Encyclopedia of African Religion

Molefi KeteAsante; Ama Mazama

doi:10.4135/9781412964623

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Sphinx

Edited by:
Molefi Kete Asante
&
Ama Mazama
In:Encyclopedia of African Religion
Chapter DOI:https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623
Subject:Black Studies
Keywords:gods

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A sphinx is a large stone statue depicting the body of a lion or lioness and the head of a woman, man, or animal, such as a sheep, hawk, or ram. A common sphinx in ancient Egypt was in the form of the body of a lion with the head of a human and the face of the current king or queen. The most prominent Egyptian sphinx is the Great Sphinx of Giza, a manifestation of the sun god, Re. Situated on a plateau and carved out of limestone, the Great Sphinx was erected to be a guardian and protector of nearby tombs from evil spirits.

Origins

These monuments, referred to generally by the name given to them by the Greeks, were common in Egypt and Greece. ...

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  Asante, M. K., & Mazama, A. (2009). Sphinx. In Encyclopedia of African Religion (pp. 631-632). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623
  
  Asante, Molefi K., and Ama Mazama. "Sphinx." In Encyclopedia of African Religion, edited by Asante, Molefi Kete., and Ama Mazama, 631-32. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623.
  
  Asante, M. K. and Mazama, A. 2009. Sphinx. In: Encyclopedia of African Religion. Molefi K. Asante and Ama Mazama Editors, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. pp. 631-632 Available at: <https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623> [Accessed 2 Dec 2023].
  
  Asante, Molefi K. and Ama Mazama. "Sphinx." Encyclopedia of African Religion. Edited by Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009, pp. 631-32. Sage Knowledge, doi: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623.
  
  Asante, Molefi K., and Ama Mazama. Sphinx. In Encyclopedia of African Religion. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.; 2009: 631-632. doi:10.4135/9781412964623
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