643
7.8 Hire (of things)
The few relevant provisions inform us of the object of hire, namely
draft animals (HL 75, 151, 152) and various types of bronze axes
(157), and the amount of the hiring fee.7.9 Hire (of persons)
The same conditions prevail as for hire of things. As employers,
there are mentioned a builder (HL 145) and a smith (160, 161).
Payment for the various activities is called kussan, “wages.” It is used
equally for the physician and for laborers and craftsmen.7.10 Debt
There are no provisions directly concerning debt, but HL 172 regulates
the case of a man who saves another man’s life in a year of famine.
From parallels in documents of practice from Late Bronze Age Syria
(see, e.g., Emar and Nuzi), this would have involved some form of
servitude similar to debt servitude. The beneficiary must provide a
substitute if he is a free man or pay ten shekels if semi-free.^82- C D
8.1.1 The modern categories of criminal and civil wrongs were not
known to the Hittites. Nonetheless, they did make distinctions, and
HL groups acts that are an “abomination” (¢urkel) together with
those offenses that carry the death penalty.8.1.2 HL 1–4 distinguish between intentional acts (“in a quarrel”)
and negligence (“his hand alone sins”). Other provisions such as HL
7, regarding the knocking out of a tooth, make no mention of the
mental element, leaving it unclear whether there could be liability
for mere accident.(^82) Yaron, “On Section II, 57...”
WESTBROOK_f15–618-656 8/27/03 12:28 PM Page 643