The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East: Reading the Signs of Heaven and Earth

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Stefan M. Maul Brian McNeil

The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East

Reading the Signs of Heaven and Earth

Stefan M. Maul, Brian McNeil, Alexander Johannes Edmonds

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English

Baylor University Press
31 October 2025

Ancient history: to c 500 CE; Archaeology; Religion: general; Ancient religions & mythologies

You stars of Anu, I call on you! You stars of Enlil, turn to me! You stars of Ea, all of you together, gather around me! I have offered you a pure sacrifice, I have scattered pure incense to you, I have poured out pure beer for you. Eat what is pure, drink what is sweet!

With these words, the Babylonians invoked the gods of the night as they prepared their sacrifices under a clear, starry sky.

Discovering divine will was a part of everyday life for the people of the ancient Near East. Every state action and every military campaign was preceded by a king's meticulous ritual that petitioned the gods for a sure answer about the outcome of their endeavors. But royals were not alone in their quest. Wealthy merchants, simple craftsmen, poor widows--everyone wanted and needed certainty for future undertakings. Those who could afford it sacrificed a flawless sheep, whose liver was used by the diviner to determine the answer. Others sought guidance in oil and flour. The desire for certainty in the face of an unknown future unified all classes in the ancient world.

Stefan M. Maul, a noted expert on ancient Near Eastern divination, offers an overview of this fascinating subject. Maul surveys the ""art"" of divination as it expanded from Sumerian roots to Babylonian mastery, cataloging its evolving methodology--from entrails to astrology--and the class of experts who performed it. He argues that the discernment of the will of the gods, though vital for political counsel, was far from a cynical ploy of the elite: at root this was a genuine attempt to unite Mesopotamian cultures under a common purpose. What seems to the post-Enlightenment world a mere superstition was, in its own way and to its own ends, a robust scholarly enterprise that lent these ancient peoples a sense of control over a world populated by fickle forces. These practices remind us that the desire to know the future is a part of what it means to be human, regardless of time or place.

By: Stefan M. Maul
Translated by: Brian McNeil, Alexander Johannes Edmonds
Imprint: Baylor University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 26mm
ISBN: 9781481308601
ISBN 10: 1481308602
Pages: 359
Publication Date: 31 October 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Stefan M. Maul is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies in the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Near East at the University of Heidelberg.

Reviews for The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East: Reading the Signs of Heaven and Earth

The signature of Maul's work is an extensive knowledge of the sources combined with strong historical thinking and a nose for interesting overarching themes. The volume at hand does not disappoint where these points are concerned."" - Kim Beerden Journal of Near Eastern Studies ""[ The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East] meticulously describes the sources, the techniques, the practitioners and the Sitz im Leben of divination in Babylonian and Assyrian society and presents perspectives on its history and development. This is a book that deserves to be read by scholars from other fields of research as well as by student and the interested layman."" - Ulla Susanne Koch Orientalia ""Maul's book will be of great service to those working on religious phenomenon categorized as divination as well as for those interested specifically in ancient Near Eastern and ancient Mediterranean religions and divination. Biblical scholars, especially those working on ancient Israelite prophecy and prophetic literature, would do well to take into account Maul's work for any future consideration of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible"" - Brady Alan Beard Reading Religion ""…an authoritative overview of divination in ancient Mesopotamia. The book is rich in detail, visual aids, and textual citations; it should be required reading for anyone interested in cult and prophecy in the ancient Near East, including Israel."" - Andrew R. Davis Catholic Biblical Quarterly ""Maul not only traces the links between ancient Near Eastern diviners and their skills, but he relates the longevity of these practices and their changing face beyond cuneiform culture in the later antique world. One looks forward to learning more about these important gaps in the history of knowledge, a super-nova research area thanks to the author, as more and more cuneiform tablets are deciphered"" - Helen R. Jacobus Aestimatio: Critical Reviews in the History of Science