People, Gods & Places

A

Adad (deity)

Weather god, of storms and beneficial rains. The southern gate of the west wall of Babylon PGP  (leading to/from the Tuba district) bears his name. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/ikur/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Agade (place)

A city in northern Babylonia, exact location unknown; possibly now Tell Muhammad.

Akkad (place)

An ancient name for northern Babylonia.

Amel-Marduk (person)

"Man of Marduk PGP ": King of Babylon PGP  (r. 562-560 BC). For further details, see this ruler's essentials page.

Anu (deity)

The sky god, worshipped especially in Uruk. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/an/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Anunnaku (deity)

A collective name for the gods of the netherworld. For further details, see this group of gods' [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/anunna/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Arahtu (place)

Babylon's PGP  most important canal, whose walls Babylonian kings had to regularly reinforce with bitumen and baked brick.

Aššuru (people)

"Assyrian": The people of Assyria, an empire to the north of Babylonia (modern northern Iraq) ruled by kings Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal, and their predecessors and successors. See the Assyrian Empire [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/knpp/essentials/assyrianempire/index.html].

Aya (deity)

The divine consort of the sun-god Šamaš PGP . For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/aya/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Ay-ibur-šabu (place)

"May the Obdurate Foe Not Stay in Good Health"; the name of the grand processional avenue of Babylon PGP  that runs from the Ištar PGP  Gate to Esagil PGP .

B

Babili (place)

Ancient Babylon, the most important city of Babylonia, near the modern city of Hilla, and the capital of Nabopolassar PGP , Nebuchadnezzar II PGP , and their successors.

Barsipa (place)

Borsippa, a Babylonian city southwest of Babylon PGP ; now Birs Nimrud.

Bel (deity)

"Lord"; a name of Marduk PGP . For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/marduk/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Bel-šum-iškun (person)

Father of Neriglissar PGP .

D

Dagan (deity)

A grain god from the eastern Mediterranean, also known as Dagon or Daguna. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/dagan/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

E

Ea (deity)

The god of wisdom, magic, and incantations. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/enki/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Emeslam (place)

"House, Warrior of the Netherworld"; the temple of Nergal PGP  at the city of Cutha.

Enlil (deity)

Head of the Sumerian pantheon and one of the most important gods in Neo-Babylonian times. The western gate of the north wall of Babylon PGP  bears his name. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/enlil/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

E-PA-GIN-tila (place)

The temple of Ninurta PGP  at Babylon PGP .

Eridu (place)

Ancient city of southern Babylonia; now Abu Shahrein.

Erra (deity)

God of famine and pestilence. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/erra/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Esagil (place)

"House Whose Top is High"; the temple of Marduk PGP  at Babylon PGP .

Ešarra (place)

"House of the Universe"; the part of the temple of Enlil PGP  at the city of Nippur.

Etemenanki (place)

"House, Foundation of Heaven and Netherworld"; the ziggurat of Marduk PGP  at Babylon PGP .

Ezida (place)

"True house"; the temple of Nabu PGP  at Borsippa PGP .

Eʾedinna (place)

"House of the Steppe"; the residence of Ištar PGP  as the "Divine Lady of Sippar PGP " at Sippar PGP .

I

Igigi (deity)

A collective name for the gods of heaven. For further details, see this group of gods' [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/igigi/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Imgur-Enlil (place)

"The God Enlil Showed Favor": The great, inner wall of Babylon PGP .

Ištar (deity)

Goddess of war, love and beauty who was worshipped in many Assyrian and Babylonian cities. The now-famous eastern gate of the north wall of Babylon PGP  (leading to/from the Ka-dingirra PGP  and New City districts) bears her name. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/inanaitar/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

K

Ka-dingirra (place)

A district of Babylon PGP  situated between the royal residences and Etemenanki PGP .

Ka-ḫegal (place)

A gate of Marduk's PGP  temple Esagil PGP .

Ka-Lamma-arabi (place)

A gate of Marduk's PGP  temple Esagil PGP .

Ka-ude-babbar (place)

A gate of Marduk's PGP  temple Esagil PGP .

Ka-Utu-e (place)

A gate of Marduk's PGP  temple Esagil PGP .

L

Libil-hegalla (place)

An important canal of Babylon PGP  that took water from the Euphrates PGP  River through the eastern part of the city to irrigate land outside the city walls.

Lugal-girra (deity)

An underworld deity who often appears together with Meslamtaʾea PGP . Both gods are associated with Nergal PGP . For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/lugalirraandmeslamtaea/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

M

Mar-biti (deity)

A Babylonian god who has a sanctuary at Borsippa PGP .

Marduk (deity)

The supreme god of Babylon PGP , where he was worshipped at the temple Esagil PGP ; father of the god Nabu PGP  and consort of the goddess Zarpanitu. The middle gate of the east wall of Babylon PGP  (leading to/from the Kullab district) bears his name. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/marduk/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Meslamtaʾea (deity)

An underworld deity who often appears together with Lugal-girra PGP . Both gods are associated with Nergal PGP . For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/lugalirraandmeslamtaea/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

N

Nabu (deity)

God of wisdom and patron of scribes, son of Babylon's tutelary god Marduk PGP . For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/nabu/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Nabu-apla-uṣur (person)

"O Nabu PGP , protect the heir!" (= Nabopolassar): King of Babylon PGP  (r. 625-605 BC). For further details, see Nabopolassar's essentials page.

Nabu-kudurri-uṣur (person)

"O Nabu PGP , protect the boundary!" (= Nebuchadnezzar II): King of Babylon PGP  (r. 604-562 BC).

Nabu-šuma-lišir (person)

"May Nabu PGP  make the name prosper!": Son of Nabopolassar PGP  and younger brother of Nebuchadnezzar II PGP .

Nemed-Enlil (place)

"Bulwark of the God Enlil": The outer wall of Babylon PGP .

Nergal (deity)

God of destructive force and animal instincts; lord of the underworld; he is often identified with the planet Mars. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/nergal/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Nergal-šarra-uṣur (person)

"O Nergal PGP , protect the king!" (= Neriglissar): King of Babylon PGP  (r. 559-556 BC). For further details, see Neriglissar's essentials page.

Ninmena (deity)

Mother goddess.

Ninšiku (deity)

"Prince"; a name of the god Ea PGP .

Ninšiqa (deity)

An alternate writing of the name Ninšiku PGP .

Ninurta (deity)

A god of victory.

Nisaba (deity)

Grain goddess.

P

Papnun-anki (deity)

A name of Marduk's PGP  consort Zarpanitu.

Purattu (place)

An ancient name for the Euphrates River.

S

Sin (deity)

The moon-god; the moon. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/nannasuen/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Sippar (place)

A northern Babylonian city, now Abu Habba.

Subaru (place)

"Subarean": A literary name for Assyrian. In the context of Nabopolassar's PGP  inscriptions, the "Subarean" probably refers to Assyria's penultimate king Sin-šarra-iškun.

Sumer (place)

An ancient name for the south of Babylonia.

Š

Šamaš (deity)

The sun-god; god of justice; the sun. The western gate of the south wall of Babylon PGP  (leading to/from the Tuba district) bears his name. For further details, see this deity's [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/utu/index.html] essentials page on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/].

Šazu (deity)

A name of the god Marduk PGP .

Šuanna (place)

A district of Babylon PGP  located north of the Uraš PGP  Gate and south of Esagil PGP  and Etemenanki PGP .

T

Tašmetu (deity)

The consort of Nabu PGP , the god of wisdom.

U

Uraš (deity)

The tuletary deity of the city Dilbat; he is equated with Ninurta PGP . The eastern gate of the south wall of Babylon PGP  (leading to/from the Šuanna PGP  district) bears his name.