The future of the realm: Medicine and divination in ancient Syro-Mesopotamia

The contributions of Syro-Mesopotamian cultures to the understanding of ill nesses and organ functions have been sought in examination of medical and t herapeutic texts. These provide a wealth of knowledge on prevalent diseases and nascent empirical therapeutics. There are, however, other sources of i nformation relevant to this topic that have not been as thoroughly explored . Examination of representative arts, for example, provides documentations of the breadth of anatomical knowledge in these cultures. Study of the omen literature is useful in illustrating beliefs in disease etiology as well a s documentation of prevalent diseases and observations on anatomical variat ions. In the present article we explore the various sources for information relevant to the kidney and related diseases.