Celestial omens, Assyria, ca. 7th century B.C.
London, British Museum, inv. K160A text recording a sequence of omens based on observations of the sky. The omens are drafted as follows: “In month X, on day X, Venus disappeared in the West, it was absent from the sky for X days, and in month X, on day X, Venus became visible in the East”. This is followed by a forecast such as: “There will be rain and much water in spring; the kings will send messages of reconciliation to one another”.