Rabâ-ša-Marduk
Open-knowledge reference entry
Rabâ-ša-Marduk, “great are (the deeds) of Marduk”, was a prominent physician, or asû, from the city of Nippur who was posted to the Hittite court of Muwatalli II (c. 1295–1272 BC short chronology) in Anatolia in the thirteenth century BC, apparently as part of a diplomatic mission of Kassite king Kadašman-Turgu (1281–1264 BC short chronology).
Biography
His name was uncommon. Another Rabâ-ša-Marduk was governor of Isin but this was not until the reign of Nabu-apla-iddina, around four hundred years later.
Rabâ-ša-Marduk received twelve sūtu, where a sūtu is ca. 0.27 hectares, of high quality dates for his sacrifice, in the 11th year of Nazi-Maruttaš on the 19th day of the month of ulūlu (around August 1296 BC). Four years later, he again received a crop of dates for sacrificial services rendered. Then, in 1290 BC, he was supplied a mina of tallow for a journey to Babylon. There are a series of tablets recording rations for Rabâ-ša-Marduk excavated at Nippur of uncertain date but possibly up to Nazi-Maruttaš’ 21st year, including one provisioning another journey to Babylon.
A medical tablet originally from Babylon was found in excavations at Assur.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Rabâ-ša-Marduk” as open-knowledge reference entry. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as open-knowledge reference entry. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7278827. The first chronological checks are 1295, 1272, 1281 and 1264.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Rabâ-ša-Marduk”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Rabâ-ša-Marduk primary sources, Rabâ-ša-Marduk archive and Rabâ-ša-Marduk research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Rabâ-ša-Marduk”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Rabâ-ša-Marduk” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.