Metaphysical meaning of Nergal (mbd)
Nergal, ner'-gal (Heb. fr. Pers.)--planet Mars; great hero; fierce warrior; man-devourer; destruction; bloodshed; war.
The god of the "men of Cuth" (II Kings 17:30).
Meta. Outer personal force, defense, oppression, war. Nergal, in its form naregal, is believed to be the same as the Zabian name for the planet Mars. This name of the planet, among both Zabians and Arabians, means ill luck, misfortune; and we understand that Mars, as worshiped by the ancients, is symbolical of bloodshed and war. Among the Zabians the planet Mars was typified by the figure of a man holding in one hand a drawn sword and in the other a human head just cut off; his garments were red, which, as well as the other ideas attached to this idol, were no doubt founded on the reddish hue that the body of the planet presents to the eye. Among the southern Arabs his temple was painted red. Bloodstained garments were offered to him, and a warrior (probably a prisoner) was cast into a pool as a part of the sacrificial ceremony.
________________________
Preceding Entry: Nereus
Following Entry: Nergal-sharezer
