Nabu (Nabû) - Ancient God of Scribes
- Sylvia Rose
- Dec 4, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Nabu is the inventor of writing in Mesopotamian mythology. Patron of scribes, wisdom and literacy, the God Nabu goes back to Sumer in 3rd millennium BCE, when he replaces scribe and grain goddess Nisaba.
Prayers praising Nisaba substitute Nabu. He reigns as God King for a while. As Akkadian takes over the lands of Mesopotamia from c. 2500 BCE, Nabu becomes a son of the mighty hero god Marduk and wife Sarpanitum.
Nabu is considered a Divine Scribe, the god of literacy, rational arts (science), scribes, architecture and wisdom. As an oracle deity he's linked to the Moon God Sin and is also a god of grain and vegetation.
Nabu is equated with the Sumerian god Ninurta, deity of scribes, agriculture, farming, hunting healing, law and war. A god invoked during exorcisms, Ninurta has the power to drive out demons causing sickness.
As the inventor of writing, Nabu relates to communication, inspiration and the planet Mercury. His divine symbols are the clay tablet and reed stylus, a wedge-shaped instrument.
Nabu is often depicted with a traditional horned helmet or crown of rulers. Archaeological finds show him standing, with clasped hands, symbolic of priesthood.
Deific equivalents of Nabu include
Greek - Hermes
Roman - Mercury
Egyptian - Thoth
The first written language dates back to c. 3400 in Sumer, Mesopotamia. Sumerian develops as a cuneiform language of wedge-shaped symbols made with a stylus. The inscribed clay tablets sit in the sunshine to dry.
In c. 2290 BCE, the enemies of Ebla, North Syria, raze and burn the town. Later archaeologists are delighted to discover over 20,000 inscribed clay tablets, hard-baked by flames of destruction, remaining in top condition through the centuries.
Nabu and his wife Tashmet (Tashmetum), are tutelary Gods of Borsippa, the sister city of Babylon. Borsippa is famous for the legendary Tower of Babel, later identified as the ziggurat temple of Nabu and Tashmet.
At the ziggurat, priests give sacrificial offerings and ritual prayers to Nabu and Tashmet. The temple sits atop the ziggurat. Ordinary people are not permitted in the temple as it's the divine home of the deity.
Also Akkadian, Tashmet is a Goddess of Supplication. She's invoked to hear prayers and grant requests. Her name means lady who listens. Her epithets include Lady of Hearing and Lady of Favor. She's a scribe and keeper of libraries.
Nabu also becomes a fate deity. Upon his clay tablets Nabu inscribes the fates decreed to members of the human race. In ancient Mesopotamia, fate is controlled by the gods to maintain order in the universe.
Often perceived as unchangeable, fate can sometimes be altered to keep the universal order. According to the Enuma Elish, before creation of the gods no fate is decreed.
Offerings at his temple include clay tablets aspiring to calligraphic excellence. In this respect he's a teacher and inspiration for students and master scribes.
During the Assyrian Empire, the worship of Nabu continues as he's adopted into the dominant pantheon. He becomes the son of Assyrian deities rather than Akkadian.
Otherwise he's retained as an important god. He's featured in the twelve days of the Akitu festival on the Spring Equinox, which is also the first day of the Mesopotamian new year and celebrates the sowing of barley.
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