A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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8.2.1.7.3 HL 168 and 169 are concerned with the violation of
boundaries, which were regarded as sacred, by over-plowing, whether
intentional or negligent.^95 In either case, the land has been made
impure, and ritual purification is therefore necessary. The violator
must make a sacrifice to the Sun God, who is the god of justice.

8.2.1.7.4 If slaves commit indecent sexual acts with each other,
their master must separate them geographically. He himself is obliged
to make a sacrificial offering (HL 196).

8.2.1.7.5 If a bull sexually assaults a man, it is to be killed. The
victim is, however, unclean and must bring a sacrificial offering
(HL 199).^96

8.2.1.8 Sexual Offences


8.2.1.8.1 Incest, rape, and bestiality are the principal sexual offenses
dealt with by HL. Sometimes the death penalty is expressly stated,
in others the word ¢urkil(“abomination”) is used to express the grav-
ity of the offense.

8.2.1.8.2 Incest includes sexual intercourse between (a) son and
mother (HL 189), (b) son and stepmother during the father’s life-
time (190), (c) a man and two free women who are mother and
daughter (194), (d) a man and his sister-in-law during his brother’s
lifetime (195a), (e) a man and his stepdaughter (195b), (f ) a man and
his mother-in-law (195c).^97

8.2.1.8.3 Rape is dealt with only in HL 197: a man seizes a woman
“in the mountains,” that is, somewhere in the open country. He is
killed but the woman is blameless, the assumption being that she
could not defend herself or cry for help (cf. Deut. 22:27).

8.2.1.8.4 In HL, bestiality is performed by a man with an ox (187),
a sheep (188), a bitch or sow (199), or a mare or mule (200a). In
all cases, the culprit becomes ritually impure. With the exception of

(^95) Imparati, Le Leggi.. ., 287–90.
(^96) Haase, “Die Behandlung von Tierschäden.. .,” 36–38.
(^97) Haase, “Der Inzest...”
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