Photo: The restored Libyan Sibyl, fresco on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo
The image shows the restored Libyan Sibyl fresco painted by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo incorporating various Bible stories between 1508 and 1512. These frescoes are considered the masterpieces of high renaissance art.
According to Greek mythology, the Libyan Sibyl (sibyl = prophetess), named Phemonoe, was the daughter of Zeus and Lamia, and the first woman ever to chant oracles. She is believed to have divine powers even after death, giving oracular prophesies through voices and omens.
Phemonoe was the priestess presiding over the Oracle of Zeus-Ammon in the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan Desert, and the name Sibyl was given to her by the Libyans.
According to Plutarch, the founder of Alexandria, Alexander the Great, was told by the Libyan Sibyl that he would be the legitimate Pharaoh of Egypt.
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