Sphinx
Colossal statues are one of the hallmarks of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and the Great Sphinx of Giza is the most famous of them. The statue was carved in the rock of the same area during the era of the Fourth Dynasty (2613-2494 BC), making it the oldest. The ancient Egyptian sphinxes represented the king in the body of a lion as a clear indication of his power.
The Sphinx is not just a statue carved by the ancient Egyptian artist standing at the gate of the pyramids, but rather it is the eternal symbol of Egypt and a witness to the greatness of its history and civilization
When King Khafre set out to build his pyramid next to his father's, he ordered the royal sculptors to carve the Sphinx and in front of it was a huge temple to the sun, which is the first temple of the sun to be built west of the Nile River.
As for the reason that made King Khafre embark on this giant and unique project, it is simply to embody himself in the image of the Sphinx as a symbol of ownership. Twice at sunrise and at sunset.
This is about the job. As for the name and its meaning, the ancient Egyptians referred to the Sphinx in the old state, about 4500 years ago, as (Roti), a sacred symbol in the form of a lion and its function is to protect and guard
In the era of the modern state the Egyptians called the Sphinx (Hoor Em Sister) :
meaning (Horus on the horizon), and the ancient Egyptian was able to show the statue that represents the Lord Horus between the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre or between the two horizons. Khes) The Sphinx is the symbol of the sun or Ra, which rises and sets between the two pyramids
As for the era of the Middle Kingdom, the name (Sheseb Ankh) was known, meaning the living image, and it is called the sphinxes. Perhaps the name (Sphinx) is a distortion of the name (Shesab Ankh), as the statue on the painting (The Dream) that lies between the claws of the Sphinx was described as (Shesab Ankh). No picture or live statue.
The name (Horuna) also appeared for the Sphinx, in reference to the Canaanite god (Horona), the god of protection who entered Egypt with the foreigners who settled next to the Sphinx.
The Great Sphinx captured the imagination of travelers and explorers for thousands of years, even in ancient Egyptian times.
During the Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1295 BC), it came to be seen as a manifestation of the sun god, and was called Horemakht "Horus". On the horizon.” King Amenhotep II (about 1427-1400 BC) built a temple next to the Sphinx, dedicated to this god, and his son Thutmose IV (1400-1390 BC) built a huge panel between his front feet, which It is called the dream board, in which he recorded a wonderful event.
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| Dream board | This granite panel is located between the front pillars of the Sphinx, and is inscribed with the story of its hero Tuthmosis (circa 1400 to 1390 BC) from the late Eighteenth Dynasty. It records a remarkable event that occurred before his ascension to the throne. | Thutmose IV recounts his athletic prowess during his youth, when he was hitting his target and hunting lions on his speed chariot near the Sphinx. And one day, he sat under the shadow of the Sphinx and fell asleep. The Great Sphinx appeared to him in a dream in the form of the solar deity Horemakht ("Horus on the Horizon"). Addressing him as his son, complaining that the desert sands were covering him, describing his ordeal as if his limbs had been cut off. He added that if Prince Thutmose freed him from his sandy prison, he would be his guide, promising him a kingship over Egypt. The young prince then awoke from his dream, and immediately ordered the offerings to be brought to the Sphinx. | Today the panel stands between the front legs of the Sphinx, which Horemakht described as covered with sand, at the original ground level as a great memorial from the reign of King Khafre (circa 2555 - 2532 BC) of the Fourth Dynasty, and apparently Prince Thutmose He made you fulfill the request of Horemakht, who in turn kept his promise. |
The story of divine birth
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| The story of divine birth |
The divine birth is a story that some Egyptian kings used in royal propaganda to prove their legitimacy in ruling the country. They made sure that their judgment was sacred. This was done in agreement with the high priests, as the king claimed that he was the son of God in order to convince the people that he carried divine blood in his veins.
As for the name of the statue in Arabic (Abu al-Hol):
it is a distortion of the ancient Egyptian name (Bar Hor or Bu Hor) meaning a place, house or sanctuary of Horus the falcon, the symbol of ownership in ancient Egypt. Bu) and converting the letter (haa) to (haa) and therefore Waller (r) pronounced (l)
The Sphinx withstood time and witnessed the whole history of Egypt with its joys and sorrows, and the keenness of the kings of ancient Egypt to visit him and protect his body from the invasion of sand and wind, and he revered the Greek and Roman philosophers.