Texts in Conversation
The epilogue of Hammurabi’s code promises that a faithful king’s reign will be lengthened by the gods. Leviticus 26 similarly promises Israel abundance, peace, and divine presence as reward for keeping the preceding laws.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Code of Hammurabi
Babylonian Legal Text
Ancient Near East
If a succeeding ruler considers my words, which I have written in this my inscription, if he do not annul my law, nor corrupt my words, nor change my monument, then may Shamash lengthen that king's reign, as he has that of me, the king of righteousness, that he may reign in righteousness over his subjects. If this ruler do not esteem my words, which I have written in my inscription, if he despise my curses, and fear not the curse of God, if he destroy the law which I have given, corrupt my words, change my monument, efface my name, write his name there, or on account of the curses commission another so to do, that man, whether king or ruler, patesi, or commoner, no matter what he be, may the great God (Anu), the Father of the gods, who has ordered my rule, withdraw from him the glory of royalty, break his scepter, curse his destiny.
Date: 1750 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Leviticus 26:3
Hebrew Bible
3 “‘If you walk in my statutes and are sure to obey my commandments, 4 I will give you your rains in their time so that the land will give its yield and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. 5 Threshing season will extend for you until the season for harvesting grapes, and the season for harvesting grapes will extend until sowing season, so you will eat your bread until you are satisfied, and you will live securely in your land. 6 I will grant peace in the land so that you will lie down to sleep without anyone terrifying you. I will remove harmful animals from the land, and no sword of war will pass through your land. 7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword.
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Notes and References
“... The Epilogue to the Holiness Code is patterned after other biblical blessings and curses and after other similar ancient Near Eastern compositions. Its position is the key to its function in the text. It comes directly after a collection of laws and commandments. All three Torah collections of laws are followed by admonitions, and the same is true in the rest of ancient Near Eastern literature generally. The Code of Hammurabi concludes with an Execration, and curses follow the provisions of boundary stones and royal decrees. Well-being, peace, and prosperity, in short all the blessings individuals and nations seek to secure from divine powers, are contingent on obedience to laws, treaties, oaths, and royal edicts. Divine wrath is the misfortune of the disobedient. ...”
Levine, Baruch A.
Leviticus: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation
(p. 579) Jewish Publication Society, 1989
* 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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