© Aris Dervis 2005

Sphinx

Spirit of the Month

July 2005

What animal walks on all fours in the morning, two legs at noon and three legs at night?

The Riddle of the Sphinx is one that has been ladled out to schoolchildren for ages. Yet the real riddle of the Sphinx might be: when was it built, what does it mean, how did it lose its nose? Some theories hold that Napoleon and his troops shot off the nose. Others believe that the Turks were responsible. Dates for the Sphinx's creation range from 5000 to 2500 BC.

Towering sixty-six feet about the swirling sands of the Giza plateau, the Great Sphinx has for millennia proved as fascinating as it is majestic. For many, the impassive face and knowing smile have come to embody the lost wisdom of the ancient world.

This photograph was taken at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, another wonder of the modern world. We dedicate this Spirit to Sphinx Warner, and his exceptional dad, Leor.
Happy Birthday!

p.s. The answer to the riddle? Man.