What Sphinx does refer to

Sphinx refers to a large statue of an ancient mythical beast. This creature is a combination of a human head & the body of a lion. The large statue of Sphinx stands near the Great Pyramids at Giza in Egypt.

The concept of Sphinx is also there in Greek mythology where it is described as a winged monster having the head of a woman & the body of a lion. In ancient Egypt, Sphinx symbolizes royal power, strength & wisdom.

Discovery of Sphinx

During the middle half of the month of September in 2018, another great discovery added more treasure to the study of ancient Egypt. It was the temple of Kom Ombo which is located in the southern city of Aswan. This significant discovery took place when the on-duty archaeologists were draining water from that temple.

Kom Ombo Temple at Aswan

The temple of Kom Ombo is located about 48 km north of Aswan. It was built during the reign of the king Ptolemy VI. The uniqueness of this temple is that it is a double temple. It hosted the twin gods: Sobek, the crocodile god & Horus, the falcon-headed god.

Raw Material & Measurements

The raw material which was used for shaping up this statue of Sphinx is sandstone. According to the Antiquities Ministry of Egypt, this statue measures about 28 cm wide & 38 cm tall.

Antiquity

According to the archaeologists, this statue of Sphinx belongs to the time period of the Greco-Macedonian Ptolemaic Dynasty which ruled over Egypt from 305 BCE – 30 BCE. Because of the discovery of two engraved sandstone reliefs of king Ptolemy V at the same temple earlier, this conclusion was drawn about the antiquity of that statue of Sphinx.

The sculptures & inscriptions which were recovered from Kom Ombo temple previously were taken into the custody of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat.

According to the Antiquity Ministry of Egypt, the newly-found Sphinx statue will be studied thoroughly by experts to obtain its proper purpose in this temple.