The Laws Of Ḫammurabi.
Introduction.
When the supreme God, king of the Annunaki,146 and Bel, lord of the heavens and the earth, who fixes the destinies of the land, had fixed for Merodach, the eldest son of Aê, the Divine Lordship over the multitude of the people, and had made him great among the Igigi, they called Babylon by its supreme name, caused it to be great among the countries (of the world), and caused to exist for him in its midst an everlasting kingdom, whose foundation is as firm as heaven and earth.
At that time Ḫammurabi, the noble prince—he who fears God—me—in order that justice might exist in the country, to destroy the evil and wicked, that the strong might not oppress the weak,—God and Bel, to gladden the flesh of the people, proclaimed my name as a Sungod147 for the black-headed ones,148 appearing and illuminating the land.
[pg 489]Ḫammurabi, the shepherd proclaimed of Bel am I—the perfecter of abundance and plenty, the completer of everything for Niffur (and) Dur-an-ki,149 the glorious patron of Ê-kura;150
The powerful king who has restored the city Êridu to its first state, who has purified the service of Ê-apsû;151
The best of the four regions, who made great the name of Babylon, rejoicing the heart of Merodach, his lord, who daily stays (at service) in Ê-sagila;152
The kingly seed whom the god Sin has created, who endows with riches the city of Ur;153 humble, devout, he who brings abundance to Ê-kiš-nu-gala;154
The king of wisdom, favourite of Šamaš, the powerful one, he who founded (again) the city of Sippar, who clothed with green the burial-places of Aa,155 who made supreme the temple Ê-babbara,156 which is like a throne (in) the heavens;
The warrior benefiting Larsa,157 who renewed the temple Ê-babbara158 for Šamaš his helper;
The lord who gave life to Erech, procuring waters in abundance for its people, he who has raised the head of the temple Ê-anna, completing the treasures for Anu and Innanna;159
The protector of the land, who has reassembled the scattered people of Nisin, who has made abundant the riches of the temple E-gal-maḫ;160
The unique one, king of the city, twin brother of the god Zagaga, he who founded the seat of the city of Kiš, who has caused the temple Ê-mete-ursag161 to be surrounded with splendour, who has caused the great sanctuaries of the goddess Innanna to be increased;
Overseer of the temple of Ḫursag-kalama, the enemies' temple-court, the help of which caused him to attain his desire;162
He who has enlarged the city of Cuthah, made great everything for the temple Meslam;163
The mighty steer who overthrows the enemy, the beloved of the god Tutu;164
[pg 490]He who causes the city of Borsippa to rejoice, the supreme one, he who is tireless for the temple Ê-zida;165
The divine king of the city, wise, alert, he who has extended the agriculture of Dilmu,166 who has heaped up the (grain) receptacles for the powerful god Uraš;167
The lord (who is) the adornment of the sceptre and the crown, with which the wise goddess Mama has crowned him;
Who has defined the sanctuaries of Kêš, who has made plentiful the glorious feasts for the goddess Nin-tu;
The provident and careful one, who set pasturages and watering-places for Lagaš and Girsu, he who procured great offerings for Ê-ninnû;168
He who holds fast the enemy, the favourite of the divinity, he who fulfils the portents of the city Ḫallabu, he who has gladdened the heart of Ištar;169
The prince undefiled, whose prayer170 Addu171 has heard, he who gives rest to the heart of Addu, the warrior, in the city Muru;
He who set up the ornaments in the temple E-para-galgala, the king who gave life to the city of Adab;
He who directs the temple E-maḫ, the prince who is the city-king, the warrior who is without rival;
He who has given life to the city Maškan-šabri, who has caused abundance to arise for the temple Mešlam;
The wise, the active one, who has captured the robbers' hiding-places, sheltered the people of Malkâ in (their) misfortune, caused their seats to be founded in abundance, (and) instituted pure offerings for Aê and Damgal-nunna, who have made his kingdom great for ever.
The prince who is city-king, who subjugated the settlements of the Euphrates, the boundary (of) Dagan, his creator, who spared the people of Mera and Tutul;
The supreme prince, who has made the face of the goddess Ištar to shine, set pure repasts for the divinity Nin-azu, who cared for his people in (their) need, fixing their dues within Babylon peacefully;
The shepherd of the people, whose deeds are good unto Ištar, who set Ištar in the temple Ê-ulmaš within Agadé of the (broad) streets; he who makes the faithful obedient, who guides the Race;172
Who returned its good genius to the city of Asshur, who caused (its) splendour (?) to shine forth;
[pg 491]The king who in Nineveh has caused the names of Ištar to be glorified in Ê-mešmeš;173
The supreme one, devoted in prayer to the great gods, descendant of Sumula-ilu, the mighty son of Sin-mubaliṭ, the eternal seed of royalty;
The powerful king, the Sun of Babylon, he who sends forth light for the land of Šumer and Akkad, the king causing the four regions to obey him, the beloved of the goddess Ištar, am I.
When Merodach chose me to govern the people, to rule and instruct the land, law and justice I set in the mouth of the land—in that day did I bring about the well-being of the people.