The Sphinx Mystery: The Forgotten Origins of the Sanctuary of Anubis Paperback – Import, 20 January 2009

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 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.

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.