The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08
THE SPHINX DISAPPEARING.
Egypt's Climate Changing and 1t Cam
not Stand the Rain.
London News.

London News.
The marvellous way in which the monuments
chiefly to its Iainless climate For ages the re-
the river and beyond the limits of its annual
overflow the ground was perfectly dry. The tins
left by NapoIeons army Law on the sand for
nearly p century, bright and unrusted.
But the climate OF Egypt is gradually changing.
Extensive tree planting has gone for long
time past, and irrigation works have produced
moist and fertile land where formerly stretched
the barren desert; thus r., ram Is gradually being
was novelty there are now considerable falls
of rain.
The effect is seen in the crumbling of the Great
Sphinx at Gizeh, the Great pyramid. This
vast monument is 172la feet in length and fifty
six feet high. hewn out of projecting spur OF
the rock which rises out of the sand. The head
is sculptured, and represents a woman In the old
Egyptian headdress, the body being that OF a
lion, formed by the natural reef OF porphyry,
with additions OF masonry TO complete the shape.
For more than generation the monument has
been more or less defaced owing largely to the
attentions of early tourists and the nose has long
been absent. But now the rain is beginning to
assist in destroying the Sphinx. The wet softens
the surface OF the stone. and fierce sandstorms
then grind the outer surface away.
The Great Sphinx is not the only one OF its
kind. numerous specimens. great and SMALL, hav-
Assyrian and Grecian art. The older Egyptian
sphinxes were wingless. like that OF Gizeh, but
OF the heads were female. others bearded. and
there were sphinxes with the head OF a hawk or
From the earliest times there has been specu-
lation TO the meaning OF this curious symbolic
the Greeks, and means. literally, The Strang-
Ier' From the fact that sphinxes appear conn.,
monty ancient tombs and are represented as
treading on carrying away man or child.
there seems some reason to believe that the fig
ure was first intended symbol OF death, but
other explanations have been given which may
hold good OF sphnxes made in later times. Thus
the Hons body and mans head have been held te
symbolic the combination OF strength and IN
tellect In sonic divinity. and the Sphinx has also
been taken. denoting the resurrection.
CHAPEL and altar found early in the last century
in front OF the Great Sphinx would suggest that
the figure represented an ancient deitys
The Greeks, while continuing &c represent the
Sphinx in their art. had a story with regard &c
IL which was evidently only poetical fable, and
showed that the real meaning OF the figure was
lost. The story was that on a rocky mountain
near Thebes dwelt a creature with the face OF g
virgin the body OF lion. the wings of bird
and the tail OF serpent. which had been gtver
"A riddle by the muses. and had power to destroy
and devour mankind till the riddle was solved
Every traveller falling TO solve the riddle wa:
devoured and this was the riddle.. What crea-
ture Is IL that goes four legs at daybreak
on two at noon and three at night?'
Finally Oedipus solved the riddle. saying tha
mar was the creature. for es baby he crawled
in his prime he walked. and in his old age M
hobhIed along with STAFF. On hearing the an
swer the Sphinx threw herself from her rocky
mountain and was killed.
The sphinx continued for many centuries a IA
vorfte subject of art and Is found on coins. In
relief sculptures and as decoration or arm:
and furniture