The Message of the Sphinx: A Quest for the Hidden Legacy of Mankind

The Message of the Sphinx (aka "Keeper of Genesis" in the UK) is by Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval. Using astronomical data, they claim the creation of the Sphinx & Pyramids dates back to 10,500 BCE. Working from a premise that the Giza complex encodes a message, they begin with recently discovered geological evidence indicating deep erosion patterns on the Sphinx' flanks were caused by 1000 years of heavy rain. Such conditions last existed at the end of the ice age, 10-9000 BCE, meaning the Sphinx may be over 12,000 years old, not the generally accepted 4500. Using computer simulations, they suggest the pyramids, representing the three stars of Orion's Belt, along with associated causeways & alignments, constitute a stone record of the celestial array at the 10,500 BCE vernal equinox. This moment represents Zep Tepi, the "1st Time," often referred to in hieroglyphic records. They claim initiation rituals of Egyptian pharaohs replicate on Earth the sun's journey thru the stars in this remote era. They suggest a lost civilization's "Hall of Records" may be located by treating the Giza Plateau as a template of these ancient skies. Professional archeologists dismiss this theory as there's no other evidence for such an ancient civilization's existence.