In
Sumerian,
Assyrian[?] and
Babylonian mythology
Namtar was a hellish
deity, god of death, and the messenger of
An,
Ereshkigal and
Nergal; he was considered responsible for diseases and pests, because it was said that he commanded sixty diseases in the form of demons that could penetrate different parts of the human body, and offerings to him were made with the purpose of preventing those illnesses. It is thought that Assyrians and Babylonians took this belief from the Sumerians after conquering them.
Other spellings: Namtara, Namtaru.
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