The Stone of Dreams Under the Shadow of the Great Sphinx
A vision under the shadow of the Sphinx led Pharaoh Thutmose IV to bring about changes in Egypt bolstering his power to strengthen all its borders. The image shows Thutmose IV standing to his left and right raising the Sphinx over the king's shoulders. The Sphinx was a powerful guardian of the tombs and pyramids of Giza for millennia. According to Thutmose IV's vision sand from the temple surrounds the decaying Sphinx statue standing beside the passageway connecting the Pyramid of Khafre to the Temple of the Valley. The Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre Egypt's most mysterious monuments are colossal statues with the torso of a lion and a human head complete with large front paws. They date back to the reign of Pharaoh Khafre and inscriptions were discovered on reused doorposts at the entrance to what is believed to be the burial site of Pharaoh Khafre under the vision of the Sphinx's shadow.
The "Dream Stele" of Pharaoh Thutmose IV made of granite and situated between the legs of the Great Sphinx of Giza was erected in the first year of his reign around 1,401 BC to record a dream in which he received the promise of becoming pharaoh for caring for the Sphinx.
The stone on the Sphinx's bust tells the story of Thutmose and the idea of a temple or passageway beneath the Sphinx. Pharaoh Thutmose IV had a vision that if he helped remove the sand that buried the Sphinx he would become a legendary king. He ascended the throne after fulfilling the vision. This stone is a testament to the pharaoh's connection with the gods of ancient Egyptian religion during the reign of Thutmose IV as well as the legitimacy of his rule between 1,401 and 1,391 BC.
The intricately carved dream inscription shows an offering to the legendary Egyptian Sphinx along with a promise from Pharaoh Thutmose IV to rule Egypt. As the Sphinx was buried under the sand that covered it up to its neck Pharaoh Thutmose stopped beneath its head while hunting and soon fell asleep and thus began the promise from Pharaoh Thutmose IV "The sands of the desert have covered me." If the sand is removed from the Great Sphinx Thutmose IV will be a legendary pharaoh.
The chariot of Pharaoh Thutmose IV from the 18th Dynasty discovered in his tomb (KV43) in the Valley of the Kings depicts Pharaoh Thutmose IV riding his chariot and firing arrows at his enemies. This artifact is currently on display at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilizations (NMEC) in Cairo.
The Stone of Dreams confirms the Sphinx's promise to install Pharaoh Thutmose IV as king of Egypt if he removes the sand from the Sphinx so that he may rule Egypt himself upon his father's death. The reign of Thutmose IV who brought transformation to Egypt and promoted his power through the construction of entire borders and a tall obelisk with a gate at its base built between 1,401–1,391 BC is depicted here. This rectangular stone is 3.6 meters high and weighs 15 tons. The granite monument was erected between the Sphinx's feet. The Stone of Dreams of Thutmose IV appears to refer to the desert patrols of Thutmose's forces to protect certain gold mining routes in the eastern Egyptian desert from Nubian attacks and to strengthen the rule and defense of Egyptian territory under the shadow of the Great Sphinx which had legitimized the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose IV.
