[Title] Dowry record and redemption of sold dowry slave [Alternate Title] Ngl 25 and Nbn 59 [Akkadian Title] [Translation] Ngl 25 (BM 30525) ~~~Marduk-šar-uṣur, son of Nabû-ēṭir, voluntarily (lit. "in the joy of his heart") has given five minas (ca. 2.5 kgs.) of silver, four slaves, 30 heads of sheep and goats, two cows and household utensils as dowry with f.Hiptaya, his daughter, to Nabû-bān-zēri, son of Bēl-uballiṭ from the Dannêa family. ~~~Nabû-b&#x0101n-zēri has received her dowry from Marduk-šar-uṣur. ~~~Names of three witnesses and scribe. ~~~Babylon, 6th day of the 6th month, year 1 of Neriglissar, king of Babylon. ~~~ ~~~Nbn 59 (BM 30520) ~~~(This is concerning) the slave woman whom Nabû-bān-zēri, son of Bēl-uballiṭ from the Dannêa family, has sold (lit. "given for silver") to Nabû-šum-līšir, son of Balassu from the Esangilaya family, and Nabû-šum-līšir (has inscribed) her wrist with his name. ~~~Nabû-šum-līšir has received (back the purchase price of) 32 shekels (ca. 267 grs.) of silver from Marduk-šar-uṣur, son of Nabû-ēṭir (the vendor's father-in-law). ~~~All existing documents (pertaining) to the sale (of this slave woman) whom he (the purchaser) took away (in settlement of a debt) from Nabû-bān-zēri he has given to Marduk-šar-uṣur (to whom the slave woman now legally belongs). ~~~Names of three witnesses and scribe (the purchaser). ~~~Babylon, 4th day of the 2nd month, year 2 of Nabonidus, king of Babylon. [Explanatory Notes] None of the explanations provided in brackets is spelled out in the text but went without saying for scribe and parties.<br>The dowry record contains a receipt clause and therefore states the actual delivery of the items. Besides silver and slaves it comprises cattle and sheep, which otherwise rarely is found in dowries (cf. M.T. Roth, AfO 36/37(1989-90) p. 1-55 on dowry items). The bride’s father is never mentioned with a family name, and his first name suggests a connection with the royal household or administration. He seems to be a wealthy social climber marrying his daughter off into a well-established Babylonian family—to a groom in need of money, as the next document shows.<br>Four years later the groom sells a slave woman (probably one of the dowry slaves or bought with money from the dowry) to settle a debt for which the slave already had served as a pledge (this is indicated by abaku “to lead away” in the context of slave purchases). Obviously it was beyond his means to redeem the slave or he had no intention to do so. <br>The purchaser immediately marked the slave woman with a tattoo on the wrist as his property, as was common practice. At that point the father-in-law came up with the purchase price (maybe urged by his daughter) and redeemed the slave woman. Our text states that all previous documentation was handed over to the father-in-law who now was the legal owner, though he may have given the slave back to his daughter. <br>The story is not yet over. These records were preserved in the archive of the Egibi family, presumably as proof for their own claims on the slave woman. A business inventory from the 14th year of Nabonidus (Nbn 787) mentions a slave women of the same name as joint property of Itti-Marduk-bal&#x0101;&#x1E6D;u Egibi and his business partner. We therefore may assume that they had bought her with business proceeds in the meantime. <br>Under normal circumstances a purchase contract would be sufficient proof of ownership, but in this case the woman’s ownership mark referred to a purchaser whose contract had been voided because of redemption. To avoid future claims from him or his heirs the Egibis were well advised to keep the entire documentation. [Publication] translation by Cornelia Wunsch [Publisher URL] [Source] B.T.A. Evetts, … Evil-Merodach... 1892, no. 25; J.N. Strassmaier, ...Nabonidus, 1889, no. 59 [Date] 559 and 555 BC [Language] Neo-Babylonian [Medium] clay tablet [Find Spot] probably Babylon [] Marriage ---------------------------------------- [Title] Marriage Record, Late Babylonian [Alternate Title] BaAr2 5 [Akkadian Title] none [Translation] (BaAr2 5, BM 33795) [...], m.Ah-immê (and) f.Mamitu-ilat, children of Sin-zer-iddin, gave voluntarily (lit.: "in the joy of their hearts"), f.Nabê-hinni, their sister, to m.Aqrâ, son of Arad-Eš(š)u, for marriage. (l. 1-7) (Concerning) the children, whom Nabê-hinni will bear to Aqrâ: The male children will go with Aqrâ to the house of their father. (l. 8-12) When Aqrâ goes to his fate [… (stipulation not preserved)] (l. 13-rev.1´) When he takes another wife, m.Nabê-hinni (will remain) the highest in rank (lit: "the great one"). (rev. 2´-5´) [...] three Minas (ca. 1.5 kgs) of silver [...] (le. e.) Names of witnesses and scribe (only traces preserved) Place where drafted: Town of the lú.SAG.GAL (presumably somewhere in Babylonia). [Explanatory Notes] Marriage record; three siblings give their sister in marriage. The names of parties and witnesses are West Semitic. The contract does not include a dowry clause. The exact meaning of future male children “going” with their father to his house is not clear. It may refer to the fact that the groom is not expected to live in Babylonia permanently. The groom is not barred from taking a second wife, but he is not allowed to reduce his first wife in rank. The last, broken stipulation may represent a penalty clause to prevent the agreement from being broken by either party. [Publication] Babylonische Archive Vol. 2, Dresden 2003 [Publisher URL] http://www.islet-verlag.de/publikationen.html [Source] C. Wunsch, Urkunden zum Ehe-, Vermögens- und Erbrecht … No. 5 [Date] NB/Achaem. [Language] Neo-Babylonian [Medium] clay tablet [Find Spot] not known [] Marriage ---------------------------------------- [Title] Marriage secretly arranged [Alternate Title] Cyr 311 and Cyr 312 [Akkadian Title] [Translation] Cyr 311 (BM 30975) Nabû-etir, son of Arad-Bel from the Arrabtu family, the witness of the tablet, and Rimut-Nabû, his son, the scribe of the document, will bear witness that Mušezib-Bel, the slave of the one in charge of the king’s private quarters, has come on behalf of the one in charge of the king’s private quarters and spoke thus: (l. 1-3, 7a-9) "The one in charge of the king’s private quarters has sent me, saying thus: ‘Write the marriage contract for Kupputtu and give (her/it) to Nabû-ahhe-bullit, son of Nargiya!'" (l. 4-7) In the courthouse they will testify and give (the document about it) to Nargiya. (l. 9a-11) If they do not [testify], they will pay 30 Minas (ca. 15 kgs.) of silver (for) the loss that has been inflicted upon Nargija. (11a-14) Names of four witnesses, scribe (l. 15-19) Babylon, 8th day of the 5th month, year 8 of Cyrus, king of Babylon and the lands. Cyr 312 (BM 33065) Nargiya, the courtier, son of Hanunu, has brought Amurru-šar-usur, the courtier in charge of the king’s private quarters, before the high officials and judges of Cyrus, king of Babylon and the lands, and spoke thus: (l. 1-5) "Amurru-šar-usur, the courtier in charge of the king’s private quarters, and Nabû-uballit, son of Nabû-šamâ, who belongs to the household of the one in charge of the king’s private quarters, have issued a marriage document for Tablut, the sister of Nabû-uballit, without me (i.e. with out my knowing and consent), and have given (her in marriage) to Nabû-ahhe-bullit, my son." (l. 5a-9) The high officials and judges asked the one in charge of the king’s private quarters, and an oath he has sworn, thus: "This [tablet] I did not issue and I have not been present (when it was issued)." (l. 10-12) [half line broken] They asked [Nabû-uball]it (and) Tablut and they confessed (lit. "testified against [them]selves"), and Nabû-uballit said [thus]: "I had the marriage contract issued for Tablut, my sister. To [Nabû-ahhê]-bullit, the son of Nargiya I have given (it/her)." (l. 13a-17) […] and they annulled (it). (l. 18; l. 19-21 too damaged for translation) [… Should the original or any copy of] the marriage record for Tablut that Nabû-uballit issued and gave to Nabû-ahhê-bullit without (knowledge and consent of) Nargiya, his father, be seen in some other place, it is void (lit. "broken"). (l. 22-25) If from now on Tablut is seen with Nabû-ahhe-bullit, she will receive a slave-mark. (l. 26-28) This record was drafted before: Bûr-iadê, the sartennu (chief judge), Marduk-zakir-šum, the governor of Babylon, Nabû-šar-usur, the sukkallu (high judge), Nabû-apla-iddin, Nabû-balassu-iqbi, Kabti-(ili)-Marduk, Nabû-ušallim, Rimut-Bel, Nabû-etel-ilani, the judges. Scribe: Marduk-nasir, son of Banâ-ša-ilija. (l. 28-34) Babylon, 11th day, 5th month, year 8 of Cyrus, king of Babylon and the lands. (l. 34a-36) [Explanatory Notes] Translations are based upon collations of the original tablets by C. Wunsch<br /><br />Synopsis<br />These two records pertain to a clandestine marriage in lofty circles, its legal consequences and final annulment. <br /><br />The son of a courtier has married without his father's knowledge and consent and had an official marriage document issued. The bride is the sister of an subordinate of the official in charge of the king’s private quarters. Although the hierarchical order and social standing of the persons involved cannot clearly be defined there seems no doubt about the son "marrying down", to which the father objects and goes to court to have the arrangement voided. <br /><br />But there may be much more at stake for the father that escapes us. He suspects the one in charge of the king’s private quarters to have been actively involved in the plot to bring the marriage about and brings claim against him. This story background is described (though in terse words) in the litigation record Cyr 312.<br /> <br /> For his purpose the father needs proof. The method he employs is shown in Cyr 311, written before the trial. He obliges the scribe of the marriage document to testify in court that he had acted upon instruction from the one in charge of the king’s private quarters, communicated by one of the latter’s slaves. Should he choose not to testify he has to pay a heavy fine that in itself should be prohibitive. This record makes one wonder if the father tries to force the scribe to give false testimony in court.<br /><br />Three days later the matter is dealt with by the highest-ranking judges (Cyr 312). The one in charge of the king’s private quarters declares under oath not to have anything to do with the marriage arrangement. The brother of the bride admits to have arranged the marriage without the father's consent and the marriage therefore is voided by the judges. His statement helps to exonerate the defendant, probably much to the chagrin of the father. The brother does not seem to face any legal consequences (after all, he is entitled to act on behalf of his sister), though the fact that his sister’s marriage got annulled (after being consummated, as we may suspect) certainly attests to his reputation and standing. His sister faces enslavement should she ever be seen with her not-meant-to-be-husband again. <br /><br /> What happened to the scribe is not clear. The trial record does not mention any statement of his (unless it is lost in the damaged lines, but the preserved words do not point in this direction). Did the one in charge of the king’s quarters put pressure on him not to testify? Did he buy the scribe’s silence (and thereby pay a heavy sum to the father)? The idea that this case lead to out-of-court monetary consequences may be supported by the fact that our records have survived in the archive of a man who was entirely unrelated to the parties involved. The records come from the Egibi family archive. These merchant-entrepreneurs are known to have dealt with difficult financial and legal matters on behalf of noble clients. We therefore can assume the preservation of precisely these records had something to do with the settlement of the those 30 minas of silver mentioned as a penalty in Cyr 311.<br /><br />The name of the bride is given as Kubbuttu in one record, and Tablut in the other, but there is no doubt about her identity. Either one of the scribes was careless (after all, what does the name of the girl matter in this context?) or he employed the girl’s nickname (cf. Joannès)<br /><br />Collation results:<br />Cyr 311: <br />Line 9 read ina É DI*.KU5*, line 12 read mi-t.i*-tu4<br />Cyr 312: <br />Line 15 restore ia-a]-tú im.DUB áš-šu-[ti], cf. Nbn 356:4; line 18 read ]-ma ú-pa-as-si-su (this line does not appear in the copy). [Publication] cf. F. Joannès in Rendre la Justice en Mésopotamie, Saint-Denis 2000, no. 149f. [in French] [Publisher URL] [Source] J.N. Strassmaier, Inschriften von Cyrus… Leipzig 1890 [Date] 531 BC [Language] Neo-Babylonian [Medium] clay tablet [Find Spot] Babylon [] Litigations (Court Cases and Arbitrage) ---------------------------------------- [Title] Mouth-Washing Ritual for a Cult Statue [Alternate Title] Babylonian Ritual Text Mis Pî [Akkadian Title] Mis Pî [Translation] THE FIRST DAY (A) In The House of the Craftsmen When you wash the mouth of a god, on a favorable day in the bit mummi, you set up two holy-water-vessels. [obv. 1] (You place) a red cloth in front of the god and a white cloth to the right of the god. You set up offering arrangements for Ea and Asalluhi. You perform Mouth-Washing [2] on that god, and you set up an offering arrangement for that god. You raise your hand; and you recite the incantation, "Born in heaven by your own power", [3] three times. Before that god, you recite three times the incantaition, "From today you go before your father Ea", and [4] (B) Procession from the House of the Craftsmen to the River you take the hand of the god and lead a ram. You recite the incantaition, "As you grew up, as you grew up from the forest", while (going) from the house of the craftsmen [5] with a torch in front of the god to the river bank. [6] (C) At the River Bank And seat (him) on a reed-mat, and [6] you set his eyes towards sunset. You set up a reed-hut. For Ea, Asalluhi, and that god you set up offering arrangements. [7] You libate mazû-beer; you open the thigh of a ram; and you place inside an axe, a chisel, a saw, [8] a tortoise, and turtle of silver and gold; you bind it up and throw it into the river. [9] You pronounce before Ea three times, "King, lord of the deep", and raise your hand and recite three times the incantation, "Enki, king of the Apsû", and [10] you libate beer, milk, wine and syrup. You perform Mouth-Washing; and you pronounce three times the incantation, "He who comes, his mouth is washed", [11] and (then) you dismantle the offering arrangements. [12] (D) Procession from the River into the Garden You take the hand of that god, and [12] (E) In the Garden in the Circle of Reed Huts and Reed Standards you seat him in the orchard in the midst of the reed-standards on a reed-mat [12] on a linen cloth. You set his eyes towards sunrise. You go to the river and throw mashatu-meal into the river. [13] You libate mihhu-beer. You lift up your hand; and you recite three times each in front of the river the incantation, "Apsû-temple, where fates are determined", (and) the incantation, "Quay of the Apsû, pure quay"; [14] and you draw water (for) seven holy-water-basins, and you place it in the chapel of Kusu. [15] You throw into the holy-water-basin of Mouth-Washing tamarisk, maštakal, date-palm-"heart", seven palm-shoots, šalalu reed, apparu-reed, [16] sweet reed, …, sulphur, …, salt, cedar, cypress, juniper, [17] ["horned alkali"], sikillu plant, tree resin?, lodestone, zalaqu stone, [18] […] muššaru stone, carnelian, lapis-lazuli, pappardilû stone, pappardildilû stone, dušu stone, [19] [silver, gold,] tin, iron, oil, salve-oil, perfumed? oil, cedar oil, syrup (and) ghee. [20] you lay down and arrange […] of the offering arrangements (and) their aromatics. You fill a trough of tamarisk wood with the waters of the holy-water-basins; [21] and you throw into the trough carnelian, lapis-lazuli, silver beads, gold beads, juniper (and) halsu oil, and [22] [you set …] the holy water-basins on the brick of Dingirmah [23] you set up […] the holy-water-basins, and perform Mouth-Washing. You dismantle the offering arrangement. [24] You set up nine offering arrangements for Anu, Enlil, Ea, Sin, Šamaš, Adad, Marduk, Gula (and) Ištar, the stars [25] […], towards the north. You recite the incantation, "Tamarisk, pure wood", and you perform Mouth-Washing. [26] You set up towards the south nine offering arrangements for Ninmah, Kusu,Ningirim, Ninkurra, Ninagal, [27] Kusibanda, Ninildu, Ninzadim and that god, ditto. [28] You set up two offering arrangements for Jupiter and Venus, ditto. [29] You set up two offering arrangements for the Moon and Saturn, ditto. [30] You set up three offering arrangements for Mercury, Sirius (and) Mars, ditto. [31] You set up six offering arrangements for the Scales (Libra) (which is) the star of Šamaš, the Plough (Triangulum/Andromeda), "ŠU.PA" (Boötes), [32] the Wagon (Ursa Major), Erua (Coma Berenices), the She-Goat (Lyra), ditto. [33] You set up four offering arrangements for the Field (Pegasus/Andromeda), the Swallow (Pisces), Anunitum (Pisces) (and) the Furrow (Virgo), ditto. [34] You set up four offering arrangements for the Fish(?), the Giant (Aquarius), Eridu (and) (] the Scorpion, ditto. [35] You set up three offering arrangements for the (stars) of Anu, the (stars) of Enlil and the (stars) of Ea, ditto. [reverse 36] THE SECOND DAY In the morning you set up within the reed-hut three thrones for Ea, Šamaš and Asalluhi. [37] You spread out a red cloth; you stretch out a linen (cloth) in front. You set up three tables; you sprinkle ripened dates (and) meal. [38] You set in place a confection of syrup (and) ghee. You set up a libation-vessel. You set in line six kukkubu? jars; [39] you lay down choice grasses. You provide in splendid abundance the fruit of the orchard. You stretch out(?) … [40] You scatter sifted barley; you sprinkle juniper on a censer; you raise cedar in your hand, and [41] you recite three times the incantation, "Born in heaven by his own power"; [you recite] the incantation, "Šamaš, great lord of heaven and earth". [42] the incantation, "Water of life, the river rising in flood …, [and] … you give(?). [43] You recite the incantation, "The flood, its divine task is unique, is holy", and you libate …; you sprinkle on a censer; [44] you place mashatu flour on the forehead of a ram and sacrifice (it); you complete the offering arrangement. [45] The ašipu priest stands on the left side of that god, before Ea, Šamaš and Asalluhi, and recites the incantation, "Šamaš, exalted judge". [46] He recites three times the incantation, "Ea, Šamaš and Asalluhi". He recites the incantation, "On the day when the god was created", and you perform Month-Washing. [47] Afterwards you recite the incantation, "Pure statue, suited(! ) to the great ‘me’"; you perform a Cleansing Rite; [48] you recite a Whisper Prayer. You retire; and [you position] all of the craftsmen who approached that god [49] and their equipment [… before(?)] Ninkurra, Ninagal, Kusibanda, [50] Ninildu (and) [Ninzadim], and you bind their hands with a scarf; [51] and cut (them off) with a knife of tamarisk wood … You make (them) say: "I did not make him (the statue), Ninagal (who is) Ea (god) of the smith made him". [52] You open the eye of that god. The ašipu priest recites before that god the incantation, "As you grew up, as you grew up". [53] He recites the incantation, "Statue born in a pure place", the incantation, "Statue born in heaven", [54] the incantation, "Ninildu, great carpenter of Anu", the incantation, "Exalted garment, lamahuššu garment of white linen", [55] the incantation, "Exalted crown", (and) the incantation, "Holy throne"; and before [that god] he recites the incantation, "Go, do not tarry"; [56] the second version he recites and he enters the ritual circle; the third version he recites; performance of KI-dUTU-GIN.NA. First you dismantle the offering arrangement [57] of that god; afterwards you dismantle (the offering arrangement) of Kusu and Ningirima; afterwards you dismantle (the offering arrangement) of the gods olf the craftsmen; [58] afterwards you dismantle the offering arrangement of the great gods. [59] (F) Procession from the Garden to the Temple Gate You take the hand of the god; and you recite the incantation, "May the foot which bestrides the ground [bestride the pure place"] (and) the incantation, "As he walked through the street," all the way to that god's temple. [59] (G) At the Temple Gate At the door of that god's temple you make an offering. [60] (H) Procession from the Temple Gate to the Cella You take the god's hand and make him enter; and you recite the incantation, "My king, to your heart's content", [60] (going) to the sanctuary. [61] (I) In the Cella You seat the god in his cella; and you recite in his cella the incantation, "The celestial evening meal", and the incantation, "Fit for the august throne-dais". [61] On the right of the sanctuary you set up a reed-hut; you set up an offering arrangement for Ea and Asalluhi; you complete the offering arrangement, and [62] you perform Mouth-Washing on that god, and for that god you set up an offering arrangement. With water (from) the trough you purify that god and [63] you recite seven times the incantation, "Asalluhi, son of Eridu"; and bring near the trappings of divinity; [64] at night you set them (upon him). [65] (J) To the Quay of the Apsû You go to the Kar-Apsî, and stay there; you perform a Cleansing Ritual all the way to the Kar-Apsî. [65] KOLOPHON The initiate may show it to the initiate. The uninitiated may not see it. Taboo of the great Enlil, Marduk. [66] According to the wording of a tablet, the copy of a red-burnt tablet of Nabû-etel-ilani, [67] the son of Dabibi, the incantation-priest(?). Iddina-Nabû, the son of Gahul-Tutu, [68] the ašipu priest, for the life of his soul and for the prolonging of his days, has written (it) and [69] set it in Esangila. [70] [Explanatory Notes] [Publication] C.Walker & M.Dick, The Induction of the Cult Image in Ancient Mesopotamia [SAALT1] Helsinki 2001,70ff [Publisher URL] [Source] BM 45749 (Photo in SAALT 1) [Date] 6th Cent. BC [Language] Neo-Babylonian [Medium] clay tablet [Find Spot] Babylon [] Ritual ---------------------------------------- [Title] Swapping Children [Alternate Title] AfO 50 no. 1 [Akkadian Title] [Translation] AfO 50, no. 1 (BM 94598) [f.Ishunnu, daugh]ter of […] has spoken to Lâbaši-[Marduk, son of …]-Marduk from the Iddin-Papsukkal family, thus:~~(l. 1-3) "Since I have been living with Iddin-Nabû, your slave, as (his) wife, we have taken Nabû-bullissu, our foster child, from a dog's mouth and raised him. And I have born (a child named) Laqipu to him."~~(l. 4-8) Voluntarily (lit: "in the consent of her heart") f.Ishunnu has given Nabû-bullissu, the foster child whom they took from the dog's mouth and raised him, to Lâbaši-Marduk as a slave.~~(l. 9-13) And Lâbaši-Marduk voluntarily has released Laqipu to f.Ishunnu.~~(l. 14-15) They have taken (a copy of the document) each.~~(l. 16) Names of five witnesses and scribe.~~(l. 17-22) […], 10[+]th day of the 1st month of the year [x] of Darius, [king of Babylon and the lands]. [Explanatory Notes] [Publication] C. Wunsch, Findelkinder und Adoption nach neubabylonischen Quellen, AfO 50 no. 1 [Publisher URL] [Source] Archiv für Orientforschung vol. 50, 2003-04, p. 174-244, no. 1 [Date] between 521 and 486 BC [Language] Neo-Babylonian [Medium] clay tablet [Find Spot] probably Borsippa [] Manumission ----------------------------------------