De'liver' the message

'There was an odd object of baked clay, the like of which I had never seen'. This is how Sir Ernest Budge, curator at the British Museum, described the model when he first laid eyes on it. Ever since it was first discovered, this clay model of a sheep’s liver has fascinated and intrigued people. It shows how religion was intertwined within daily life in Mesopotamia, even for the king. One way of consulting the gods was through the use of a sheep’s liver. This clay model, probably used as an aid and/or teaching tool, played a big role in deducing the message of the gods in a correct manner. One reading mistake could have had immense consequences…