Hazor new cuneiform text and Notes

Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Visiting Professor

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint Lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

16 August 2011

Most people are not aware of the large number of cuneiform tablets that were unearthed already in Israel. Three publishers of Cuneiform in Canaan: Cuneiform Sources from the Land of Israel in Ancient Times, by W. Horowitz, T. Oshima and S. L. Sanders (Israel Exploration Society, 2006) counted 91 cuneiform related texts. My own catalogue produced through the years and not updated since 2006, counts nearly 62, full text and translations.

Then it was announced (many online news items for example Haaretz) on the 26th of July 2010 that a fragment of the Law code of Hammurabi (1792 BCE) was discovered at Hazor, in Akkadian of course. Horowitz will be tasked to present the publication probably but a number of mixed feelings need to be expressed here. It is said that "Thus far, words that have been deciphered include "master", "slave" and a word referring to bodily parts, apparently a word for "tooth". Three words. Furthermore, the size of the text is not that promising. It is 2cm by 1.5cm. That is it. Nothing more. What we need to guard against is that we are not doing the same that Leaky did with his discovery of Neandertal evidence. Constructing a whole human being sometimes only from teeth. However, looking at the formulae of the Hammurabi code which is repeating at times, one may come to such a conclusion if the spaces allow words to be lined up. But that awaits careful measurements and careful reconstructions and parallel placing with the Hammurabi laws, Hazoritized in orthography to see the possible link.

To find a copy or redaction of the code of Hammurabi at Hazor and dating to the Middle Bronze Period or Old Babylonian Period will be significant to see the width of cuneiform laws and empire influences in those days. If the law is available someone thought it was possible to refer to it for jurisprudence and sought refuge by it in the form of punishments meted out to trespassers. Since it is in Akkadian, it means that Akkadian power could be relied on for enforcement of these principles.

The Law of Moses was given to him on Mount Horeb which is apparently a part of Mount Sinai. That was in 1448 BCE and the writing up of it continued until Moses' death in 1410 BCE. The world was not lawless before God gave Moses the law. From the very beginning laws were known. Since the Flood destroyed all records in cuneiform and otherwise of legal sources in 2521 BCE, one can only depend on analysis of the Sumerian and Akkadian societies of the period after the deluge.

Many scholars, like Joachim Jeremias, wished to see Moses as copying the ancient cuneiform laws and not God giving it to Moses. There is no comparison between Moses and the formulations methods of Moses on the one hand and the cuneiform descriptions on the other. God is always involved in the laws and most of them has God and His nature in mind and His intention with Israel.

Hazor is yet to open a large archive of cuneiform texts. But, up to this day, they have already uncovered a number of cuneiform texts:

1977 A Prophetic Omen Text (clay liver model text)

1977 A Lexicographical Text (Dictionary)

1977 A Prophetic Omen Text (clay liver model text)

1977 A Prophetic Omen Text

1977 A Juridical document: Lawsuit

1992 An Administrative Text

2010 A Fragment of what appears to be the Law of Hammurabi

Before we get excited and say they all will help clear up the issues, it is not that simple. They are dating to different periods.

In an article that Ammi ben Tor wrote he is referring to a mathematical text that they also discovered at Hazor but which I did not see yet. He said "Further evidence of a scribal school comes from a mathematical tablet bearing multiplication tables: 2 × 30 = 60, 3 × 20 = 60, 4 × 15 = 60, etc. The sexagesimal system demonstrated here reminds us of the measurements, all divisible by 60, used in the construction of the Hazor palace." What he is not explaining is the date of the tablet. The reason we say this, is that in earlier Sumerian and Old Babylonian times, both the decimal and sexagesimal systems of counting was used. One should not make the quick conclusion from this that the sexagesimal mathematical system was used in Israel and not the decimal system. From the earliest times the decimal system were used. In the Aphek cuneiform tablet that is like the Ugarit texts, one can see that in 1260-1220 BCE, the decimal system is used to align with customers using a sexagesimal system. That is why 250 measures plus 2/6 measures should be used. The counting is in decimal at Aphek but the delivery will suit the customer with a sexagesimal system since 2/6ths is necessary to round it off completely. However, later in the text 100 is given and 10 is mentioned. Clearly they are decimal system favorites. Moses may have used a decimal system in his counting, about 200 years prior to this Aphek cuneiform tablet.