description Nabu Overview
Nabu was the Mesopotamian god of writing, wisdom, and scribes, venerated throughout Babylonia and Assyria from at least the second millennium BCE. He was the son of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, and his principal cult center was the Ezida temple at Borsippa. Nabu was associated with the planet Mercury and, as divine patron of the scribal arts, oversaw clay tablets, scholarship, and the recording of destinies. His annual New Year's procession connected Borsippa and Babylon, symbolizing his role in the Akitu festival alongside Marduk.
help Nabu FAQ
Who was Nabu's father in the Mesopotamian pantheon?
Nabu was the son of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon and head of the Babylonian pantheon. This parentage placed Nabu at the center of Babylonian religious hierarchy, and he eventually inherited many of Marduk's scribal and judicial attributes.
Where was the main temple of Nabu located?
Nabu's principal cult center was the Ezida temple at Borsippa, a city located about 18 km southwest of Babylon. The Ezida was one of the most important religious sites in Mesopotamia, and Nabu was also venerated in a chapel within Marduk's Esagila temple complex in Babylon itself.
What was Nabu the god of in Mesopotamian religion?
Nabu was the Mesopotamian god of writing, wisdom, and scribes. He was the patron of the scribal arts and was associated with the tablet of destinies, which recorded the fates of gods and mortals alike.
How long was Nabu worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia?
Nabu was venerated throughout Babylonia and Assyria from at least the second millennium BCE, and his cult remained prominent well into the first millennium BCE under the Neo-Babylonian Empire. His worship declined significantly after the fall of Babylon and the rise of Hellenistic and Persian influence in the region.
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