Aku Sin the moon Sin Bisebi Samas the sun Samas Dapinu Umun-sig-êa Jupiter Merodach Zib[*] Dele-bat Venus Istar Lu-lim Lu-bat-sag-us Saturn Nirig (acc. to Jensen) Bibbu Lubat-gud Mercury Nebo Simutu Mustabarru Mars Nergal mûtanu
All the above names of planets have the prefix of divinity, but in other inscriptions the determinative prefix is that for "star," /kakkabu/.
[*] This is apparently a Sumerian dialectic form, the original word having seemingly been Zig.
Unfortunately, all the above identifications of the planets with the deities in the fourth column are not certain, namely, those corresponding with Saturn, Mercury, and Mars. With regard to the others, however, there is no doubt whatever. The reason why the moon is placed before the sun is that the sun, as already explained, was regarded as his son. It was noteworthy also that the moon was accredited with two other offspring, namely, Mâsu and Mâstu--son and daughter respectively. As /mâsu/ means "twin," these names must symbolise the two halves, or, as we say, "quarters" of the moon, who were thus regarded, in Babylonian mythology, as his "twin children."
Concerning Jupiter, who is in the above called Dapinu (Semitic), and Umun-sig-êa (Sumerian), it has already been noted that he was called Nibiru--according to Jensen, Merodach as he who went about among the stars "pasturing" them like sheep, as stated in the Babylonian story of the Creation (or Bel and the Dragon). This is explained by him as being due to the comparatively rapid and extensive path of Jupiter on the ecliptic, and it would seem probable that the names of Saturn, /Kâawanu/ and /Sag-us/ (the former, which is Semitic Babylonian, meaning "steadfast," or something similar, and the latter, in Sumerian, "head-firm" or "steadfast"--"phlegmatic"), to all appearance indicate in like manner the deliberation of his movements compared with those of the planet dedicated to the king of the gods.
A fragment of a tablet published in 1870 gives some interesting particulars concerning the planet Venus, probably explaining some as yet unknown mythological story concerning her. According to this, she was a female at sunset, and a male at sunrise; Istar of Agadé (Akad or Akkad) at sunrise, and Istar of Erech at sunset: Istar of the stars at sunrise, and the lady of the gods at sunset.