At the end of the nineties a plethora of books were produced claiming to solve the 'riddle' of the Sphinx. All now need to be re-written or totally discarded in light of the evidence that Robert (helped by his wife, Olivia) Temple have unearthed on this issue.
I was lucky enough to meet the Temples in Egypt over a decade ago, when the first question of 'is it a lion?' was first aired by them. I was currently working as a researcher for Graham Hancock whose own view was that the figure represented the constellation of Leo. This put me in the 'other camp' but the first nagging doubt was put in my mind then, and after reading 'The Sphinx Mystery' I am now convinced of the validity of the Temple's argument that suggests the Sphinx was originally a giant statue of the dog-headed god Anpu (Anubis) - guarding the Giza necropolis just as Anubis guarded the Egyptian Netherworld.
The Temples bring much reasoned, intelligent and logical arguments from both archaeology and textual analysis to prove their point - but in doing so answer the question of 'water weathering' on the Sphinx by the ingenious (and textually supported)conclusion that it was once surrounded by a moat of water. What's more - a wealth of historical research reveals a number of eye-witness accounts dating back centuries of chambers under the Sphinx - accounts that have been ignored or just never looked for by other authors writing about such secret chambers. The research in the book is solid, wide-ranging and thorough, and many translations of these 'lost' accounts are provided for future scholars in the book's appendices. The chapter on the face of the Sphinx is another tour-de-force - its conclusions are flawless.
Don't be fooled by the title - the Temples' mass of original research includes more than just a re-appraisal of the Sphinx itself, but also the whole symbolic 'plan' of the Giza plateau and how both relate to the imagery of the netherworld journey as described in the pyramid texts.
The book is weighty, and rich with annotated illustrations - but it is not a light read. The arguments that are put forward are fully supported with research (in a traditional academic style) - yet the author's tone is personal, at times acerbic or shocked (especially when commenting on the deficiency of other scholars research) which will either delight or enrage depending on which side of the academic fence you stand! I found the book stimulating and original - and on a number of occasions the evidence presented made me say aloud 'of course!'. I cannot look at the Sphinx the same way again - my perception has been changed. Scholarly, intriguing, astonishing, entertaining and ultimately idea-changing this is a rare and brilliant book!
John Grigsby (author of 'Beowulf and Grendel')
