THE CRUCIBLE During the seventeenth century and well into the eighteenth century, belief in the reality of witches was widespread both in America and in Europe. Thousands of people were put to death during the period; and a few people questioned the actual existence of witches, but the only problem was how to identify one? The Puritans accepted most readily the idea of witches existing in society. Part of this is the result in the complete acceptance of the Bible as totally accurate and would allow no debate about this matter. Moses’ pronounced in Exodus 22:18 “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” this b