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

This book is full of information about the sphinx and its surrounding structures that has been compiled by an enormous amount of work by the author. Every person who reads this book will learn some new things, and correct some of their misconceptions about the sphinx. It is inspiring to encounter a researcher who has the abilities to find information from so many different sources--where none of them involve the Internet. His data is based on keen on-site observation, historical documentation, and measurable analysis. The book is mostly written well, and it is a fun and rewarding read. Temple's analysis is creative and gives the reader a lot of things to think about.Temple does offer many speculations that the reader can ponder. The book is not perfect, and I do not agree with several of Temple's conclusions. For example, after undertaking a fascinating analysis of the Sphinx Temple and its adjacent Valley Temple, the author points out much evidence regarding water weathering due to filling and emptying the moat from the Nile river, the buildings' functional purposes, and underground chamber placement. However, he doesn't mention anything about how the granite block in the Valley Temple are cut to fit the already weathered, and much larger, limestone blocks.Thus, one of the major arguments presented by John West and Robert Shoch are not considered when Temple dismisses the rainfall theory of the weathering. The author apparently considers the interior granite blocks to have been in existence since the origin of the Valley Temple, which does not seem to fit the on-site evidence. And even though the author is fully aware of other megalithic structures across the world, they are not considered here at all.In addition, the author simply states that he is not an expert on the climate history of the Giza plateau, and does not even consider this worthy of analysis. This is not an insignificant point, because much of Temple's view regarding Egyptian textual interpretation depends on the Giza plateau being a somewhat sandy desert for several centuries or millenia prior to 3000 BC.It also seems illogical at times to ascribe high knowledge and understanding to the middle and new kingdom Egyptian priests, and then at other times, to assume a very low level of understanding and petty and/or egotistical behavior that it inconsistent with highly enlightened and spiritually adept priestly initiates.Another shortcoming of the book is that it does not present the exact date at which the author would place the building of the Giza plateau; rather, it only gives the opinion that it must precede 2700 BC by several centuries. The author makes many references to his forthcoming book, which is titled "Egyptian Dawn." This book will apparently provide Temple's opinion on this matter as well as many others. This is somewhat annoying because it leaves Temple's conclusions on certain issues in limbo. Nonetheless, it is a given that the reader will certainly read this next book when it is published.The book would have read better if Temple would have stated his thesis and conclusion to each section at the first of the section, rather than forcing the reader to explore whole chapters and then lead up to the climax at the end. Sometimes, this made me impatient for the author to just get straight to the point.There are many long picture captions that strain the eyes a little, but the captions are at least fully explained. The text does an excellent job of referencing the numbers of the figures and the pages where they occur--and there are lots and lots of pictures and figures!For those readers interested in Temple's analysis of the Anubis-Sphinx-Sirius connection, it should be mentioned that the author does not mention this at all. Perhaps this will be addressed in his next book. In fact, Sirius is mentioned only once in passing.It would also have been helpful if Temple would have considered the shamanic interpretation of the relevant Egyptian texts, such as that presented by Jeremy Naydler's book, "Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts," rather than only the funerary interepretation.Altough the book has several shortcomings, is still an excellent read for everybody.

This is one of the most well researched alternative history books in that space. I think the ultimate conclusion is not correct, because the evidence for a lion statue is stronger than for a jackal, but you're going to learn a lot from the Temples reading this book, both in terms of their detailed investigation and reasoning. The real heroes are those who propose strong models that can be falsified. The Temples are heroes of science by that standard.

Over my many years - going on 70, I have been fascinated by ancient history of all kinds. Robert Temple is no stranger to my library. At first I thought this book might just be a rehash of what Temple's earlier books said about Egypt. It isn't. The book is very well documented with a lot of new information, and very masterfully presented in an agumentative format that raises serious questions about commonly held beliefs about the Phoenix, about hidden rooms in and under the monolith, and raises the most obvious question about the silly head and face of the Phoenix. No intellegent person could possibly accept that the head, as it is today, is the orignal - yet nearly everyone blindly accepts the commonly held belief that is is, and that the Pharoah's face who adorns it must surely have carved the beast out of the plateau rock. History is constantly being added to and even re-written, and the Sphinx is deserving of a very serious re-write. Robert Temple does an exceptional job at moving things in that direction.

A bit dry and dense at times, but chock full of interesting information and speculation, and lot's of excellent photos and diagrams. The author makes a very good case for his idea that the Sphinx was originally a statue of the god Anubis, set to guard the Giza necropolis. He posits that it was damaged during the interregnum between the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom, and eventually recarved with the face of a Pharaoh, though not the one Egyptologists assume it is.

When is the aged scientific community going to accept the fact that some of the force fed explanations of ancient archeology are wrong? Temple is methodic and spellbinding in his research and conclusions. If you still think the Sphinx is a lion...you need to read the real story. This book is logically constructed and easy to read. Oh Ya ...I almost forgot. The face of the Sphinx is NOT Khefren...Thank you Mr. Temple.

The "complete" review/listing of everthing ever written in regard to the Sphinx - for me too much of the historical review (one can just skip over those areas if so inclined!), but still very worthwhile for new insights/explanations and bringing back to public attention things already discovered about the Sphinx (inner/lower chambers, inscriptions, original likeness and even a good case for the correct pharoah who had it re-carved). Highly recommend for the specialist or the lay reader. Quite the "hefty tome", but a must read if one intends to comment intelligently on the Sphinx and it's "checkered" history. The Egyptologists should read what the "professional" Egyptologists have forgotten/ignored.

Seem to be the history of the Sphinx by many explorers, with the purpose thats not really evident.

Fantastic book. Temple goes all out in his quest to solve many ancient mysteries about the Sphinx. His explanations and descriptions of his research of ancient times left me just wanting more and more information--wonderful! Certainly not all of the ancient researchers agree with all of his conclusions, but they filled in many gaps that I previously didn't understand. I want to read this again!

This book is "heavy Going" its thick, I try to read it in bed, but the sheer weight of it makes my arms ache!!! Not to sure about the other, seems a bit full of himself......wants to know why some people are allowed information whilst others arent.......seems to think as he is an egyptoligist he should be allowed access to everything............he continually quotes from letters from times gone past, the 1800s, 1500s, 1300s, pharoahs, etc, etc, its a bit like trying to walk through mud - but some interesting facts in their plus the photos taken by people throughout the centuries

Hohlräume im innern, geheime Kammern und uralte Inschriften sind nur ein kleiner Teil der unglaublichen Shinx - Geschichte.In geübter Manier wird das Thema auf höchsten wissenschaftlichen Niveau dokumentiert und beschrieben. Zahlreiche Quellen, Karten und Fotos aus mehreren Jahrhunderten machen das Buch zu einem wahren Schatz der Ägyptologie. Im letzten Drittel stellt der Autor seine Theorie zum Ursprung der/des Sphinx vor. Dies tut er mit größter Hochachtung und vollster Anwedndung der wisenschaftlichen Methoden.Robert Temple zeigt auch mit diesem Buch, das er wohl einer der größten Alterstumsforscher ist, welcher das Verständnis der Agyptologie und der gesamten Epoche revolutoniert.

This is a book for EVERYONE, who has any interest at all in Egyptology. The conclusions Robert Temple comes to are, to my mind, anyway, fascinating - not necessarily the actual truth, but worth considering nonetheless.I have never actually visited the Giza plateau but I now feel as if I have because of the extreme clarity of facts and figures given.The sheer volume of data contained therein and the faultless editing are a joy to read; without a doubt, this is a book that will make you thinl. He could be correct.VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is an absolutely superb book, far and away the best I have ever read on this subject. It's a treasure house of information - the book would amply justify itself simply as a scholarly resource - but it's also far more than that. Temple uses the vast information at his disposal to inform, to powerfully challenge weakly-supported 'orthodox' views and to put together an extremely convincing case as to the real origins and development of the sphinx over the centuries. This is quite simply an extraordinary work, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Watched the documentary and just had to buy the book