Secrets Behind Name of Sphinx

By Ali Abu Dashish and Nawal Sayed

Sphinx is not just a statue sculpted by the ancient Egyptian genius, but it is a symbol of immortal state of Egypt.

The Sphinx witnessed the greatness of Egypt’s history and civilization. These are not just words and slogans, but matters of facts confirmed by the archaeological evidence that cannot be doubted.

Famous archeologist Zahi Hawass said that when King Khafra, son of King Khufu of the Great Pyramid existed at the foot of the Giza plateau and began building his pyramid next to his father's pyramid. He ordered the royal sculptors to carve the sphinx in front of a huge temple of the sun.

The Sun Temple was the first of its kind to be built west of the Nile River, according to Dr. Hawass.

King Khafra built this giant and unique project to simply represent himself in the image of the Sphinx as a symbol of royalty.

Why it’s called Sphinx?

Hawass affirms that the ancient Egyptians referred to the Sphinx in the ancient state - about 4500 years ago - as the "Roti", a sacred symbol to them in the form of a lion whose duty is protection.

In the era of the modern state, the Egyptians called the Sphinx the name of "Hr m-Akht" which meant Horus (falcon) on the horizon.

The ancient Egyptian was able to show the statue representing the god Horus between the pyramid of Khufu and Khafra, or between the two horizons.

The name was changed later to be Hor Ma Khais.

“I think the Sphinx is the symbol of the sun or Ra that shines and goes between the two pyramids,” Hawass manifested.

In the era of the middle state, the word "shsab ankh" meant the living image and it was another name of the Sphinx.

Perhaps the name "Sphinx" is a misrepresentation of the name "Shesh Ankh".

The statue is depicted on the "dream" plate, which is located between the Sphinx creatures as "the anus of ankh" ie the image or the living statue.

As for the name of the statue in Arabic, Sphinx is a distortion of the pharaonic name "bar hawl” or “bo hawl”, which means the place, house or sanctuary of the falcon Horus, a symbol of royalty in ancient Egypt.

When Arabs come to Egypt, they changed the language and the name became “Abou Hawl” which means in English Sphinx.