pothos.org

Are the inhabitants of the Siwa Oasis Berbers or Arabs?

Hi Apostolis -Please check:
http://www.pothos.org/alexander.asp?par ... yptRegards -
Nick

Of course, I cannot resist pointing out that I have just returned to the UK from a trip to Siwa... so to add to what is already in the travel section that Nick has pointed you to: they are definitely more conservative than many other inhabitants of Egypt. The women are almost all dressed in full purdah, and they do not go out after dark. We went out to a small encampment in the desert but had to wait for an hour beside a small wadi while the women cooked our lunch, because the men weren't allowed to see them at work...They were probably the nicest people I encountered in Egypt, except perhaps for the Alexandrians. Terribly polite and friendly, not at all intrusive (unlike the people of Cairo who are all trying to sell you "authentic papyrus").All the bestMarcus

So THAT's why you haven't been posting; you went to Siwa! I, myself, have been travelling over the last two months or so (and thus the lack of posts), but I only IMAGINED that I went to Siwa, when I went to Las Vegas. Had to travel through miles of desert sand to get there... to show the way there was a strong beam of light going straight up into the night sky, from the top of the pyramid casino, complete with a sphynx guarding it...But you went to the real Egypt. Did you see the great OZ (Oracle of Zeus)? Here's something of what it would have looked like (from Diodorus):"The image of the god is encrusted with emeralds and other precious stones, and answers those who consult the oracle in a quite peculiar fashion. It is carried about on a golden boat by eighty priests, and these, with the god on their shoulders, go without their own volitiion wherever the god directs their path. A multitude of girls and women follows them singing paeans as they go and praising the god in a traditional hymn. When Alexander was conducted by the priests into the temple and had regarded the god for a while..."Or was I closer to it in the Las Vegas oasis?
I doubt it. Or else I would have instructed it to give me vast riches. But nooo!!John

It sounds more like your Vegas experience, John. There isn't much room inside the temple at Siwa, so I find it hard to believe that the statue was followed around by a multitude of people. In the inner sanctum there's room for about 6 people, or 12 people who want to get to know each other *very* well. I also saw the new library at Alexandria, by the way. That was pretty impressive, although they only have about 250,000 books in there at the moment - a paltry number!All the bestMarcus

How many Elvis's can you fit in a phone booth?How can you go to Las Vegas without thinking about "The King"? Are any of these guys really Elvis reincarnated? Can one soul have more than one reincarnation walking around at the same time? Will the real King please stand up?!As for that Oracle, I think it could fit into the space you're talking about. It's just that, when it goes out, 80 priests would carry it, or guard it, and the girls and women accompanying.John

Hi John,Well, as you say, once they are outside the temple there's no real limit on how many priests and followers there can be. However, I would be really surprised if the temple ever had more than two or three priests, a small number of attendants to carry the statue of the god... and the women were probably rent-a-celebrants from the local town. And then, of course, the oracle would sing "Jailhouse Rock" and the whole place would erupt...All the bestMarcus

I'm not sure if the dimensions of the "god" inside the temple are given, but here's some more from Diodorus:"'But tell me [says Alexander] if thou givest me the rule of the whole earth.' The priest now entered the sacred enclosure and as the bearers now lifted the god and were moved according to certain prescribed sounds of the voice, the prophet cried that of a certainty the god had granted him his request..."I'm thinking Ouija board, so named because "oui" means yes in French; "ja" means yes in German.Simalarly, with "Siwa," "si" means yes in Spanish; "wa" means yes in Australian.Of course, the "gods" who said "no" to these great kings run the risk of being smashed to bits.John

John,I hadn't thought of it as a ouija board, but you're quite right - it certainly seems to be that sort of thing.I like your explanation of the meaning of Siwa, although I suspect it's a bit "Holy blood & Holy Grail" in its reasoning... :-)All the bestMarcus

I wonder what would have transpired if Elvis paid a visit to Siwa, and said, "Tell me, Oracle, am I really the King"?Would the Oracle say, "No," and risk the same fate as one of Elvis's TV's, or, "Yes," and receive a kindly, "Thank you very much"?On the other hand, it seems to get braver when the questions come from far away. Didn't Alexander send to it from Persia, asking if Hephaistion could be worshipped as a god, and it sent back a reply saying, "No"? How dare it?John

Good point, John. If Alexander had trotted all the way from Ecbatana to Siwa and collared the priest, I wonder what the oracle would have said... "Of course your friend should be honoured as a god. But why did you come all this way to ask? you could have just sent a message"...All the bestMarcus

They say Hercules, too, paid a visit to this oracle. I could imagine the scene outside, as a priest says to Hercules, "Ummm, I could hold that club for you..."John

And Perseus... although after looking at Medusa's head, the priest found himself strangely speechless...All the bestMarcus