Ancient Babylonia - The Epilogue Laws
Part 1 – The Introduction
Part 2 – The Law Codes
Part 3 – The Epilogue Laws
THE EPILOGUE LAWS of justice which Hammurapi, the wise king, established. A
righteous law, and pious statute did he teach the land. Hammurapi, the protecting
king am I. I have not withdrawn myself from the men, whom Bel gave to me, the
rule over whom Marduk gave to me, I was not negligent, but I made them a
peaceful abiding-place. I expounded all great difficulties, I made the light shine
upon them. With the mighty weapons which Zamama and Ishtar entrusted to me, with
the keen vision with which Ea endowed me, with the wisdom that Marduk gave me,
I have uprooted the enemy above and below (in north and south), subdued the
earth, brought prosperity to the land, guaranteed security to the inhabitants in
their homes; a disturber was not permitted. The great gods have called me, I am
the salvation-bearing shepherd, whose staff is straight, the good shadow that
is spread over my city; on my breast I cherish the inhabitants of the land of
Sumer and Akkad; in my shelter I have let them repose in peace; in my deep wisdom
have I enclosed them. That the strong might not injure the weak, in order to
protect the widows and orphans, I have in Babylon the city where Anu and Bel
raise high their head, in E-Sagil, the Temple, whose foundations stand firm as
heaven and earth, in order to bespeak justice in the land, to settle all disputes,
and heal all injuries, set up these my precious words, written upon my
memorial stone, before the image of me, as king of righteousness. The king who ruleth
among the kings of the cities am I. My words are well considered; there is no
wisdom like unto mine. By the command of Shamash, the great judge of heaven and
earth, let righteousness go forth in the land: by the order of Marduk, my lord,
let no destruction befall my monument. In E-Sagil, which I love, let my name
be ever repeated; let the oppressed, who has a case at law, come and stand
before this my image as king of righteousness; let him read the inscription, and
understand my precious words: the inscription will explain his case to him; he
will find out what is just, and his heart will be glad, so that he will say:
"Hammurapi is a ruler, who is as a father to his subjects, who holds the words of
Marduk in reverence, who has achieved conquest for Marduk over the north and
south, who rejoices the heart of Marduk, his lord, who has bestowed benefits for
ever and ever on his subjects, and has established order in the land." When he
reads the record, let him pray with full heart to Marduk, my lord, and Zarpanit,
my lady; and then shall the protecting deities and the gods, who frequent
E-Sagil, graciously grant the desires daily presented before Marduk, my lord, and
Zarpanit, my lady. In future time, through all coming generations, let the king,
who may be in the land, observe the words of righteousness which I have written
on my monument; let him not alter the law of the land which I have given, the
edicts which I have enacted; my monument let him not mar. If such a ruler have
wisdom, and be able to keep his land in order, he shall observe the words which
I have written in this inscription; the rule, statute, and law of the land
which I have given; the decisions which I have made will this inscription show
him; let him rule his subjects accordingly, speak justice to them, give right
decisions, root out the miscreants and criminals from this land, and grant
prosperity to his subjects. Hammurapi, the king of righteousness, on whom Shamash has
conferred right (or law) am I. My words are well considered; my deeds are not
equaled; to bring low those that were high; to humble the proud, to expel
insolence. If a succeeding ruler considers my words, which I have written in this my
inscription, if he do not annul my law, nor corrupt my words, nor change my
monument, then may Shamash lengthen that king's reign, as he has that of me, the
king of righteousness, that he may reign in righteousness over his subjects. If
this ruler do not esteem my words, which I have written in my inscription, if he
despise my curses, and fear not the curse of God, if he destroy the law which
I have given, corrupt my words, change my monument, efface my name, write his
name there, or on account of the curses commission another so to do, that man,
whether king or ruler, patesi, or commoner, no matter what he be, may the great
God (Anu), the Father of the gods, who has ordered my rule, withdraw from him
the glory of royalty, break his scepter, curse his destiny. May Bel, the lord,
who fixeth destiny, whose command can not be altered, who has made my kingdom
great, order a rebellion which his hand can not control; may he let the wind of
the overthrow of his habitation blow, may he ordain the years of his rule in
groaning, years of scarcity, years of famine, darkness without light, death with
seeing eyes be fated to him; may he (Bel) order with his potent mouth the
destruction of his city, the dispersion of his subjects, the cutting off of his rule,
the removal of his name and memory from the land. May Belit, the great Mother,
whose command is potent in E-Kur (the Babylonian Olympus), the Mistress, who
harkens graciously to my petitions, in the seat of judgment and decision (where
Bel fixes destiny), turn his affairs evil before Bel, and put the devastation
of his land, the destruction of his subjects, the pouring out of his life like
water into the mouth of King Bel. May Ea, the great ruler, whose fated decrees
come to pass, the thinker of the gods, the omniscient, who maketh long the days
of my life, withdraw understanding and wisdom from him, lead him to
forgetfulness, shut up his rivers at their sources, and not allow corn or sustenance for
man to grow in his land. May Shamash, the great Judge of heaven and earth, who
supporteth all means of livelihood, Lord of life-courage, shatter his dominion,
annul his law, destroy his way, make vain the march of his troops, send him in
his visions forecasts of the uprooting of the foundations of his throne and of
the destruction of his land. May the condemnation of Shamash overtake him
forthwith; may he be deprived of water above among the living, and his spirit below
in the earth. May Sin (the Moon-god), the Lord of Heaven, the divine father,
whose crescent gives light among the gods, take away the crown and regal throne
from him; may he put upon him heavy guilt, great decay, that nothing may be
lower than he. May he destine him as fated, days, months and years of dominion
filled with sighing and tears, increase of the burden of dominion, a life that is
like unto death. May Adad, the lord of fruitfulness, ruler of heaven and earth,
my helper, withhold from him rain from heaven, and the flood of water from the
springs, destroying his land by famine and want; may he rage mightily over his
city, and make his land into flood-hills (heaps of ruined cities). May Zamama,
the great warrior, the first-born son of E-Kur, who goeth at my right hand,
shatter his weapons on the field of battle, turn day into night for him, and let
his foe triumph over him. May Ishtar, the goddess of fighting and war, who
unfetters my weapons, my gracious protecting spirit, who loveth my dominion, curse
his kingdom in her angry heart; in her great wrath, change his grace into evil,
and shatter his weapons on the place of fighting and war. May she create
disorder and sedition for him, strike down his warriors, that the earth may drink
their blood, and throw down the piles of corpses of his warriors on the field; may
she not grant him a life of mercy, deliver him into the hands of his enemies,
and imprison him in the land of his enemies. May Nergal, the might among the
gods, whose contest is irresistible, who grants me victory, in his great might
burn up his subjects like a slender reedstalk, cut off his limbs with his mighty
weapons, and shatter him like an earthen image. May Nin-tu, the sublime
mistress of the lands, the fruitful mother, deny him a son, vouchsafe him no name,
give him no successor among men. May Nin-karak, the daughter of Anu, who adjudges
grace to me, cause to come upon his members in E-kur high fever, severe wounds,
that can not be healed, whose nature the physician does not understand, which
he can not treat with dressing, which, like the bite of death, can not be
removed, until they have sapped away his life. May he lament the loss of his
life-power, and may the great gods of heaven and earth, the Anunaki, altogether
inflict a curse and evil upon the confines of the temple, the walls of this E-barra
(the Sun temple of Sippara), upon his dominion, his land, his warriors, his
subjects, and his troops. May Bel curse him with the potent curses of his mouth
that can not be altered, and may they come upon him forthwith.
THE END OF THE CODE OF HAMMURAPI .
Part 1 – The Introduction
Part 2 – The Law Codes
Part 3 – The Epilogue Laws
Ancient Babylonia
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