Oracular Decrees

Faience, papryus. Third Intermediate Period; Late Period. Dynasties 21-25, 1070-664 BC. The gods could speak to people through oracles. The most common means of consulting an oracle was to pose a question to the cult statue of a god while it was being carried in a festicaly procession, and interpret an answer from the movement of the shrine holding the statue. Oracular decrees written on scrolls of papryus were sometimes kept in precious metal containers as a protective amulet and souvenir of the event.