ancient city of Alexandria

Greco-Egyptian Oracles

For at least a thousand years, the people living around the ancient Mediterranean turned to oracles, often located in ancient temples, for spiritual, personal and civic advice and guidance. The Egyptians had many oracular temples, including oracles of the gods Horus, Thoth, Serapis and the goddess Isis. Oracles of Isis and Serapis were particularly common and became widespread throughout the Mediterranean. An oracle of Serapis was established in Alexandria by Ptolemy III. Egyptian Oracles, like their Greek counterparts, often used dream incubation to obtain oracles from the gods and cult statues of the gods in their oracular practices.