Sorry, but this book is incredibly repetitive....complaints about Hawass and his lack of "understanding woo-woo" in finding hidden rooms/buried treasure/buried religious rituals, complaints about calculations of the stars...chapter after chapter saying the same thing, particularly about Edgar Cayce's prophecy about the Sphinx.

(Spoiler) 10,500 B.C. was the "start" date of this civilization, according to the author.

Save your bucks....it's not worth the effort to plow through, and the photos are very old, nothing up-to-date.

This book by Graham Hancock was pretty good but in my opinion his "Fingerprints of the Gods" was a better read. The parts I liked best about "Message of the Sphinx" were the parts where Hancock / Bauval explain in great detail what amazing structures there are on the Giza plateau. Not just the three large pyramids & the Sphinx but also the underground tunnels & various temples. The precision with which all of these were built still puzzles people to this day.

I think Graham Hancock is a fascinating person & I have heard him in several radio interviews as well. He is a very intelligent person who makes you question conventional history. I did find some of his theories of how certain stars aligned in certain dynasties a little hard to understand. I have a hard-cover version of this book but some of the sketches could have been more clearly illustrated. This is a four star book if you like this type of subject.

It is a great book! Great condition!
I am really happy with this purchase.

Several of Graham Hancock's late 1990's books are rehashes of the excellent Fingerprints of the Gods. This one focuses on his Sphinx theories and ended up getting Hancock on numerous History Channel and Discovery Channel specials about the pyramids. His theories about the vast ancient age of the Sphinx has actually garnered some mainstream support, though most Egyptologist won't hear of it.

Hancock always lays out a detailed argument for whatever wacky idea he is tauting. This book's theories, however, may not be so wacky. Hancock is sometimes off the mark with some of his books, but this one makes a compelling case that the Sphinx is far more ancient than the pyramids and may date back to such a remote history that civilizations timeline may have to be reconsidered.

I love Hancock's books, so I went into this one as a fan. Still, I think if this is your first experience with the author it will be a good one. If what you see here interests you, then I highly recommend Fingerprints of the Gods also which originally proposed these ideas.

Basically this book feels like the Egypt chapters of "Fingerprints of the Gods" slightly expanded with more detail. It isn't as interesting or as terrifying as "Fingerprints" but it is shorter and brings a more specific set of "evidence" to the table.

Bringing up Edgar Cayce weakens the authors' position considerably. Psychic readings, though fascinating, cannot be accepted as evidence in any scientific debate.

The authors beat us over the head with the concept of precession, leaving the reader to gasp out "Okay, I get it!"

Ample quotes from ancient Egyptian texts help to build up a seemingly plausible picture of a sky/earth duality and the construction of the Giza complex as a "model" of the sky around the constellation Orion. Descriptions of the Pyramids and the freakish degree of accuracy in their design seem to indicate that whatever they were built for, it was something very specific and intentional. The orthodox Egyptological view that the Queen's Chamber was "abandoned" unfinished in favor of the King's Chamber just doesn't hold up, in view of the apparent care which was taken by Pyramid architects. This would not have been a construction project that you could make up as you went along.

One problem I had with the authors' theory of a mysterious "Brotherhood of Horus" which had preserved technological and astronomical secrets through the ages from 10,500 bc (supposed date of the "First Time" and the building of the Sphinx) to the Pyramid Age (2500 bc) ... if they were able to sustain their secret society for that length of time, where are they now? Such a "brotherhood" should, conceivably, be robust enough to survive and continue to "manipulate society from behind the scenes" even today. Seems fishy to me, and is another weak point in the authors' presentation.

Their most compelling evidence cited is the unmistakeable signs of water erosion on the body of the Sphinx (also a crucial element from "Fingerprints.") Why do Egyptologists wilfully ignore this clear indication of the actual age of the monument?? I'd like to hear the orthodox explanation, which of course is not presented in this book.

One point that is driven home is the notion that modern Egyptology is a religion rather than a science. The "orthodox" view of ancient Egyptian history is based largely on findings made by amateur treasure hunters during the British colonial period a century or more ago. We have much more sophisticated techinques and a better quality of information now at our disposal; why are we clinging to beliefs based on older, less reliable research? In a true science, theories are changed when new data becomes available, but Egyptologists have a tendency to dismiss or ignore any data that challenges what they already believe. There's always value to be found in divergent thinking, even if it is eventually proven wrong. Off the top of my head, I refer to Galileo and Darwin as "divergent thinkers" whose theories (of a heliocentric solar system and of evolution, respectively) were ridiculed at first.

I can understand Egyptologists' professional indignance when confronted with theories from "armchair researchers" who have done no actual fieldwork, and have not devoted their lives to study of Egyptian antiquity. But Hancock and Bauval have come armed with a formidable collection of evidence, much of which consists of FACTS which can be proven (or debunked.) Where is the scholarly rebuttal from thw Egyptological community? It's not enough to dismiss these theories as "ridiculous." Can somebody prove WHY they're ridiculous? It should be easy for an expert to shoot down the so-called "fanciful yarn" presented in this book, but so far I've seen no-one do it.

Meanwhile there are legitimate discoveries to be made at Giza, based on clues found by ACTUAL field work at the site. There's tangible evidence suggesting the presence of still-undiscovered chambers inside the Great Pyramid and under the plateau near the Sphinx. Work on following these leads proceeds frustratingly slowly. Dr. Zahi Hawas jealously guards the area almost as if it was his own personal property ... any "secrets" found there could be of profound importance to all of mankind, but based on some follow-up reading I've done (beyond the scope of this book) I question whether the public will even be told the truth about what, if anything, is discovered.

Basically this book feels like the Egypt chapters of "Fingerprints of the Gods" slightly expanded with more detail. It isn't as interesting or as terrifying as "Fingerprints" but it is shorter and brings a more specific set of "evidence" to the table.
Bringing up Edgar Cayce weakens the authors' position considerably. Psychic readings, though fascinating, cannot be accepted as evidence in any scientific debate.
The authors beat us over the head with the concept of precession, leaving the reader to gasp out "Okay, I get it!"
Ample quotes from ancient Egyptian texts help to build up a seemingly plausible picture of a sky/earth duality and the construction of the Giza complex as a "model" of the sky around the constellation Orion. Descriptions of the Pyramids and the freakish degree of accuracy in their design seem to indicate that whatever they were built for, it was something very specific and intentional. The orthodox Egyptological view that the Queen's Chamber was "abandoned" unfinished in favor of the King's Chamber just doesn't hold up, in view of the apparent care which was taken by Pyramid architects. This would not have been a construction project that you could make up as you went along.
One problem I had with the authors' theory of a mysterious "Brotherhood of Horus" which had preserved technological and astronomical secrets through the ages from 10,500 bc (supposed date of the "First Time" and the building of the Sphinx) to the Pyramid Age (2500 bc) ... if they were able to sustain their secret society for that length of time, where are they now? Such a "brotherhood" should, conceivably, be robust enough to survive and continue to "manipulate society from behind the scenes" even today. Seems fishy to me, and is another weak point in the authors' presentation.
Their most compelling evidence cited is the unmistakeable signs of water erosion on the body of the Sphinx (also a crucial element from "Fingerprints.") Why do Egyptologists wilfully ignore this clear indication of the actual age of the monument?? I'd like to hear the orthodox explanation, which of course is not presented in this book.
One point that is driven home is the notion that modern Egyptology is a religion rather than a science. The "orthodox" view of ancient Egyptian history is based largely on findings made by amateur treasure hunters during the British colonial period a century or more ago. We have much more sophisticated techinques and a better quality of information now at our disposal; why are we clinging to beliefs based on older, less reliable research? In a true science, theories are changed when new data becomes available, but Egyptologists have a tendency to dismiss or ignore any data that challenges what they already believe. There's always value to be found in divergent thinking, even if it is eventually proven wrong. Off the top of my head, I refer to Galileo and Darwin as "divergent thinkers" whose theories (of a heliocentric solar system and of evolution, respectively) were ridiculed at first.
I can understand Egyptologists' professional indignance when confronted with theories from "armchair researchers" who have done no actual fieldwork, and have not devoted their lives to study of Egyptian antiquity. But Hancock and Bauval have come armed with a formidable collection of evidence, much of which consists of FACTS which can be proven (or debunked.) Where is the scholarly rebuttal from thw Egyptological community? It's not enough to dismiss these theories as "ridiculous." Can somebody prove WHY they're ridiculous? It should be easy for an expert to shoot down the so-called "fanciful yarn" presented in this book, but so far I've seen no-one do it.
Meanwhile there are legitimate discoveries to be made at Giza, based on clues found by ACTUAL field work at the site. There's tangible evidence suggesting the presence of still-undiscovered chambers inside the Great Pyramid and under the plateau near the Sphinx. Work on following these leads proceeds frustratingly slowly. Dr. Zahi Hawas jealously guards the area almost as if it was his own personal property ... any "secrets" found there could be of profound importance to all of mankind, but based on some follow-up reading I've done (beyond the scope of this book) I question whether the public will even be told the truth about what, if anything, is discovered.

Asking rather more questions than it answers, "The Message of the Sphinx" purports to use geology to prove that the Sphinx is much older than normally suspected. Also, astronomy is used to show once again that the layout of the Giza plateau represents the sky overhead at the summer solstice in 10,500 BC, which the author theorizes is when the First Time began. Having recently read "The Kybalion," which is a hermetic work supposedly handed down from the Sages discussed in this book, it actually all does sort of fit together - as above so below, as below so above is a mainstay of their system of belief and as such the layout of the Giza plateau and other pyramids in the general area fit the pattern. While I pride myself in not being a credulous person, I found the theories and suppositions put forth by the author to have a strong ring of truth to them - it does make me want to conduct further research and I can feel the frustration in the author that further studies have been so heavily curtailed.

A must-read for anyone interested in Egyptology, ancient civilizations and alternative theories of history.

Way has it taken so long for anyone to come up with this information. I think for the most part HandCock is right on the subject.

Way has it taken so long for anyone to come up with this information. I think for the most part HandCock is right on the subject.

I picked this one up on a whim. Having already read and reviewed Hancock's "Heaven's Mirror" several years ago, I knew what I was getting myself into - lots of alternative, well-researched ideas that cause you to think, "Well...maybe..."

The first half of the audiobook was just that. Questions about the weathering on the Sphinx. Unexplained unwillingness to research into what lies below the Sphinx (is it a cavern? a room? a geologic anomaly?), challenges to the orthodox Egyptology's interpretions.

Lots of good fun and as a history teacher I encourage challenges to Orthodoxy - for example, until fairly recently the Maya were considered to be wise sages of the rain forest who abhorred violence (turns out they readily engaged in human sacrfices all of the time), the Assyrians of Ninevah were considered to be a fantasy of the Bible and the city of Troy? - a figment of Homer's imagination. So, putting pinholes in orthodoxy has its place.

However, Hancock and Bauval lost me when they began to use Edgar Cayce's psychic readings from the 1930s and 1940s as a legitimate source. Star charts and weathering are legitimate sources. Not mediums. Come on!

To make it worse, Hancock and Bauval launch into an extended discourse on the movement of stars across the sky over the cenutires (called procession). While this had a legitimate point, one that Hancock fleshes out even more in his book "Heaven's Mirror," he goes on and on with it to the point where I couldn't hardly stand to listen to it any longer. The reader, Nick Ullett, did a superb job with the material he was asked to read, but there is no way that listening to nearly an hour of facts and figures about star charts and mathematical equations will be anything but mind-numbingly, eye-crossingly, stupifyingly boring. I listen to audiobooks to perk up my long daily commute. I actually had to turn off the relentless march of the equations just to stay awake! Hancock's points were made in the first 15 minutes - yet he continued on and on and on and on and on...

So, this is really two books - the first half is interesting and full of legitimate points. The second half is butressed by facts from the mouth of a psychic and then becomes an endless lecture on procession that should have been edited.

Final grade: D+

In a compelling follow-up to Robert Bauval's (co-author, 1995) The Orion Mystery, and setting the foundation for Graham Hancock's (co-author, 1999) Heaven's Mirror, The Message of the Sphinx is a true history of a great civilization that mainstream history would rather ignore.

The book is split into two sections that are based on an encoded message in the Giza Plateau that is a template for records of a "lost" civilization through the alignment of the pyramids and understanding the true age of the Sphinx.

With the latter, the authors researched then new geological evidence of erosion patterns on the flanks of the Sphinx and conclude it was caused by 1,000 years of heavy rains. By using historical knowledge of weather conditions - those conditions date back to the end of the last ice age -it may make the Sphinx more than 12,000 years old.

The use of computer simulations of the sky show how the pyramids precisely line up to represent the three stars of Orion's Belt at 10,500 B.C. The authors write that this understanding of the sky was crucial to the pharoh's initiation rituals and - with the Sphinx - unlock the records of a civilization that looked to the skies to chronicle their history.

It should be no surprise that the book was then and continues to be discounted by the majority of Egyptologists. But it's these same researchers who have skirted the fact that it was the science, technology and history of grand black civilizations that made this region truly a cradle of human existence.

The Message of the Sphinx is an important exploration into who we were and how the truth is viewed in a clear sky of unbiased research.

When it comes to the field of speculative/alternative world history there's nothing more fascinating to speculate about than the true age and origin of the two most impressive, awe inspiring monuments on the face of the Earth, the great Pyramid of Cheops and the Sphinx. When you add to the discussion ancient mystery schools, occult considerations and the transmission of arcane knowledge you've got my undivided attention!

I've been fascinated by the image of the Sphinx for as long as I can remember. That calm, unconcerned limestone effigy has puzzled mankind since the beginning of recorded time and it still sustains its grip on the human psyche like no other image in history, except maybe the Devil. Was the Sphinx built in approximately 2500 BCE as conventional historians tell us? Was it constructed to honor a Pharoah of Egypt, the face of that Pharoah carved into onto the body of a lion as a symbol of his power?

Or is it older and much more ancient than any of us have yet to fathom? Does this monument reach further back into antiquity, maybe as far as 10,000 to 9,000 BCE? Is it a symbol from an almost mythic time known as Zep Tepi, meaning the "First Time?" If it does reach back to a time preceding the Pharoah's than what was the purpose for its construction and who or what does the figure signify? Ahh......., the question of the ages!

I'm not a scientist or an astronomer. I'm not particularily strong in mathematics in general for that matter. So advanced mathematics and astronomical calculations concerning star alignment, planetary rotations and the procession of the equinox that Hancock and Bauval use as evidence for their conclusions is something I cannot substantiate. I can only read and ponder the implications and conclusions if the authors are indeed correct in their analysis.

FACT? FABLE? FABRICATION? FASCINATING!!!