Babylon's fork in the road to Jerusalem

When Babylon’s armies marched west, Nebuchadnezzar came to a literal crossroads. One road led south toward Jerusalem, the other east toward the Ammonite capital of Rabbah—modern Amman. Ezekiel said the king didn’t simply pick a direction on a whim. He turned to every superstition and divination practice known to the ancient world.

Nebuchadnezzar's pre-battle superstitions

Standing before his troops, he cast arrows onto the ground, reading how they fell, like a gambler reading dice. He called for his idols and oracles to speak. Then, in the grisly custom of pagan diviners, he examined the liver of a freshly sacrificed animal, searching for marks or shapes that might reveal the will of the gods.

How to read a liver

This clay model of a sheep's liver show where to look for markings on a liver and how to interpret each mark.

Each sign pointed toward Judah. Dice in his right hand sealed the choice: Jerusalem would be next. Nebuchadnezzar would batter the city gates with heavy logs, pile siege ramps against the walls, and roll up his mobile towers for the kill.

The people of Jerusalem thought their alliances would keep them safe. They couldn’t believe Babylon would dare attack. But they had already condemned themselves, Ezekiel said—their corruption and idolatry made their fate certain. The fork in the road led straight to judgment.