The power of telling the future does not give rise to the role of prophetic seer, found in other cultures. In literary writing, the ability to see the future may be presented as a remarkable virtue but without superhuman associations; in the Tale of a Shipwrecked Courtier, a crew is said able to forecast a storm, but this does not save it from perishing at sea. However, an inscription of 1900 bc does seem to ascribe divine ability to King Amenemhat II for forecasting a miraculous catch of fish (Altenmüller and Moussa 1991). Such marvels (Egyptian biayt, “wonder”) indicated the intervention of divine powers into earthly events; quarry inscriptions for King Mentuhotep IV (2000 bc) record a flash flood that revealed a desert well and a gazelle giving birth on a block, taken by the quarrying expedition as marking the stone for the sarcophagus of the king, on which the gazelle was then sacrificed in thanks (Vernus 1995).

Procedures for foretelling the future begin to legitimate official action in writings after 1500 bc, when select kingship inscriptions refer to movements of an image of the creator-god being carried in procession, as endorsement of a future king (Hatshepsut, Thutmes III). After 1300 bc, festival processions became more regular opportunities for any person to put a yes-or-no question to a deity, through the image being carried, most often in a boat-shrine on carrying poles (Černý 1962). In these consultations (Egyptian nedjut-re), a movement of the bearers of the image in one direction or another would give the answer, received as declaration (Egyptian kher-tu) or wonder (biayt). The procedure seems to have complemented the regular judicial tribunals, with no structural opposition; high officials of state appear on oracle witness lists.

Only later, and perhaps briefly, out at the oases did oracles become decisive even in local land judgments (Gardiner 1933). Nor were oracles automatically accepted; in one dispute between two men, Amenemwia brought an accusation of theft a total of five times before three different forms of Amun, but Patjaumdiamun felt able to reject the verdict against him before finally declaring his guilt (papyrus document, 1250 bc, Blackman 1925).

Exploring Religion in AE, Stephen Quirke, pg196

Looks like even AE had discernment in terms of oracular woo.