§ 133

Law § 133 of Hammurabi's Code

Translation
[a] If a man has been carried off (as booty), but there is something to eat in his house, his wife will take over his house, and protect herself; she will not enter another house/the house of another man. [b] If that woman has not protected herself, but has entered another house/the house of another man, that woman will be convicted and thrown into the water.
Law Code
Law Code of Hammurabi
Law Group
Family and Divorce
Inscription

Cuneiform

Law § 133 - Cuneiform - Law Code of Hammurabi

Source: Bergmann (1953, p. 16, col. R VI, lns. 7–26)

Transliteration

[a] šum-ma a-wi-lum iš-ša-li-il-ma i-na É-šu ša a-ka-lim [i]-ba-aš-ši [aš]-ša-sú [É-sú i]-ṣa-[ab-ba-a]t [ù pa-gàr-š]a [i-na-aṣ-ṣa-a]r [a-na É ša-ni-i]m [ú-ul i-ir-r]u-ub [b] š[um-m]a MUNUS ši-i [pa]-gàr-ša la iṣ-ṣur-ma a-na É ša-ni-im i-te-ru-ub MUNUS šu-a-ti ú-ka-an-nu-ši-ma a-na me-e i-na-ad-du-ú-ši

Source: Huehnergard (2011, p. 245–246)

Normalization

[a] šumma awīlum iššalil-ma ina bītīšu ša akālim [i]bašši [aš]šassu [bīssu i]ṣa[bba]t [u pagarš]a [inaṣṣa]r [ana bīt(im) šanî]m [ul irr]ub. [b] š[umm]a sinništum šī [pa]garša lā iṣṣur-ma ana bīt(im) šanîm īterub sinništam šuāti ukannūšī-ma ana mê inaddûši.

Source: Huehnergard (2013, p. 55)

Translation

[a] If a man has been carried off (as booty), but there is something to eat in his house, his wife will take over his house, and protect herself; she will not enter another house/the house of another man. [b] If that woman has not protected herself, but has entered another house/the house of another man, that woman will be convicted and thrown into the water.

Source: Huehnergard (2013, p. 55)

Cuneiform

Signs for Law § 133

  • Unavailable
    Source: Bergmann (1953, p. 16)
    Cuneiform
    Law § 133: cuneiform line art
    Source: Harper (1904, p. [pl. XXXV])
    Cuneiform
    Law § 133: line art of cuneiform

Inscription

Location of Law § 133 · Powered by Stele3DSM

Orientation Back
Side(s) Sides 4 – 5 (overflow)
Column(s) Col. 29
Line(s) Lns. 7–26
Key
Law § 133
Prologue
Laws
Epilogue
Damage
Open Law § 133 in Stele3DSM

Logic

Logic Map for § 133 · Powered by LawgicSnifferSM

#
Steps
  • 1 if:start If
  • 2 condition:start
  • 3 party:1 a man
  • 4 action has been carried off
  • 5 item:1 (as booty),
  • 6 condition:end
  • 7 but but
  • 8 condition:start
  • 9 action there is
  • 10 item:2 something
  • 11 action to eat in
  • 12 party:1 his
  • 13 item:3 house,
  • 14 condition:end
  • 15 then:start [then]
  • 16 result:start
  • 17 party:1 his
  • 18 party:2 wife
  • 19 action will take over
  • 20 party:1 his
  • 21 item:3 house,
  • 22 result:end
  • 23 and and
  • 24 result:start
  • 25 party:2 [she]
  • 26 action will protect
  • 27 party:2 herself;
  • 28 result:end
  • 29 and [and]
  • 30 result:start
  • 31 party:2 she
  • 32 negation will not
  • 33 action enter
  • 34 item:4 another house
  • 35 or [or]
  • 36 item:3 the house
  • 37 party:3 (of) another man.
  • 38 result:end
  • 39 then:end
  • 40 if:start If
  • 41 condition:start
  • 42 party:2 that woman
  • 43 negation has not
  • 44 action protected
  • 45 party:2 herself,
  • 46 condition:end
  • 47 but but
  • 48 condition:start
  • 49 party:2 [she]
  • 50 action has entered
  • 51 item:4 another house
  • 52 or [or]
  • 53 item:2 the house
  • 54 party:3 (of) another man,
  • 55 condition:end
  • 56 if:end
  • 57 then:start [then]
  • 58 result:start
  • 59 party:2 that woman
  • 60 action will be convicted
  • 61 result:end
  • 62 and and
  • 63 result:start
  • 64 party:2 [she]
  • 65 action [will be] thrown into the water.
  • 66 result:end
  • 67 then:end
  • 68 if:end

Staff notes

  1. 'Line number separation'
    Added on August 17, 2024 by eHammurabi Staff

    Roth & Hoffner (1995, p. 106) separates this law into two parts: Part A from Col. 29 lns. 7–17; and Part B from Col. 29 lns. 18–26. Richardson (2004, p. 82) follows Roth & Hoffner (1995).

    See also: Martha Tobi Roth · Mervyn E.J. Richardson

Citation

Dedović, B. "§ 133 - eHammurabi." OMNIKA Foundation, 1 Nov. 2023, ehlaw.org/law/133. [Accessed 7 Nov. 2026]

MLA 9

Dedović, B. (2023, November 1). § 133 - eHammurabi. OMNIKA Foundation. https://ehlaw.org/law/133

APA 7

Dedović, Boban. "§ 133 - eHammurabi." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created November 1, 2023. Modified December 27, 2024. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://ehlaw.org/law/133.

CMS 16

Bibliography

Abulhab, Saad D. The Law Code of Hammurabi: Transliterated and Literally Translated from its Early Classical Arabic Language. New York, NY: Blautopf, 2017.

ACH

Bergmann, Eugen. Codex Ḫammurabi: Textus Primigenius. Rome, Italy: Pontificium Institutum Biblicum, 1953.

CHTP

Huehnergard, John. A Grammar of Akkadian (Third Edition). Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2011.

HAG3

Huehnergard, John. Key to a Grammar of Akkadian (Third Edition). Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2013.

HKEY3

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "OMNIKA: Digital Mythology Library & Search Engine." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation, accessed November 14, 2023. https://omnika.org. [Visit]

–

Richardson, Mervyn E.J. Hammurabi's Laws: Text, Translation and Glossary. New York, NY: T & T Clark International, 2004.

RHL

Sound of Text Contributors. "Sound of Text: AI Text-to-Speech." Accessed November 14, 2023. https://soundoftext.app. [Visit]

SoT

eHammurabi Glossary

The § symbol commonly denotes "a shorthand notation for the word 'section'."

Read more

eHammurabi Glossary

The term Cuneiform commonly means "an ancient writing system used by various cultures around Mesopotamia."

Read more

eHammurabi Glossary

The term Normalization commonly means "the application of grammatical rules unto transliterated sound values."

Read more

eHammurabi Glossary

The term Translation commonly means "the conversion of linguistic contents and their meanings from one language into another."

Read more

eHammurabi Glossary

The term Transliteration commonly means "the conversion of sound values from one writing system into another."

Read more