Lipit-Ishtar ( Akkadian: ''Lipit-Ištar''; '' fl.'' ''c.'' 1870 BC – ''c.'' 1860 BC by the short chronology of the ancient near east) was the 5th king of the

First Dynasty of Isin The Dynasty of Isin refers to the final ruling dynasty listed on the '' Sumerian King List'' (''SKL''). The list of the Kings Isin with the length of their reigns, also appears on a cuneiform document listing the kings of Ur and Isin, the ''List o ...

, according to the '' Sumerian King List'' (''SKL''). Also according to the ''SKL'': he was the successor of Išme-Dagān.

Ur-Ninurta Ur-Ninurta, c. 1859 – 1832 BC (short chronology) or c. 1923 – 1896 BC (middle chronology), was the 6th king of the 1st Dynasty of Isin. A usurper, Ur-Ninurta seized the throne on the fall of Lipit-Ištar and held it until his violent death so ...

then succeeded Lipit-Ištar. Some documents and royal inscriptions from his time have survived, however; Lipit-Ištar is mostly known due to the Sumerian language hymns that were written in his honor, as well as a legal code written in his name (preceding the famed Code of Hammurabi by about 100 years)—which were used for school instruction for hundreds of years after Lipit-Ištar's death. The annals of Lipit-Ištar's reign recorded that he also repulsed the

Amorites The Amorites (; sux, 𒈥𒌅, MAR.TU; Akkadian: 𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 or 𒋾𒀉𒉡𒌝/𒊎 ; he, אֱמוֹרִי, 'Ĕmōrī; grc, Ἀμορραῖοι) were an ancient Northwest Semitic-speaking people from the Levant who also occupied lar ...

.Ferris J. Stephens, "A Newly Discovered Inscription of Libit-Ishtar", '' Journal of the American Oriental Society'', 52 (1932), pp. 182-185

Excerpts from the "Code of Lipit-Ištar"

The text exists on several partial fragments. The following complete laws have been reconstructed: §8 If a man gave bare ground to another man to set out as an orchard and the latter did not complete setting out that bare ground as an orchard, he shall give to the man who set out the

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

the bare ground which he neglected as part of his share. §9 If a man entered the orchard of another man and was seized there for stealing, he shall pay ten

shekel Shekel or sheqel ( akk, 𒅆𒅗𒇻 ''šiqlu'' or ''siqlu,'' he, שקל, plural he, שקלים or shekels, Phoenician: ) is an ancient Mesopotamian coin, usually of silver. A shekel was first a unit of weight—very roughly —and became c ...

s of silver. §10 If a man cut down a tree in the garden of another man, he shall pay one-half mina of silver. §11 If adjacent to the house of a man the bare ground of another man has been neglected and the owner of the house has said to the owner of the bare ground, "Because your ground has been neglected someone may break into my house: strengthen your house," and this agreement has been confirmed by him, the owner of the bare ground shall restore to the owner of the house any of his property that is lost. §12 If a slave-girl or slave of a man has fled into the heart of the city and it has been confirmed that he (or she) dwelt in the house of (another) man for one month, he shall give slave for slave. §13 If he has no slave, he shall pay fifteen shekels of silver. §14 If a man's slave has compensated his slave-ship to his master and it is confirmed (that he has compensated) his master two-fold, that slave shall be freed. §15 If a ''miqtum'' ervantis the grant of a king, he shall not be taken away. §16 If a ''miqtum'' went to a man of his own free will, that man shall not hold him; he (the ''miqtum'') may go where he desires. §17 If a man without authorization bound another man to a matter of which he (the latter) had no knowledge, that man is not affirmed (i.e., legally obligated); he (the first man) shall bear the penalty in regard to the matter to which he had bound him. §18 If the master of an estate or the mistress of an estate has defaulted on the tax of an estate and a stranger has borne it, for three years he (the owner) may not be

evicted Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosed by a mortgagee (often, the prior owners who defaulted on a mortgag ...

. Afterwards, the man who bore the tax of the estate shall possess that estate and the former owner of the estate shall not raise any claim. §22 If the father is living, his daughter whether she be a high priestess, a priestess, or a

hierodule Sacred prostitution, temple prostitution, cult prostitution, and religious prostitution are rites consisting of paid intercourse performed in the context of religious worship, possibly as a form of fertility rite or divine marriage (). Scholar ...

shall dwell in his house like an heir. §24 If the second wife whom he had married bore him children, the

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...

which she brought from her father's house belongs to her children but the children of his first wife and the children of his second wife shall divide equally the property of their father. §25 If a man married his wife and she bore him children and those children are living, and a slave also bore children for her master but the father granted freedom to the slave and her children, the children of the slave shall not divide the estate with the children of their former master. §27 If a man's wife has not borne him children but a harlot from the public square has borne him children, he shall provide grain, oil and clothing for that harlot. The children which the harlot has borne him shall be his heirs, and as long as his wife lives the harlot shall not live in the house with the wife. §29 If a son-in-law has entered the house of his (prospective) father-in-law and afterwards they made him go out (of the house) and gave his wife to his companion, they shall present to him the betrothal gifts which he brought and that wife may not marry his companion. §34 If a man rented an ox and injured the flesh at the nose ring, he shall pay one-third of its price. §35 If a man rented an ox and damaged its eye, he shall pay one-half its price. §36 If a man rented an ox and broke its horn, he shall pay one-fourth its price. §37 If a man rented an ox and damaged its tail, he shall pay one-fourth its price.

Notes

References

* James R. Court, ''Codex Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor''. Scholars Press, 1995.
Francis R. Steele, ''The Code of Lipit Ishtar''
- University of Pennsylvania Museum Monographs, 1948 - includes complete text and analysis of all fragments eprinted_from_American_Journal_of_Archaeology_52_(1948).html" ;"title="American_Journal_of_Archaeology.html" ;"title="eprinted from American Journal of Archaeology">eprinted from American Journal of Archaeology 52 (1948)">American_Journal_of_Archaeology.html" ;"title="eprinted from American Journal of Archaeology">eprinted from American Journal of Archaeology 52 (1948) {{DEFAULTSORT:Lipit-Ishtar Sumerian rulers Amorite kings Ancient legislators Ancient Near East law 19th-century BC Sumerian kings Dynasty of Isin

Excerpts from the "Code of Lipit-Ištar"

See also

Notes

References