Genesis 44:5

whereby he indeed divineth "Divineth," Heb. naḥash: see Genesis 30:27; Deuteronomy 18:10, "useth divination"; 1 Kings 20:33 marg. The word shews that the silver cup was a sacred one, by means of which Joseph sought and obtained oracles. Some have inferred that he must have been admitted into the priests" guild, in order to be able to practise divination. It appears that water having been poured into a vessel or cup, gold or silver or precious stones were thrown into it, and the oracle or divination was derived from the rings, ripples, or sparkles, which appeared. The name given to this class of magic was "hydromancy," ὑδρομαντεία, or κυλικομαντεία (Jamblichus, De Myst. iii. 14; Varro in August., De Civ. Dei, vii. 35). LXX renders αὐτὸς δὲ οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνίζεται ἐν αὐτῷ.

Driver quotes from the Travels of Norden(circ. 1750 a.d.) a passage in which a Nubian Sheikh says: "I have consulted my cup, and I find that you are Franks in disguise, who have come to spy out the land."