Jerusalem. Others, however, have identified it with ‘Ain’ Atan, on the
south-west of Bethlehem, whence water is conveyed through “Pilate’s
aqueduct” to the Haram area at Jerusalem.
- NER light, the father of Kish (1 Chronicles 8:33). 1 Samuel 14:51 should
be read, “Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were the
sons of Abiel.” And hence this Kish and Ner were brothers, and Saul and
Abner were first cousins (comp. 1 Chronicles 9:36). - NEREUS a Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent his salutation (Romans
16:15). - NERGAL the great dog; that is, lion, one of the chief gods of the
Assyrians and Babylonians (2 Kings 17:30), the God of war and hunting.
He is connected with Cutha as its tutelary deity. - NERGAL-SHAREZER Nergal, protect the king! (1.) One of the “princes
of the king of Babylon who accompanied him in his last expedition against
Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 39:3, 13).
(2.) Another of the “princes,” who bore the title of “Rabmag.” He was one
of those who were sent to release Jeremiah from prison (Jeremiah 39:13)
by “the captain of the guard.” He was a Babylonian grandee of high rank.
From profane history and the inscriptions, we are led to conclude that he
was the Neriglissar who murdered Evil-merodach, the son of
Nebuchadnezzar, and succeeded him on the throne of Babylon (B.C.
559-556). He was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. The ruins of a
palace, the only one on the right bank of the Euphrates, bear inscriptions
denoting that it was built by this king. He was succeeded by his son, a
mere boy, who was murdered after a reign of some nine months by a
conspiracy of the nobles, one of whom, Nabonadius, ascended the vacant
throne, and reigned for a period of seventeen years (B.C. 555-538), at the
close of which period Babylon was taken by Cyrus. Belshazzar, who
comes into notice in connection with the taking of Babylon, was by some
supposed to have been the same as Nabonadius, who was called
Nebuchadnezzar’s son (Daniel 5:11, 18, 22), because he had married his
daughter. But it is known from the inscriptions that Nabonadius had a son
called Belshazzar, who may have been his father’s associate on the throne
at the time of the fall of Babylon, and who therefore would be the
grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews had only one word, usually