Nabu
/ˈnɑːbuː/noun
A major Mesopotamian god of writing, wisdom, and scribes, especially in Babylonian religion.
Did you know?Nabu was so closely tied to writing that in Mesopotamia, scribes effectively worked under the protection of a god whose domain was the power of the written word.
Etymological Timeline
Akkadian / Old Babylonian
Akkadian
Nabû
“The divine name of the god of writing, wisdom, and scribal knowledge”
1st millennium BCE
Akkadian
Nabû
“A major Babylonian deity honored in cult, royal inscriptions, and temple ritual”
Greek and Latin transmission
Greek/Latin
Nabou / Nabu
“A transliterated foreign divine name preserved in classical writings”
Modern English
English
Nabu
“The standard English form of the Mesopotamian god’s name”