🔮 Babylonian Divination

Extispicy (Liver Divination)

The most prestigious form of Mesopotamian divination involved examining the liver and entrails of sacrificed sheep. The liver was considered the seat of life and emotions, making it a direct conduit to divine will.

Procedure: Ritual sacrifice, careful extraction, systematic examination of lobes, markings, and abnormalities

Practitioners: Baru priests (diviners)

Uses: Royal decisions, military campaigns, temple matters

Astrology & Celestial Omens

Babylonian astronomers meticulously observed celestial phenomena - planetary movements, lunar eclipses, comets, and star positions. The heavens were viewed as a cosmic tablet upon which gods inscribed their messages.

Observations: Planetary conjunctions, eclipses, heliacal risings, meteor showers

Texts: Enuma Anu Enlil (celestial omen series)

Significance: Predicting political events, natural disasters, royal fortunes

Lecanomancy (Oil & Water)

Pouring oil into water and observing the patterns formed was a common divination technique. The interaction of oil droplets, their shape, movement, and behavior revealed divine messages.

Method: Pour sacred oil into basin of water, observe patterns and movements

Interpretation: Oil spreading (favorable), sinking (unfavorable), shapes formed

Accessibility: More accessible than extispicy, used by ordinary people

Libanomancy (Incense Smoke)

Burning incense and observing the smoke's behavior provided omens. The direction, color, density, and patterns of smoke were interpreted according to established principles.

Materials: Cedar, cypress, juniper incense

Signs: Smoke direction, thickness, color, dispersal pattern

Context: Often combined with prayer and offerings

Cleromancy (Casting Lots)

Sacred lots or dice were cast to receive yes/no answers or select among options. This method relied on the gods directing the fall of marked objects.

Objects: Marked stones, dice, arrow shafts

Questions: Binary choices, selection among alternatives

Divine Authority: Shamash (god of justice and truth)

Ornithomancy (Bird Divination)

Observing bird behavior - flight patterns, calls, feeding habits - provided omens about future events. Different birds carried different significance.

Observations: Flight direction, bird species, calls, behavior

Notable Birds: Eagle (royal power), raven (death/change), dove (peace)

Interpretation: Context-dependent based on time, place, and question

Baru (Diviner-Priests)

Elite priestly specialists trained in extispicy and other complex divination methods. They underwent extensive education in omen texts and interpretive techniques, serving temples and royal courts.

Training: Years of study in omen compendia

Status: High prestige, royal advisors

Patron Deity: Shamash, god of justice and truth

Tupshar Enuma Anu Enlil (Astrologers)

Scribes specializing in celestial observation and interpretation. They maintained astronomical diaries, predicted eclipses, and advised on astrologically significant timing.

Skills: Mathematical astronomy, omen interpretation

Works: Astronomical diaries, eclipse predictions, horoscopes

Legacy: Foundation of Western astrology

Sha'ilu (Dream Interpreters)

Specialists in interpreting dreams as divine messages. They distinguished between ordinary dreams and those sent by gods, interpreting symbolic imagery according to established dream books.

Texts: Dream interpretation manuals

Method: Symbolic interpretation of dream elements

Context: Temple incubation, spontaneous dreams

Ashipu (Exorcist-Diviners)

Priests who combined divination with ritual purification and exorcism. They diagnosed supernatural causes of illness and misfortune, prescribing appropriate rituals.

Role: Diagnosis of supernatural afflictions

Methods: Divination to identify demons or angry gods

Treatment: Purification rituals, apotropaic magic

Enuma Anu Enlil

The great celestial omen series comprising 70 tablets documenting thousands of astronomical observations and their interpretations. The foundation of Mesopotamian astrology.

Content: Lunar eclipses, planetary movements, weather phenomena

Format: "If [celestial event], then [earthly consequence]"

Bārûtu

Comprehensive extispicy manual in multiple tablets describing liver and entrail features and their meanings. The professional handbook of baru priests.

Content: Liver lobe configurations, interpretive principles

Models: Clay liver models for training purposes

Iqqur Ipush

Calendar of lucky and unlucky days based on lunar phases and divine activity. Guided daily life decisions from agricultural work to ritual timing.

Function: Hemerological guidance (lucky/unlucky days)

Scope: Daily activities, ritual timing, business decisions

Ziqiqu (Dream Book)

Collections of dream omens interpreting symbolic imagery. Dreams were systematically categorized and interpreted as divine communications.

Structure: "If one sees [dream image], [interpretation]"

Coverage: Common dream symbols and scenarios

Royal Decision Making

Kings consulted diviners before major decisions - military campaigns, building projects, diplomatic marriages. No significant royal action proceeded without favorable omens.

Examples: Battle timing, treaty negotiations, succession questions

Legal & Judicial Use

Divination served judicial functions, determining guilt or innocence when evidence was unclear. The river ordeal and other divinatory tests revealed divine judgment.

Context: Unresolved disputes, accusations without witnesses

Medical Diagnosis

Illness was often attributed to divine anger or demonic attack. Divination identified the supernatural cause, allowing appropriate therapeutic rituals.

Questions: Which god is angry? Which demon afflicts? What ritual appeases?

Agricultural Timing

Farmers and administrators consulted omens for planting, harvesting, and irrigation decisions. Celestial signs indicated optimal timing for agricultural activities.

Signs: Stellar positions, weather omens, calendar calculations

Systematic Recording

Diviners maintained extensive records of omens and outcomes, building a corpus of empirical knowledge across generations. This created a predictive system based on historical precedent.

Astronomical Legacy

The need for precise celestial observation drove sophisticated mathematical astronomy. Babylonian eclipse predictions and planetary calculations influenced Greek and Islamic science.

International Influence

Babylonian divination techniques spread throughout the ancient Near East, influencing Persian, Greek, and Roman practices. Astrology in particular became a Mediterranean-wide phenomenon.

Divine Communication

Unlike spontaneous prophecy, divination was controlled and repeatable. Priests could query gods on demand, making divine will accessible to systematic investigation rather than awaiting spontaneous revelation.