Nabu:
LORD OF THE WRITTEN WORD, DIVINE SCRIBE, WIELDER OF THE WAND OF DIVINATION, OPENER OF THE WELLS, FAR TRAVELERNabu is a Babylonian god, the son of Marduk and his consort Sarpanitum, and grand-son of Ea. The etymology of his name is disputed: could be derived from nb´ or to call, announce, meaning something like "He hwo has Called", or it could be from ne/abu, for shining, brilliant, or from a quite different unknown old-Syrian root. His power over human existence is immense, because He engraves the destiny of each person, as the Gods have decided, on the tablets of sacred record. Thus, He has the power to increase or diminish, at will, the length of human life. His symbols are the clay/stone tablet with the writing stylo, and his sacred animal is t he winged dragon who is initially his father´s. He wears a horned cap, and stands with hands clasped, in the ancient gesture of priest/esshood.
Originally, Nabu was a West Semitic deity, mentioned among the Ebla gods. By the beginning of the second millennium BCE, the Amorites had introduced him to Mesopotamia, probably at the same time as Marduk. The two gods continued to have close connections throughout their history (well into the Persian period and beyond). While Marduk became Babylon´s main deity, Nabu resided in nearby Borsippa in his temple E-zida. He was first called the "scribe and minister of Marduk", later assimilated as Marduk´s beloved son from Sarpanitum, Marduk´s consort. Nabu is accorded the office of patron of the scribes, taking over from the Sumerian goddess Nisaba. His consort is Tashmetum, whose name derives from the Akkadian "shamu", meaning something like "the granting of requests", thus being a merciful mediator, protector against evil and goddess of love and potency. Astronomically, Tashmetum is identified with the sign of Capricorn. It is important nevertheless to point out that in Sumer the goddess of writing was Nisaba/Nidaba, not Nabu. Thus, He represents a futher stage of perception of knowledge
A fair number of beautifully written tablets were deposited in Nabu´s sanctuary as ex-voto offerings, but so far no literary text extolling the deeds and functions of His have been found. Nabu was also worshipped in Assyria: Shalmanesser I built the first Nabu sanctuary in Ashur ca. 1300 BCE, and others followed in Nineveh, Kalah and Khorsabad. Following the expansion of the Assyrian empire from Sargon II onwards, he became one of the great gods of the realm and was frequently invoked in royal inscriptions. His popularity among the Assyrians is also well documented by numerous private names, letters and prayers. Being the patron of the scribal arts, he also represented the cultural traditions of the South, which were greatly admired. After the downfall of Assyria, Nabu rose to a high rank in the Neo-Babylonian pantheon, first as Marduk´s son and then in his own right. His cult in fact endured well into the Parthian period. With his elevation to the ranks of the great gods, Nabu became a cosmic deity, entrusted with the Tablets of Destiny, 'pronouncing the Fate" of humankind. The texts equate him with Ninurta. He was also sometimes mentioned as the god of water and of the fertility of fields, maybe through his descent from Ea/Enki, with whom he also shares the epithet of god of wisdom.
Source:
Get Away To Babylon