Babylonian-Assyrian Birth-Omens and Their Cultural Significance

"Babylonian-Assyrian Birth-Omens and Their Cultural Significance" by Morris Jastrow is a study that explores how ancient Babylonians and Assyrians used birth omens to predict the future. The book opens by explaining the different ways these cultures tried to see the future, especially by looking at unusual things that happened when babies or animals were born. It shows how they thought strange things, like birth defects, could tell them about important events that would happen later on, either to individuals or to the whole society. The early part of the book makes it clear that these practices weren't just random guesses; they were part of a larger system of beliefs that tried to make sense of the world and people's lives in it.