The Laws of Eshunna (ca. 1770 BCE)∗

Dadusha of Eshunna was one of the first to document laws in the Babylonian language. The document consists of 60 paragraphs. It begins with the establishment of tariffs and then discusses ships and grain, family and slaves, physical wounds, animals, and the construction of houses. In this excerpt from the section on physical wounds, injuries to various body parts are assigned a hierarchical sum in terms of their value to the injured.

• If a man bites the nose of a(nother) man and severs it, he shall pay 1 mina of silver. (For) an eye (he shall pay) 1 mina of silver; (for) a tooth 1/2 mina; (for) an ear 1/2 mina; (for) a slap in the face 10 shekels of silver.
• If a man severs a(nother) man's finger, he shall pay two-thirds of a mina of silver.
• If a man throws a(nother) man to the floor in an altercation and breaks his hand, he shall pay 1/2 mina of silver.
• If he breaks his foot, he shall pay 1/2 mina of silver.
• If a man assaults a(nother) man and breaks his […], he shall pay two-thirds of a mina of silver.
• If a man hits a(nother) man accidentally, he shall pay 10 shekels of sliver.

∗ Lacunae in the text are indicated by […].