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79; YOS 6 179; YOS 6 191).^234 Knowing receipt resulted in the
same punishment as theft. Thus, receiving stolen temple property
was punished with a fine equal to thirty times the amount received
(RA 14 158 [no. 152]; YOS 6 175; YOS 6 193; YOS 6 214). In a
case involving receipt of stolen private property, the defendant was
threatened with a twofold fine (Sack 79).8.5 Damage to Property
Those who damaged private or temple property could be taken to
court. The standard penalty appears to have been compensation for
damage. Relevant records include damage to another’s field (NBL
2–3), the destruction of a temple date-palm (TCL 12 89), and the
killing of a private slave (Nbk. 365).8.6 Perjury
Accusations in court that are clearly proven to be false were pun-
ished in a talionic manner (Cyr. 332, Nbn. 13; cf. the literary text
CT 46 45).^235 That is, the penalty that the false accuser was trying
to inflict on the defendant was imposed on the false accuser. There
is no evidence to show that accusers whose claims simply lacked sub-
stantiation or that non-party witnesses (those who were not the
accuser/plaintiffor the defendant) who made false statements were
punished in this way.8.7 Treason
Treason was a capital offense. One man who committed treason
against Nebuchadnezzar II was sentenced by the latter to death and
executed (AfO 17 2). His property was confiscated and donated to
the Ezida temple in Borsippa. A letter to the governor at Nippur
refers to a conspiracy among certain Aramean, Chaldean, and Arabian
tribes (OIP 114 14).^236 The writer demanded that the conspiracy be
deemed a “judgment of life,” that is, a capital crime.(^234) These documents state that the defendants will not be convicted for legiti-
mately received goods but will be punished for receiving other goods.
(^235) On CT 46 45, see Lambert, “Nebuchadnezzar...”
(^236) Cole, Nippur IV.. ., 7, 64–65.
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