“Rameses II Adoring the Sphinx at Giza”

This limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief is called “Rameses II adoring the Sphinx at Giza” and it is such a beautiful 𓄤 piece! Let’s take a closer look!

By the time Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 was pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, the Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 at Giza was already ancient (~1200 years old) – which is almost mind blowing to think about!!! During the 18th Dynasty (the dynasty before Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓) the cult of the Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 began to reach its peak in terms of religious importance. 

During the first 𓏃 year of their reign 𓈎𓏏𓋾, the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 would take a trip to the Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 as almost a right of passage. They would then build monuments 𓏠𓏍 to document the occasion. This relief is representative of that trip that Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 took! 

The New Kingdom pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓐆 knew the Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 as Hor-em-Akhet 𓅃𓐝𓈌 which translates to “Horus in the Horizon.” The name 𓂋𓈖 most likely came from the fact that the Sphinx’s 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 head is seen in between Khufu 𓐍𓆑𓅱 and Khafre’s 𓇳𓈍𓆑 pyramids 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴𓏪, and can appear like the sun disc 𓇳 when approached from a certain direction. It’s definitely a creative name 𓂋𓈖! 

Let’s read some simple hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Here’s a breakdown of the name 𓂋𓈖 Horus in the Horizon 𓅃𓐝𓈌! Can you spot this on the relief?

𓅃 – Horus

𓐝 – em = in the

𓈌 – akhet = horizon

There are actually two 𓏻 different versions of this relief! If you look at the pictures above versus the pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 below, the reliefs are facing two 𓏻 different directions!

For a closer hieroglyphic study, we are going to be looking at the relief facing the left because I was able to get better pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this one! Both reliefs are pretty much identical except for the direction that they face!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! We are going to look at the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 posted below. Some of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are missing, but I was able to infer what was being written:

𓏙 – Given

𓋹 – Life

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances 

𓇳𓁩𓄟𓋴𓋴𓌸 – Rameses II (Birth Name Variant) (this cartouche is too damaged for me to know which variant, so I made my best guess)

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands

𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 – Usermaatre (Rameses II throne name)

𓊹𓄤 – Perfect God 

𓎸𓅓(𓏲𓅆)(𓀭) – Khnum (these hieroglyphs are cut off, but my best guess is this is the start of the name of the god Khnum)

Here’s the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 translation for the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 posted below:

𓅃 – Horus

𓐝 – in the

𓈌  – Horizon

𓏙 – Given

𓋹 – Life

𓆑 – His

𓎟 – All

𓊽 – Stability

𓌀 – Strength

𓋴𓈖𓃀𓏜 – Health

𓄫𓄣𓏏 – Joy

𓎟 – All

𓇳𓏇 – Like Ra

𓇳𓎟 – Every day

This beautiful 𓄤 and unique relief is located at the Louvre in France!