ntral terms used in this paper. It should be noted that these definitions are in fact basic ones and some variation necessarily existed among cultures and eras.
The concept of prophecy is related to a human ability to know what the gods have planned for the future. Such knowledge came about in general came about through an individualÆs ability to see signs in the everyday, natural world that were hidden to others. Since in many ancient religions, the phenomena of nature were attributed to divine will, the gods were believed to speak to their subjects through natural events (Moscati, 1960, p. 124). Those who could see and read these signs, and who were willing to share their knowledge, became prophets.
Prophecies also sometimes came to the sleeping, for the gods could also communicate directly to people through dreams û which were considered messages from the gods (Moscati, 1960, p. 59). And sometimes people entered trance-like states in which their bodies (although not their minds) mimicked sleep and could be heard by others to talk. The speech that they produced during these moments was often considered to be the relayed words of the gods.
Oracles were also common throughout the ancient world, and referred to both the response delivered by a deity or supernatural being to a worshiper or inquirer as well as the place where the response was delivered. Oracles can be considered in some ways to be a certain type of prophesy. The responses delivered by an oracle were supposed to be given by divine inspiration and were manifested through the medium of human beings in direct speech or action or through their effect on certain objects, as in the tinkling, at the ancient Greek town of Dodona, of a cauldron when hit by a chain impelled by the wind (McCall, 1990, p, 9). Oracles might also deliver their messages by the actions of sacred animals, or through the sacrifice of such animals and the examination of what their organs could tell...