MYSTERY OF THE GREAT SPHINX.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXVII, Issue 4514, 11 April 1913, Page 4 (Supplement)

MYSTERY OF THE GREAT SPHINX.

SOME.,AMAZING DISCOVERIES. For centuries past scientists and explorers have been endeavouring to solve the problem of the great Sphinx, that Colossal form, 172 ft. Gin. long by 66ft. high, hewn out of natural rock about a quarter of a mile from the great pyramids of Egypt. Why and how was it built by tho ancient Egyptians, and what was tho origin of the pyramids? Tho questions have been partly, but not satisfactorily, answered. An amazing discovery, however, is reported to have been made by Professor Reisuer, of Harvard University, which seems to throw a groat deal of light on the greatest Egyptian mysteries. Attracted by the fact that in tho head of tho Sphinx was a depression, which scorned to point to the conclusion that the stone and sand were sinking into subterranean chambers, the professor, after careful examination, petitioned tho I<>vnt Government to allow him to make further examination. After some considerable trouble—for it should bo mentioned that the Egyptians guard zealously any secrets which the Sphinx might contain—the professor obtained the necessary permission, and. with the assistance of a band of workmen, he bored the head of the sphinx, and ultimately found himself in a chamber 60ft. long and 14ft. wide, which constituted a little temp]© complete in itself, but connected, by means of a tunnel running down the nock of the Sphinx, to a marvellous tempi© whieh occupies the entire body of tiro greatest of Egyptian statues.

“HOLY OF HOLIES.” From further invcsligatiars which the professor mr.de, ho derived some remarkable conclusions. It is an historical fact that the Egyptians worshipped the sun to a great extent. The mass of tho people probably did so simply because they regarded the smi as the source of heat and life, but the priests of old Egypt recognised the sun as tho centre of tho universe, and it was in tho highest sense that they reverenced that luminary. Tho Sphbix is so placed- as to fa.coytho rising sun. and it is Contended,'in view of Professor Reisner’s discoveries, that the lemplo discovered by him in tho head of tho Sphinx must lia.vo been so constructed that tho priest;; might worship there in seclusion. Tho head, to quote the official description, must have been the “Holy uf Hoiks’’ of tho greater tomplo below. PYRAMID SUX-DIALS. It is also contended, from the position in which the Pyramids stand, that they wero utilised as great sun-dials, their shadows marking tho time of the day, and the variations pointing to the advance of tho seasons. This helps to explain to a certain extent some of tho great scientific attainments of the ancient Egyptians. If they could tc.ll the time so precisely 6,000 'years ago they must have understood all about tho movements of tho heavenly bodies and been able to calculate the changes cf tho moon and the variations in the motion of tho earth around the sun.

Even more remarkable, perhaps, is tho fact that Professor Rcisner has dis covered one of the great mechanical devices of tho ancient priests. He found an enormous lever, by which thousands of tons of rock were once moved by the pressure cf a child’s hand. The connection, however, has been lemovod, and no,European machinery can budge what at one time was moved quite easily by the ancient Egyptians. It is raid that if tlr’s rock is once removed the ancient Egyptian treasury and bo revealed, and that the eyes of the modern excavators will look upon untold treasures.

It is suggested that the Tempi© cf tho Sun would probably be discovered, and would probably prove to bo very much like the Temple of Solomon.