III. The Letters Of Samsu-Iluna And His Immediate Successors
Few in number
The discovered letters of Samsu-iluna are as yet comparatively few. They are not all addressed to one man. We may take one or two specimens.
About change of air for a goddess
Like his father Ḥammurabi, Samsu-iluna cared for the health of the goddesses, providing them with an occasional change of scene. This time it is the goddess Anunitum, who makes a journey:[835]
To Haiab ... say, thus saith Samsu-iluna: Concerning Anunitum's going to Sippar-edina, I have sent an officer. Forthwith let Anunitum go to Sippar-edina.
The name of the official to whom the letter is sent is broken and it could be completed in several different ways. Sippar-edina was one quarter of Sippara.
Temple dues
The following letter is concerned with the supply of corn for the Shamash temple at Larsa. It is addressed to three officials:[836]
To Sin-ilu, Bîtu-rabi, and Nîḳ-Sin say, thus saith Samsu-iluna: The corn for the treasure-house of the temple of Shamash of Larsa, the property of Igmil-Sin which ye deliver, verily ye shall deliver. Forthwith, from the corn that is in your hands, give corn for the supply of food for the treasure-house of the temple of Shamash; what is now standing due make up.
The “treasure-house” may be only a “store-house” in general. Instead of “make up,” we may render “buy.”
Fishing rights
Samsu-iluna looked into the details of his government quite as closely as his father. We see him regulating fishing rights:[837]
To Sin-iddinam, Kâr-Sippar, and the judges of Sippara, say, thus saith Samsu-iluna: They tell me that the ships of the fishermen go down to the districts of Rabî and Shamkâni and catch fish. I am sending an official of the palace-gate; when he shall reach thee [summon] the ships of the fishermen (who have been catching fish) in the districts of Rabî and Shamkâni, and let it not occur again that the ships of the fishermen go down to the districts of Rabî and Shamkâni.
Clearly each district owned its own fishing rights, as it was responsible for the repairs of the banks and scouring the beds of the water-ways in it. It is far from unlikely that Kâr-Sippar denotes some ruling body in Sippara, for in the contracts we find that cases were brought before the Kâr-Sippar. As they are associated with the judges of Sippara, they may be the town elders. Sin-iddinam here is hardly the official of Larsa to whom Ḥammurabi usually wrote, though he might have been promoted to Sippara in the meantime.
Business details
Two other letters were addressed to him by Samsu-iluna,[838] one about corn due from certain persons, the other about a contingent of men sent to strengthen the walls of Sippar-Amnanu. In another letter, the king summons to Babylon, Sin-iddinam, Ibni-Marduk, the Kâr-Sippar, and the judges of Sippara, but the letter[839] is too defaced for us to determine the reason. It was to be “at seed-time.”
Letters of Abêshu'
The letters of Abêshu' are somewhat more numerous. Mr. King published thirteen. They are all more or less defective, and add nothing to our knowledge beyond the fact that the same policy of centralization went on.
Of Ammi-ditana
The letters of Ammi-ditana, two in number, are more [pg 329] interesting. One deals with the supply of corn for men at work on the citadel of Shagga, a town probably near Sippara. The king orders the authorities of Sippara to make up and send on the supply, and adds that the soothsayers were to be consulted as to favorable auspices for sending the corn.[840] The other deals, as do three letters of Abêshu', with tribute due in wool from Sippar-iaḫruru. The report from the superintendent of this source of revenue in each case is that the tribute is over-due and the king sends a peremptory order for it to be sent forthwith to Babylon.
Of Ammi-zadûga
Ammi-zadûga's letters, five in number, all happen to be concerned with the annual sheep-shearing at Babylon. They differ slightly, in the person addressed, and the date assigned for the shearing. Thus one[841] reads:
To Ibni-Sin, son of Marduk-nâṣir, say, thus saith Ammi-zadûga: A sheep-shearing will take place in the House of the New Year's Festival. On receipt of this note, take the sheep ... and the sheep which are sealed, which thou shall set in motion, and come to Babylon. Delay not, reach Babylon on the first of Adar.
Of Sin-iddinam
The one letter written by Sin-iddinam[842] is addressed to the rabiânu of Katalla, ordering him to send the plaintiff in a suit to him. Very interesting is a letter from Tabbi-Wadi and Mâr-Shamash to Aḫâti, the wife of Sin-iddinam,[843] asking her to intercede for them with Sin-iddinam. He had himself referred them to her, perhaps because their offence immediately concerned her. They say that they are ill acquainted with the ways of the court. From several unusual forms of expression it may be concluded that they were strangers who had settled in Babylonia. They do not state either their offence or the grounds on which they would be excused, but ask for an interview, that they may remove Aḫâti's resentment against them.
Periphrasis for “king”
Some letters are addressed to “the man whom may Marduk make to flourish.”[844] Some have taken this as a proper name. But that seems very unlikely. Others regard it as a sort of polite address to a superior. Winckler[845] suggested that it was an address to the king. The Code has made it clear that the amêlu was the “gentleman,” or “noble,” who lived in a “palace,” or “great house.” Hence, these letters may be addressed to any great official. But many turns of expression support the view that the king is really meant; he was thus the “First Gentleman” of Babylonia. It was not till Ḥammurabi that the title “king” was generally given. Perhaps the old nobles were slow to admit a king over them.
Freeing of runaway slaves
As an example we may take:[846]
To “the man whom may Marduk make to flourish” say, thus saith Ashtamar-Adadi: May Shamash and Marduk ever make thee flourish. The gardeners, inhabitants of Sippara, have spoken concerning their servants who fled and have been recaptured. Therefore I have sent a note thus to thee, I sent those men to thee. Accept their petition (?) and may they be acceptable to thee before Shamash. Grant their entreaty and set them free. If they come not to Babylon, do this in my name.
It is probable that recaptured runaway slaves, who would not name their owners, were forfeit to the State. The king is the only one who would have power to release such slaves. It is clear that the recipient of the letter was at Babylon.