H8 LH ia 24 iš-da-ša SV(1) – Difference in the gender
B i 18 iš-da-šu of the possessive pronominal suf-fix. (^359)
(^) H9 LH ia 26 (^) ú-ki-in-nu-šum (^) OV(l) – B lacks mimation.
B i 19 ú-ki-in-nu-šu
H10 LH ia 27-28 i-nu-mi-šu ḫa-am-mu-ra-pi SV(1) – The preposition inūmišu,
B i 20-21 ḫ a-am-mu-ra-pi “at that time,” is lacking in B.
H11 LH ia 28 B i 20-21 ḫḫa-am-mu-ra-pi a-am-mu-ra-pi ša-ra mi-ša- SV(2) – B has an expanded epi-thet. (^360)
ra-am
H12 LH ia 29 ru-ba-am OV – The long vowel (diphthong)
B i 22 ru-ba-a-am in √rubû, “prince,” is written in B.
H13 B i 23 na-’-da LH ia 30 na-’-dam OV(l) – B lacks mimation.
H14 LH ia 31 ia-ti OV – Ththong) of the independent pronoun e long initial vowel (diph-
iāti is written in B.
B i 25 ia-a-ti
H15 B i 25 mi-ša-ri-am LH ia 32 mi-ša-ra-am OV(l) – Possible difference in pro-nunciation. (^361)
H16 B i 26 ma-a-ti LH ia 33 ma-tim OV(l) – B lacks mimation.
(^359) The form išdaša/u, is translated “its foundation.” The possessive pronominal suffix refers to (^) šarrutam
daritam, “everlasting kingship.” Nouns marked with the abstract affix “-ut” are grammatically feminine (cf.
J. Huehnergard, A Grammar of Akkadian [Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2005^2 ] 124), so the reading in the
stele is considered to be correct. 360
The epithet in B reads: Hammurabi šarra mīšaram. The expected grammatical form would be: Hammu-
rabi šar m 361 īšarim “Hammurabi the king of justice” (see M.E.J. Richardson, Hammurabi's Laws, 28 n. 12).
See also the spelling in B of the final vowel preceding the nominative case vowel in the form mišarium
in H2 above. The diphthongal spelling of the ultimate vowel may reflect the pronunciation of this lexeme
for the scribe, possibly influenced by √ešēru, “to be straight,” on which the noun is based, but see also H18
below. In other instances the scribe seems to preserve diphthongal endings in final weak verbs (see note
and the references there).