Napoleon's campaign in Egypt began in 1798 over his interests in education, art and culture. In this campaign Napoleon faced the Mamluks, Arabs and the Turks with his armies. His armies pressed he advance against these three forces earning victories over the Pyramids, and at Aboukir. Under the command of Kleber, and Reyner part of his armies pushed into Palestine. Pushing further into the middle east was not the job of his army of scholars. Outside the town of Rosetta north of Alexandria a team of soldiers and scholars searched for artifacts of Egypt's ancient past. For days and weeks they searched the desert for anything that was remotely ancient or hinted at clues to the ancient culture that existed over two thousand years ago.
To them, the scholars and soldiers who yearned for this knowledge it was an honor. Many of them wanted to find the pieces of the ancient culture they heard about or read in books that were recorded from older records. Most of those were that of Roman scrolls, and Greek scrolls from the Days of Alexander the Great. One soldier rode his camel through the desert not too far away from the town of Rosetta. Pierre Bouchard, a soldier in Napoleon's Army scanned the landscape in search of anything out of the ordinary. Anything that was not part of the landscape or well carved into the stone as a statue, or the piece of an ancient structure long forgotten in sand and time.
Upon his camel Bouchard made serpentine patterns in the sand searching for something in the area. For nearly an hour of searching his eyes caught something black in the sands. Urging his camel forward he raced up to this object. Not giving a damn about whether his camel would stay put or budge to move when he tried to remount Bouchard dismounted. He jumped down from the camel to uncover whatever this was. Looking around it was clear this was not part of the landscape. Bouchard used his hands to uncover this black object to reveal it was a piece of basalt four feet long and two and a half feet wide. On it were markings that must have been some ancient language. These markings appeared to be a written language of some sort. At closer look it appeared there were three different sets of languages. Well aware of his orders he turned around to call his fellow Frenchmen and soldiers with the scholars. Bouchard turned around to find a claw on the basalt stone.
A large cat or lion looking creature with a human's face had placed a paw over the basalt stone. It stared at him with its cat like eyes. This lion creature drummed its other paw with a more curious look than an angered one. Bouchard raised a pistol to fire but it was knocked out of his hands by a tail. Whatever this lion creature was it was certainly intelligent and well aware of his intentions. However it did not kill him or even swat him just his weapon. Bouchard backed away horrified that a large beast laid claim over the large basalt stone.
"Well you have found something of mine." the creature spoke with a feminine voice. Bouchard soiled himself when the beast spoke to him.
"I am curious are you here to steal my treasures or the knowledge within this basalt stone?" The beast asked Bouchard in broken French. Bouchard said nothing in response while he tried to recover from soiling himself.
"For months I have watched your people these Frenchmen under a Napoleon Bonaparte? I have even followed you since you came to Alexandria. Following your people and listening to them has allowed me to pick up some of your speech." the large feline said to Bouchard despite him not responding to her.
"It....it...it is knowledge the G-g-great Napoleon seeks!" he said aloud.
"Very well then. If you answer this question or if any of your friends answer correctly then you can have this stone. I will be fair with you since you seem more interested in preserving than destroying this lands ancient past." She said offering a deal to the Frenchman.
Bouchard turned around to find ten soldiers, and five scholars gazing at this large lion looking beast before them. Each one dismounted from their camel. None of them drew their weapon as they saw no harm came to Bouchard at all. One of the scholars approached the large feline cat whose gaze turned one him. He nearly soiled himself when the beast turned her attention to him.
"What are you I mean who are you?" He asked in Arabic.
"My name is Zuponef the Sphinx. Answer this question and you shall receive this stone as a reward." She said challenging the scholars. Each one agreed to this challenge showing their eagerness to have this stone.
"Who traversed the deserts, was once a prince, banished himself, and returned to bring laws? There that should be a suffice question for you." Zuponef gave her question to the scholars and french soldiers.
Everyone of them were stumped by this question. They huddled together trying to figure out who this person was that the Spinx referred to. Bouchard sat down on the sand trying to think. He looked at the desert and thought of Egypt. Something about the question hinted at the Bible. Could it be she referred to a Messenger of God? Moses was banished and wandered the deserts, he was also a Prince of Egypt while the Hebrews were in Egypt.
"Moses?" He blurted out loud. He looked at the beast who claimed to be Zuponef.
"You are correct." she answered. Zuponef pushed the basalt stone with the ancient carvings over to him. He looked down at the prize he had just won. He looked up to thank this so called Sphinx. The large lion like creature had disappeared into the desert.
To them, the scholars and soldiers who yearned for this knowledge it was an honor. Many of them wanted to find the pieces of the ancient culture they heard about or read in books that were recorded from older records. Most of those were that of Roman scrolls, and Greek scrolls from the Days of Alexander the Great. One soldier rode his camel through the desert not too far away from the town of Rosetta. Pierre Bouchard, a soldier in Napoleon's Army scanned the landscape in search of anything out of the ordinary. Anything that was not part of the landscape or well carved into the stone as a statue, or the piece of an ancient structure long forgotten in sand and time.
Upon his camel Bouchard made serpentine patterns in the sand searching for something in the area. For nearly an hour of searching his eyes caught something black in the sands. Urging his camel forward he raced up to this object. Not giving a damn about whether his camel would stay put or budge to move when he tried to remount Bouchard dismounted. He jumped down from the camel to uncover whatever this was. Looking around it was clear this was not part of the landscape. Bouchard used his hands to uncover this black object to reveal it was a piece of basalt four feet long and two and a half feet wide. On it were markings that must have been some ancient language. These markings appeared to be a written language of some sort. At closer look it appeared there were three different sets of languages. Well aware of his orders he turned around to call his fellow Frenchmen and soldiers with the scholars. Bouchard turned around to find a claw on the basalt stone.
A large cat or lion looking creature with a human's face had placed a paw over the basalt stone. It stared at him with its cat like eyes. This lion creature drummed its other paw with a more curious look than an angered one. Bouchard raised a pistol to fire but it was knocked out of his hands by a tail. Whatever this lion creature was it was certainly intelligent and well aware of his intentions. However it did not kill him or even swat him just his weapon. Bouchard backed away horrified that a large beast laid claim over the large basalt stone.
"Well you have found something of mine." the creature spoke with a feminine voice. Bouchard soiled himself when the beast spoke to him.
"I am curious are you here to steal my treasures or the knowledge within this basalt stone?" The beast asked Bouchard in broken French. Bouchard said nothing in response while he tried to recover from soiling himself.
"For months I have watched your people these Frenchmen under a Napoleon Bonaparte? I have even followed you since you came to Alexandria. Following your people and listening to them has allowed me to pick up some of your speech." the large feline said to Bouchard despite him not responding to her.
"It....it...it is knowledge the G-g-great Napoleon seeks!" he said aloud.
"Very well then. If you answer this question or if any of your friends answer correctly then you can have this stone. I will be fair with you since you seem more interested in preserving than destroying this lands ancient past." She said offering a deal to the Frenchman.
Bouchard turned around to find ten soldiers, and five scholars gazing at this large lion looking beast before them. Each one dismounted from their camel. None of them drew their weapon as they saw no harm came to Bouchard at all. One of the scholars approached the large feline cat whose gaze turned one him. He nearly soiled himself when the beast turned her attention to him.
"What are you I mean who are you?" He asked in Arabic.
"My name is Zuponef the Sphinx. Answer this question and you shall receive this stone as a reward." She said challenging the scholars. Each one agreed to this challenge showing their eagerness to have this stone.
"Who traversed the deserts, was once a prince, banished himself, and returned to bring laws? There that should be a suffice question for you." Zuponef gave her question to the scholars and french soldiers.
Everyone of them were stumped by this question. They huddled together trying to figure out who this person was that the Spinx referred to. Bouchard sat down on the sand trying to think. He looked at the desert and thought of Egypt. Something about the question hinted at the Bible. Could it be she referred to a Messenger of God? Moses was banished and wandered the deserts, he was also a Prince of Egypt while the Hebrews were in Egypt.
"Moses?" He blurted out loud. He looked at the beast who claimed to be Zuponef.
"You are correct." she answered. Zuponef pushed the basalt stone with the ancient carvings over to him. He looked down at the prize he had just won. He looked up to thank this so called Sphinx. The large lion like creature had disappeared into the desert.
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