| Nabû | |
|---|---|
| File:Colossal statue of the god Nabu, 8th century BCE, from Nimrud, Iraq Museum.jpg Colossal statue of the god Nabu, 8th century BC, from Nimrud, on display in the National Museum of Iraq | |
| Abode | Borsippa |
| Planet | Mercury |
| Symbol | Clay tablet and stylus |
| Parents | Marduk and Sarpanitum |
| Consort | Tashmet |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek equivalent | Hermes |
| Roman equivalent | Mercury |
| Egyptian equivalent | Thoth |
.jpg){kind=link}
Late Assyrian seal. Worshipper between Nabu and Marduk, standing on their servant dragon Mušḫuššu. 8th century BCE.
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Template:Fertile Crescent myth (Arabian)
Nabu (Template:Lang-akk[1] Syriac: ܢܒܘ) is the ancient Mesopotamian patron god of literacy, the rational arts, scribes and wisdom.
Etymology and meaning[]
The Akkadian "nabû" means "to announce, prophesize", derived from the Semitic root N-B.[2] It is cognate with the Syriac ܢܒܝܐ(nvīyā), Arabic نبي (nabiyy), and the Hebrew נביא (naví), all meaning "prophet".[citation needed]
History[]
Nabu was worshiped by the Babylonians and the Assyrians.[3] Nabu was known as Nisaba in the Sumerian pantheon and gained prominence among the Babylonians in the 1st millennium BC when he was identified as the son of the god Marduk.[3]
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.[3] 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.[3][4]:33-34 Clay tablets with especial calligraphic skill were used as offerings at Nabu's temple. His wife was the Akkadian goddess Tashmet.[3]
Nabu was the patron god of scribes, literacy, and wisdom.[3] He was also the inventor of writing, a divine scribe, the patron god of the rational arts, and a god of vegetation.[4]:33-34[5] As the god of writing, Nabu inscribed the fates assigned to men and he was associated with the scribe god Ninurta.[5][6] As an oracle he was associated with the Mesopotamian moon god Sin.[4]:33-34
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.[7][8]
Nabu was continuously worshipped until the 2nd century, when cuneiform became a lost art.[3]
Outside Mesopotamia[]
Nabu's cult spread to ancient Egypt.[9] Nabu was one of five non-Egyptian deities worshipped in Elephantine.[citation needed]
In the Bible, Nabu is mentioned as Nebo in Isaiah 46:1 and Jeremiah 48:1.[3][10][11]
In Hellenistic times, Nabu was sometimes identified with the Greek Apollo as a giver of prophesies.[3][4]:71 As the god of wisdom and a divine messenger associated with the planet Mercury, Nabu was linked with the Greek Hermes, the Roman Mercury, and the Egyptian Thoth.[4]:71
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Mesopotamian Deity Physiology / Arab Deity Physiology
- Unique Physiology: A cosmic being made up of energy, Nabu possess great power because of this.
- Immortality:Nabu is immortal and cannot be killed by ordinary means.
- Superhuman Strength
- Magic: At the height of his power, Nabu is a potent Lord of Order with near incalculable power, is considered one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and claimed to be the most powerful of all the Lords of Order. He is capable of battling the likes of the Spectre and Mordru.
- Energy Projection
- Illusion Casting
- Dimensional Travel
- Telepathy
- Possession: Nabu possesses the mortal bodies of anyone who wears the Helmet of Fate.
- Transformation
- Phasing
- Flight
- Energy Construct Creation
- Mystic Senses
- Cosmic Awareness
- Power Distribution
- Reality Alteration
- Astral Magic
- Astral Projection
- Invisibility
- Eldritch Blast
- Force Field
- Energy Construct Creation
- Portals Creation
- Psychic Magic
- Order Manipulation
- Magical Object Manipulation
- Transcendent Magic
- Science Deity Physiology
- Mercury Deity Physiology
- Writing Deity Physiology
- Unique Physiology: A cosmic being made up of energy, Nabu possess great power because of this.
Abilities[]
- Occultism: A powerful sorcerer, Nabu has a vast amount of knowledge on the mystic arts.
Weaknesses[]
- Vulnerability to Divine Forces: Although powerful, like other fellow Lords of Order, Nabu is capable of being slain by extremely powerful divine forces like those possessed by the Spectre.
Paraphernalia[]
Equipment[]
- Helmet of Fate
- Cloak of Destiny
- Amulet of Nabu
- Orb of Nabu
References[]
- ↑ Lanfranchi, Giovanni B. (1987). The Correspondence of Sargon II. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. p. 92. ISBN 9515700043.
- ↑ "Semitic Roots Appendix". The American Heritage Dictionary. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
nbʾ To name, proclaim, summon."
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Bertman, Stephen (2005) (in en). Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 122. ISBN 9780195183641. https://books.google.com/books?id=1C4NKp4zgIQC&pg=PA122. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Green, Tamara M. (1992) (in en). The City of the Moon God: Religious Traditions of Harran. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9004095136. https://books.google.com/books?id=hrJ97aZr3AcC&pg=PA34. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Nabu". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Leick, Dr Gwendolyn (2002) (in en). A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. Routledge. p. 127. ISBN 9781134641024. https://books.google.com/books?id=_pqEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA123. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ↑ Colligan, L. H. (January 15, 2010). Mercury. Marshall Cavendish. p. 22. ISBN 9780761445517. https://archive.org/details/mercury0000coll. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ↑ Lewis, James R. (Mar 1, 2003) (in en). The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences (Second ed.). Visible Ink Press. p. 442. ISBN 9781578593019. https://books.google.com/books?id=nPMnUMhZzswC&pg=PA442page. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ↑ Porten, Bezalel (1968) (in en). Archives from Elephantine: The Life of an Ancient Jewish Military Colony (First ed.). University of California Press. p. 166. ISBN 9780520010284. https://books.google.com/books?id=aVKtP0w4HkIC&q=nabu+worshipped+in+elephantine&pg=PA166. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ↑ "Isaiah 46:1 NIV – Gods of Babylon – Bel bows down, Nebo". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Jeremiah 48:1 NIV – A Message About Moab – Concerning Moab". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
{{cite web}}:
External links[]
- Template:Cite NIE