What do the omens say?

In the ancient Near East, nobody wanted to go into battle without the support of the gods. Therefore, before departing for battle, kings and generals would read omens and consult various forms of divination to ensure that the gods were indeed favorable toward the endeavor. “The first action before battle as seen in the Mesopotamian context is to seek the divine will.… It is expected to avoid defeat or remove any conditions offensive to the gods.” [Kang, Divine War, 56] The Bible records Nebuchadnezzar seeking omens on his way to attack Jerusalem (Ezek 21:21), and Saul seeks an omen from a medium before his final battle (1 Sam 28:8, after conventional methods fail, 1 Sam 28:6). If the omen was unfavorable, the army would try to appease the deity before going to battle (as Joshua does in Josh 7, as the assembly does in Judg 20:26, and as Saul tries [unsuccessfully] to do in 1 Sam 13:12,4 and again in 1 Sam 14:37–44). In Israel prebattle omens were normally sought by inquiring of Yahweh (e.g., Judg 20:27) by means of the Urim and Thummim (a form of divination, Ex 21:30; see Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6), although in 2 Kings 3:11 a prophet is consulted instead.— The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest, 196–97

<idle musing>
I think this is one of the hardest things for modern people to grasp. Every time I talk about this, I'm met with blank looks. Just as a modern military wouldn't attack without some kind of intelligence unit giving inside information about the enemy's strength and locations, so the ancients wouldn't attack without inside information. The difference is that the inside information is primarily (not exclusively) coming from the gods—usually via omens, dreams, prophets, or extispicy (reading the liver entrails), etc.

You read about armies facing each other for days at a time, neither side attacking. Sometimes it's for tactical reasons—waiting for reinforcements, or such—but a lot of times, it's waiting for auspicious signs from the gods.

Next time you read through Samuel and Kings, watch for it. You'll see it everywhere.
</idle musing>