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a female slave is referred to as the property of another slave, but it
is his mistress who claims her on his behalf in court.4.4.4.5 To prevent a slave from running away, physical impedi-
ments such as chains and fetters were available. They were not totally
reliable, as LE 51 reveals in forbidding unsupervised egress from the
city of slaves so encumbered. The law punished persons who aided
or harbored fugitive slaves (see 8.4.3.3 below) and offered a reward
for their return (LH 17). The existence of a fugitive would be
announced by a herald (LH 16), and a slave-mark (abbuttum) would
serve to identify the fugitive as a slave. Accordingly, LH 226–27
impose severe penalties for its illicit removal.4.4.5 Termination
Slavery could be ended in three ways: by manumission, by redemp-
tion, and by debt-release. (The latter two will be dealt with under
7.5 below.) The term for freedom from slavery was anduràrum(Sum.
ama.ar.gi 4 ), which literally meant “restoration.”^64 In principle, restora-
tion to one’s previous state meant freedom, but it could mean only
restoration to one’s former owner, where that had been the slave’s
previous condition.4.4.5.1 Manumission by the owner took the form of a ceremony
in which the slave’s forehead was anointed with oil, with the slave
facing the rising sun. This was referred to as “cleansing the fore-
head” (pùtam ullulum/ubbubum). Another symbolic act that was some-
times combined with it was “breaking the pot” (of slavery).^65 Manu-
mission in the extant documents was seldom gratuitous. In BE 6/2
8:11–12 (= UAZP 28) the former slave “brought in” (in.na.ni.in.ku 4 )
to her owner ten shekels, presumably representing what she had
earned outside. More frequently, the manumitted slave was bound
to support the former owner during the latter’s lifetime.^66 In Speleers(^64) Charpin, “Décrets royaux...”
(^65) Akk. karpatam hepûm. BE 6/2 28:1–8: “A has established the freedom of her
slave-woman B. She has cleansed her forehead. She has broken the pot of her slav-
ery. She has drafted a sealed tablet of her purification.. .” (A B gemé.ni.im
ama.ar.gi 4 .ni in.gar sag.ki.ni in.dadag dug.nam.gemé.ni in.gaz ki“ib nam.sikil.la.ni.“è
in.na.an.tag 4 ). See Malul, Symbolism, 40–76.
(^66) See Koschaker, “Über einige griechische Rechtsurkunden.. .,” 68–83; Stol,
“Care.. .,” 83–4.
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