New Book: The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

On April 30, 2009, American historian and author Steven Mueller revealed his fascinating theory regarding the origin of the Great Sphinx, following the release of his most recent book, The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

Questions surrounding the Sphinx have long baffled generations of tourists and scholars alike. Why was it built, what does it symbolize, and most importantly, who built it? Following years of research, Mueller says he believes the Sphinx was the work of a little-known pharaoh.

Traditionally, it has been held that Khafre, a king of the Fourth Dynasty whose pyramid sits behind the Sphinx, built the monument in his own likeness. Mueller believes, however, that the monument was created more than four and a half thousand years ago by Djedefre, Khafre’s half-brother and the son of Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

“In 2004 an Egyptologist by the name of Vassil Dobrev proposed a similar theory that I found intriguing, and though I agree with him that the Sphinx was likely built by Khufu’s son Djedefre, I believe Dobrev may have overlooked something very important,” says Mueller. While both Dobrev and Mueller’s theories are alike in asserting that the pharaoh Djedefre may have constructed the Sphinx, the two disagree on virtually everything else. Unlike Dobrev, who believes that the Sphinx is a likeness of Khufu, Mueller suggests something entirely different. He argues that Djedefre, who succeeded Khufu, originally built the Sphinx in his own image, identifying himself with the sun god Ra, in order to solidify his claim to the throne. Mueller points out the fact that Djedefre was the first pharaoh to insert the name of Ra into his own cartouche, suggesting that the king may have wanted to appear god-like to his people.

Mueller’s theory goes on to assert that following Djedefre’s death, the pharaoh’s half-brother and successor, Khafre, likely altered the appearance of the existing monument. “There is some evidence to suggest that there was no love lost between the two brothers, and following Djedefre’s death, it is quite likely that Khafre re-carved the face of the Sphinx in his own likeness. If one examines the Sphinx closely is it quite evident that the head of the monument is far too small in proportion to its body. This was likely caused by the fact that Khafre’s workers were forced to chip away at the statue in order to make it more closely resemble the features of their new king,” says Mueller. “This is the first time that anyone has proposed this. I’m firmly convinced that this is how the Sphinx obtained its face as we know it today. It’s as if the pieces of a centuries-old puzzle finally fit into place. The more I think about it, it’s really quite exciting.”