New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
The Lazrs of the First Ruler OF
Ancient BabyJonid.

King FIsrnr7urabi who has been knc own as tne
@-st ruler OF all Babylonia. the man VINO mace
rsabvlon the metropolis that ii remained lor
over TWO thousand years. and the builder OF inc
~ovai canal has. after long lnlerFal' I'm
into his own again in q greater glory C"-
wear ago January the code or laws Which %
,.-o-,,,1..e5 in the third millennium B. c over
his domain from the mouths Of the Ilsris a'is
the Euphrates 20 the Mediterranean coast
which probably served later as OASIS Ioi 1-e
zy,,-e7r cose under Abraham. had been known
ONLY in fragments A monument on VIM" ~
ooaA was inscribed was brought 70 light oy tne
French explorations under NJ. J. de Morgan al
Susa whittier it seems probable 'ha' So
80. ,o-,Yeror had conveyed it Father V
cte,1 ,-ena-ed 2 translation which appeared
IN +oc+obe- accompanied by an adequate pnoto-
,v,,-e renroducticn OF the original Dr. II
v1-;-clge- issued a version while the one oeIoie
,,s was in press Now. within eighteen months
- ne discovery we have literal translation
=, E,r,isb independently made. by c H W.
Torns ~ the University Of Cambridge Ii Is
,se,,ea under the title The Oldest Code OF Laws
. he World Imported by Charles Scrioners
scnsl. and il comes near 10 being the smallest
law book ever seen. The translator has pre-
pared a classified index which VII prove
great convenience for study
~
.rf q man weave spell and put a ban upon
49,, ans has NOT justified himself he that wove
the spell upon him shall be put 10 death" The
death penalty was indeed prescribed by burn
ing drowning. or implement. for a long list OF
o-~ances such as allowing seditious Drawing
In g wineshop. threatening witnesses in cap
itaI suit. perjury in capital suit. kionapplns'
building a house so badly that il falls and Kills
the owner The law upon fugitive slaves was
SO strict that harboring runaway or inonclhs
slave 70 desert met with the death penalty
Doctors fees were prescribed by the code; FOR
treatment and cure with Z bronze lancet or
severe wound. a gentleman paid ten shekels Oh
silver poor man five, a gentlenans servant
TWO On the other hand, II the physician IN
5e-+ook such treatment with fatal results. or
opened an abscess in the eye without saving
The eve he lost both his hands. The fees and
penalties of vererinaries also were regulated
Marriage and divorce, remarriage and the sta
ms o4 concubines the rights Of widows and the
custody Of children are deliberately treated the
1e,vs On the holding leasing and cultivation OF
land show the detail Of a long development OF
mast decisions. The code covers also variety
OF business relations. In general the dlsclpIlne
of administrative officers suggests strong cen
rial mower plainly disc=rnibie throughout the
cose Such socialist control by despotc but
not unenlightened government as is illustrated
in the fixing Of physicians fees was not con-
fined by any means to the profession OF healing
Wages were fixed oy law for boatmen. reapers'
sbepberds. brickrnakers, tailors. milknen ana
caruenters. as well as the proper charges Tor
hiring COWS. calves. oxen asses, wagons anu
boats
one omission occurs in the code as ii has come
down Five columns out Of the twenty-one on
the diverse Of the monument have been erased
and the surface polished, probably by the Elan
ite who unfortunately omitted TO lnscr1pe MS
name Three sections from fragments OF copies
made for an Assyrian king in the seventh CEN
fury 3. c are offered as belonging in THIS space
They treat OF assignment eviction, mortgage
debt. credit ana interest. Some twenty centu-
r;es after this code had been confirmed as the
supreme law of the land il was made text
book for study in the schools Of BaoYlonla- II
would please the mighty king Of MANY titles 10
sac how it is now engaging the attention o.
learned men in dominions not drearnt or In MS
philosophy.