Depiction of Nabu by Artist is Lee Lawrie (1877–1963). Photographed 2007 by Carol Highsmith (1946–), who explicitly placed the photograph in the public domain. — Artist is Lee Lawrie (1877–1963). Photographed 2007 by Carol Highsmith (1946–), who explicitly placed the photograph in the public domain. · Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nabu

Mesopotamian · deity · mythic · Recorded classification

God of writing, wisdom and scribes; son of Marduk.

Parentage

parent: Marduk

Domains

writing scribes
wisdom

Powers

Keeping the scribal record and the tablet of fates

Epithets

ṭupšar Esagil akkadian · tupshar Esagil · cultScribe of (the temple) Esagil; keeper of the tablet of destiniesNabu hymns; the Ezida temple of Borsippa; Neo-Assyrian royal prayers (primary)
nāš ṭuppi šīmāti akkadian · nash tuppi shimati · cultBearer of the tablet of destinies; god of writing and fateNeo-Babylonian Nabu liturgy; Pomponio, Nabu (studies of the god) (secondary)

Relations

interpretatio: ApolloReciprocal of greek_hesiod_apollo.interpretatio — Hellenistic usage reads Nabu of Borsippa as Apollo, via shared scribal-oracular wisdom and divine-son status (Nabu son of Marduk, Apollo son of Zeus). Breaks on Apollo's archery and plague portfolio.Strabo, Geography 16.1.7 (Borsippa sacred to Artemis and Apollo) (primary)

Sources

existence: Neo-Assyrian hymns to Nabu (primary)

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