A regal and undisputed centerpiece of the lower Egypt Gallery, the Penn Museum’s massive granite Sphinx—the largest ancient sphinx in the Western Hemisphere—has long been an icon for the Museum and a “must see” for visiting guests. In 2013, when the Sphinx had been in Philadelphia 100 years, the Museum hosted a party, inviting the public and Philadelphia school children to come out and celebrate. Hijinks with the Sphinx featured talks, a social media contest, family activities, and anniversary cupcakes to mark the occasion. Meanwhile, Josef Wegner and Jennifer Houser Wegner, long-time Associate Curators in the Museum’s Egyptian Section, were working on an even bigger tribute: a book. While the idea started out as an oversized booklet, their research took on a life of its own, and the fascinating story behind the Sphinx

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