Marduk blesses and lives in Assur, a reference to another conflict - this time between the Assyrian king and the Kassite king Kastilias IV, that ended with Marduk's statue being moved from Babylon to Assyria. According to the text Babylon falls into a chaos while Marduk is in Elam, referring to Babylon's defeat at the hands of the Elamite king. It says a new king will arise to renew the temple Ekursagila, most likely a reference to Nebuchadnezzar I's victory over Elam and restoration of Marduk's statue to Babylon. Marduk's original character is obscure but he was later associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic.
Background
Marduk
Marduk | Background
Marduk's original character is obscure but he was later associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic. His original character is obscure but he was later associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic. His consort was the goddess Sarpanit. He was also regarded as the son of Ea and Damkina, and the heir of Anu. In the 12th century BC, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I, the statue of Marduk (previously captured by Elamites) was restored to Babylon. Neo-Assyrian texts had become more critical of the Mesopotamian kings. The location of Marduk's statue, whether in Babylon or not, was related to the relationship between foreign kingship and traditional Babylonian religion.
what are the alternating dark and light bands in jupiter’s atmosphere called
user
Lightly colored "zones" and relatively dark "belts."
assistant
what is the atmosphere like in jupiter?
user
It is mostly made of molecular hydrogen and helium in roughly solar proportions; other chemical compounds are present only in small amounts and include methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and water.
assistant
how can you describe its structure vertically?
user
The atmosphere of Jupiter is classified into four layers, by increasing altitude: the troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere and exosphere
assistant
what is the definition of the first mentioned layer?
user
The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, and is also where nearly all weather conditions take place.
assistant
what is the flow here like?
user
The flow of the atmosphere generally moves in a west to east direction.
assistant
are there different types of flow?
user
Yes, Zonal flow, Meridional flow and Atmospheric flow
assistant
how do you explain the first type of flow?
user
A zonal flow regime is the meteorological term meaning that the general flow pattern is west to east along the Earth's latitude lines, with weak shortwaves embedded in the flow
assistant
how is the third type of flow?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
what is the density of the last chemical compound found in the planet?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
what is the size of the aforesaid planet?
user
Jupiter's radius is about 1/10 the radius of the Sun
assistant
what is its importance in myth?
user
To the Babylonians, this object represented their god Marduk. They used Jupiter's roughly 12-year orbit along the ecliptic to define the constellations of their zodiac
assistant
what are some names of this god?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
what is his background?
user
His consort was the goddess Sarpanit. He was also regarded as the son of Ea (Sumerian Enki) and Damkina, and the heir of Anu, but whatever special traits Marduk may have had were overshadowed by political developments in the Euphrates valley which led to people of the time imbuing him with traits belonging to gods who in an earlier period were recognized as the heads of the pantheon. There are particularly two gods—Ea and Enlil—whose powers and attributes pass over to Marduk. In the case of Ea, the transfer proceeded peacefully and without effacing the older god. Marduk took over the identity of Asarluhi, the son of Ea and god of magic, and was thus integrated into the pantheon of Eridu, where both Ea and Asarluhi originated.
Marduk | Background
In Mesopotamian mythology, Marduk was a creator god. Going by the "Enûma Eliš", the Babylonian creation myth, Marduk was the son of Enki, the Mesopotamian god of wisdom, and rose to prominence during a great battle between the gods. The myth tells how the universe originated as a chaotic realm of water in which there originally were two primordial deities, Tiamat (salt water, female) and Abzu (sweet water, male). These two gods gave birth to other deities. These deities (including gods such as Enki) had little to do in these early stages of existence and as such occupied themselves with various activities.
Statue of Marduk | Background
Marduk is the historic patron deity of the city of Babylon, in the 18th century BC. Marduk may also refer to:
Marduk (disambiguation) | Introduction
"Marduk" is the Babylonian form of his name. The name "Marduk" was probably pronounced "Marutuk". The etymology of the name "Marduk" is conjectured as derived from "amar-Utu" ("immortal son of Utu" or "bull calf of the sun god Utu"). The origin of Marduk's name may reflect an earlier genealogy, or have had cultural ties to the ancient city of Sippar (whose god was Utu), dating to the third millennium BC. By the Hammurabi period, Marduk had become astrologically associated with the planet Jupiter.
Marduk | Introduction
Marduk (Cuneiform: AMAR.UTU; Sumerian: "amar utu.k" "calf of the sun; solar calf"; Greek , "Mardochaios"; ) was a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi (18th century BC), Marduk slowly started to rise to the position of the head of the Babylonian pantheon, a position he fully acquired by the second half of the second millennium BC. In the city of Babylon, Marduk was worshipped in the temple Esagila. Marduk is associated with the divine weapon Imhullu. His symbolic animal and servant, whom Marduk once vanquished, is the dragon Mušḫuššu.
Marduk | Introduction
By the end of the second millennium BC, Marduk was sometimes just referred to as "Bêl", meaning "lord". In Mesopotamian mythology, Marduk was a creator god. Going by the "Enûma Eliš", the Babylonian creation myth, Marduk was the son of Enki, the Mesopotamian god of wisdom, and rose to prominence during a great battle between the gods. The myth tells how the universe originated as a chaotic realm of water, in which there originally were two primordial deities; Tiamat (salt water, female) and Abzu (sweet water, male). These two gods gave birth to other deities. These deities (including gods such as Enki) had little to do in these early stages of existence and as such occupied themselves with various activities.
Neo-Babylonian Empire | Religion
Marduk was the patron deity of the city of Babylon, having held this position since the reign of Hammurabi (18th century BC) in Babylon's first dynasty. Although Babylonian worship of Marduk never meant the denial of the existence of the other gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon, it has sometimes been compared to monotheism. The history of worship of Marduk is intimately tied to the history of Babylon itself and as Babylon's power increased, so did the position of Marduk relative to that of other Mesopotamian gods. By the end of the second millennium BC, Marduk was sometimes just referred to as "Bêl", meaning "lord".
Statue of Marduk | Background
Assyria remained an enemy of the Babylonians until the reign of Marduk-nadin-ahhe (1082–1070 BC). The deity of Marduk results in the "Enûma Elish," which tells the story of Marduk's birth, heroic deeds and becoming the ruler of the gods. The purpose of this creation myth was to explain how Marduk came to power. This can be viewed as a form of Mesopotamian apologetics. Also included in this document are the fifty names of Marduk that represent everything Marduk symbolizes.
Marduk | Late Bronze Age
He was recorded as a witness on a "kudurru" dated to his father's 2nd year, 25 years before he ascended the throne, suggesting he was fairly elderly when he assumed power, and he may be a witness on another kudurru, dated to his grandfather's 31st year, although this individual is identified as the "bēl pīḫati", or a "provincial administrator," a "son" of Arad-Ea. The kudurru pictured is a "ṣalmu" or commemorative granite stele to Adad-eṭir, the dagger-bearer of Marduk, by his eldest son, where the name Marduk-balāssu-iqbi appears in the context of the donor and possibly may not be the king.
Marduk-balassu-iqbi | Biography
The correlation between the two rises from two other important connections: (1) that the name of Marduk's sanctuary at Babylon bears the same name, "Esaggila", as that of a temple in Eridu, and (2) that Marduk is generally termed the son of Ea, who derives his powers from the voluntary abdication of the father in favour of his son. Accordingly, the incantations originally composed for the Ea cult were re-edited by the priests of Babylon and adapted to the worship of Marduk, and, similarly, the hymns to Marduk betray traces of the transfer to Marduk of attributes which originally belonged to Ea.
Enki | Influence
Its kingship was transferred to the Sealand,” and, as his successor was Erība-Marduk, the archetypal ancestor figure of the later Chaldean monarchs, it is surmised his origins were with a different Chaldean group than that of Erība-Marduk's Bīt-Yakin tribe. He is mentioned in a fragmentary Neo-Babylonian narrative text from Uruk ("The Crimes and Sacrileges of Nabu-šuma-iškun") which unfortunately provides no further enlightenment about his time apart from a passing observation that “forced labor and corvée were imposed.”
Marduk-apla-usur | Biography
Marduk-apla-iddina I, contemporarily written in cuneiform as "na" and meaning in Akkadian: "Marduk has given an heir", was the 34th Kassite king of Babylon ca. 1171–1159 BC (short chronology). He was the son and successor of Melišipak, from whom he had previously received lands, as recorded on a kudurru, and he reigned for 13 years, during a time when The Dark Ages cast a heavy cloud over the contemporary events.
Marduk-apla-iddina I | Introduction
Marduk-zâkir-šumi, inscribed "-za-kir-" in a reconstruction of two kinglists, “Marduk pronounced the name,” was a king of Babylon from 855 to 819 BC during the mixed dynastic period referred to in antiquity as the dynasty of "E". He was a contemporary of the Assyrian kings, Salmānu-ašarēdu III) (commonly known as Shalmaneser III) (859–824 BC) and Šamši-Adad V (824–811 BC) with whom he was allied.
Marduk-zakir-shumi I | Introduction
Marduk-bēl-zēri, inscribed in cuneiform as or [x] and meaning “Marduk (is) lord of descendants (lit. seed)”, very speculatively ca. 790 – 780 BC, was one of the kings of Babylon during the turmoil following the Assyrian invasions of Šamši-Adad V (ca. 824 – 811 BC). He is identified on a "Synchronistic King List" fragment as "Marduk-"["bēl"]-x, which gives his place in the sequence and reigned around the beginning of the 8th century BC. He was a rather obscure monarch and the penultimate predecessor of Erība-Marduk who was to restore order after years of chaos.
Marduk-bel-zeri | Introduction
Marduk blesses and lives in Assur, a reference to another conflict - this time between the Assyrian king and the Kassite king Kastilias IV, that ended with Marduk's statue being moved from Babylon to Assyria. According to the text Babylon falls into a chaos while Marduk is in Elam, referring to Babylon's defeat at the hands of the Elamite king. It says a new king will arise to renew the temple Ekursagila, most likely a reference to Nebuchadnezzar I's victory over Elam and restoration of Marduk's statue to Babylon. Marduk's original character is obscure but he was later associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic.
Marduk | Background
Ea, Marduk's father, voluntarily recognized the superiority of the son and handed over to him the control of humanity. This association of Marduk and Ea, while indicating primarily the passing to Babylon of the religious and political supremacy once enjoyed by Eridu, may also reflect an early dependence of Babylon upon Eridu, not necessarily of a political character but, in view of the spread of culture in the Euphrates valley from the south to the north, the recognition of Eridu as the older centre on the part of the younger one.
Marduk | Background
Marduk-apla-uṣur, inscribed [], or [x], meaning “O Marduk, protect the heir”, very speculatively c. 780 – 769 BC (absolute date and length of reign unknown), was a Chaldean tribal leader who ruled as King of Babylon after the reign of Marduk-bēl-zēri. He is known only from three inscriptions and ruled during a period of chaos. He should not be confused with the Marduk-apla-uṣur who ruled Suḫi on the middle Euphrates and paid tribute to Salmānu-ašarēdu III a generation or so earlier.
Marduk-apla-usur | Introduction
Marduk-balāssu-iqbi, inscribed "-su-iq-bi" or -"zu"-, meaning "Marduk has promised his life," ca. 819 – 813 BC, was the 8th king of the Dynasty of "E" of Babylon; he was the successor of his father Marduk-zākir-šumi I, and was the 4th and final generation of Nabû-šuma-ukin I's family to reign. He was contemporary with his father's former ally, Šamši-Adad V of Assyria, who may have been his brother-in-law, who was possibly married to his (Marduk's) sister Šammu-ramat, the legendary Semiramis, and who was to become his nemesis.
Marduk-balassu-iqbi | Introduction
Marduk-šāpik-zēri, inscribed in cuneiform or phonetically "-ša-pi-ik-ze-ri", and meaning “Marduk (is) the outpourer of seed”, ca. 1082 – 1069 BC, was the 7th king of the 2nd dynasty of Isin and 4th dynasty of Babylon and he ruled for thirteen years. His relationship with his predecessor, Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē is uncertain. His reign overlapped that of the Assyrian king Aššur-bēl-kala and his immediate predecessor(s) as the "Synchronistic King List" places him alongside both Tukultī-apil-Ešarra and Aššur-bēl-kala.
Marduk-shapik-zeri | Introduction
Kudur-Enlil, rendered in cuneiform as "Ku-dur" (c. 1254–1246 BC short chronology), “son of Enlil,” was the 26th king of the 3rd or Kassite dynasty of Babylon. He reigned into his ninth year, as attested in contemporary economic tablets. His relationship with his predecessor and successor is uncertain and does not appear in contemporary inscriptions. The personal name “Marduk is king of the gods” first appears during his reign marking the deity’s ascendancy to the head of the pantheon.
Kudur-Enlil | Introduction
Bel is also mentioned in the writings of several Greek historians.
Marduk | Bel
The "Asarre" was located in a chapel dedicated to the god Ninurta off the north side of the Esagila's central courtyard. Though this chapel would have been dedicated to Ninurta, the Marduk statue would have occupied the central point of attention and thus have been the main figure. This might be explained through the god Ninurta becoming seen as simply an aspect of Marduk—an ancient visitor to the temple may not have been surprised to find Marduk in the stead of Ninurta. Other statues included one made of a type of wood called "taskarinnu" and placed in a chamber dedicated to the Enki (Marduk's father) in the E-kar-zaginna temple, part of the Esagila temple complex but not of the temple itself; an alabaster statue in the "temple of E-namtila"; a statue of hematite in the "chapel of Ninurta in the temple E-ḫursag-tilla"; and a statue of unknown material in "E-gišḫur-ankia, the temple of Bēlet-Ninua".
Statue of Marduk | Appearance and other statues
Marduk-apla-iddina II (cuneiform spelling ᴰMES.A.SUM-na; in the Bible Merodach-Baladan, also called Marduk-Baladan, Baladan and Berodach-Baladan, lit. "Marduk has given me an heir") was a Chaldean leader from the Bit-Yakin tribe, originally established in the territory that once made the Sealand in southern Babylonia. He seized the Babylonian throne in 722 BC from Assyrian control and reigned from 722 BC to 710 BC, and from 703 BC to 702 BC. His reign is defined by some historians as an illegitimate Third Dynasty of the Sealand, inside of the Xth Dynasty of Babylon, or Assyrian Dynasty. He was known as one of the kings who maintained Babylonian independence in the face of Assyrian military supremacy for more than a decade.
Marduk-apla-iddina II | Introduction
When Marduk is set free, the statues of the gods are gathered in the Destinies Hall "Ubshu-Ukkina", to deliberate his destiny, there it is decided to join all the forces of the gods and bestow them upon Marduk. Here, the king implores all the gods to support and honor Marduk, and this tradition was an indication that Marduk received submission from all the gods and was unique in his position.
Akitu | Eighth Day
Uballissu-Marduk, inscribed "ú-ba-lí-su-", meaning “Marduk has kept him alive,” was a Babylonian accountant ("niğkas") who rose to the rank of administrator ("sanqu") in the Kassite government of Kurigalzu II, ca. 1332-1308 BC short chronology, whose principal sources are his two cylinder seals which detail his religious affiliations and his illustrious genealogy.
Uballissu-Marduk | Introduction
Around eighteen "kudurrus" could be assigned to his reign based upon the art-history of their iconography. The following lists those which actually identify him as the monarch in their texts. Also dated to his reign is the stone copy of the Nazimaruttaš kudurru stone.
Marduk-apla-iddina I | List of "kudurrus" dated to this reign
Marduk-aḫḫē-erība, inscribed in cuneiform contemporarily as , meaning: “Marduk has replaced the brothers for me,” a designation given to younger sons whose older siblings have typically predeceased them, ca. 1046 BC, ruled as 9th king of the 2nd Dynasty of Isin and the 4th Dynasty of Babylon, but only for around 6 months using the date formula: 1 6, which first appears in Kassite times and is open to interpretation. According to the "Synchronistic Kinglist" he was a contemporary of the Assyrian king Aššur-bêl-kala where only the beginning of his name appears below that of his immediate predecessor Adad-apla-iddina.
Marduk-ahhe-eriba | Introduction
Marduk then spoke to Ea – saying he would use his blood to create man – and that man would serve the gods. Ea advised one of the gods be chosen as a sacrifice – the Igigi advised that Kingu be chosen – his blood was then used to create man. Marduk then divided the gods into "above" and "below" – three hundred in the heavens, six hundred on earth. The gods then proposed to build a throne or shrine for him – Marduk told them to construct Babylon. The gods then spent a year making bricks – they built the Esagila (Temple to Marduk) to a great height, making it a place for Marduk, Ea, and Enlil.
Enûma Eliš | Tablet 6
Leonard W. King in "The Seven Tablets of Creation" (1902) included fragments of god lists which he considered essential for the reconstruction of the meaning of Marduk's name. Franz Bohl in his 1936 study of the fifty names also referred to King's list. Richard Litke (1958) noticed a similarity between Marduk's names in the An:Anum list and those of the Enuma elish, albeit in a different arrangement. The connection between the An:Anum list and the list in Enuma Elish were established by Walther Sommerfeld (1982), who used the correspondence to argue for a Kassite period composition date of the Enuma elish, although the direct derivation of the Enuma elish list from the An:Anum one was disputed in a review by Wilfred Lambert (1984).
Marduk | The fifty names of Marduk
During this day according to the tradition of Akitu, Marduk would enter his dwelling and is surprised by the evil gods who will fight him, then he's taken prisoner by Tiamat, the chaos monster and goddess of the ocean, and awaits for arrival of his son god Nabu who would save him from "Nought" and restore his glory.
Akitu | Fifth Day
Rabâ-ša-Marduk, “great are (the deeds) of Marduk”, was a prominent physician, or "asû", from the city of Nippur who was posted to the Hittite court of Muwatalli II (c. 1295–1272 BC short chronology) in Anatolia in the thirteenth century BC, apparently as part of a diplomatic mission of Kassite king Kadašman-Turgu (1281–1264 BC short chronology).
Rabâ-ša-Marduk | Introduction
Both compositions present a favorable view of Assyria.
Marduk | Marduk Prophecy
Marduk is a Swedish black metal band. The group formed in 1990 in the city of Norrköping and released their first album in 1992. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.
Marduk (band) | Introduction
Some later versions replace Marduk with the Assyrian primary god Ashur.
Enûma Eliš | Introduction
The Assyrian and Babylonian concept of origins expressed procreation first in “relationships between gods and goddesses resulting in other gods and goddesses," such as Ea and Damkina assisted by Apsu giving birth to Marduk. The Akkadian "Enûma Eliš" describes the birth of Marduk as follows: "Ea, having overheard the plan of the primordial deities to destroy the other gods, deceived Apsu and Mummu and put them to death. 'Ea, his triumph over his enemies secured, in his sacred chamber in profound peace he rested.' (ANET, p. 61, lines 74—75.) Then he took over the place which Apsu had used for his cult and dwelt there with his spouse, Damkina." It was here that Marduk, the "most potent and wisest of gods" was created in the heart of Apsu and "He who begot him was Ea, his father, she who conceived him was Damkina, his mother".
Miraculous births | Near Eastern mythology
The only contemporary source is a kudurru (line art pictured), or gray limestone boundary marker, in a private collection in Istanbul, which records a land grant to a certain Kudurrâ, a “Ḫabiru” and servant of the king, in a region of northern Babylonia called Bīt-Piri’-Amurru. The term "Ḫabiru" may represent a socio-economic rather than ethnic designation as the name "Kudurrâ" is possibly not linguistically of semitic derivation. The field was surveyed by a diviner, a scribe named Nabû-ēriš the "son of" (i.e. descendant of) Arad-Ea, an administrator and a mayor. It has been suggested that he is the 5th king represented in the "Prophecy A" by the single line, “A prince will arise, and his days will be short.
Marduk-ahhe-eriba | Biography
His ancestors: Witnesses:
Land grant to Marduk-zākir-šumi kudurru | Cast of characters
While the relationship between Ea and Marduk is marked by harmony and an amicable abdication on the part of the father in favour of his son, Marduk's absorption of the power and prerogatives of Enlil of Nippur came at the expense of the latter's prestige. Babylon became independent in the early 19th century BC, and was initially a small city state, overshadowed by older and more powerful Mesopotamian states such as Isin, Larsa and Assyria. The rise of "Marduk is closely connected with the political rise of Babylon from city-state to the capital of an empire." Marduk became the supreme god after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I in the twelfth century, replacing Enlil.
Marduk | Late Bronze Age
Marduk-apla-iddina or Merodach-Baladan may refer to:
Marduk-apla-iddina | Introduction
He is known from a single economic text from the southern city of Udāni dated to his accession year (). This city was a satellite cultic center to Uruk, of uncertain location but possibly near Marad, later to be known as Udannu, associated with the deities (the two infernal Nergals) and Bēlet-Eanna (associated with Ištar). The document records the parts of a chariot including the wagon pole ("mašaddu") which had been entrusted by Belšunu, the "šangû" or chief administrator of Udāni to the temple of (Igišta, Palil?). He is tentatively restored to the "Dynastic Chronicle" where he is described as “a soldier” (aga.[úš]) but his circumstances are otherwise unknown.
Marduk-bel-zeri | Biography
He is mentioned as king of Babylon in the days of King Hezekiah, both in 2 Kings 20:12 (here called Berodach-baladan) and in . In both passages he sends Hezekiah a letter, having heard of his illness and recovery. His messengers who have delivered the letter are lavishly entertained by Hezekiah, leading the prophet Isaiah to criticise Hezekiah for his excessive openness about the wealth he had amassed.
Marduk-apla-iddina II | In the Bible
The name "Mordecai" is of uncertain origin but is considered identical to the name "Marduka" or "Marduku" (), attested as the name of officials in the Persian court in thirty texts (the Persepolis Administrative Archives) from the period of Xerxes I and his father Darius, and may refer to up to four individuals, one of which might have served as the prototype for the biblical Mordecai. The Talmud ("Menachot" 64b and 65a) relates that his full name was "Mordechai Bilshan" (which occurs in Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7, albeit as two "separate" names in sequence). Hoschander interpreted this as the Babylonian "Marduk Belshunu" (𒀭𒀫𒌓𒂗𒋗𒉡, AMAR.UTU-EN-"šu"-"nu", meaning "Marduk is their lord") "Mordecai" being thus a hypocorism.
Mordecai | Name
The Statue of Marduk, also known as the Statue of Bêl ("Bêl", meaning "lord", being a common designation for Marduk), was the physical representation of the god Marduk, the patron deity of the ancient city of Babylon, traditionally housed in the city's main temple, the Esagila. There were seven statues of Marduk in Babylon, but 'the' Statue of Marduk generally refers to the god's main statue, placed prominently in the Esagila and used in the city's rituals. This statue was nicknamed the "Asullḫi" and was made of a type of wood called "mēsu" and covered with gold and silver. Similar to statues of deities in other cities in Mesopotamia, the Babylonians conflated this statue with their actual god, believing that Marduk himself resided in their city through the statue.
Statue of Marduk | Introduction
The submission of the king of Babylon before Marduk. The king would enter to the Esagila accompanied by the priests, they would approach all together the altar where the high priest of the Esagila impersonates Marduk then he approaches the king, begins to strip him of his jewelry, scepter and even his crown then he would slap him hard while the altar would kneel and begins to pray asking for Marduk's forgiveness and submitting to him saying: The removal of all worldly possessions is a symbol of the submission the king gives to Marduk. After this the king would stand up and the priest would give him back his jewelry, scepter and crown then slaps him hard again hoping for the king to shed tears, because that would express more the submission to Marduk and respect to his power.
Akitu | Fifth Day
Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē, inscribed "-na-din-", ca. 1099 – 1082 BC, was the sixth king of the Second Dynasty of Isin and the 4th Dynasty of Babylon. He is best known for his restoration of the Eganunmaḫ in Ur and the famines and droughts that accompanied his reign.
Marduk-nadin-ahhe | Introduction
A badly damaged text from the Neo-Assyrian Period (911 — 612 BC) describes Marduk leading his army of Anunnaki into the sacred city of Nippur and causing a disturbance. The disturbance causes a flood, which forces the resident gods of Nippur under the leadership of Enlil to take shelter in the Eshumesha temple to Ninurta. Enlil is enraged at Marduk's transgression and orders the gods of Eshumesha to take Marduk and the other Anunnaki as prisoners. The Anunnaki are captured, but Marduk appoints his front-runner Mushteshirhablim to lead a revolt against the gods of Eshumesha and sends his messenger Neretagmil to alert Nabu, the god of literacy.
Enlil | War of the gods
Returns of the statue, either through the enemies giving it back or through a Babylonian king campaigning and successfully retrieving it, were occasions for great celebrations.
Statue of Marduk | Introduction
The hajdúk (singular "hajdú") were irregular or mercenary soldiers of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Hajduk (Kingdom of Hungary) | Introduction
Marduk-zâkir-šumi II was a Babylonian nobleman who served briefly as King of Babylon for a few months in 703 BC, following a revolt against the rule of the Assyrian king Sennacherib. He was soon overthrown and replaced by the former Chaldean king, Marduk-apal-iddina II.
Marduk-zakir-shumi II | Introduction
He ruled twelve years according to the "King List A". At present, there are no inscriptions that have been identified as contemporaneous with his reign and it is only his appearance on the king lists which identify him. There has been some speculation by Hallo, Younger, and others that the "Prophecy A" text refers to the kings of this dynasty with King III corresponding to Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē, and King IV to Marduk-šāpik-zēri due to the coincidences of their length of reigns. For subsequent kings, the “prophecies” offer poor correlation with their reigns and known events. In this scheme, Marduk-zer-X is represented by King VI, whose text is very broken up but the rivers are said to have filled with silt.
Marduk-zer-X | Biography
With these chaotic primordial forces defeated, Marduk created the world and ordered the heavens. Marduk is also described as the creator of human beings, which were meant to help the gods in defeating and holding off the forces of chaos and thus maintain order on Earth.
Neo-Babylonian Empire | Religion
Marduk is depicted as a , muscular, bald man (age 28 in "Tekken 4"). He wears green and purple shorts with logos on them, green kneepads with name on them, and purple and green gloves. He also has purple and green necklace and mixed-coloured tattoo on his arm, although from "Tekken 5" and onwards the tattoo becomes black. His Player 2 costume consists of a dark brown vest with logos on them, brown leather trousers, brown shoes, and black shoulder-length hair. In later games, he no longer has hair and gains black gloves and sunglasses. Marduk holds great similarities to pro wrestler Nathan Jones and MMA fighter Bob Sapp.
Craig Marduk | Character design
The intention seems to have been to put Aššur at the head of the Babylonian pantheon, where Anshar and his counterpart Kishar ("whole earth") preceded even Enlil and Ninlil. Thus in the Sargonid version of the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian national creation myth, Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, does not appear, and instead it is Ashur, as Anshar, who slays Tiamat the chaos-monster and creates the world of humankind.
Ashur (god) | Legend
Before the gods arrived, the day would be filled with commotion. The puppets that were made on the third day would be burned and mock battle would be taking place as well. This commotion signified that without Marduk, the city would be in constant chaos. The arrival of God Nabu in boats accompanied by his assistants of brave Gods coming from Nippur, Uruk, Kish, and Eridu (cities ancient Babylonia). The Gods accompanying Nabu would be represented by statues which would be mounted on boats made especially for the occasion. Here the people in huge numbers would begin their walk behind their king towards the Esagila where Marduk is held prisoner, chanting the following :
Akitu | Sixth Day
Marduk-kabit-aḫḫēšu, "Marduk is the most important among his brothers", ca. 1157–1140 BC, was the founder of the 2nd Dynasty of Isin, which was to rule Babylon until around 1025 BC. He apparently acceded in the aftermath of the Elamite overthrow of the Kassite Dynasty. His name and length of reign are most clearly ascertained from the "Babylonian King List C" which gives 18 years for his rule.
Marduk-kabit-ahheshu | Introduction
Neo-Assyrian texts had become more critical of the Mesopotamian kings. The location of Marduk's statue, whether in Babylon or not, was related to the relationship between foreign kingship and traditional Babylonian religion. In the 12th century BC, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I, the statue of Marduk (previously captured by Elamites) was restored to Babylon. "The Marduk Prophecy" is a prophetic text discussing three occasions on which Babylon is abandoned by Marduk. Some of the details are obscured by a lacuna. The reference to Marduk's reign in Hatti is believed to correspond to the Hittite king Mursili I's capture of Marduk's statue (later returned to Babylon by Kassite king Agum II).
Marduk | Background
The fourth line reads "the king his lord, Marduk-balāssu-iqbi," leading some to assign it to his reign although it is without a succeeding royal determinative and is followed by "mārušu rabū", "his eldest son." It is, however, an inscription of this era. He receives a fleeting mention in the "Eclectic Chronicle" alongside his father. He seems to have made his capital at Gannanāti, a town on the Diyāla River; he engaged in construction activity in Seleucia, and exerted control over territory encompassing both Dēr and Nippur. His officials, like him, seem to have received their positions through inheritance, such as Enlil-apla-uṣur, the "šandabakku" or governor of Nippur, and the sons of Tuballiṭ-Ešdar, the "sukkallus" (court personnel) and "šākin ṭēmi" (a regional governor), suggesting weak central authority and some local autonomy in the provinces.
Marduk-balassu-iqbi | Biography
When the priest returns the crown to the king that means his power was renewed by Marduk, thus April would be considered not only the revival of nature and life but also to the State as well. Thus, these ceremonies would make the greatest and most feared personalities of that time submit to the greatest god, and live a humbling moment with all the population, sharing prayers to prove their faith before the might of God. Following his presence in his earthly home Babylon and renewing its king's power, god Marduk stays in the Etemenanki (a ziggurat or tower composed of seven floors was Marduk's dwelling or in the temple Esagila.
Akitu | Fifth Day
"Bel" became especially used for the Babylonian god Marduk and when found in Assyrian and neo-Babylonian personal names or mentioned in inscriptions in a Mesopotamian context it can usually be taken as referring to Marduk and no other god. Similarly "Bêlit" mostly refers to Bel Marduk's spouse Sarpanit. However, Marduk's mother, the Sumerian goddess called Ninhursag, Damkina, Ninmah and other names in Sumerian, was often known as "Belit-ili" "Lady of the Gods" in Akkadian.
Bel (mythology) | Introduction
Awil-Marduk (Neo-Babylonian: ""; ) (died ) was the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.
Awil-Marduk | Introduction
Eventually, their children began to annoy the elder gods and Abzu decided to rid himself of them by killing them. Alarmed by this, Tiamat revealed Abzu's plan to Enki, who killed his father before the plot could be enacted. Although Tiamat had revealed the plot to Enki to warn him, the death of Abzu horrified her and she too attempted to kill her children, raising an army together with her new consort Kingu. Every battle in the war was a victory for Tiamat, until Marduk convinced the other gods to proclaim him as their leader and king. The gods agreed, and Marduk was victorious, capturing and executing Kingu and firing a great arrow at Tiamat, killing her and splitting her in two.
Statue of Marduk | Background
Those supportive of its authenticity cite the iconography of the demons described on the door of the cella, which represent Marduk's defeated foes, the gods of cities conquered by Babylon, such as Ešnunna and are illustrative of a middle Babylonian theology. Marduk has yet to attain sovereignty over the universe characterized by the Enûma Eliš and the struggle with Tiāmat.
Agum II | Agum-Kakrime Inscription
Surduk derives its name from the Turkish word for the cliffs near the Danube river. In ancient times it was known as Rittium. In Croatian it is known as "Surduk", and in Hungarian as "Szurdok".
Surduk | Name
Several inscribed "kudurrus", or boundary stones, survive which document large donations of land and tax exemptions during his reign. Marduk-zākir-šumi, the bēl pīḫati, or provincial governor, was the beneficiary of a piece of land as a perquisite from the king. He was son of Nabû-nadin-aḫe, grandson of Rimeni-Marduk, great grandson of Uballissu-Marduk, who had been "šatammu", or an official under Kurigalzu II’s regime and descendant of Arad-Ea, um-mi-a-niğ-kas, scholar of accounting. His responsibilities included inspector of temple and land and controller of forced labor. One of the witnesses was Nabû-šakin-šumi, also described as “son of” Arad-Ea. Another stele records that Ina-Esağila-zēra-ibni, “son of” Arad-Ea, measured a field, after replacing the previous land surveyor.
Marduk-apla-iddina I | "Kudurrus"
The emancipated hajduk constituted a new "warrior estate" within Hungarian feudal society. Many of the settlements created at this time still bear the prefix "Hajdú".
Hajduk (Kingdom of Hungary) | History
The god Marduk was praised for restoration or saving individuals from death when he drew them out of the waters of the Hubur, a later reference to this theme is made in Psalm 18 ().
Hubur | Usage and meaning
A brown agate cylinder seal (pictured), which is in the University Museum in Philadelphia, is inscribed “Oh [Shuqamuna], lord who advances in brilliance by your fullness … your light is indeed favourable: Izkur-Marduk, "son of Karaindaš", who prays to you and reveres you.” Shuqamuna was a Kassite male god symbolized by a bird on a perch often accompanied by his consort, Shumaliya, associated with the investiture of kings. Izkur-Marduk’s name is wholly Babylonian and translates as “he has invoked Marduk”. His renown was apparently so great, that Shutruk-Nahhunte who would go on to ransack Babylon around 250 years later, boasted “I destroyed Karaindaš”, i.e.
Karaindash | Other sources
The front of the gate has a low relief design with a repeated pattern of images of two of the major gods of the Babylonian pantheon. Marduk, the national deity and chief god, is depicted as a dragon with a snake-like head and tail, a scaled body of a lion, and powerful talons for back feet. Marduk was seen as the divine champion of good against evil, and the incantations of the Babylonians often sought his protection. The second god shown in the pattern of reliefs on the Ishtar Gate is Adad (also known as Ishkur), whose sacred animal was the aurochs, a now-extinct ancestor of cattle.
Ishtar Gate | Design
Marduk next arranged the stars in order, along with the sun and moon, and gave them laws they were never to transgress. After this, the plants and animals were created, and finally man. Marduk here takes the place of Ea, who appears as the creator in the older legends, and is said to have fashioned man from clay. The legend of Adapa, the first man — a portion of which was found in the record-office of the Egyptian king Akhenaton at Tell-el-Amarna — explains the origin of death. Adapa, while fishing, had broken the wings of the south wind, and was accordingly summoned before the tribunal of Anu in heaven.
Akkadian literature | Mythology
The earlier of his seals (pictured) is a chalcedony cylinder seal with eleven lines of text and one line of five insects. It provides a prayer to the goddess Ninsun and gives his position as “expert accountant.” His other cylinder seal, lists four generations of his ancestors of which Arad-Ea “scholar of accounting” (Sumerian: "ummia niğkas") is the first. His father, Uššur-ana-Marduk, had been gá-dub-ba é-[kur], governor of Nippur, his grandfather, Usi-ana-nuri-, . dilmun-a, “regent” or “viceroy” of Dilmun, ancient Bahrain. His brother was Ile’’e-bulṭa-Marduk, a temple administrator of the Marduk temple in Babylon, as recorded on a copy of a recipe for glass, the original apparently dated to the “Year after that in which Gulkišar became king,” presumed to either refer to the original recipe, or perhaps a fanciful archaism for the tablet.
Uballissu-Marduk | Biography
There are few contemporary inscriptions bearing witness to his reign. A kudurru granting Ibni-Ištar, a "kalû-"priest of the temple of Eanna in Uruk, land by Marduk-zâkir-šumi, is dated to his second year. Nazi-Enlil was governor or "šandabakku" (inscribed ) of Nippur, the first appearance of this office since Kassite times, as he appears as a witness along with the crown prince, Marduk-balāssu-iqbi. A second kudurru records a private land sale near Dilbat. His son, Enlil-apla-uṣur, was to succeed him in Marduk-balāssu-iqbi’s reign. A lapis lazuli seal of this king depicting Marduk's statue resting on his pet dragon, Mušḫuššu, was an offering intended to be hung around an idol's neck.
Marduk-zakir-shumi I | Biography
The episode in Elam, however, is a disaster, where the gods have followed Marduk and abandoned Babylon to famine and pestilence. Marduk prophesies that he will return once more to Babylon to a messianic new king, who will bring salvation to the city and who will wreak a terrible revenge on the Elamites. This king is understood to be Nabu-kudurri-uṣur I, 1125–1103 BC. Thereafter the text lists various sacrifices. A copy was discovered in The House of Exorcist in the city of Assur and was written between 713–612 BC. It is closely related thematically to another "vaticinium ex eventu" text called the Shulgi prophecy, which probably followed it in a sequence of tablets.
Marduk | Marduk Prophecy
In addition to this, the statue would have been provided with ritual clothing, at least partly made of gold. This statue would have occupied the cult room of Marduk in the Esagila, called the "E-umuša". Among the various statues of Marduk, the one called the "Asullḫi" is the only one explicitly mentioned in connection with the city's major rituals (though the statue is rarely named, often being referred to just as "Marduk" or ""Bêl""). The name "Asullḫi" had centuries prior been associated with a separate deity of incantations later conflated with Marduk. Another statue of Marduk, called the "Asarre", was made from a stone the Babylonians called "marḫušu", possibly chlorite or steatite.
Statue of Marduk | Appearance and other statues
Marduk was given a throne, and sat over the other gods, who honored him. Marduk was also given a sceptre and vestments, as well as weapons to fight Tiamat – bow, quiver, mace, and bolts of lightning, together with the four winds – his body was aflame. Using the four winds Marduk trapped Tiamat. Adding a whirlwind, a cyclone, and Imhullu ("the Evil Wind"), together the seven winds stirred up Tiamat. In his war chariot drawn by four creatures he advanced. He challenged Tiamat, stating she had unrightfully made Kingu her consort, accusing her of being the source of the trouble.
Enûma Eliš | Tablet 4
He will not rule in the land.” This is a late Assyrian tablet found at Assur and first published in 1923, which narrates a sequence of 12 Babylonian kings.
Marduk-ahhe-eriba | Biography
He succeeded Marduk-nadin-aḫḫē, who may possibly have been his father or brother, during a time when the Arameans, driven by famine, were engaged in attacking the Assyrias under Tukultī-apil-Ešarra during his latter years, which Younger places in Tukultī-apil-Ešarra’s 32nd year, or 1081/80 BC. The events are recorded on a fragmentary chronicle. In a letter from the Babylonian astrologer Bel-ušezib to Esarhaddon, 681 – 669 BC, he wrote, “Bel has said: May Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, be seated on his throne like "Marduk-šāpik-zēri!" – I will deliver all the countries into his hands!” and this may suggest that he was a younger son of Nabû-kudurri-uṣur or there was perhaps a struggle over the succession.
Marduk-shapik-zeri | Biography
Marduk-zer-X (c. 1046 – 1033 BC) was the 10th and penultimate king of the 2nd Dynasty of Isin, the 4th Dynasty of Babylon. The last part of his name is unknown, as the principal sources of information, the "King List A" and the "Synchronistic King List" are both damaged at this place in the sequence, hence the “x”. The reading of “zer” in his name by Poebel is almost as uncertain, as the character may be MU which would correspond to "šuma" or similar. His Assyrian contemporary was Aššur-nasir-apli I.
Marduk-zer-X | Introduction
This resulted in him losing his property, “they have divided all my possessions among foreign riffraff,” friends, “my city frowns on me as an enemy; indeed my land is savage and hostile,” physical strength, “my flesh is flaccid, and my blood has ebbed away,” and health, as he relates that he “wallowed in my excrement like a sheep.” While slipping into and out of consciousness on his death bed, his family already conducting his funeral, Urnindinlugga, a "kalû", or incantation priest, was sent by Marduk to presage his salvation. The work concludes with a prayer to Marduk. The text is written in the first person, leading some to speculate that the author was Šubši-mašrâ-Šakkan himself.
Ludlul bēl nēmeqi | The sources
The practice of taking the cult statues from enemies was viewed as capturing the enemy's source of divine power and suppressing that power.
Statue of Marduk | Role and importance
The iconic representations of the gods, where they are known, are given in the sequence left-to-right, top-to-bottom:
Land grant to Marduk-apla-iddina I by Meli-Shipak II | Divine symbols
Amurru and Martu are names given in Akkadian and Sumerian texts to the god of the Amorite/Amurru people, often forming part of personal names. He is sometimes called "Ilu Amurru" (MAR.TU). He was the patron god of the Mesopotamian city of Ninab, whose exact location is unknown. He was occasionally called "lord of the steppe" or "lord of the mountain".
Amurru (god) | Introduction
When the Eshumesha gods hear Nabu speak, they come out of their temple to search for him. Marduk defeats the Eshumesha gods and takes 360 of them as prisoners of war, including Enlil himself. Enlil protests that the Eshumesha gods are innocent, so Marduk puts them on trial before the Anunnaki. The text ends with a warning from Damkianna (another name for Ninhursag) to the gods and to humanity, pleading them not to repeat the war between the Anunnaki and the gods of Eshumesha.
Enlil | War of the gods
Kudurrus were also used to record legal settlements, and two examples include a lawsuit concerning land in Ḫudadu (Baghdad?) province, on the Elamite border east of the Tigris from his accession year, and one recording legal actions over a field.
Marduk-apla-iddina I | "Kudurrus"
The Statue of Marduk was the physical representation of Marduk housed in Babylon's main temple, the Esagila. Although there were actually seven separate statues of Marduk in Babylon: four in the Esagila and the surrounding temple complex; one in the Etemenanki (the ziggurat dedicated to Marduk); and two in temples dedicated to other deities. 'The' statue of Marduk usually refers to Marduk's primary statue, placed prominently in the Esagila and used in the city's rituals. This principal statue of Marduk was nicknamed the "Asullḫi" and made of a type of wood called "mēsu". The carved wooden statue would also have been covered in precious metals, such as gold and silver.
Statue of Marduk | Appearance and other statues
According to some historians he and his sister were from Israelite origin, while some other historians believed he is from Ḥimyarite origin.
Marhab | Ancestry
From this fact the opinion of those men appears somewhat probable who hold that the Saxons were descended from the Greeks, because the Greeks call Mars Hirmin or Hermes, a word which we use even to this day, either for blame or praise, without knowing its meaning. Widukind is confused, however, about the name of the god, since the Roman Mars and the Greek Hermes do not correspond. Tolley supposes that the name Hirmin, of which Widukind does not know the meaning, is not to be related to Hermes, but to Irmin, the dedicatee of the Irminsul.
Irminsul | Widukind of Corvey
Sargon of Assyria repressed the allies of Marduk-apla-iddina II in Elam, Aram and Israel and eventually drove (ca. 710 BC) him from Babylon. After the death of Sargon, Marduk-apla-iddina II briefly recaptured the throne from a native Babylonian nobleman. He reigned nine months (703 BC – 702 BC). He returned from Elam and ignited rebellion in Babylonia. He was able to enter Babylon and be declared king again. Nine months later he was defeated near Kish by the Assyrians, but managed to flee to Elam. He died in exile a couple of years later.
Marduk-apla-iddina II | Introduction
It is likely that the conflict between Amel-Marduk and Neriglissar was a case of inter-family discord rather than some other form of rivalry. Neriglissar's claim to the throne likely came through his marriage to Nebuchadnezzar's daughter, who might have been significantly older than either of Nebuchadnezzar's sons (as she is attested significantly earlier in her father's reign).
Labashi-Marduk | Background
During the first millennium BC, the Babylonians worshipped a deity under the title "Bel", meaning "lord", who was a syncretization of Marduk, Enlil, and the dying god Dumuzid. Bel held all the cultic titles of Enlil and his status in the Babylonian religion was largely the same. Eventually, Bel came to be seen as the god of order and destiny. The cult of Bel is a major component of the Jewish story of "Bel and the Dragon" from the apocryphal additions to Daniel. In the account, the Babylonians offer "twelve bushels of fine flour, twenty sheep, and fifty gallons of wine" every day to an idol of Bel and the food miraculously disappears overnight.
Marduk | Bel
However, after the tournament, Marduk was brutally attacked, and he told King that the assailant was apparently the man he was convicted of killing, Armor King. Determined to learn the true identity of the man in Armor King's mask, King and Marduk entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. While splitting up from Marduk, who went to Armor King's grave, King visit his late-his master's room, and found out from his old picture that other Armor King had a connection to him. By the time he arrived at the cemetery where Marduk and other Armor King are, King and Marduk found out that he is the vengeful younger brother of original Armor King himself.
King (Tekken) | King II
1767 - 1749 BC) discussing the merits of offerings made to Marduk on their donors. There is also a belle letter from Damiq-ilīšu to the god Nuska. He seems to have become something of a folk-hero, because later kings hark back to him and describe themselves as his successor. The Sealand Dynasty seems to have considered itself the inheritor of the neo-Sumerian beacon and the 3rd king, Damqi-ilišu, even took his name. The founder of the 2nd Sealand Dynasty, Simbar-Šipak (c. 1025-1008 BC), was described as “soldier of the dynasty of Damiq-ilišu,” in a historical chronicle.
Damiq-ilishu | Biography
Labashi-Marduk was the son and heir of Neriglissar (560–556 BC), the fourth king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Labashi-Marduk's mother was a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BC), the empire's second and greatest king. Three daughters of Nebuchadnezzar are known; Kashshaya, Innin-etirat and Ba'u-asitu, and since no cuneiform text explicitly mentions which daughter Neriglissar married, the name of Labashi-Marduk's mother is unknown. Historian David B. Weisberg proposed in 1974 that Neriglissar's wife was Kashshaya, since her name appears together with the name of Nebuchadnezzar and Neriglissar in economic documents. Though no concrete evidence exists, this identification has generally been accepted by subsequent historians, such as Donald Wiseman and Jona Lendering.
Labashi-Marduk | Background
Marduk offers to defeat Tiamat in exchange for absolute rule over the remaining gods, and they all agree. This elevates "might makes right" to a contract made at the beginning of the universe. People are inclined to identify with the hero because of his privileges and his good attributes, and to sympathize with any subsequent oppression. Modern examples include James Bond's license to kill, the gold mine given to Doc Savage's father, Friday's loyalty to Robinson Crusoe, the brazen dishonesty of Jedi knights, the extremes of Jack Bauer, etc.
Myth of redemptive violence | Heroism
On the third day of his imprisonment Nabu frees Marduk. The evil gods had closed a huge gate behind him when he entered his dwelling. Marduk would be fighting till Nabu's arrival, when he would break in the huge gate and a battle would go on between the two groups, until Nabu comes out victorious and frees Marduk.
Akitu | Seventh Day
The stele declares: "The people of Elam, Gutium, Subartu, and Tukrish, whose mountains are distant and whose languages are obscure, I placed into [Marduk's] hand. I myself continued to put straight their confused minds." A later hymn also written in Hammurabi's own voice extols him as a powerful, supernatural force for Marduk: I am the king, the brace that grasps wrongdoers, that makes people of one mind, I am the great dragon among kings, who throws their counsel in disarray, I am the net that is stretched over the enemy, I am the fear-inspiring, who, when lifting his fierce eyes, gives the disobedient the death sentence, I am the great net that covers evil intent, I am the young lion, who breaks nets and scepters, I am the battle net that catches him who offends me.
Hammurabi | Commemoration after his death
Marduk was formed by Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson in order to form the "most blasphemous band in the world". Their musical style was that of a straightforward death metal influenced take on black metal music, but as the years progressed their style and imagery became more of a fast and intense form of black metal. Marduk's predominant lyrical topics are Satanism, anti-Christianity, blasphemy, death, Third Reich history, and World War II. The latter two are a later addition to their lyrical/conceptual themes, stemming from their 1999 release "Panzer Division Marduk". Marduk have recorded further songs relating to those chapters of human history, such as "The Hangman of Prague" (moniker of Reinhard Heydrich — second in command of the SS — in his capacity as the "de facto" Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia), "Night of the Long Knives", "Deathmarch" and others.
Marduk (band) | History
Marduk then forms the heavens and the Earth from her divided body.
Tiamat | Introduction
The Kudurrus of Isin (Babylonian Kingdom), king Marduk-nadin-ahhe, late 2nd millennium BC, c. 1099-1082 BC.
Kudurrus of Isin (Babylonian) king Marduk-nadin-ahhe (ca 1099-1082 BC) | Introduction
His name was uncommon. Another Rabâ-ša-Marduk was governor of Isin but this was not until the reign of Nabu-apla-iddina, around four hundred years later. Rabâ-ša-Marduk received twelve sūtu, where a sūtu is ca. 0.27 hectares, of high quality dates for his sacrifice, in the 11th year of Nazi-Maruttaš on the 19th day of the month of ulūlu (around August 1296 BC). Four years later, he again received a crop of dates for sacrificial services rendered. Then, in 1290 BC, he was supplied a mina of tallow for a journey to Babylon. There are a series of tablets recording rations for Rabâ-ša-Marduk excavated at Nippur of uncertain date but possibly up to Nazi-Maruttaš’ 21st year, including one provisioning another journey to Babylon.
Rabâ-ša-Marduk | Biography
He claimed, like his father, descent from Kurigalzu and evidently kept court in Dūr-Kurigalzu itself because tablets found in the burnt ruins of the Tell-el-Abyad quarter which marked the later Elamite destruction of the city, are dated in the first two years of his reign. These include lists of garments received or distributed for the New Year, or "akitu", festival and indicate a normal economic relationship with Babylonia's western and eastern neighbors, the Subarians and Elamites respectively, whose singers apparently entertained the royal household. Documents surviving from his reign date only as late as his sixth year and include his repair of the E-zida temple at Borsippa, where he credited the god Enlil with raising him to kingship despite recording this in an inscription wholly dedicated to Marduk.
Marduk-apla-iddina I | Biography