THE LAWS OF ESHNUNNA

Abstract

The article contains the Georgian translation and comments of so-called "Laws of Eshnuna". Unlike other monuments of Mesopotamian law, this text took its name from the city where it was composed, this was the city of Eshnunna (lit. Tell Asmar), which was located north of Ur, on the banks of the Tigris tributary River - Diyala, and became politically important after the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur.

The Eshnuna law code was compiled in the Akkadian language. The laws include provisions dealing with a variety of situations, including tenant liability, agricultural matters, theft, liens, deposits and loans, debt, family rights, property and sexual offenses, foster care, and care of dependent class children. Bodily injuries, runaway servants, bulls, vicious dogs, collapse of walls, etc. In some laws, the price of various goods is fixed in silver or grain.

Various types of crimes can be found in Eshnuna laws: theft and related crimes, sexual crimes, bodily harm, bull injury, etc. Most of these crimes were punishable by monetary fines (amounts of silver), but some serious crimes, such as theft, murder, and sexual offenses, were punishable by death.

Keywords: Assyriology; Mesopotamia; Akkadian language; Eshnunna; Laws.