Discovered the ancient Egyptian sphinx in Israel

On July 9, archaeologists found part of an ancient Egyptian monk statue at a site in Tel Hazor, Northern Israel.

>>>How is the world's largest statue of a sphinx built?

According to archaeological professor Amnon Ben-Tor, this is the first time researchers have found the sphinx statue of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Mycerinus , reigning around 2500 BC, who built one Three pyramids of Giza.

An ancient Egyptian sphinx statue.(Photo: thehistoryblog.com)

This is also the only known statue of the pharaoh, and the only Egyptian statue found in the Levant - now the region of Israel, Lebanon and Syria - ever.

Mr. Ben-Tor said the found part is approximately 50cm, while the original statue is estimated to be 150cm long and 50cm tall.

Beside the Egyptian pharaoh Mycerinus' name engraved between the sphinx's front legs, there is a translating line on the statue "beloved by the sacred souls of Heliopolis".

Heliopolis - the ancient city located in the northern city of Cairo today - which is home to this monk statue, but the cause of the statue wandering to Tel Hazor is still a mystery.

There is a theory that the statue was transferred to Tel Hazor in the era of Mycerinus, but Professor Ben-Tor rejected this theory because there was absolutely no relationship between Egypt and the land at that time.

Another theory is that the statue was stolen by the Canaanians who ruled the Lower Egypt region around the end of the 17th and early 16th centuries BC. According to Professor Ben-Tor, the most certain hypothesis is that the statue was sent to Tel Hazor by an Egyptian pharaoh to strengthen diplomatic relations.