A Book of Divination

This text, found in several Cairo Geniza manuscripts, is generally recognized to be a section of a larger book about divination by means of random “lots” (goralot) or predictions. The first fragment (T-S K1.131) is from the introduction to the text, which explains the operative theory of this method of divination and also the prayer to be recited before inquiring. The second fragment (T-S Ar. 50.117) is a selection of answers to the diviner’s questions. The inquirer would choose a chapter and number at random and refer to the answers, found in a separate section of the book. The text divides its chapters of questions and answers according to types of birds. As can be seen from the introduction, the divinatory agents that represent those chapters are personified in this and similar texts. For example, those books that are organized by prophets assume that the prophets themselves are speaking to the inquirer. In this case, by reference to Job and Ecclesiastes, the text explains that the birds also carry divine messages; the organization of the books of lots therefore has a theological basis. The first few lines of the “request” are somewhat difficult. Words and phrases marked with a question mark are based on a conjectural emendation of the manuscript, some text is supplemented in this translation in braces from T-S K1.33, and ellipses indicate lacunae in the manuscript.