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1.2 Statutes
Rules for the convening of and decision making by the assembly
(pu¢rum) of the kàrumas administrative body of the Assyrian colonial
society are preserved in three large but very damaged tablets, called
“Statutes of the Colony” by their latest editor.^3 They deal with set-
tling accounts and passing verdicts.1.3 Administrative Orders
These are contained in a number of so-called “tablets of the City,”
sent to kàrumKanish. They were official letters from the ruler of
Assur in his capacity of waklum, “overseer” (of the city and perhaps
chairman of the city assembly), communicating decisions of the City
to the colonies.^4 While most “orders of the City” (awàt àlim) are in
the form of specific verdicts, some have a more general impact and
seem to refer to procedure and substance of law.^5 There are also a
few damaged letters from the ruler which contain orders without
reference to the City; one deals with judicial procedure, the other
perhaps with smuggling.^6 At the end of the former, we read: “Let
a copy of this tablet be read out (“heard”) in every single colony!”
The kàrumauthorities also issued written orders (awàt kàrim), occa-
sionally made known by circular letters addressed “to every single
kàrum,” which deal with administrative and commercial matters, such
as smuggling or the rate of interest.1.4 Judicial Records^7
Hundreds of documents result from the administration of justice in
all its forms and stages, ranging from records of private summons
and voluntary arbitration to those reporting on or emanating from(^3) Larsen, City-State.. ., 283–332; one of the tablets bears the subscript tam“imtum,
“wise rule.”
(^4) In some of these, the waklumis only mentioned as sender on the envelope,
while the text on the tablet inside lacks an address and immediately starts with:
“The City has passed the following verdict:... .” (e.g., EL 327; see Larsen, City-
State.. ., 176).
(^5) See Larsen, City-State.. ., 173ff.
(^6) TC 1 142 (ibid., 153f.), and kt 91/k 100 (unpubl.), both heavily damaged.
(^7) A full edition, with comments, of nearly one hundred judicial records is found
in EL nos. 238–341, and a representative sample in translation with comments in
Michel, “Les litiges commerciaux...”
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