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[[File:Temple of Siwa.jpg|200px|left]]
[[File:Angelene Tubbs.jpg|200px|left]]
The '''[[Oracle of Amun]]''' was a solitary [[oracle]] temple located at the Siwa Oasis in Western Egypt near Libya devoted to the [[Egyptian religion|Egyptian god]] [[Amun-Ra]]. It later became known as the '''Temple of Zeus-Ammon''' during the Greek Period and the '''Temple of Jupiter-Ammon''' during the Roman Period. The temple was built to precisely align with the spring and fall Equinox sunrise when viewed from the Timasirayn Temple, 12 kilometers away across Lake Siwa.
A '''[[witch]]''' is a practitioner of [[witchcraft]]. Although the term can be gender-neutral, it is usually used to describe a female who uses [[ritual magic|magic]], while a male engaging in similar practices is called a [[warlock]]. The word witch derives from the Old English nouns ƿiċċa [ˈwittʃɑ] and ƿiċċe [ˈwittʃe] ('sorceress, female witch'). The word's further origins in Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European are unclear. The Old English verb ''wiccian'' has a cognate in Middle Low German ''wicken'' (attested from the 13th century, besides ''wichelen'' 'to bewitch').


When the traveler and historian Strabo visited Egypt in 23 BC, he recorded that the Oracle of Amon had lost almost all importance. Inscriptions which date back as late as Trajan (98-117 AD) can still be found at the temple. This suggests that even though the Siwa had faded in significance, Roman emperors still honored its cultural and historical significance.
Throughout history there has not been a consistent definition of the term "witch." Johannes Nider and other 15th century writers used the Latin term ''maleficus'' to mean witch—a person who performed ''maleficium'', harmful acts of sorcery, against others.


 
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'''([[Oracle of Amun|Full Article...]])'''