1Reading 9-2READING 9-2Source: Hallo, W.H. 2002. The Context of Scripture: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World, Vol. II.The Laws of Hammurabi—A Sampling of Laws Relating to AgricultureMartha RothBy the beginning of the second millennium, Amorite and other nomadic population groups integrated into Mesopotamian urban political and social life. The Amorite Sumu-abum (ca. 1894–1881 BCE) settled in Babylon, in the wasp-waist center of Mesopotamia, at the time that the rival cities of Isin and Larsa were struggling for dominance in the south. He and his successors for 100 years stayed focused largely on their immediate geographical area, engaging in local political and military consolidation, fortifi cation and temple building projects, canal maintenance, and some military actions. By the time the 6th ruler of this dynasty, hammurabi (ca. 1792–1750 BCE), came to the throne, he found himself circumscribed by the rising powers of Larsa to the south, the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia to the north, Mari to the west, and Eshnunna and Elam to the east. In his fi rst years, Hammurabi, like his predecessors, remained involved in building projects in Babylon itself, but then turned outward and began military forays into other territories; by his 32nd regnal year, he had decisively defeated all the rivals mentioned. As “King of Sumer and Akkad,” Ham-murabi now had the luxury of turning his attention again to domestic programs, largely neglected during the years of military efforts. It is at this point that the law collection inscribed on the monumental stelae was compiled and publicized in multiple copies placed in major cities of his realm, fulfi lling Hammurabi’s repeated claims of a just and righteous rule. In all this, Hammurabi and his law collection stand fi rmly in the stream of tradition of his royal predecessors in other dynasties and other cities of Mesopotamia, beginning at least with Ur-Namma and Lipit-Ishtar, although the product of Hammurabi’s efforts is by far the longest, most polished, and most comprehensive.Hammurabi’s son and successor Samsu-iluna also enjoyed along reign (ca. 1749–1712 BCE), but the empire Hammurabi consolidated began to splinter soon after his death. By the beginning of the 16th century, the much reduced city of Babylon fell to invading Hatti forces. Hammurabi himself, however, achieved and retained enormous personal appeal as a charismatic leader both during his lifetime and after. The enduring power of Hammurabi’s name and deeds is dramatically demonstrated by the 7½ foot tall stela with the most complete edition of the Laws, which was taken from Sippar as booty to Susa by conquering Elamites 500 years later.In addition to the famous monument, some 50 manuscripts are known to record all or part of the laws, prologue, and epilogue of the composition. The manuscripts range from those contemporary with the time of Hammurabi through to the middle of the 1st millennium, and come from a variety of sites. The scribes in schools studied and copied the Laws, and engaged in exercises resulting in commentaries to and extracts of the composition, and even one Sumerian-Akkadian bilingual.53 If a man neglects to reinforce the embankment of (the irrigation canal of) his fi eld and does not reinforce its embankment, and then a breach opens in its embankment and allows the water to carry away the common irrigated area, the man in whose embankment the breach opened shall replace the grain whose loss he caused.54 If he cannot replace the grain, they shall sell him and his property, and the residents of the common irrigated area whose grain crops the water carried away shall divide (the proceeds).55 If a man opens his branch of the canal for irrigation and negligently allows the water to carry away his neighbor’s fi eld, he shall measure and deliver grain in accordance with his neighbor’s yield.2Reading 9-256 If a man opens (an irrigation gate and released) waters and thereby he allows the water to carry away whatever work has been done in his neighbor’s fi eld, he shall measure and deliver 3,000 SILA of grain per 18 iku (of fi eld).57 If a shepherd does not make an agreement with the owner of the fi eld to graze sheep and goats, and without the permission of the owner of the fi eld grazes sheep and goats on the fi eld, the owner of the fi eld shall harvest his fi eld and the shepherd who grazed sheep and goats on the fi eld without the permission of the owner of the fi eld shall give in addition 6,000 SILA of grain per 18 iku (of fi eld) to the owner of the fi eld.58 If, after the sheep and goats come up from the common irrigated area when the pennants announcing the termination of pasturing are wound around the main city-gate, the shepherd releases the sheep and goats into a fi eld and allows the sheep and goats to graze in the fi eld–the shepherd shall guard the fi eld in which he allowed them to graze and at the harvest he shall measure and deliver to the owner of the fi eld 18,000 SILA of grain per 18 iku (of fi eld).59 If a man cuts down a tree in another man’s date orchard without the permission of the owner of the orchard, he shall weigh and deliver 30 shekels of silver.60 If a man gives a fi eld to a gardener to plant as a date orchard and the gardener plants the orchard, he shall cultivate the orchard for four years; in the fi fth year, the owner of the orchard and the gardener shall divide the yield in equal shares; the owner of the orchard shall select and take his share fi rst.61 If the gardener does not complete the planting of (the date orchard in) the fi eld, but leaves an un-cultivated area, they shall include the uncultivated area in his share.62 If he does not plant as a date orchard the fi eld which was given to him–if it is arable land, the gardener shall measure and deliver to the owner of the fi eld the estimated yield of the fi eld for the years it is left fallow in accordance with his neighbor’s yield; furthermore he shall perform the required work on the fi eld and return it to the owner of the fi eld.63 If it is uncultivated land, he shall perform the required work on the fi eld and return it to the owner of the fi eld, and in addition he shall measure and deliver 3,000 SILA of grain per 18 iku (of fi eld) per year.64 If a man gives his orchard to a gardener to pollinate (the date palms), as long as the gardener is in possession of the orchard, he shall give to the owner of
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