Are there any good books on Mesopotamian magic that aren’t expensive?

by IposRonwe95

Im trying to find books talking about Mesopotamian systems of divination, astrology, and magical practices. I haven’t been able to find anything on the booklist, and most of what I find online is written by a New Age author, Joshua Free. While his works may contain valuable information, I want to be careful with new age authors for now, as I know that sometimes their books can take things out of context. I would also like to avoid high prices if possible. Thanks.

Bentresh

Unfortunately, there are not many accessible overviews of Mesopotamian divination and magic. The best introduction is Stefan Maul's The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East, which is a bit pricy ($60 on Amazon). If that's too expensive, see if your local library (once it reopens) can get you a copy via interlibrary loan.

Also take a look at Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide edited by Sarah Iles Johnston, which contains a chapter on divination and prophecy.

In the meantime, a few free online resources:

Also see the relevant translations of omina and oracular inquiries in the State Archives of Assyria Online.