Sphinx statues of king Amenemhat III

Sphinx statues of king Amenemhat III

F   Material:

They are made out of gray granite.

F   Discoverer and place of discovery:

They were discovered by Mariette in 1863 at Tanis which was the capital of Lower Egypt during the 21^st Dynasty. It was called in the  Egyptian language as " Dant " nowadays it is called "San el-Hagar ".so if you want to see the largest statue on a tour as Cairo Day Tours pyramids

In fact they were originally placed by king Amenernhat III inside the temple of the cat goddess Bastet (BAstt) at Bubastis (nowadays called Tell Basta in el-Sharkia governorate), then they were transported by king Nehesy during the Hyksos period, from their original place at Bubastis to his capital known in Egyptian language as " Hwt Wart " and in Greek language as Auaris or Avaris, nowadays it is called Tell el- Dabaa in el-Sharkia governorate, moreover this Hyksos king Nehesy usurped these statues and inscribed his name on the right shoulder of three of them.

Later on they were subsequently transferred by king Merenptah during the 19^th Dynasty, New Kingdom, from Auaris to the Ramesside capital known in Egyptian language as "Pr Ra-ms-sw " (House of Ramesses), nowadays known as "Qantir" in the eastern Delta. These two kings usurped the sphinx statues of Amenemhat III and king Ramesses II inscribed his names and titles on the periphery of the pedestal of these statues, while king Merenptah inscribed his names on the left shoulder and on the periphery of the pedestal.

Later still, during the reign of king Psusennes I of the 21^st Dynasty they were again transported, this time to Tanis, the capital of Lower Egypt during the 21^st Dynasty where Mariette discovered them. King Psusennes I usurped them and inscribed his name on their chest.

F   Dating:

They date back to the Middle Kingdom, 12^th Dynasty reign of king Amenemhat III.

By mistake Mariette dated back these sphinx statues to the Hyksos Period, reign of king Nehesy according to the name of that king which is inscribed on the right shoulder of three statues, and the strange facial features which look like those of the Hyksos King.

However Golenschov is considered the first scholar who accurately dated them back to the Middle kingdom, 12^th Dynasty, reign of king Amenemhat III, according to the characteristic facial features of king Amenemhat III, which are executed according to the standards of the realistic art that was common during the 2^nd half of the 12^th Dynasty, thus Golenschov recognized that these statues belong to Amenemhat III through his facial features.

F   Historical background about King Amenemhat III:

See the bust of King Amenemhat III

F   The appearance of sphinx statues in ancient Egypt, their name and shape:

Sphinx statues made their first appearance during the Old Kingdom, 4^th Dynasty, reign of king Djedefrea as this king together with his wife are considered the first King and Queen throughout the history of ancient Egypt who represented themselves in the shape of sphinx, but unfortunately the sphinx statue of Djedefrea was destroyed and what only remained from this statue is its head which is now displayed in the Louver Museum in France, while the sphinx statue of his  wife is complete and it is now displayed in El-Ismailia Museum.

The word sphinx is a Greek word which was perhaps derived from the ancient Egyptian word " SSP anx " (she sep ankh) by the meaning of " the living statue or image". It designates a type of a statue joining a human head to the body of a lion and symbolizes sovereignty combining the strength of the lion represented in the lion's body with a human intelligence represented in the human head.

§  The different types of sphinx statues:

There are four types of sphinx statues as follows:

1. The classical type:

It is a type of sphinx statues, joining a human head wearing the royal headdress nemes or the double crown (sxmty) to the body of a lion. This type appeared for the first time during the Old Kingdom 4^th Dynasty, such as the sphinx statue of king Djedefrea and the great sphinx of King Khaefrea (Chephren) at Giza plateau. Sometimes this type was represented with the female facial feature, like the sphinx statue of Queen Hatshepsut which dates back to the New Kingdom, 18^th Dynasty.

This classical type continued to be represented until the Graeco-Roman period.

2. Sphinx statues holding the nw jars:

This type looks like the classical one but it has human being arms holding the two "nw" () jars, or any religious symbol, such as the sphinx statue of king Pepy II, which dates back to the Old Kingdom,  6^th  Dynasty and is now displayed in the Louver museum.

It is worthy here to note that this type continued to be represented till the Graeco-Roman period.

3. The Crio-sphinx type

This type joining a ram's head to a lion's body, it indicates god Amun because the ram was the sacred animal of that god. The most famous examples of that type are the 40 criosphinx Statues which form the ram-headed sphinx avenue in front of the 1^st Pylon of the temple of god Amun-Rea at Karnak Temples.

4. Sphinx statues with lion's mane:

It looks like the classical type of sphinx statues, but the lion's mane exceptionally replaces the royal names surrounding the human face which is joined to the lion's body. This type made its first appearance during the 4^th dynasty, represented in the sphinx statue of the wife of king Djedefrea. Then this type became very common during the 2^nd half of the 12^th dynasty represented in our sphinx statues of king Amenemhat III. Later on this type continued to be represented during the New kingdom and Late Period.

F   Locations of sphinx statues:

Sphinx statues were placed in different locations in front of the Egyptian temples and tombs as follows:

1- On either side of the entrances of valley temples, such as the two sphinx statues flanking the entrance of the valley temple of king Khaefrea (Chephren) at Giza plateau.

2- During  New Kingdom in particular sphinx statues were used to connect between two temples, such as the sphinx avenue which connects between the gate of the temple of god Khonsu at Karnak Temples and Luxor Temple.

3- In some cases the sphinx statues were used to connect between a temple and a tomb such as the long sphinx avenue which once connected between the temple of god Ptah at Memphis and the Serapeum tombs of god Apis at Saqqara.

N.B.

Sphinx statues were restricted only to Egyptian kings not to private people.

F   Description of the 1^st sphinx statue:

King Amenemhat III is shown in this statue with a human royal face surrounded with a lion's mane and his face is joined with a lion's body (the 4^th type).

His characteristic facial features in this statue and all the other 3 statues are executed according to the standards of the realistic style of art which was very common during the 2^nd half the 12^th Dynasty from the reign of kind Senusert III the founder of this kind of art.  These facial features are as follows: dramatic or sad expression of the face, which is almost cruel, protruding eyes without any representation of eyebrows or cosmetic eye lines, wrinkles under the eyes and on the cheeks, high cheekbones, bitter mouth, with prominently marked muscles around it protruding chin and deep gap between the lower lip of the mouth and the chin.

F   Two suggestions concerning the number of these statues:

1- Suggestion of Labib Habachi:

According to his suggestion, Labib Habachi mentioned that the four sphinx statues of Amenemhat III were originally carved in two groups- each group contains two sphinx statues placed on one pedestal and later on when king Ramesses II usurped them that he cut each group of sphinx statues into two separated statues, in order to be able to inscribe his names and titles together with the names and titles of Merenptah on the periphery of the pedestals of those statues.

Labib Habachi consolidated his suggestion by his discovery of a double sphinx statue which also dates back to the reign of king Amenemhat III and it is now displayed in the middle among the 4 sphinx statues in the Egyptian Museum.

Furthermore, Labib Habachi suggested that the two groups of sphinx statues indicate the co-regency between the father king Senusert III and his son king Amenemhat III. Habachi consolidated this suggestion by the tact that two sphinx statues which represent the first group are shown with facial feature indicate the old age of the king and they belong to king Senusert III, while the second group of the other two sphinx statues are shown with facial features indicate the young age of the king and they belong to king Amenemhat III the son of king Senusert III.

2- Suggestion of Davies^:

Depending on the suggestion of Labib Habachi, Davies mentioned that each group of two sphinx statues indicates the two "rwty" lions which symbolize the eastern and western mountains, and the sun rises between them every day.

Unlike what was mentioned by Habachi, Davies suggested that each group of two sphinx statues represent king Senusert III and his son king Amenemhat III, however the agreed with Habachi concerning the difference between the facial features of the two sphinx statues, furthermore he suggested that the statue of Senusert III with its facial features indicating his old age symbolizes sunset, while that of Amenemhat III with its facial features indicating his young age symbolizes sunrise, thus each group of two sphinx statues symbolizes the circle of the sun every day.

F   Hieroglyphic inscriptions:

1- One horizontal line of hieroglyphic signs inscribed in sunk relief on the left hand side of the pedestal of the 1^st sphinx statue giving the titles, coronation and birth names of king Ramesses II as follows:

Transliteration:

Hr kA nxt mry MAat Ra ms-sw  grg tAwy nswt-bity Wsr MAat Ra stp n Ra sA-Ra  Ra- ms-sw   mry Imn

Translation:

The Horus, the strong or victorious bull, the beloved of Maat. Ramesses (i.e. the born of Rea), the establisher of the Two Lands, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, wsr- Maat –Rea -setep-en-Rea (strong is the justice of Rea, the selected one by Rea), the son of Rea, Ramesses, the beloved of Amun.

N.B.

Wsr MAat Ra stp n Ra is the coronation name or nswt-bity name of King Ramesses II, while (Ra- ms-sw   mry Imn) is his birth name or sA-Ra -name.

2- One horizontal line of hieroglyphic text inscribed in sunk reliefs on the right hand side of the pedestal of the 1^st sphinx statue giving the titles, the coronation and birth names of King Merenptah as follows:

Transliteration:

nswt-bity bA-n-Ra mry nTrw

Translation:

The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ba-en-Rea-mry-netheru (i.e. the ram of Rea, the beloved of the gods).

3- The coronation and birth name of king Merenptah are inscribed in sunk relief on the left shoulder of the statue as follows:

Transliteration:

nswt-bity bA-n-Ra mry-Imn sA –Ra Mry-n-PtH Htp-Hr-mAat

Translation:

The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ba-en-Rea-mry-netheru (i.e. the ram of Rea, the beloved of the gods), the son of Re, Merenptah hetep-her-maat (beloved of Ptah, the satisfied upon justice).

4) The coronation name of King Psusennes I of the 21^st Dynasty is inscribed in sunk reliefs inside the royal cartouche on the chest of this statue as follows:

Transliteration:

nswt bitv bity bA-sbA-xa-n-niwt mry-Imn di anx Dt

Translation:

The King of upper and lower Egypt, ba-seba-kha-n-niwt (i.e. the star which shines or appears in the city "means Thebes"), the beloved of Amun, given life forever.