Unveiling the Greek Sphinx
The Greek Sphinx always has been a fascinating topic. Since the Renaissance until the present day there has been much speculation about the figure. Its encounter with Oedipus as well as the famous riddle are the main part of the mystery, and its true nature and function have never been clearly explained. We shall see that the key lies in its Near-Eastern background, in particular the "Kerubs" in the Old Testament. However the images on Greek vases and Oriental objects are at least as important as the texts and a major source to solve the riddle.