Babylonian Liver Omens

By Ulla Susanne Koch

Subjects: Akkadian language, Omens, Texts

Description: The canonical version of the Babylonian omen series concerned with barutu: extispicy (divination from entrails of sheep), consisted of ten chapters or sub-series, and are among the first intellectual adventures of Ancient Man into the field of science. Three of these chapters, all concerned with the front of the liver, are edited here for the first time. Also, the book contains a complete analysis of the Akkadian terms used in divination, a complete index of texts and words, copies of the new-found texts, and photographic plates assisting the reader. By a thorough analysis terminology involved in Assyrian and Babylonian scientific thought, the author for the first time opens up the vast and relatively virgin field of pre-Greek science for the general scholar. The presentation is an indispensable source for all who work with the history and languages of the Ancient Near East, biblical studies, studies in ancient religion, and the history of science and philosophy. The author is associate professor at the Carsten Niebuhr Institute, University of Copenhagen.