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In ancient times before civilizations, there were large tribal family groups living in communities and divination was the domain of the witchdoctor-shaman of the tribe. The practice of divination was/is an art and a pseudoscience. It was a specialized knowledge that was passed down from an adept to an apprentice. Early divination practices included reading the patterns inside an organ of a sacrificed animal, reading the patterns in the sky made by sparkling lights and reading other patterns in nature that were deemed worthy of revealing the will of the gods.
Eventually, civilizations developed a priestly class who provided divination to the ruler of the land. Religion and early civilization were built upon each other. Religion is the glue that was used by rulers to bind the people under one rule. Divination was used for planning and it was priest-astronomer-astrologers who developed the first calendars based on their observations of the celestial movements in the heavens above the Earth.
The practice of divination was known only to a privileged class of people in the civilized world. Native peoples from all cultures across the globe had and still have their own versions of a priest, or clergyperson amongst them for guidance and spiritual healing. In the mainstream, the practice of divination was reserved for those educated few in the upper class of early societies. These practices were secret, making the practice forbidden unless you have been initiated into the mysteries. Then, you would make a vow, or take an oath, promising not to reveal the secrets you will be shown.
Eventually, some of this secret knowledge leaked out despite promises and oath-taking. Others besides the elite upper class came to know how to read signs.
There are signs in the patterns of tea leaves, signs in the splattered blood patterns of a sacrificed cock, signs in the star patterns in the night sky and signs in the line patterns of your hands. There has always been a “folk art” of divination used by common folk that was frowned upon by the elitist community. To ensure their proper place in society, most religions forbid divination other than from their own priests and clergy-persons who were trained.
In the sacred texts of all three Abrahamic religions, divination is only allowed by the priests and all other forms of divination is forbidden. Abraham is universally recognized as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the three major Abrahamic faiths, where he’s seen as a foundational figure who received divine guidance and established monotheism. He’s known for his unwavering faith, his covenant with God, and his role in founding nations, with scriptures even calling him a prophet who prayed for others.
Forbidding all other divination was smart thinking, if you are in the priestly class. It ensures job security. There will be no, or little competition. The other reason was to discourage charlatanism. If priests could “read the signs,” why not somebody else in society?
The prohibition of divination is found in the Torah, the Five Books of Moses.
It is written in the fifth book (Deuteronomy 18:10-13): “There shall not be found among you… a necromancer, a soothsayer, a diviner, or a sorcerer… for anyone who does these things is an abomination to the Lord….”
The divine calling of high priests is first established in the Book of Exodus, where God appoints Aaron, the brother of Moses, as the first high priest. God set Aaron and his family apart to serve as the foundation of Israel’s priesthood—those who stood in as mediators between God and people.
It is controversial today for the same reason as in the past: charlatanism.
Divination was about knowing God’s will, or the will of the gods. Over time, divination has come to mean fortune-telling, or predicting the future. Divination was secularized. It lost its’ religious prowess and gained an occult reputation.
Forbidding something makes it all the more attractive.
Eve learned that lesson the hard way.
Yonas L. Lunata – https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-practice-of-divination-considered-forbidden-or-controversial-both-in-ancient-times-and-today