How did Mesopotamian priests connect sacrifice with the observation of birds and smoke?

In Mesopotamian religion, divination was closely linked to sacrifice, with the practice of augury likely developing directly from sacrificial rituals. Priests integrated these elements into a systematic method for discerning the divine will.1

As priests performed sacrifices, they utilized the rising smoke as a medium for inductive divination, observing its movement to answer specific ritual queries. Simultaneously, they monitored the flight and behavior of birds, interpreting them as either auspicious or inauspicious signs. This practice was part of a broader discipline that mapped cosmic space with the sacrificial altar at its center, assigning specific meanings to different sectors.1

Beyond smoke and birds, priests also practiced haruspicy—the examination of the viscera of the sacrificial victim, particularly the liver, which was viewed as the vital center of the animal. By mapping the liver as a microcosm, diviners could read it to interpret the intentions of the gods, much as one might read a palm.12