Texts in Conversation
Hammurabi claims to rule “like Shamash,” the sun god of justice, enlightening the land. Psalm 19 similarly links the sun’s all-seeing course across the sky to a meditation on the Torah.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Code of Hammurabi
Babylonian Legal Text
Ancient Near East
They called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid as solidly as those of heaven and earth. Then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land and destroy the wicked and the evil-doers. So that the strong should not harm the weak, so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind. Hammurabi, the prince, called of Bel am I, making riches and increase, enriching Nippur and Dur-ilu beyond compare, sublime patron of E-kur, who reestablished Eridu and purified the worship of E-apsu. Who conquered the four quarters of the world, made great the name of Babylon, rejoiced the heart of Marduk, his lord who daily pays devotions in Saggil, the royal scion whom Sin made.
Date: 1750 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Psalm 19:6
Hebrew Bible
4 Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth; its words carry to the distant horizon. In the sky he has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 Like a bridegroom it emerges from its chamber; like a strong man it enjoys running its course. 6 It emerges from the distant horizon, and goes from one end of the sky to the other; nothing can escape its heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 8 The Lord’s precepts are fair and make one joyful. The Lord’s commands are pure and give insight for life.
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Notes and References
“... The penetrating heat and light of the Mediterranean sun (Psalm 121:6; Isaiah 49:10; Revelation 7:16) and the fact that as it crosses the heavens daily it “sees” all that happens on the face of the earth may be the reason why, in ancient Near Eastern mythology, the sun god is the god of justice, the judge of gods and humans. The Babylonian ruler Hammurabi is depicted receiving his laws from the sun god. This illuminates Psalm 19, where the description of the sun’s daily movement prefaces a meditation on the law of the Lord. The link is the statement “nothing is hid from its heat” (Psalm 19:6). The sun is the symbol of the all-seeing eye of the Lord, the judge and lawgiver. ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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