Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-217) and index.

"This book tells the full story of the Great Sphinx of Giza as Egyptology has uncovered it. The Sphinx is one of the most striking monuments of the ancient Egyptians, and has attracted the attention of travellers, scientists, archaeologists and others for generations. Paul Jordan details the Sphinx's impact on the ancient world, on Arab writers, on Renaissance travellers, on the pioneers of Egyptology and on modern scholarship. He tells the story of the Sphinx's many bouts of excavation and restoration, and above all puts the Sphinx in the context of all that is known about ancient Egyptian history and religion." "This book examines every aspect of the Sphinx, including a professional geologist's recent claims regarding its age, and provides an authoritative and highly readable overview of the issues and debates currently surrounding it."--Jacket.

Introduction: the Riddles -- 1. The Great Sphinx in Situ -- 2. The Sphinx before Egyptology -- 3. Dating Ancient Egypt -- 4. Before Egypt -- 5. From Egypt's First Farmers to its First Dynasties -- 6. The Pyramid Age -- 7. Archaeology and the Sphinx -- 8. The Sphinx in Pictures -- 9. The Alternative Sphinx -- 10. The Real Age of the Sphinx -- 11. The World of the Great Sphinx -- 12. After the Old Kingdom.