Sortes (Σορταί) – Ancient Divination by Lots

The term sortes (Latin for "lots") refers to a form of divination where people sought answers to questions by casting lots and interpreting the outcome. This practice was used in both pagan and Judeo-Christian traditions.

1. Sortes in the Greco-Roman World

• Sortes Homericae (Homeric Lots) → A person would randomly select a passage from Homer’s works (e.g., Iliad or Odyssey) and interpret it as an answer to their question.
• Sortes Virgilianae (Virgilian Lots) → Similar practice using Virgil’s Aeneid, often used in imperial Rome.
• Oracles & Necromancy → Some oracles and necromancers used sortes by invoking the dead, using randomized verses to divine messages.

2. Sortes in Jewish & Christian Traditions

• In the Hebrew Bible & Judaism →
  • The casting of lots (גורל, goral) was a legitimate way to determine divine will, often used in the Temple and among the Levites.
  • Examples:
    
    
    • The High Priest used lots to choose between the sacrificial goats on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:8-10).
    • The division of the Promised Land was determined by lots (Joshua 18:10).
• In Early Christianity →
  • Acts 1:26 → The apostles cast lots to choose Matthias as the replacement for Judas Iscariot.
  • Christian sortes → Early Christians adapted sortes divination, often using Biblical texts (Sortes Biblicae) in the same way pagans used Homer or Virgil.

3. How Sortes Worked

• A sacred text (Homer, Virgil, or Scripture) was opened at random, and the first verse or passage seen was taken as a divine answer.
• Some used mechanical methods, such as casting dice, marked sticks, or small tablets to select a passage.
• If a skilled practitioner was involved, they could guide the process or interpret ambiguous results.

4. Connection Between Pagan and Judeo-Christian Sortes

• Shared Methodology: Both oracles and Jewish priests used lots to determine divine will.
• Overlap in Practice: Sortes were used in pagan necromancy, Jewish temple rituals, and Christian decision-making.
• Mystery & Interpretation: Both traditions believed that hidden knowledge could be accessed through the randomization of sacred words.

Conclusion

Sortes were a cross-cultural divination method, with deep connections to oracles, necromancy, and religious practice in both pagan and Judeo-Christian traditions. The randomization of sacred texts was seen as a way to receive divine answers, linking the oracles of antiquity with the lots used in Judaism and Christianity.