Editing Code of Hammurabi (section)

===Epilogue===
[[File:Enki(Ea).jpg|thumb|alt=Ea or Enki, depicted on a cylinder seal with streams of fish spouting from his shoulders. Refer to caption|[[Ea (mythology)|Ea/Enki]], [[god of wisdom]] whom Hammurabi implores to confuse any defacer of his stele, depicted on a [[cylinder seal]] c.&nbsp;2300 BC]]
Unlike the prologue, the 500-line epilogue is explicitly related to the laws.{{sfnp|Driver|Miles|1952|pp=40–41}} The epilogue begins (3144'–3151'): "These are the just decisions which Hammurabi{{nbsp}}... has established" ({{lang|akk|dīnāt mīšarim ša ḫammurabi... ukinnu-ma}}). He exalts his laws and his magnanimity (3152'–3239').{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|pp=133–134}} He then expresses a hope that "any wronged man who has a lawsuit" ({{lang|akk|awīlum ḫablum ša awātam iraššû}}) may have the laws of the stele read aloud to him and know his rights (3240'–3256').{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=134}} This would bring Hammurabi praise (3257'–3275') and divine favour (3276'–3295').{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|pp=134–135}} Hammurabi wishes for good fortune for any ruler who heeds his pronouncements and respects his stele (3296'–3359').{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|pp=135–136}} However, he invokes the wrath of the gods on any man who disobeys or erases his pronouncements (3360'–3641', the end of the text).{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|pp=136–140}}<ref group="note" name="CDLI and Roth" />

The epilogue contains much legal imagery, and the phrase "to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak" (3202'–3203': {{lang|akk|dannum enšam ana lā ḫabālim}}){{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=133}} is reused from the prologue. However, the king's main concern appears to be ensuring that his achievements are not forgotten and his name not sullied.{{sfnmp|1a1=Driver|1a2=Miles|1y=1952|1p=37|2a1=Bottéro|2y=1992|2p=167}} The list of curses heaped upon any future defacer is 281 lines long and extremely forceful. Some of the curses are very vivid: "may the god [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]]{{nbsp}}... decree for him a life that is no better than death" (3486'–3508': {{lang|akk|sîn... balāṭam ša itti mūtim šitannu ana šīmtim lišīmšum}});{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=138}} "may he [the future defacer] conclude every day, month, and year of his reign with groaning and mourning" (3497'–3501': {{lang|akk|ūmī warḫī šanāt palēšu ina tānēḫim u dimmatim lišaqti}});{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=138}} may he experience "the spilling of his life force like water" (3435'–3436': {{lang|akk|tabāk napištišu kīma mê}}).{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=137}} Hammurabi implores a variety of gods individually to turn their particular attributes against the defacer. For example: "may the [[storm god|[storm] god]] [[Adad]]{{nbsp}}... deprive him of the benefits of rain from heaven and flood from the springs" (3509'–3515': {{lang|akk|adad... zunnī ina šamê mīlam ina nagbim līṭeršu}});{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=138}} "may the [[god of wisdom|god [of wisdom]]] [[Ea (Babylonian god)|Ea]]{{nbsp}}... deprive him of all understanding and wisdom, and may he lead him into confusion" (3440'–3451': {{lang|akk|ea... uznam u nēmeqam līṭeršu-ma ina mīšītim littarrūšu}}).{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|p=137}}<ref group="note" name="CDLI and Roth" /> Gods and goddesses are invoked in this order:{{sfnp|Roth|1995a|pp=136–140}}

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
# Anum (3387'–3394')
# Enlil (3395'–3422')
# [[Ninlil]] (3423'–3439')
# Ea (3440'–3458')
# Shamash (3459'–3485')
# Sin (3486'–3508')
# Adad (3509'–3525')
# [[Zababa]] (3526'–3536')
# [[Ishtar]] (3537'–3573')
# [[Nergal]] (3574'–3589')
# [[Nintu]] (3590'–3599')
# [[Ninkarrak]] (3600'–3619')
# All the gods (3620'–3635')
# Enlil, a second time (3636'–3641')
{{div col end}}