Al-Kutbay

Religions of the ancient Near East
Part of the myth series on
Anatolia Arabia Canaan Egypt Greece Iran Mesopotamia
Pre-Islamic Arabian deities
Abgal Aglibol Allah al-Lāt, al-'Ilāhat Al-Qaum Astarte Atargatis (Syrian) Atarsamain Athtar Baalshamin Bēl, Baʕl Bes (Egypt) Dhul Khalasa Dushara (Dusares) Ēl, Ilāh (NW Semitic) Hubal Malakbel Manaf Manāt Nabū, Nebo Nasr Nergal Nuha Orotalt Ruda Shams, Samas Sīn, Nanna-Suen Suwa' Theandrios Al-‘Uzzá Wadd Ya'uq Yaghūth Yarhibol Yatha demons

Al-Kutbay (Arabic: الكتبي‎‎) was a Nabataean god of knowledge, commerce, writing, and prophecy. The name means, roughly, "the scribe"; it comes from the Arabic root ktb which means 'to write.' A carving at the foot of Jebal Rumm in Jordan, discovered in 1959 by J. Strugell, is dedicated to al-Kutbay. Another inscription in Wadi Es Siyyagh, on the way to the main spring of Petra contains the phrase "in front of Kutbay, this very god." Other sites around Arabia contain inscriptions dedicated to him.

Nabataeans and other mercantile Arab tribes brought the worship of al-Kutbay from Petra in Jordan to Egypt. A temple to the god has been discovered at Qasr Gheit, built in characteristic Egyptian style. An altar-base in this temple, is inscribed with the Nabataean dedication: "from Hawyru son of Geram to al-Kutbay."

In the Hellenistic era, al-Kutbay was associated with Hermes and Mercury.

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