Show I Ii JIl taw Law 11 i i Tins A L inscription is js doubtless the theL most important find that has ha ever been made in Babylonian literature Such is l I the opinion expressed ed by Pro Professor I fessor Issor sor Hugo of the University University sity of Berlin in his translation Just j I published of the laws of Hammurabi taken ta en from a stele discovered a a few months ago go by the French expedition I that has been for years ear engaged in archaeological researches in Susa usa the ancient capital of at Persia Peria under the direction of ot Professor de do Morgan Morgn The inscription was wa found on a diorite diorie block blok meters in height taken from tom the old royal r al castle in Sum Susa Susa This stele contains according to the New York Sun besides beIdes a picture Illustrating how King Hammurabi ire re received receIved these laws Jaws from the sun god a a a complete legal de of separate 1 laws of which however Nos 66 to 99 have been chiseled out This gap Is 11 In part remedied by fragments found in the great library of There are sixteen sixteen columns of inscription tion ton found on the front of the stone beneath the picture of Hammurabi and on the rear A special introduction and concluding concluding admonition to future generations to ob oh observe serve sere faithfully the requirements of this code Indicate that the laws Jaws con contained contin tamed tin d in it were made by Hammurabi the tire contemporary of Abraham Abrham the Am raphal of the scriptures and that this is the oldest corpus juris extant ante antedating antedating dating even the days as of ot Moses by half halfa a thousand years and more the date dater pf of r Hammurabi being about 2300 B C That a Babylonian inscription of this sort ort should be found round in the Persian capi capital tat tal tl Js Is s readily explained by b the fact that it I Iwa was wa brought to Susa as booty b by the king rind and ad it is not the only specimen of or tile the kind kina here f nd the te transfer being made m de probably In In the sev seventeenth seventeenth seventeenth or sixteenth century The rho he dim dis discovery di covery only confirms what was indicated by the finds in Egypt dating from the fourteenth century which are Ire also in cuneiform writing namely that this this was at that early period the common language of diplomacy and International and an business co tiO An analysis of or these laws shows that the tb code codE was confined to secular matters and while In many instances it I forces upon th the reader rea er both by its agreements and ana anc Its it disagreements tt a comparison with wih the tho inezI 1 1 of T If i sharply sh dl gu from this isby by the th absence of t r l j s or ot ceremonial com corn commands commands mands and prohibitions It I Is exclusively a civic code In gen general generl general eral erl It shows Its it Semitic origin orgin by recognizing reco even een to a greater geater extent than Is Ig done by the Pentateuch the lex lox of at an eye for an eye ye and a tooth for or a tooth and many mn of ot the merciful charac characteristics chare characteristics of or the Mosaic legislation are ar conspicuous by their th lr absence But with within within in these limitations It Jt doubtless is what calls cals it I one of the the most mo t Im Important Important Important original sources in the history of or mankind In general I The original text text together with wih a French translation Is published bv by b the of the expedition n P V Solicit Schell In the fourth volume of the Del uDel Delegation en Pers Pere Perse e the official narrative of the expedition There is a remarkable monotony In the forms fors of these thes laws each beginning with the word uI If Jf and this peculiarity as well wel as Its stringent measures Is suggestive of the Draconian legislation The he series begins with wih laws lans that re ye reler re fer ler chiefly to property rights and busi business business business r ness affair Of these here her are some somo that are characteristic 2 2 If I anybody raises a suspicion against another and he against whom this suspicion suspicion 1 cion has ham been be n raised goes g es down don to the tha th I river and jumps into in o the water and if it i then the river seizes him then he who has nas charged him can take possession of ot his property But if the rIver declares him to to be guiltless and ne he remains un hurt then th n he who ho has ha raised the false accusation shall shan be bi b killed and te he who has hs jumped Into the river shall shan have the property of his accuser 5 It If a judge has charge of oC a trial ana anc passes a judgment and this judgment ho 1 has been put Into working and If afterward it I turns out that this judgment has been bean false and the judge is then convicted of having given a false decision tuen he heshal shall return retura the fine line he has inflicted and he shall be b deprived of his office ofie as a judge and shall shan never re turn tur to this office 6 If I anybody robs either the temple or the royal palace he shall shan be killed and he who has received such sueh stolen goods shall also be killed hilled kled i 15 I If I anybody takes tak out of the city elt I sate gate the te male or the the female slave of the te teI I palace or of or a freedman freedmn he be shall shan be killed 21 If I anybody breaks break a hole Into int a house he shall shan be killed In front of or this hole and shall bo be bc burned there 48 4 If I anybody has ha a debt to pay and a I storm destroys his hi land lad or the harvest harest is wrecked or there has been a lack ot ol otI water vater then he Is not obliged to pay pa the I owner any an gram for f r this year y r nor shall he be compelled to pay interest interest If I the woman keeper of an Inn I harbors in her place those who conspire and does not report then she shall shan be beI killed kie I liT 17 If I anybody cannot pa pay his hi debts debt then thene he can give his wife wie or son or I daughter into the house of or the creditor to serve for Cor three years earS but in the fourth year ear they shall be free 1 If I the finger aner suspicion has been raised against the wife of a a man but she has not been proved guilty gity then she shall for or the tho sake of oC her husband jump Into the water vater te 11 If I wife who lives In his house proposes to leave leave it and has ha been guilty of or squandering and making debts debt and neglects her husband then she s e shall be brought before the courts cour and If 1 the tIle husband then pronounces her divorce she shall shU go her way but receive nothing nothing If I the husband does doe not divorce her then she shall be a servant se ant in the house of her husband 16 If I anybody desires to discard his hisson hisson hisson son and he says before the judge hI I de desire desire sire to discard my son then the th judge shall examine his reasons and if the son has not been guilty gity of or great geat wrongs which justify his rejection as a son then then shall him his father not reject 1139 11 If I on the theother other hand band he has been guilty uly then the first time it shall be for given iven him but If Ir he Is for a second time guilty July then the rejection shall shaH follow 19 If I a a son strikes strike strikeS his own father Ills his bands hands shall be hewn off of If I anybody strikes out the eye c e of another his own eye shall be forfeited 17 If I anybody breaks break the bone of an another another another other hs hi bone too shall be broken 2 If I anybody destroys the teeth of his equal his teeth tho shall be broken 25 If I a a surgeon causes a a severe seere wound t with Ith his knife be bc e shall be fined 10 lO shekels shek IS of gold 28 If I a surgeon through his operation causes death tic the patient patent he shall be killed i 29 If I a builder bulder erects erect a house for an another another another other and It i ig i not well wel made and nd it i falls fallsdown fal fallsdown down own and kills the owner then the build builder er shall be killed kled If I a n person peron hires an ox and by his bad treatment kills the animal he shall sh l give the owner another ox in the place of the first rrt 2 If U a slave lave says sas to his hs master Thou art at not my master then ten his Ws lord shall cut off his ear earIn earIn earIn In the conclusion of this code Ham Rain Hammurabi repeatedly calls caUs himself King of Righteousness as a did his contemporary of Jerusalem and enjoins upon all al of his successors successor upon the I throne New York to observe Sun Suit this code and its it laws |