Myths and legends of Babylonia & Assyria . sof Khammurabi. But his cult is so outstanding andimportant that it has been deemed better to deal withit in a separate and later chapter. Meanwhile weshall examine the nature of some of the gods whosprang into importance at or about the era of thegreat law-maker, and note changes which took placewith regard to others. Ncbo The popularity of Nebo was brought about throughhis association with Merodach. His chief seat ofworship was at Borsippa, opposite to Babylon, andwhen the latter city became the seat of the imperialpower the proximity of Borsippa gr
Myths and legends of Babylonia & Assyria . sof Khammurabi. But his cult is so outstanding andimportant that it has been deemed better to deal withit in a separate and later chapter. Meanwhile weshall examine the nature of some of the gods whosprang into importance at or about the era of thegreat law-maker, and note changes which took placewith regard to others. Ncbo The popularity of Nebo was brought about throughhis association with Merodach. His chief seat ofworship was at Borsippa, opposite to Babylon, andwhen the latter city became the seat of the imperialpower the proximity of Borsippa greatly assisted thecult of Nebo. So close did the association betweenthe deities of the two cities become that at lengthNebo was regarded as the son of Merodach—a relation-ship that often implies that the so-called descendantof the elder god is a serious rival, or that his cult isnearly allied to the elder worship. Nebo had acquiredsomething of a reputation as a god of wisdom, andprobably this it was which permitted him to stand184 .m^m-. ? Nebo Son of Merodach, God of Wisdom, andthe inventor of writing Photo IV. A. Maiisell and Co. 184 NEBO separately from Merodach without becoming absorbedin the cult of the great deity of Babylon. He wascredited, like Ea, with the invention of writing, theprovince of all wise gods, and he presided overthat department of knowledge which interpretedthe movements of the heavenly bodies. The priestsof Nebo were famous as astrologers, and with thebookish king Assur-bani-pal, Nebo and his consortTashmit were especial favourites as the patrons ofwriting. By the time that the worship of Merodachhad become recognised at Babylon, the cult of Neboat Borsippa was so securely rooted that even the proxi-mity of the greatest god in the land failed to shake after the Persian conquest the temple-schoolat Borsippa continued to flourish. But althoughNebo thus * outlived many of the greater godsit is now almost impossible to trace his originalsignifican
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