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{{short description|Mesopotamian god of literacy and scribes}}
{{short description|Mesopotamian god of literacy and scribes}}
{{Infobox deity
{{Infobox deity
| type = Human
| type = Mesopotamian
| name = Jerry the Mouse Rogers
| name = Nabû
| image = Colossal statue of the god Nabu, 8th century BCE, from Nimrud, Iraq Museum.jpg
| image = Colossal statue of the god Nabu, 8th century BCE, from Nimrud, Iraq Museum.jpg
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Colossal statue of the god Nabu, 8th century BC, from Nimrud, on display in the [[National Museum of Iraq]]
| caption = I'm in the process of making this page about me.
| god_of = God of [[Art]], the [[Comic|Kingdom]], [[Lag]], and [[Glitch]]
| god_of = God of [[literacy]], the [[Science|rational arts]], [[scribe]]s, and [[wisdom]]
| abode = [[Prattville], Alabama]]
| abode = [[Borsippa]]
| symbol = [[Ipad]] mini and [[air pod]]
| symbol = [[Clay]] tablet and [[stylus]]
| consort = [[Idk|Idk]]
| consort = [[Tashmetum|Tashmet]]
| parents = [[Tom the Cat]] and [[Jerry the Mouse]]
| parents = [[Marduk]] and [[Sarpanit]]um
| siblings = [[Princess Jasmine]] and [[Precious (adj)]]
| siblings =
| children = [[Hades]], [[Odin]], and[[Loki]]
| children =
| planet = [[Scrapland|Scrapland]]
| planet = [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]]
| mount =
| mount =
| Norse_equivalent = [[Hermes]]
| Greek_equivalent = [[Hermes]]
| Greek_equivalent = [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]]
| Roman_equivalent = [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]]
| equivalent1_type = Norse
| equivalent1_type = Egyptian
| equivalent1 = [[Thoth]]
| equivalent1 = [[Thoth]]
| equivalent2_type = Greek
| equivalent2_type = Norse
| equivalent2 = [[Odin]]
| equivalent2 = [[Odin]]
| equivalent3_type = Mandaean
| equivalent3 = [[Nbu]]
}}
}}
[[File:Image from page 39 of "Ancient seals of the Near East" (1940).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Late Assyrian seal. Worshipper between Nabu and [[Marduk]], standing on their servant dragon [[Mušḫuššu]]. 8th century BCE.]]
[[File:Image from page 39 of "Ancient seals of the Near East" (1940).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Late Assyrian seal. Worshipper between Nabu and [[Marduk]], standing on their servant dragon [[Mušḫuššu]], eighth century BCE.]]
{{Mesopotamian myth}}
{{Mesopotamian myth}}
{{Fertile Crescent myth (Arabian)}}
{{Fertile Crescent myth (Arabian)}}


'''Nabu''' ({{lang-akk|cuneiform: 𒀭𒀝 Nabû}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lanfranchi|first1=Giovanni B.|title=The Correspondence of Sargon II|date=1987|publisher=Helsinki University Press|location=Helsinki|isbn=9515700043|page=92}}</ref> {{lang-syr|ܢܵܒܼܘܼ\ܢܒܼܘܿ\ܢܵܒܼܘܿ}} Nāvū or Nvō or Nāvō<ref>{{cite web |title=Dukhrana Lexicon Lookup |url=http://dukhrana.com/lexicon//lookup.php?p=604&l=6 |website=Dukhrana Analytical Lexicon of the Syriac New Testament |publisher=Dukhrana Biblical Research |access-date=17 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon |url=http://cal.huc.edu/oneentry.php?lemma=nbw%20d&cits=all |website=The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon |access-date=17 January 2021}}</ref>) is the [[ancient Mesopotamian religion|ancient Mesopotamian patron god]] of [[literacy]], the [[Science|rational arts]], [[scribe]]s, and [[wisdom]].
'''Nabu''' ({{lang-akk|cuneiform: 𒀭𒀝 Nabû}},<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lanfranchi|first1=Giovanni B.|title=The Correspondence of Sargon II|date=1987|publisher=Helsinki University Press|location=Helsinki|isbn=9515700043|page=92}}</ref> {{lang-tmr|נְבוֹ‏|Nəḇo}}<ref>{{cite web |title=The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon |url=https://cal.huc.edu/oneentry.php?lemma=nbw%20d&cits=all |website=cal.huc.edu}}</ref>) is the [[ancient Mesopotamian religion|Babylonian patron god]] of [[literacy]], the [[science|rational arts]], [[scribe]]s, and [[wisdom literature|wisdom]]. He is associated with the [[classical planet]] [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] in [[Babylonian astronomy]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon |url=https://cal.huc.edu/oneentry.php?lemma=nbw%20d&cits=all |website=cal.huc.edu}}</ref>


==Etymology and meaning==
==Etymology and meaning==
The Akkadian "nabû" means "to announce, prophesize", derived from the [[Semitic root]] {{lang|ar-Latn|[[:wikt:نب|N-B]]}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Semitic Roots Appendix |url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/semitic.html |website=The American Heritage Dictionary |access-date=6 December 2019 |quote=nbʾ To name, proclaim, summon."}}</ref> It is cognate with the [[Syriac language|Syriac]] {{lang|syc|[[:Wiktionary:ܢܒܝܐ|ܢܒܝܐ]]}}({{lang|syc-Latn|nvīyā}}), [[Arabic]] {{lang|ar|[[:Wiktionary:نبي|نبي]]}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|nabiyy}}), and the [[Hebrew]] {{lang|he|[[:Wiktionary:נביא|נביא]]}} ({{lang|he-Latn|naví}}), all meaning "prophet".{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
The Akkadian ''nabû'' means "announcer" or "authorised person",<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Richter |first=Thomas |title=Nabû |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/nabu-e815710 |encyclopedia=Brill’s New Pauly |publisher=Brill |year=2006 |access-date=2022-10-14}}</ref> derived from the [[Semitic root]] {{smallcaps|n-b-y}} or {{smallcaps|nbʾ}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Semitic Roots Appendix |url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/semitic.html |website=The American Heritage Dictionary |access-date=6 December 2019 |quote=nbʾ To name, proclaim, summon."}}</ref> It is cognate with {{lang-syc|[[:Wiktionary:ܢܒܝܐ|ܢܒܝܐ]]|nəḇiyyā}}, {{lang-ar|[[:Wiktionary:نبي|نبي]]|nabiyy}}, and {{lang-he|[[:Wiktionary:נביא|נביא]]|nāḇi}},<ref>p.1571, Alcalay. An alternative translation of this Hebrew word is derived from an Akkadian word "Nabu," meaning to call. The Hebrew "Navi" has a passive sense and means "the one who has been called" (see HALOT, p.661).</ref> all meaning '[[prophet]]'.


==History==
==History==
Nabu wasity Press]]|location=Oxford|isbn=9780195183641|page=122|edition=Paperback|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1C4NKp4zgIQC&pg=PA122|access-date=2016-08-08|language=en}}</ref> Nabu gained prominence among the Babylonians in the 1st millennium BC when he was identified as the son of the god [[Marduk]].<ref name="Bertman"/>
Nabu was worshiped by the Babylonians and the Assyrians.<ref name="Bertman">{{cite book|last1=Bertman|first1=Stephen|title=Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia|date=2005|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford|isbn=9780195183641|page=122|edition=Paperback|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1C4NKp4zgIQC&pg=PA122|access-date=2016-08-08|language=en}}</ref> Nabu gained prominence among the Babylonians in the 1st millennium BC when he was identified as the son of the god [[Marduk]].<ref name="Bertman"/>


N<ref name="Bertman"/> Nabu's symbols included a stylus resting on a tablet as well as a simple wedge shape; King [[Nabonidus]], whose name references Nabu, had a royal sceptre topped with Nabu's wedge.<ref name="Bertman"/><ref name="Green">{{cite book|last1=Green|first1=Tamara M.|title=The City of the Moan|date=1992|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|location=Leiden|isbn=9004095136|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrJ97aZr3AcC&pg=PA34|access-date=2017-01-04|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|33-34}} Clay tablets with especial calligraphic skill were used as offerings at Nabu's temple. His wife was the [[Akkadia]]n goddess [[Tashmetum|Tashmet]].<ref name="Bertman"/>
Nabu was worshipped in Babylon's sister city [[Borsippa]], from where his statue was taken to Babylon each New Year so that he could pay his respects to his father.<ref name="Bertman"/> Nabu's symbols included a stylus resting on a tablet as well as a simple wedge shape; King [[Nabonidus]], whose name references Nabu, had a royal sceptre topped with Nabu's wedge.<ref name="Bertman"/><ref name="Green">{{cite book|last1=Green|first1=Tamara M.|title=The City of the Moon God: Religious Traditions of Harran|date=1992|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|location=Leiden|isbn=9004095136|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrJ97aZr3AcC&pg=PA34|access-date=2017-01-04|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|33-34}} Clay tablets with especial calligraphic skill were used as offerings at Nabu's temple. His wife was the [[Akkadia]]n goddess [[Tashmetum|Tashmet]].<ref name="Bertman"/>


Nhology |date=2002 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781134641024 |page=124 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_pqEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA123|access-date=March 7, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> As an oracle he was associated with the Mesopotamian moon god [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]].<ref name="Green"/>{{rp|33-34}} Originally the planet Mercury was connected with Ninurta (as well as [[Saturn]]); because in the [[MUL.APIN]] Ninurta is consistently identified with Mercury,{{sfn|Koch|1995|p=127}}{{sfn|Hunger|Steele|2018|p=127}}{{sfn|Horowitz|1998|p=172}} and it is read that: "Mercury whose name is Ninurta travels the (same) path the Moon travels." As Marduk took over the role of [[King of the gods]] from [[Enlil]] and inherited both his cultic roles and epithets as well as hisl retained some moon-like aspects since it traveled the same path of the moon.
Nabu was the patron god of scribes, literacy, and wisdom.<ref name="Bertman"/> He was also the inventor of writing, a [[oracle|divine scribe]], the patron god of the rational arts, and a god of vegetation.<ref name="Green"/>{{rp|33-34}}<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |title=Nabu |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nabu |website=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |access-date=August 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702144238/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nabu |archive-date=July 2, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> As the god of writing, Nabu inscribed the fates assigned to men and he was equated with the scribe god [[Ninurta]].<ref name="Britannica"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Leick |first1=Dr Gwendolyn |title=A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology |date=2002 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781134641024 |page=124 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_pqEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA123|access-date=March 7, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> As an oracle he was associated with the Mesopotamian moon god [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]].<ref name="Green"/>{{rp|33-34}} In the Babylonian tradition, planet Mercury was connected with Ninurta (as well as [[Saturn]]); because in the [[MUL.APIN]] Ninurta is consistently identified with Mercury,{{sfn|Koch|1995|p=127}}{{sfn|Hunger|Steele|2018|p=127}}{{sfn|Horowitz|1998|p=172}} and it is read that: "Mercury whose name is Ninurta travels the (same) path the Moon travels." As Marduk took over the role of [[King of the gods]] from [[Enlil]] and inherited both his cultic roles and epithets as well as his position within the [[pantheon (religion)|pantheon]] – the role of the most important son of the father of the gods that had previously belonged to Ninurta as son of Enlil (now replaced by Marduk); was thus taken over by Nabu, and Nabu became associated with the planet Mercury as well as being given connections with the moon god Sin, because as addressed in the MUL.APIN – even when Mercury was considered the planet of Ninurta, it still retained some moon-like aspects since it traveled the same path of the moon.


Nabu wore a horned cap, and stood with his hands clasped in the ancient gesture of priesthood. He rode on a winged [[dragon]] known as [[Mušḫuššu|Sirrush]] that originally belonged to his father Marduk. In [[Babylonian astrology]], Nabu was identified with the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Colligan |first1=L. H. |title=Mercury |date=January 15, 2010 |publisher=[[Marshall Cavendish]] |isbn=9780761445517 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mercury0000coll/page/22 22] |url=https://archive.org/details/mercury0000coll |access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=James R. |title=The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences |date=Mar 1, 2003 |publisher=[[Visible Ink Press]] |isbn=9781578593019 |page=442 |edition=Second |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nPMnUMhZzswC&pg=PA442page |access-date=March 7, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
Nabu wore a horned cap, and stood with his hands clasped in the ancient gesture of priesthood. He rode on a winged [[dragon]] known as [[Mušḫuššu|Sirrush]] that originally belonged to his father Marduk. In [[Babylonian astrology]], Nabu was identified with the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Colligan |first1=L. H. |title=Mercury |date=January 15, 2010 |publisher=[[Marshall Cavendish]] |isbn=9780761445517 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mercury0000coll/page/22 22] |url=https://archive.org/details/mercury0000coll |access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=James R. |title=The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences |date=Mar 1, 2003 |publisher=[[Visible Ink Press]] |isbn=9781578593019 |page=442 |edition=Second |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nPMnUMhZzswC&pg=PA442PAGE |access-date=March 7, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>


Nabu was continuously worshipped until the 2nd century, when [[Cuneiform script|cuneiform]] became a lost art.<ref name="Bertman"/>
Nabu was continuously worshipped until the 2nd century, when [[Cuneiform script|cuneiform]] became a lost art.<ref name="Bertman"/>
Line 46: Line 48:


===Outside Mesopotamia===
===Outside Mesopotamia===
Nabu's [[cult (religious practice)|cult]] spread to [[ancient Egypt]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Porten |first1=Bezalel |title=Archives from Elephantine: The Life of an Ancient Jewish Military Colony |date=1968 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=9780520010284 |page=166 |edition=First |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aVKtP0w4HkIC&q=nabu+worshipped+in+elephantine&pg=PA166 |access-date=October 4, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Nabu was one of five non-Egyptian deities worshipped in [[Elephantine]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}
Nabu's [[cult (religious practice)|cult]] spread to [[ancient Egypt]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Porten |first1=Bezalel |title=Archives from Elephantine: The Life of an Ancient Jewish Military Colony |date=1968 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=9780520010284 |page=166 |edition=First |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aVKtP0w4HkIC&q&pg=PA166 |access-date=October 4, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Names with Nabu in them are the most common [[theophoric]] names for Semitic speakers in Egypt as it was in the Neo-Babylonian texts.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Porten |first1=Bezalel |last2=Zadok |first2=Ran |last3=Pearce |first3=Laurie |title=Akkadian Names in Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt |journal=Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research |date=2016 |volume=375 |page=2}}</ref> Nabu was also one of the Canaanite and Israelite deities worshipped in [[Elephantine]] and [[Aswan]] alongside gods like [[Yahweh]], [[Nanaya|Nanay]], [[Bethel (god)|Bethel]], [[Anat]], and the [[Inanna|Queen of Heaven]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Toorn |first1=Karel van der |title=Becoming Diaspora Jews: Behind the Story of Elephantine |date=24 September 2019 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-24949-1 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Becoming_Diaspora_Jews/mpKsDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref>


In the Bible, Nabu is mentioned as Nebo in [[Isaiah 46|Isaiah 46:1]] and [[Jeremiah 48|Jeremiah 48:1]].<ref name="Bertman"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2046:1-46:1&version=NIV |title=Isaiah 46:1 NIV – Gods of Babylon – Bel bows down, Nebo |website=[[BibleGateway.com]] |access-date=2015-06-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+48%3A1&version=NIV |title=Jeremiah 48:1 NIV – A Message About Moab – Concerning Moab |website=[[BibleGateway.com]] |access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref>
In the [[Hebrew Bible]], Nabu is mentioned as ''Nəḇo'' ({{lang|he|נְבוֹ}}) in [[Isaiah 46|Isaiah 46:1]] and [[Jeremiah 48|Jeremiah 48:1]].<ref name="Bertman"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2046:1-46:1&version=NIV |title=Isaiah 46:1 NIV – Gods of Babylon – Bel bows down, Nebo |website=[[BibleGateway.com]] |access-date=2015-06-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+48%3A1&version=NIV |title=Jeremiah 48:1 NIV – A Message About Moab – Concerning Moab |website=[[BibleGateway.com]] |access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref>


In [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]] times, Nabu was sometimes identified with the Greek [[Apollo]] as a giver of prophesies.<ref name="Bertman"/><ref name="Green"/>{{rp|71}} As the god of wisdom and a divine messenger, Nabu was linked with the Greek [[Hermes]], the Roman [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]], and the Egyptian [[Thoth]].<ref name="Green"/>{{rp|71}}
In the Hellenistic period, Nabu was sometimes identified with [[Apollo]] as a giver of prophecies.<ref name="Bertman"/><ref name="Green"/>{{rp|71}} As the god of wisdom and a divine messenger, Nabu was linked with the Greek god [[Hermes]], the Roman god [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]], and the Egyptian deity [[Thoth]].<ref name="Green"/>{{rp|71}}


==References==
==References==
Line 56: Line 58:


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Koch|first=Ulla Susanne|title=Mesopotamian astrology: an introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian celestial divination|year=1995|publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press|isbn=9788772892870|url=https://www.academia.edu/441807}}
*{{cite book |last=Horowitz |first=Wayne |title=Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography |year=1998 |publisher=Eisenbrauns |isbn=978-0931464997}}
⚫
*{{cite book |last1=Hunger |first1=Hermann |last2=Steele |first2=John |title=The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN |year=2018 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1351686815}}

*{{cite book |last=Koch |first=Ulla Susanne |title=Mesopotamian astrology: an introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian celestial divination |year=1995 |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press |isbn=978-8772892870}}
⚫
*{{cite book|last1=Hunger|first1= Hermann|last2=Steele|first2=John|title=The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN|year=2018|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn= 9781351686815|url= https://www.google.it/books/edition/The_Babylonian_Astronomical_Compendium_M/z7JjDwAAQBAJ?hl=it}}

*{{cite book|last=Horowitz|first=Wayne|title=Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography|year=1998|publisher=Eisenbrauns|isbn= 9780931464997|url= https://www.google.it/books/edition/Mesopotamian_Cosmic_Geography/P8fl8BXpR0MC?hl=it}}


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 08:37, 19 January 2024

For other uses, see Nabu (disambiguation).
Nabû
Colossal statue of the god Nabu, 8th century BC, from Nimrud, on display in the National Museum of Iraq
AbodeBorsippa
PlanetMercury
SymbolClay tablet and stylus
ParentsMarduk and Sarpanitum
ConsortTashmet
Equivalents
Greek equivalentHermes
Roman equivalentMercury
Egyptian equivalentThoth
Norse equivalentOdin
Mandaean equivalentNbu
Late Assyrian seal. Worshipper between Nabu and Marduk, standing on their servant dragon Mušḫuššu, eighth century BCE.
Part of a series on
Ancient
Mesopotamian religion
Chaos Monster and Sun God
Chaos Monster and Sun God
Primordial beings
Seven gods who decree
Other major deities
Minor deities
Demigods and heroes
Spirits and monsters
Tales
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Part of the myth series on
Religions of the
ancient Near East
Pre-Islamic Arabian deities
Arabian deities of other Semitic origins

Nabu (Akkadian: cuneiform: 𒀭𒀝 Nabû,[1] Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: נְבוֹ‏, romanized: Nəḇo[2]) is the Babylonian patron god of literacy, the rational arts, scribes, and wisdom. He is associated with the classical planet Mercury in Babylonian astronomy.[3]

Etymology and meaning[edit]

The Akkadian nabû means "announcer" or "authorised person",[4] derived from the Semitic root n-b-y or nbʾ.[5] It is cognate with Classical Syriac: ܢܒܝܐ, romanized: nəḇiyyā, Arabic: نبي, romanized: nabiyy, and Hebrew: נביא, romanized: nāḇi,[6] all meaning 'prophet'.

History[edit]

Nabu was worshiped by the Babylonians and the Assyrians.[7] Nabu gained prominence among the Babylonians in the 1st millennium BC when he was identified as the son of the god Marduk.[7]

Nabu was worshipped in Babylon's sister city Borsippa, from where his statue was taken to Babylon each New Year so that he could pay his respects to his father.[7] Nabu's symbols included a stylus resting on a tablet as well as a simple wedge shape; King Nabonidus, whose name references Nabu, had a royal sceptre topped with Nabu's wedge.[7][8]: 33–34  Clay tablets with especial calligraphic skill were used as offerings at Nabu's temple. His wife was the Akkadian goddess Tashmet.[7]

Nabu was the patron god of scribes, literacy, and wisdom.[7] He was also the inventor of writing, a divine scribe, the patron god of the rational arts, and a god of vegetation.[8]: 33–34 [9] As the god of writing, Nabu inscribed the fates assigned to men and he was equated with the scribe god Ninurta.[9][10] As an oracle he was associated with the Mesopotamian moon god Sin.[8]: 33–34  In the Babylonian tradition, planet Mercury was connected with Ninurta (as well as Saturn); because in the MUL.APIN Ninurta is consistently identified with Mercury,[11][12][13] and it is read that: "Mercury whose name is Ninurta travels the (same) path the Moon travels." As Marduk took over the role of King of the gods from Enlil and inherited both his cultic roles and epithets as well as his position within the pantheon – the role of the most important son of the father of the gods that had previously belonged to Ninurta as son of Enlil (now replaced by Marduk); was thus taken over by Nabu, and Nabu became associated with the planet Mercury as well as being given connections with the moon god Sin, because as addressed in the MUL.APIN – even when Mercury was considered the planet of Ninurta, it still retained some moon-like aspects since it traveled the same path of the moon.

Nabu wore a horned cap, and stood with his hands clasped in the ancient gesture of priesthood. He rode on a winged dragon known as Sirrush that originally belonged to his father Marduk. In Babylonian astrology, Nabu was identified with the planet Mercury.[14][15]

Nabu was continuously worshipped until the 2nd century, when cuneiform became a lost art.[7]

Today in Mandaean cosmology, the name for Mercury is ʻNbu (ࡏࡍࡁࡅ), which is derived from the name Nabu.[16]

Outside Mesopotamia[edit]

Nabu's cult spread to ancient Egypt.[17] Names with Nabu in them are the most common theophoric names for Semitic speakers in Egypt as it was in the Neo-Babylonian texts.[18] Nabu was also one of the Canaanite and Israelite deities worshipped in Elephantine and Aswan alongside gods like Yahweh, Nanay, Bethel, Anat, and the Queen of Heaven.[19]

In the Hebrew Bible, Nabu is mentioned as Nəḇo (נְבוֹ) in Isaiah 46:1 and Jeremiah 48:1.[7][20][21]

In the Hellenistic period, Nabu was sometimes identified with Apollo as a giver of prophecies.[7][8]: 71  As the god of wisdom and a divine messenger, Nabu was linked with the Greek god Hermes, the Roman god Mercury, and the Egyptian deity Thoth.[8]: 71 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lanfranchi, Giovanni B. (1987). The Correspondence of Sargon II. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. p. 92. ISBN 9515700043.
  2. ^ "The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon". cal.huc.edu.
  3. ^ "The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon". cal.huc.edu.
  4. ^ Richter, Thomas (2006). "Nabû". Brill’s New Pauly. Brill. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  5. ^ "Semitic Roots Appendix". The American Heritage Dictionary. Retrieved 6 December 2019. nbʾ To name, proclaim, summon."
  6. ^ p.1571, Alcalay. An alternative translation of this Hebrew word is derived from an Akkadian word "Nabu," meaning to call. The Hebrew "Navi" has a passive sense and means "the one who has been called" (see HALOT, p.661).
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bertman, Stephen (2005). Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 122. ISBN 9780195183641. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  8. ^ a b c d e Green, Tamara M. (1992). The City of the Moon God: Religious Traditions of Harran. Leiden: Brill Publishers. ISBN 9004095136. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  9. ^ a b "Nabu". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  10. ^ Leick, Dr Gwendolyn (2002). A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. Routledge. p. 124. ISBN 9781134641024. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  11. ^ Koch 1995, p. 127.
  12. ^ Hunger & Steele 2018, p. 127.
  13. ^ Horowitz 1998, p. 172.
  14. ^ Colligan, L. H. (January 15, 2010). Mercury. Marshall Cavendish. p. 22. ISBN 9780761445517. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  15. ^ Lewis, James R. (Mar 1, 2003). The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences (Second ed.). Visible Ink Press. p. 442. ISBN 9781578593019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  16. ^ Bhayro, Siam (10 February 2020). "Cosmology in Mandaean Texts". Hellenistic Astronomy. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 572–579. doi:10.1163/9789004400566_046. ISBN 9789004243361. S2CID 213438712. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  17. ^ Porten, Bezalel (1968). Archives from Elephantine: The Life of an Ancient Jewish Military Colony (First ed.). University of California Press. p. 166. ISBN 9780520010284. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  18. ^ Porten, Bezalel; Zadok, Ran; Pearce, Laurie (2016). "Akkadian Names in Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt". Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. 375: 2.
  19. ^ Toorn, Karel van der (24 September 2019). Becoming Diaspora Jews: Behind the Story of Elephantine. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-24949-1.
  20. ^ "Isaiah 46:1 NIV – Gods of Babylon – Bel bows down, Nebo". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  21. ^ "Jeremiah 48:1 NIV – A Message About Moab – Concerning Moab". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2015-07-02.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Horowitz, Wayne (1998). Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-0931464997.
  • Hunger, Hermann; Steele, John (2018). The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1351686815.
  • Koch, Ulla Susanne (1995). Mesopotamian astrology: an introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian celestial divination. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 978-8772892870.

External links[edit]

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