There is a well-known story in Egypt about the oracle of Dodona in Greece and the oracle of Ammon in Libya. This story explains how both sacred places were founded and how they may be connected to Egypt. The information comes from the priests of Jupiter at Thebes, one of the most important religious centers in ancient Egypt. These priests claimed to have reliable knowledge passed down through generations.
According to them, two sacred women once lived at Thebes and served in the temple of Jupiter. At some point in the past, Phoenician traders came to Egypt and carried these two women away. The priests said that one of the women was taken and sold into Libya, while the other was brought to Greece. These women, they believed, later became the founders of the first oracles in those two lands Guided Tours Turkey.
The Egyptian Explanation
When asked how they knew the exact fate of these women, the priests explained that a careful search had been made for them at the time of their disappearance. Although the women could not be found, later reports reached Egypt explaining where they had gone. Based on this information, the priests were confident that the oracles of Dodona and Ammon both had Egyptian origins.
In their view, the story showed how Egyptian religious traditions spread to other regions through travel and trade. The priests believed that sacred knowledge did not remain in one place but moved with people across the ancient world.
The Dodonaean Version of the Story
At Dodona, however, the priestesses who delivered the oracles told a very different version of the same events. Instead of human women being carried away, they spoke of a divine and symbolic tale. According to them, two black doves once flew from Egyptian Thebes. One of these doves traveled south to Libya, while the other flew north and arrived at Dodona.
The dove that reached Dodona landed on a sacred oak tree. While sitting on the branches, it spoke with a human voice and announced that an oracle of Jupiter should be established in that very place. The people believed this message came directly from the gods. Without delay, they began to build a shrine beneath the oak, which later became the famous oracle of Dodona Early Religious Beliefs of the Pelasgians.
The Oracle of Ammon in Libya
The second dove, which flew to Libya, delivered a similar message. It instructed the people there to establish an oracle of Ammon. This oracle was also dedicated to Jupiter, known by a different name in that region. In this way, both sacred sites were believed to have been founded through divine guidance.
Witnesses and Authority
The details of the Dodonaean story were told by three priestesses of the temple. The eldest was named Promeneia, the second Timarete, and the youngest Nicandra. Their account was supported by the other people living around the temple, who accepted this version as true.
Two Traditions, One Sacred Origin
These two versions—one historical and human, the other symbolic and divine—show how ancient peoples explained sacred origins in different ways. Whether through the actions of women or the flight of doves, both stories point to a shared belief: that the oracles of Dodona and Ammon were connected and guided by the will of the gods.
