The Hittite Laws

Four thousand years ago, in the shadow of the Anatolian mountains, the scribes of the Hittite Empire set down the laws that held their world together. The Hittite Laws are among the oldest legal codes ever found — a clear-eyed, surprisingly humane vision of justice pressed into clay. Here, a man who blinds a free person pays a heavy price in silver; a thief restores what was stolen; and even the lowliest slave is protected by fixed rules. These two hundred laws touch everything: homicide and marriage, runaway slaves and broken teeth, the price of wine and the wages of a potter. This new edition renders the ancient cuneiform into fresh, accessible English, faithful to the original's meaning and spirit, with an introduction, glossary, and reading guide to help modern readers enter the world of Hattusa. Discover a civilization that chose restitution over revenge, and hear the voice of a people who believed the law could be just. Part of The World Scriptures Library.