How were dreams used as omens in ancient Mesopotamia?

In ancient Mesopotamia, dreams were widely regarded as divine messages sent to the soul by gods or the dead, often serving as warnings or prophetic omens. The interpretation of these dreams, known as oneiromancy, was a sophisticated practice that held significant social and political influence.1

The use of dreams as omens functioned in several ways:

• Message Dreams: In times of crisis, gods or respected figures would appear to individuals—typically kings, heroes, or priests—to deliver a direct message or state a command.2
• Dream Guides: The importance of this practice is evidenced by the discovery of a Babylonian dream guide among the tablets in the library of King Ashurbanipal at Nineveh.2
• Temple Interpretation: Babylonian temple prophetesses were specifically tasked with the interpretation of dreams.3
• Incubation: Similar to practices in other ancient cultures, Mesopotamians utilized incubation, a ritual where an inquirer would sleep in a holy or sacred space with the intent of receiving a prophetic or curative dream.34

Literary accounts, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, further illustrate this belief, as characters like Enkidu receive ominous dreams foretelling their fate or the will of the gods.56