# Babylonian: House of God



## pleasantville

Does anyone know how to say House of God in Babylonian?  I believe the word for God or Lord is Bel, such as in Belshazzar, translated to mean 'God save the King'.  I know some words in Babylonian, such as garden, are the same in Hebrew (gan).  The word Babylon means, 'bab', gate and 'ili' gods or gate of the gods.  I can't find the word for house or how convey the possessive aspect.  Thanks.


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## Gavril

pleasantville said:


> Does anyone know how to say House of God in Babylonian?  I believe the word for God or Lord is Bel, such as in Belshazzar, translated to mean 'God save the King'.  I know some words in Babylonian, such as garden, are the same in Hebrew (gan).  The word Babylon means, 'bab', gate and 'ili' gods or gate of the gods.  I can't find the word for house or how convey the possessive aspect.  Thanks.



"house" = _bītum _(later form _bītu_)

"House of God" would possibly be _bīt ilim_, where _bīt_ is the construct form of _bītum _and _ilim _is the genitive singular of _ilum_, as also seen in _bāb ilim_ "Babylon"_. _The final _-m _of _ilim _would have disappeared in later stages of the language.


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## pleasantville

Oh, thank you so much, Gavril!  Do you know of any good Babylonian language resources?


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## pleasantville

This is to correct my first post, the Babylonian word for garden is Kiru.
I have found this teach yourself book published in 2010, 'Complete Babylonian.'


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## origumi

pleasantville said:


> This is to correct my first post, the Babylonian word for garden is Kiru.
> I have found this teach yourself book published in 2010, 'Complete Babylonian.'


This is true. Akkadian (including Babylonian) seems to have lost the word _gan_ which is common to many Semitic languages - Aramaic, Canaanite, Arabic, South Arabian.


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## JAN SHAR

babil does NOT come from bab + il. That is a made-up etymology. Its etymology is actually unknown.


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