Little wonder, then, that spirits were divine offerings, or that they were associated with the wish for long or eternal life.
Nevertheless, for convenience sake, the variety of sacrificial offerings will be treated as (1) blood offerings (animal and human), (2) bloodless offerings (libations and vegetation), and (3) a special category, divine offerings.
Ancient perfumers in Egypt, physicians in Gaza, townspeople in Rhodes, and the Greek hetaerae courtesans used saffron in their scented waters, perfumes and potpourris, mascaras and ointments, divine offerings, and medical treatments.
Above, the stately Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten glittered, offering divine protection to the country.
It is difficult to imagine a more idyllic escape than Langkawi, 104 tiny islands that shoot up out of the deep blue Andaman Sea, offering divine beaches, coral-reef diving, jungle walks and accommodation that caters for every budget, from total luxury to funky backpacker hostels like Colourful Motel.
Sure enough, Divine's initial offering in July went off at a weak $9 a share.
The Old Testament reading today is from the 7th century BC, Book of Habakkuk, eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible offering Divine eternal hope.
And the Iraqi Shiites, who have often looked askance at the hubris of Persian divines, could start offering refuge and pulpits to Iran's dissident clerics.
Last week, Divine InterVentures postponed its offering, which is for up to $200.1 million, until next Thursday.
Credit Suisse First Boston had been scheduled to be lead manager for Divine InterVenture's public offering.
