Remains of Ancient Egyptian Sphinx Found in Northern Israel

Remains of Ancient Egyptian Sphinx was found in northern Israel, where part of an ancient sphinx was recently discovered at Tel Hazor National Park. Hazor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just north of the Sea of Galilee, is the largest biblical-era site in Israel. Likely due to its size and strategic location between Egypt and Babylon, Joshua 11:10 mentions Hazor as “the head of all those kingdoms.”

Part of an ancient sphinx was recently discovered at Tel Hazor National Park, north of the Sea of Galilee. Hazor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest biblical-era site in Israel. Likely due to its size and strategic location between Egypt and Babylon, Joshua 11:10 mentions Hazor as “the head of all those kingdoms.”

The remains were discovered by archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one of the latest teams to excavate this site since work began there in the mid-1950s. 

Working with a team from the Institute of Archaeology, they discovered part of a Sphinx brought over from Egypt, with a hieroglyphic inscription between its front legs. The inscription bears the name of the Egyptian king Mycerinus, who ruled in the third millennium BCE, more than 4,000 years ago. The king was one of the builders of the famous Giza pyramids.

As the only known Sphinx of this king discovered anywhere in the world — including in Egypt — the find at Hazor is an unexpected and important discovery. Moreover, it is only piece of a royal Sphinx sculpture discovered in the entire Levant area (the eastern part of the Mediterranean).

Along with the king’s name, the hieroglyphic inscription includes the descriptor “Beloved by the divine manifestation… that gave him eternal life.” According to Prof. Ben-Tor and Dr. Zuckerman, this text indicates that the Sphinx probably originated in the ancient city of Heliopolis (the city of 'On' in the Bible), north of modern Cairo.

Source: blog.ifcj via Standforisrael