(Here follow the names of eight witnesses, including two brothers of the contracting parties.)
"Month Tebet, day 21st, year Hammurabi the king destroyed, by command of Anu and Bêl, the fortification of Mair, and Malgia."
Tablets referring to the sale and purchase of slaves are numerous, and do not present much variety, being nearly all written in accordance with the usual legal forms. In the _hiring_ of slaves, however, there is a little more dissimilarity--
"Awel-Addi, son of Sililum, has hired Arad-îli-remeanni from Eristi-Samas, sun-devotee, daughter of Sin-bêl-âbli, for a year. The hire for a year, 5 shekels of silver, he will pay. A first instalment of the sum, 2 shekels of silver, she has received. He will be clothed by his hirer.
"He entered (upon his duties) on the 16th of Elul.
"Before Samas, Aa; before Taribatum; before Nûr-Marduk; before Lahutum.
"Year Samsu-iluna (made) a throne of gold (shining like the stars, for Nin-gala").
The following is a similar text with additional clauses--
"Asir-Addu, son of Libit-Urra, has hired Samas-bêl-ili from Ahatani, sun-devotee, daughter of Samas-hazir, for his first year. As hire for his first year, he shall pay 3-½ shekels of silver. He shall clothe himself. He entered (on his duties) on the 4th of the month Dûr-Addi, in the month Mamitu he will complete (his term), and may leave.
"Before Asirum, son of Ea-rabi; before Nin-gira-âbi, son of Eribam; before Arad-Sin, son of Sin-idinnam.
(The accession-year of Amraphel's successor.)
In the following the slave is hired for produce--
"Ris-Samas, son of Marduk-nasir, has hired Nawir-nûr-su from Subtum for a year. He will pay 20 _qa_ of oil as his hire for the year. He will clothe him. He entered in the month Elul, in the month Tirinu he may go forth.
When a man had no master--was his own master, in fact--he was hired "from himself"--
"Idin-Ittum has hired for wages Naram-ili-su from himself, for six months. He will receive 2 shekels of silver as wages for the six months.
"Before Êtel-pî-Uras, before Sin-îlu, before Ahum, the scribe.
"Month Nisan, day 20th, year the throne ... was...."
Servants were not only hired from their masters and themselves, but also from their fathers, mothers, brothers, and whoever else might have charge of them. There are also lists of workmen hired for various purposes in batches. Those who went about doing reaping seem to have been of various nationalities, and interesting names are on that account found in the lists from time to time.