Tag Archives: nissanu

The Babylonian observation of the annual (solar) year starts with the ‘Mardukite’ observation of ‘zagmuk’ – meaning ‘the beginning of the year’ or ‘new year’. This 12-day festival is fixed to arrange its height at the beginning of the month of Nissanu, the ‘Spring Equinox’ or March 21st, also coinciding with the beginning of the astrological wheel, when the sun enters Aries.

[This mardukite.com blog officially excerpted from Liber Z, available as the full-color ceremonial “The Book of Zagmuk“ edition or within the “Mardukite Magick“ anthology, based on the article first appearing in New Babylon Rising.]

The ZAGMUK festival is significant for its contributions toward solidifying both the religious and political paradigms of Mardukite Babylon. The festival is also known by its Sumerian-derived Akkadian name – A.KI.TI (or A.KI.TU) – meaning ‘On Earth, Life.‘ This large public festival observance is a reconfirmation of the supremacy of MARDUK and the Babylonian Pantheon and is the single most important ancient ‘holiday’ for the tradition.

After the time of gods had come and gone, the priests and kings continued to observe the ceremonial customs using representative statuary to symbolized the ‘divine’ forms of MARDUK and NABU as they make a procession through the streets of Babylon and are placed in the temples to witness a dramatic reenactment of the Enuma Elis and other rites and rituals that commemorate the ‘Mardukite’ tradition (paradigm) and seal the position of the priests and king as the ‘chosen’ ambassadors and intermediaries between the ‘gods’ of heaven and the people of earth.

Although the materials have been put forth prior in the Mardukite cycle, this ceremonial edition of The Book of Zagmuk (compiled from these other sources) is provided for the benefit of the modern movement and for posterity – specifically the preservation of this tradition; which is paramount to the continued efforts of the Mardukite Chamberlains (Mardukite Research Organization).

Most scholars recognize only ‘agricultural’ and not necessarily the ‘political’ and ‘mystical’ purpose of the observation, which begins twelve days before crops begin to be planted, apparently the fourth day of the month named Nissanu. Others suggest that the month itself began with the festival, or that the observation was astronomical, matching the exact time the sun enters Aries, which would differ from year to year given precession. Traditional astrology does not take this into account and is plotted based on the ‘snapshot’ taken of the heavens during the Age of Aries.

Each of the twelve festival days begins at dawn. The ‘high priest’ of the Temple of Marduk – The ESAGILA or ‘House of Marduk‘ – goes and prepares the temple and ceremonial areas prior to dawn, then makes a ‘general invocation’ to Marduk at dawn, before the image of the god in his shrine…

The Book of Zagmuk by Nabu is a specially prepared ceremonial text and selected ‘tablet collections’ that combine materials from the 2011 handbook “Mardukite Wizards of the Wastelands” in conjunction with critical excerpts from Joshua Free’s ‘Necronomicon Anunnaki Bible‘ and essentially comprising the internal methods of the ‘Order of Nabu-Tutu’ to establish Mardukite ‘religious‘ continuity and the royal legitimacy of MARDUK at the apex of the Babylonian Pantheon using the Babylonian New Year Festival, Akitu (Akiti) or Zagmuk, reviving the same process used by ancient priests of the Sumerian Anunnaki in Mesopotamia!