Editing Ninurta (section)

===In antiquity===
[[File:Nimrod (painting).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Nimrod'' (1832) by [[David Scott (painter)|David Scott]]. Nimrod, the "great hunter" mentioned in {{bibleverse||Genesis|10:8–12|9}}, is believed by many scholars to be inspired by either Ninurta himself or the Assyrian king [[Tukulti-Ninurta I]], named after him]]

In the late seventh century BC, Kalhu was captured by foreign invaders.{{sfn|Robson|2015}} Despite this, Ninurta was never completely forgotten.{{sfn|Robson|2015}} Many scholars agree that Ninurta was probably the inspiration for the biblical figure [[Nimrod]], mentioned in {{bibleverse||Genesis|10:8–12|9}} as a "mighty hunter".{{sfn|Metzger|Coogan|1993|page=218}}{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=627}}{{sfn|Wiseman|1979|page=337}}{{sfn|Wildberger|2002|page=405}} Though it is still not entirely clear how the name ''Ninurta'' became ''Nimrod'' in Hebrew,{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=627}} the two figures bear mostly the same functions and attributes{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|pages=627–629}} and ''Ninurta'' is currently regarded as the most plausible etymology for Nimrod's name.{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=627}}{{sfn|Robson|2015}} Eventually, the ruins of the city of Kalhu itself became known in Arabic as ''Namrūd'' because of its association with Ninurta.{{sfn|Robson|2015}}

Later in the [[Old Testament]], in both {{bibleverse||2 Kings|19:37|9}} and {{bibleverse||Isaiah|37:38|9}}, [[Sennacherib|King Sennacherib]] of Assyria is reported to have been murdered by his sons [[Arda-Mulissu|Adrammelech]] and [[Sharezer]] in the temple of "[[Nisroch]]",{{sfn|Wildberger|2002|page=405}}{{sfn|Robson|2015}}{{sfn|Black|Green|1992|page=143}}{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=628}}{{sfn|Wiseman|1979|page=337}} which is most likely a scribal error for "Nimrod".{{sfn|Robson|2015}}{{sfn|Black|Green|1992|page=143}}{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=628}}{{sfn|Wiseman|1979|page=337}} This hypothetical error would result from the [[Hebrew alphabet|Hebrew letter]] מ ([[mem]]) being replacing with ס ([[samekh]]) and the letter ד ([[dalet]]) being replaced with ך ([[Kaph|kaf]]).{{sfn|Robson|2015}}{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=628}} Due to the obvious visual similarities of the letters involved and the fact that no Assyrian deity by the name of "Nisroch" has ever been attested, most scholars consider this error to be the most likely explanation for the name.{{sfn|Robson|2015}}{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=628}}{{sfn|Wiseman|1979|page=337}}{{sfn|Gallagher|1999|page=252}} If "Nisroch" is Ninurta, this would make Ninurta's temple at Kalhu the most likely location of Sennacherib's murder.{{sfn|Gallagher|1999|page=252}} Other scholars have attempted to identify Nisroch as [[Nusku]], the Assyrian god of fire.{{sfn|Wildberger|2002|page=405}} Hans Wildberger rejects all suggested identifications as linguistically implausible.{{sfn|Wildberger|2002|page=405}}

Although the Book of Genesis itself portrays Nimrod positively as the first king after the [[Genesis flood narrative|Flood of Noah]] and a builder of cities,{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=629}} the Greek [[Septuagint]] translation of the Hebrew Bible refers to him as a [[Giants (Greek mythology)|giant]]{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=629}} and mistranslates the Hebrew words meaning "before [[Yahweh]]" as "in opposition against God."{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=629}} Because of this, Nimrod became envisioned as the archetypal [[Idolatry|idolator]].{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=629}} Early works of Jewish ''[[midrash]]'', described by the first-century AD philosopher [[Philo]] in his ''Quaestiones'', portrayed Nimrod as the instigator of the building of the [[Tower of Babel]], who persecuted the Jewish [[Patriarchs (Bible)|patriarch]] [[Abraham]] for refusing to participate in the project.{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=629}} [[Augustine of Hippo|Saint Augustine of Hippo]] refers to Nimrod in his book ''[[The City of God]]'' as "a deceiver, oppressor and destroyer of earth-born creatures."{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|van der Horst|1999|page=629}}