The Egyptian Sphinx.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 28 August 1886, Page 3

The Egyptian Sphinx.

The riddle of the Sphinx is at length on the point of being solved. The great man* headed lion-bodied monument, which has for ages been more than half buried by the accumulating sands of the desert, is now being rapidly brought to light, and, ere long, one of the most extraordinary relics of Egyptian civilisation will be once more visible in its entirety. The work has been going on ever since January last, when — at the suggestion of M. Maßpero, the chief director of the Department of Antiquities in Egypt — the French public, in the course of a few hours, subscribed sufficient funds to enable the work ,of excavation to be carried to completion. The interest of such news for may be conceived when it is remembered that the last time the Sphinx was dug out of the sands was by King Thothmes IV.- 15 centuries before Chrißt, or about three thousand and four hundred years ago. Scholars, in fact, are of opinion that the Sphinx is the oldest monument in the world. It appears, in any case, to have been erected or chiselled out of the rock more than 45 centuries before the Christian era, and therefore about six thousand four hundred years ago. The size of the strange image is very remarkable. Ihe body is more than 180 ft. long. The ears of the human-shapen head are, about 6ft. from top to, bottom, the other features being in proportion. The learned explorers who are engaged in the work of excavation bold it probable that, when the statue is fully brought to light, a number ot other important, discoveries will be made. In any case, this extraordinary relic of the oldest human civilisation cannot fail to form a more attractive sight than ever to all visitors to the land of the Nile.