Texts in Conversation
Animal remains in Amos recall the evidence that could clear a shepherd of blame under Hammurabi's laws. The pieces establish that the animal died, so the surviving remnant represents proof of destruction rather than a promise of rescue.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Code of Hammurabi 1:276
Babylonian Legal Text
Ancient Near East
264 If a herdsman who has been entrusted with cattle or sheep to tend, and who has received his agreed wages and is satisfied, lets the number of cattle or sheep decrease or lessens the rate of increase by birth, he shall make good the increase or profit lost, according to the terms of his agreement. 265 If a herdsman entrusted with the care of cattle or sheep acts fraudulently, falsifies the natural increase, or sells the animals for money, he shall be convicted and shall repay the owner ten times his loss. 266 If an act of a god occurs in the stable and an animal dies, or a lion kills it, the herdsman shall declare his innocence before the god, and the owner bears the loss in the stable.
Amos 3:12
Hebrew Bible
12 This is what the Lord says: “Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. They will be left with just a corner of a bed, and a part of a couch. 13 Listen and warn the family of Jacob!” The Sovereign Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking! 14 “Certainly when I punish Israel for their covenant transgressions, I will destroy Bethel’s altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. The houses filled with ivory will be ruined; the great houses will be swept away.” The Lord is speaking!
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Notes and References
“... 3:12. shepherd’s responsibility. The legal codes of ancient Mesopotamia (including the Sumerian Law Code, Hammurabi’s Code and the Hittite Laws) each contained a clause designed to aid shepherds who have lost an animal to a lion or other predator. The shepherd gave his testimony and took an oath before the gods. Presumably, if there was any physical evidence to display, such as “a piece of an ear,” then this would also have been brought forward. In that way the shepherd would be above suspicion of theft. The pieces he brought did not suggest survival but were proof of destruction. ...”
Walton, John H.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
(p. 768) InterVarsity Press, 2000
* 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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