How did Mesopotamian priests use incubation and hepatoscopy to seek answers from gods?

In ancient Mesopotamia, priests and diviners sought to understand the will of the gods through specific methods of divination when human uncertainty arose regarding divine intent.1

Incubation

Incubation was a practice in which an inquirer, often with the assistance of the priesthood, would sleep within a temple precinct. The objective was to receive an enlightening dream sent by a god, which would provide the necessary guidance or answer to the petitioner's concerns.1

Hepatoscopy

Hepatoscopy was a highly systematized form of divination that involved the examination of the entrails—specifically the liver—of a sacrificed animal, such as a lamb or kid. Mesopotamian diviners believed that the gods "wrote" their messages upon the liver, and by interpreting variations in its form and shape, the priests could ascertain divine will. To ensure accuracy, diviners consulted large, detailed handbooks that had been compiled over the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE.1

These practices were central to the duties of the baru, or seers, who were responsible for interpreting omens and communicating divine revelations to the community.21