 6 Sphinx Island 7 The Sphinx and the Giza Plan 8 The Golden Angle of Resurrection Accounts of the Sphinx from Roman Times to 1837 S e c t i o n 1 Accounts of the Sphinx from Roman Times to 1798 S e c t i o n 2 Accounts of the Sphinx from 1800 to 1837 A p p e n d i x O n e Excavations of Monsieur Mariette at the Great Sphinx By Auguste Mariette Translated by Olivia Temple A p p e n d i x T wo Concerning the Age of the Sphinx at Giza By Ludwi g Borchardt Translated by Rob ert Temple and Eleonore Reed A p p e n d i x T h r e e Sphinx By Jam es Burton (1822) A p p e n d i x F o u r A Description of Giambattista Caviglia’s Excavation of the Sphinx Translated by Stefano Greco A p p e n d i x F i v e Scientific Visual Documentation of the Sphinx N o t e s I n d e x

Robert Temple is visiting professor of the history and philosophy of science at Tsinghua University in Beijing, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and member of the Egypt Exploration Society, Royal Historical Society, Institute of Classical Studies, and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. He is the author of 12 books, including The Sirius Mystery, Oracles of the Dead, and The Genius of China. He and his wife, Olivia, also translated Aesop: The Complete Fables. They live in England.

Reviews for The Sphinx Mystery: The Forgotten Origins of the Sanctuary of Anubis

What makes Temple so exciting, quite apart from the stupendous depth of his research, is his refusal to take on board any received wisdom. His attitude towards received wisdom and 'consensual reality', bringing into his sights declining standards of scholarship in the Google Age and the 'restorative' work done on the Sphinx, is blatantly critical: 'One of the greatest myths of humanity is that everyone cares about the truth. Many people do not . . . --Jerry Glover, Fortean Times 250 , May 2009