Mystery of the Sphinx (1993)

Ridiculed by traditional Egyptologists but supported by geologist Robert Schoch, John Anthony West cites water erosion as evidence that the Great Sphinx is more than 9,000 years old. Charlton Heston hosts.

Director:

Bill Cote

Writers:

Bill Cote, Carol Cote

Stars:

Frank Demingo, Zahi Hawass, Charlton Heston

Cast

Credited cast:
Frank Demingo	...	Self
Zahi Hawass	...	Self
Charlton Heston	...	Host
Edgar D. Mitchell	...	Self
James F. Ramano	...	Self
Paul William Roberts	...	Self
Boris Said	...	Self
Robert Schoch	...	Self
John Anthony West	...	Self

Storyline

Ridiculed by traditional Egyptologists but supported by geologist Robert Schoch, John Anthony West cites water erosion as evidence that the Great Sphinx is more than 9,000 years old. Charlton Heston hosts.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

PG

User Reviews

A solid documentary until the pseudo science hits the fan.

You know, there's a lot going for this documentary about one of the oldest an made structures on the face of this Earth. New revelations and new conclusions about the Egyptian Sphinx and a nearby temple are pretty amazing stuff. When I first saw this documentary back in the 90s I was riveted.

That is, until the mumbo-jumbo pseudo science about ancient humans from a lost continent and aliens reared their head. I mean, why throw that in there as a serious contemplation to what had been a solid and serious documentary? Just why?

But, never mind. John Anthony West puts his ideas forward, and Charlton Heston narrates what could have been one of the greatest historical documentaries of all time. But, even West himself says all the other kooky crap associated with his ideas is, just that, an unfortunate association, because all he's done is taken the science a few extra steps to really examine what the geological evidence states about the Egyptian Sphinx, and, form there, to draw likely conclusions about what that evidence states.

And it is compelling beyond belief. It says that civilization may be older than we thought by many orders of magnitude, and that the cradle of civilization may be near the Sphinx itself, whose life may have started out as a simple temple to some local animist deity, but, through the eons, was transformed into what we have today.

Really, if you can get by the junk science part, and just focus on West's research, you should have an enjoyable time of it.

Give it a watch and see what you think.

*EDIT* A more recent documentary aired by the Smithsonian examines the same evidence, draws some of the same hard factual inferences made in this documentary, but gives a more cogent and solid theory of conclusion, which holds up better to scrutiny, and gybes better with known facts regarding construction techniques: "Secrets - The Sphinx"

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 1993 (USA)

Filming Locations:

The Sphinx, Giza Plateau, Giza, Egypt

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1