Ancient Babylonian beliefs and rituals surrounding celestial events, particularly eclipses, have been revealed in a recent study led by Dr. Andrew George. The study, published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies, deciphered a set of four tablets dating back to 1894 B.C. to 1595 B.C., which were held by the British Museum. These tablets, originating from the city of Sippar in present-day Iraq, contain Babylonian astrologers' observations of lunar eclipses and their ominous predictions about the deaths of kings and the destruction of civilizations. The Babylonians interpreted celestial events as messages from the gods, often foretelling calamities such as the death of a king, plague, drought, or crop failure. They believed that performing the appropriate rituals could mitigate these dire omens and alter the future. The study also sheds light on the practice of installing a substitute king in the event of a predicted calamity, with the substitute being executed upon the true king's return. The tablets also contain references to various omens, including the flight and behavior of birds, patterns made by dropping oil into water, and encounters with animals. The Babylonians believed that these omens could be interpreted to take action to avoid trouble ahead. The study highlights the significance of divination at the state level in Babylonia as a tool to regulate the king's behavior and exert political power over him. It also suggests that the substitute-king ritual was associated with the Neo-Assyrian period and may have been practiced later as well. Dr. George emphasized the vast number of undeciphered Mesopotamian tablets in the British Museum's collection, indicating that there is much more to be discovered about ancient Babylonian beliefs and practices.