Law 108: On corrupt beer-sellers

Here is Law 108 of king Hammurabi's collection, in photograph and cuneiform font. Try to transliterate, normalise and translate it with the help of the vocabulary below. Then compare the results with the Level 4 solutions page.

Photo of Law 108 from Scheil, MDP 4 (1902), pl. 8–9 (column XXV 15–25). View large image.

XXV 15. 𒋳 𒈠 𒊩 𒁉𒁷 𒈾

16. 𒀀 𒈾 𒉛 𒁉

17. 𒊺 𒆷 𒅎 𒋫 𒄯

18. 𒄿 𒈾 𒉌𒌓 𒊏 𒁉 𒁴

19. 𒆬 𒌓 𒅎 𒋫 𒄯

20. 𒅇 𒆠 𒇴 𒁉

21. 𒀀 𒈾 𒆠 𒇴 𒊺 𒌝 𒋫 𒁲

22. 𒊩 𒁉𒁷 𒈾 𒋗 𒀀 𒋾

23. 𒌑 𒅗 𒀭 𒉡 𒅆 𒈠

24. 𒀀 𒈾 𒈨 𒂊

25. 𒄿 𒈾 [𒀜 𒁺] 𒌑 𒅆

Vocabulary

• abnum, "stone, weight" (written here with the logogram 𒉌𒌓 NA₄)
• kaspum, "silver" (written here with the logogram 𒆬 𒌓 KUG.BABBAR)
• kuānum, G-stem "to be(come) permanent", D-stem "to establish, to prove"
• mahārum, "to face, to receive" (a/u)
• mahīrum, "exchange rate, value" (written here with the logogram 𒆠 𒇴 KI.LAM)
• maṭûm, G-stem "to be(come) small", D-stem "to reduce"
• mû, "water" (plural)
• nadûm, "to throw" (i/i)
• rabûm, "big"
• sābītum, "(female) brewer, beer-seller" (written here with the logogram 𒊩 𒁉𒁷 𒈾 ^fKURUN.NA)
• šikarum, "beer" (written here with the logogram 𒁉 KAŠ)
• šīmum, "purchase price" (written here with the logogram 𒉛 ŠAM₂)

Content last modified on 10 Jan 2017.