Predestination in Mesopotamia

In conjunction with the foreshadowing power associated with rituals and the organic body as described by Zainab Bahrani in Chapters 3 and 6 of Rituals of War, the description in Chapter 7 of the exhaustive manner by which Mesopotamians consulted the gods before making decisions further contributed to my incredulousness regarding the power of divine messages in Mesopotamia. Thankfully, Bahrani’s explanation in Chapter 8 of the Mesopotamian view of the world as a continuation of space and time provided an explanation for these bizarre practices.

According to Bahrani, the Mesopotamians viewed themselves as part of a configuration of space and time in relation to the world (216). Monuments and inscriptions were a way for Mesopotamians to preserve themselves in history (216). Although history could be reconfigured by damaging or destroying monuments or inscriptions (217), the future could not. In essence, each Mesopotamian viewed himself as locked into an unalterable destiny, which was determined by the gods.

Applying this ancient Mesopotamian view to the rituals and omens Bahrani described elucidates the mysteries of their workings. For example, since Mesopotamians believed their fates were predetermined, perhaps the reason why they placed so much weight on the messages revealed by rituals and bodily omens was because they wanted to get a glimpse into their future. In addition, the complicated and detailed questionnaires that kings submitted to the gods before engaging in warfare may have resulted from their unwillingness to deviate from their destinies and disobey the gods by following an unapproved battle plan. The belief of Mesopotamians that fate was predetermined makes further sense when looking at the willingness of Mesopotamians to stoically accept defeats in warfare by attributing them to the will of the gods.

Thus, although Mesopotamians could have falsified divine messages to grant credibility to their actions, another explanation could be that they actually did believe in the will of the gods and were afraid of being punished for not consulting the gods carefully enough and deviating from their fates.