Nabu-balatsu-iqbi
Nabu-balatsu-iqbi (Akkadian: 
Nabû-balātsu-iqbi) was the father of the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus (r. 556–539 BC). A mysterious figure, Nabu-balatsu-iqbi is only referenced in Nabonidus's own inscriptions, with no other record of his existence or status.
Speculation
In his inscriptions, Nabonidus refers to his father Nabu-balatsu-iqbi as a "learned counsellor",[1] "wise prince", "perfect prince" and "heroic governor".[2] Nabonidus never elaborates more on his father's origin and ethnicity, just maintaining that he was courageous, wise and devout.[3] No person named Nabu-balatsu-iqbi who can reasonably be identified as Nabonidus's father appears in documents prior to Nabonidus's reign, making his father's status and position unclear.[2] Nabonidus's mother, Addagoppe, was associated with the city of Harran in the northern parts of the empire (formerly an Assyrian stronghold). Since Addagoppe likely married Nabu-balatsu-iqbi early in her life, per Mesopotamian custom, Nabu-balatsu-iqbi was also probably a prominent resident of that city, possibly of Assyrian or Aramean origin.[3]
That Nabu-balatsu-iqbi is repeatedly referred to as "prince" in Nabonidus's inscriptions suggests some sort of noble status and political importance.[4][5] Frauke Weiershäuser and Jamie Novotny speculated that Nabu-balatsu-iqbi could have been an Aramean chief.[6] Stephen Herbert Langdon theorised that Nabu-balatsu-iqbi was a son of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (r. 681–669 BC), but there is no concrete evidence for this relation.[7]
References
- Wiseman 1991, p. 243.
- Beaulieu 1989, p. 68.
- Gruenthaner 1949, p. 410.
- Lambert 1972, p. 54.
- Dougherty 1929, pp. 16–17.
- Weiershäuser & Novotny 2020, p. 4.
- Lewy 1945–1946, p. 406.
Bibliography
- Beaulieu, Paul-Alain (1989). Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon (556-539 BC). Yale University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctt2250wnt. ISBN 9780300043143. JSTOR j.ctt2250wnt. OCLC 20391775.
- Dougherty, Raymond Philip (2008) [1929]. Nabonidus and Belshazzar: A Study of the Closing Events of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Wipf & Stock. ISBN 978-1556359569.
- Gruenthaner, Michael J. (1949). "The Last King of Babylon". The Catholic Biblical Quarterly. 11 (4): 406–427. JSTOR 43720153.
- Lambert, Wilfred G. (1972). "Nabonidus in Arabia". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. 2: 53–64. JSTOR 41222956.
- Lewy, Julius (1945–1946). "The Late Assyro-Babylonian Cult of the Moon and its Culmination at the Time of Nabonidus". Hebrew Union College Annual. 19: 405–489. JSTOR 23503682.
- Weiershäuser, Frauke; Novotny, Jamie (2020). The Royal Inscriptions of Amēl-Marduk (561–560 BC), Neriglissar (559–556 BC), and Nabonidus (555–539 BC), Kings of Babylon (PDF). Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-1646021079.
- Wiseman, Donald J. (2003) [1991]. "Babylonia 605–539 B.C.". In Boardman, John; Edwards, I. E. S.; Hammond, N. G. L.; Sollberger, E.; Walker, C. B. F. (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History: III Part 2: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries B.C. (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22717-8.