Every court had its staff of magicians, soothsayers and diviners.

Divination often involved the study of animals' innards- cheaper alternatives involved the study of drifting smoke or the patterns that oil made when it was dropped into water.

The most well-known divination involved the interpretation of dreams. Whole books were written on what the images in a dream meant for the dreamer.

When Pharaoh was sent a dream from God, all of the royal diviners were stumped. The seven fat cows and seven skinny cows didn't show up anywhere in their books, as well as the heads of wheat that ate each other.

When Joseph was called in and asked to interpret the king's dream, he was careful to explain that the interpretation was from God.

The Old Testament forbids divination as an abomination (Deut.18:10; Lev.20:6; Ezek.13:6-8)