About this deity
Nergal (Sumerian: 𒀭𒄊𒀕𒃲) was a southern Mesopotamian deity associated with death and the netherworld.
Source record No.p. 19, fig. 13MediumPrint sketchImage date1992CreatorTessa RickardsSource notesBlack and Green, GDS, 19. [Fig. 13]. "13. Design of an Old Babylonian cylinder seal from Larsa, depicting the underworld god Nergal, holding his distinctive scimitar and the double lion-headed standard. The inscription is a dedication to Nergal by Abisarê, perhaps the king of Larsa of that name."
Source record No.p. 67, fig. 55MediumPrint sketchImage date1992CreatorTessa RickardsSource notesBlack and Green, GDS, 19. [Fig. 55].
Also known as
Nergal (normalized)Nirgal (normalized)Nirgali (normalized)𒀭𒄊𒀕𒃲 (Sumerian cuneiform)נֵרְגַל, (Hebrew)ܢܹܪܓܵܐܠ; (Aramaic)Nergel (Latin)
Parent belief system
Akkadian refers to a culture that emerged in Mesopotamia during the third millennium BCE. The belief system included many deities, most of whom were later diffused into Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian culture.
Top myths
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The Song of the Hoe | |
Creation myth | |
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AMGG data for Nergal
Nergal has a dedicated entry page on AMGG with the name 'Nergal (god).' Included data from this source may provide the deity's background, function, divine genealogy, cult places, attested time periods, iconography, and more.
About the AMGG project
The Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses (AMGG) project is an extension of the ORACC project by the University of Pennsylvania. It provides a list of the fifty most common deities in Mesopotamia. The tool is intended to be a useful starting point for researchers.
Record numbers
Deity profile
Deity name | Nergal (god) |
Introduction | Nergal is the (southern) Mesopotamian god of death, pestilence and plague, and Lord of the Underworld. |
Record notes
About these data
Retrieval date | Jun. 16, 2020 |
Entry author | Yaǧmur Heffron |
Copyright | AMGG @ UPenn |