Nabonassar
/ˌnæbənəˈsɑːr/noun
Nabonassar was a Babylonian king who ruled from 747 to 734 BCE and gave his name to an ancient chronological era.
Did you know?Ptolemy’s astronomical records used the “Era of Nabonassar,” making this ruler’s reign a hidden time-marker in the history of astronomy.
Etymological Timeline
1st Millennium BCE
Akkadian
Nabû-nāṣir
“Nabu, protect; the name invokes Nabu, the Mesopotamian god associated with writing, wisdom, and scribal power.”
747–734 BCE
Babylonian Akkadian
Nabû-nāṣir
“Royal name of the Babylonian king who restored Babylonian independence after a period of political instability.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ναβονάσσαρος (Nabonássaros)
“Greek rendering of the king’s name in historical and astronomical writings.”
2nd Century CE
Greek
Era of Nabonassar
“Chronological system used by the astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, counting years from Nabonassar’s accession.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Nabonassar
“Latinized form preserved in classical and medieval astronomical tradition.”
Modern English
English
Nabonassar
“The conventional English name for the Babylonian king and the era named after him.”