He shall not be forced to build a road or a bridge, whether for the
king, or for the governor who may be appointed in the district of
Bit-Pir-Shadu-rabu, neither shall he be liable for any new form of
forced labour, which in the days that are to come a king, or a governor
appointed in the district of Bit-Pir-Shadu-rabu, shall institute and
exact, nor for forced labour long fallen into disuse which may be
revived anew. To prevent encroachment on his land the king hath fixed
the privileges of his domain, and that which appertaineth unto it, and
all that he hath granted unto him; and in the presence of Shamash, and
Marduk, and Anunitu, and the great gods of heaven and earth, he hath
inscribed them upon a stone, and he hath left it as an everlasting
memorial with regard to his estate."
The whole of the text is too long to quote, and it will suffice to note
here that Melishikhu proceeds to appeal to future kings to respect the
land and privileges which he has granted to his son, Marduk-aplu-iddina,
even as he himself has respected similar grants made by his predecessors
on the throne; and the text ends with some very vivid curses against
any one, whatever his station, who should make any encroachments on the
privileges granted to Marduk-aplu-iddina, or should alter or do any harm
to the memorial-stone itself.
Pages:
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287