"When Anu the Sublime, King of the Anunaki, and Bel,
the lord of Heaven and earth, who decreed the fate of the land, assigned
to Marduk, the over-ruling son of Ea, God of righteousness, dominion over
earthly man, and made him great among the Igigi, they called Babylon by
his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting
kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid so solidly as those of heaven
and earth; then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince,
who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to
destroy the wicked and the evil-doers; so that the strong should not harm
the weak; so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash,
and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind..." |