A resurfaced CIA document from 1952 is reigniting speculation about the legendary Hall of Records, a mythical ancient library believed to lie beneath Egypt's Great Sphinx. The cryptic reference to a 'temple under Sphinx' was found in a Cold War-era photographic inventory, sparking fresh debate among conspiracy theorists and history enthusiasts.
The CIA Document
The 10-page file, dated November 20, 1952, is titled 'Presentation Form for Graphic Material' and appears to catalog 11 rolls of black-and-white photographic negatives taken between July and December 1950. Rather than an intelligence briefing, the document is a simple archival inventory. However, believers point to the phrase 'Temple under Sphinx' as significant, noting it is not a standard archaeological description used today.
One X user posted: 'So the CIA knows about the temple UNDER THE SPHINX. Still want to call BS on the Hall of Records?' The material was being forwarded to CIA headquarters for archival purposes, with the first page warning that the nitrate film was explosive and required special handling during shipment.
The Hall of Records Legend
The Hall of Records legend has fascinated the public for nearly a century. Some claim the mythical archive contains ancient texts, maps, and evidence of a lost civilization that predated recorded history. Much of the modern myth traces back to American clairvoyant Edgar Cayce, who predicted in the 1930s that a hidden chamber containing records from Atlantis would one day be discovered beneath the Sphinx's paw.
According to Cayce, the hidden archive supposedly contained texts detailing humanity's forgotten history, advanced science, and catastrophic events that destroyed earlier civilizations. He predicted the chamber would one day be discovered, fueling decades of speculation and expeditions around the monument.
Archaeological Investigations
Interest intensified in the 1990s after seismic studies and ground-penetrating radar detected underground cavities and anomalies near the Sphinx. Japanese researchers from Waseda University and later American teams identified unusual voids beneath the Giza Plateau, though mainstream archaeologists disputed claims that they were artificial chambers.
Famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass has consistently denied the existence of a Hall of Records, saying: 'The Sphinx has been thoroughly excavated. My friend and colleague, Mark Lehner, and I investigated it ourselves in 1979. Nothing like a Hall of Records has been found in or near the Sphinx.' He also admitted that researchers have asked him for permission to excavate under the Sphinx, to which he refused, saying 'it did not make sense,' adding that he found evidence that underneath the left paw is nothing but solid rock.
Renewed Speculation
The newly circulating CIA reference has sent conspiracy forums and ancient history communities into overdrive, with many asking: Did the agency stumble across something beneath the Sphinx more than 70 years ago? 'Of course, there's more to those sights than they let on. The Book of Thoth is rumored to be underneath the Sphinx,' another person shared on Reddit.
The Book of Thoth is a significant element of Egyptian mythology, centering around the quest of Nefer-ka-ptah, a prince of Egypt, who seeks a sacred text attributed to Thoth, the god of wisdom. Legend has it that the Book of Thoth is supposedly hidden inside the legendary Hall of Records beneath the Great Sphinx of Giza.
