NEBO (Deity)

Marduk’s son and a chief god among the Babylonian pantheon. Nebo (Hebrew spelling; pronounced Nabu in Akkadian) was the patron deity of wisdom, education, and literature. Originally the local city god of Borsippa, Nebo grew in prominence with the rise of the Babylonian Empire. Numerous inscriptions affirm his popularity among the Babylonian and Assyrian kings. At Kalkhi (modern Nimrud), an ancient capital of Assyria, a temple was built and maintained for Nebo and his consort Tashmit. Isaiah ridiculed Nebo for his inability to save even himself from being carried into captivity (Is 46:1). See Babylon, Babylonia.