Khaf-Ra

The Khephren of the Greeks, third king of the IVth Dynasty. His pyramid stands between those of Khufu and Men-ka-Ra at Gizeh. Inscriptions say little of this Pharaoh, but his features are well known to us from the fine green diorite statue discovered by M. Mariette at the bottom of a pit in a temple near the Sphinx. The splendid workmanship of this statue indicates a very advanced state of art. There were several other statues in the same place, but all, having been thrown in, were broken. Fragments of inscriptions tell us that the name of Khaf-Ra’s wife was Mer-es-ankh. (See Pyramids .) The red granite temple usually, but erroneously, called the Temple of the Sphinx was probably built by this monarch.