M y t h s a n d L e g e n d s

The beginning of one story about the Great Sphinx is written on a stele between

the sphinx's paws.

The story reads that one day, a young prince fell asleep next to the Great Sphinx. He had been hunting all day, and was very

tired. He dreamt that the Great Sphinx promised

that he would become the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt if he cleared away the

sand covering its body (the Great Sphinx was covered up to its neck).

The figure was buried for most of its life in the sand.

It was King Thutmose IV (1425 - 1417 BC) who placed a stela between the front paws of the

figure. On it, Thutmose describes an event, while he

was still a prince, when he had gone hunting and fell asleep in the shade of the sphinx.

During a dream, the sphinx spoke to Thutmose and told him to clear away the

sand. The sphinx told him that if he did this, he would

be rewarded with the kingship of Egypt.

Thutmose carried out this request and the sphinx held up his end of the bargain. Of course, over time, the great statue, the

only single instance of a colossal sculpture carved in the round directly out of the

natural rock, once again found itself buried beneath the sand.

• The DreamKing Thutmose IV should never have been a King of Egypt, but he was.

At that time he was a Prince, but not in a very good position to get the throne.

• Historians: Thutmose IV concocted the dream to cover up murder. Thutmose had his brother killed so that he could gain the crown. While the Egyptian people might not have been able to forgive Thutmose the slaying for personal gain, they could overlook it if it seemed like it was the will of the gods.

• Tall tale or True Story?Many Egyptians believe that the story is true, and that the Sphinx really did talk to Prince Thutmose in a dream.Prince made up the story so that the people of Egypt would accept him as their King.

SIGNIFICANCE