Nabu

Lee Lawrie, Nabu (1939). Library of Congress John Adams Building, Washington, D.C.

Nabu
God of wisdom and writing
Statue of the Attendant God from the Temple of Nabu at Nimrud, Mesopotamia on display at the British Museum.
Abode	Borsippa
Symbol	Clay tablet and stylus
Consort	Tashmetum and Nissaba
Parents	Marduk and Sarpanitum

Nabu (in Biblical Hebrew Nebo נבו) is the Babylonian god of wisdom and writing, worshipped by Babylonians as Marduk and Sarpanitum's son and as Ea's grandson. Nabu's consorts were Tashmetum and Nissaba.

Etymology

Nabu's name is derived from the Semitic root nb´, meaning "to prophesy".

History

Nabu was originally a West Semitic deity from Ebla whose cult was introduced to Mesopotamia by the Amorites after 2000 BC. Nabu was assimilated into Marduk's cult, where he became Marduk's son with Sarpanitum, Marduk's minister, and co-regent of the Mesopotamian pantheon.

Nabu resided in his temple of Ezida in Borsippa and was a prominent deity in Assyria, where several temples were devoted to him. His cult later spread to Egypt and Anatolia due to Aramaic settlers. Nabu became the god of wisdom and writing, taking over the role from the Sumerian goddess Nisaba. Nabu was also the keeper of the Tablets of Destiny, which recorded the fate of mankind. His symbols are the clay tablet and stylus.

Nabu's consorts were the Akkadian goddess Tashmetum and the Assyrian Nissaba. He 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. During the Babylonian New Year Festival, the cult statue of Nabu was transported from Borsippa to Babylon in order to commune with his father Marduk.

In Babylonian astrology, Nabu was identified with the planet Mercury.

Outside Mesopotamia

In the Bible, Nabu is mentioned as Nebo in Isaiah 46:1 and Jeremiah 48:1.^[1][2]

As the god of wisdom and writing, Nabu was linked by the Greeks with Hermes, by the Romans with Mercury, and by the Egyptians with Thoth.

Depictions

A statue of Nabu from Calah, erected during the reign of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III, is on display in the British Museum.

References

1. "Isaiah 46:1 NIV – Gods of Babylon – Bel bows down, Nebo". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
2. "Jeremiah 48:1 NIV - A Message About Moab - Concerning Moab". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2015-07-02.