World History
A Collection of Contracts from Mesopotamia - Covering areas of sales and purchases, rentals, labor contracts, co-partnerships, loans and mortgages, bankruptcy, power of attorney, marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance in ancient Iran.
This text is part of the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history. This particular pages was taken from George Aaron Barton, "Contracts," in Assyrian and Babylonian Literature: Selected Transactions, With a Critical Introduction by Robert Francis Harper (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1904), pp. 256-276
I was taken with how modern some of the legal language used in the contracts sounded. For example, here is a contract for a real estate sale:
Sini-Ishtar, the son of Ilu-eribu, and Apil-Ili, his brother, have bought one third Shar of land with a house constructed, next the house of Sini-Ishtar, and next the house of Minani; one third Shar of arable land next the house of Sini-Ishtar, which fronts on the street; the property of Minani, the son of Migrat-Sin, from Minani, the son of Migrat-Sin. They have paid four and a half shekels of silver, the price agreed. Never shall further claim be made, on account of the house of Minani. By their king.
I found some of the legal language for the sale of slaves a bit questionable. The contract language reads:
SHAMASH-UBALLIT and Ubartum, children of Zakir, the son of Pashi-ummani, of their free-will have delivered Nanakirat and her unsveaned son, their slave, for nineteen shekels of money, for the price agreed, unto Kaçir and Nadin-Marduk, sons of Iqisha-aplu, son of Nur-Sin. Shamash-uballit and Ubartum guarantee against insubordination, the claim of the royal service, and emancipation. Witnesses: Na'id-Marduk, son of Nabu-nacir, son of Dabibi; Bel-shum-ishkun, son of Marduk-zir-epish, son of Irani; Nabu-ushallim, son of Bel-akhi-iddin, son of Bel-apal-uçur. In the dwelling of Damqa, their mother. And the scribe, Nur-Ea, son of Ina-Isaggil-ziri, son of Nur-Sin. Babylon, twenty-first of Kisilimu, eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.
How exactly could the seller assure the buyer that the slaves would not be insubordinate? If they misbehaved, was there a money back promise? How long did such a guarantee last? How could the buyer prove that the product (slave) was defective, i.e. that the actions of a slave warranted a refund?
I guess these contracts show that lawyers have always been assured a steady stream of business despite the culture or the historical time that they have lived.
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World History
A Collection of Contracts from Mesopotamia
A Collection of Contracts from Mesopotamia - Covering areas of sales and purchases, rentals, labor contracts, co-partnerships, loans and mortgages, bankruptcy, power of attorney, marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance in ancient Iran.
This text is part of the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history. This particular pages was taken from George Aaron Barton, "Contracts," in Assyrian and Babylonian Literature: Selected Transactions, With a Critical Introduction by Robert Francis Harper (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1904), pp. 256-276
I was taken with how modern some of the legal language used in the contracts sounded. For example, here is a contract for a real estate sale:
Sini-Ishtar, the son of Ilu-eribu, and Apil-Ili, his brother, have bought one third Shar of land with a house constructed, next the house of Sini-Ishtar, and next the house of Minani; one third Shar of arable land next the house of Sini-Ishtar, which fronts on the street; the property of Minani, the son of Migrat-Sin, from Minani, the son of Migrat-Sin. They have paid four and a half shekels of silver, the price agreed. Never shall further claim be made, on account of the house of Minani. By their king.
I found some of the legal language for the sale of slaves a bit questionable. The contract language reads:
SHAMASH-UBALLIT and Ubartum, children of Zakir, the son of Pashi-ummani, of their free-will have delivered Nanakirat and her unsveaned son, their slave, for nineteen shekels of money, for the price agreed, unto Kaçir and Nadin-Marduk, sons of Iqisha-aplu, son of Nur-Sin. Shamash-uballit and Ubartum guarantee against insubordination, the claim of the royal service, and emancipation. Witnesses: Na'id-Marduk, son of Nabu-nacir, son of Dabibi; Bel-shum-ishkun, son of Marduk-zir-epish, son of Irani; Nabu-ushallim, son of Bel-akhi-iddin, son of Bel-apal-uçur. In the dwelling of Damqa, their mother. And the scribe, Nur-Ea, son of Ina-Isaggil-ziri, son of Nur-Sin. Babylon, twenty-first of Kisilimu, eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.
How exactly could the seller assure the buyer that the slaves would not be insubordinate? If they misbehaved, was there a money back promise? How long did such a guarantee last? How could the buyer prove that the product (slave) was defective, i.e. that the actions of a slave warranted a refund?
I guess these contracts show that lawyers have always been assured a steady stream of business despite the culture or the historical time that they have lived.
- Indentured Servitude In Colonial America
Indentured Servitude in Colonial America This compulsory work system was an important form of labor in colonial America, especially in 17th century Chesapeake. In exchange for several years of labor, English men and women received passage to America and...
- 3,000 Year Old Hebrew Text
An archaeologist is claiming to have found Hebrew text from over three thousand years ago. It dates from the time of King David and was found on a shard of pottery. An article from CNN (titled Archeologist finds 3,000-year old Hebrew text) has the details....
- Wassailing - Caroling For Beer
Do you like Christmas Caroling? I will admit I do like it when carolers come by my house and sing. However, I am not big about going house to house and caroling myself. In part, this is because I am a lousy singer. However, I may well have been a caroler...
- The Roman Law Articles Of Smith's Dictionary
The Roman Law Articles of Smith's Dictionary - This site has about 250 articles on Roman law of varying length originally published in 1875. These cover topics such as civil rights, codes and procedures, contracts and torts, officers and magistrates,...
- Ghost Amendment: The Thirteenth Amendment That Never Was
Ghost Amendment: The Thirteenth Amendment that Never Was Article describing a pro-slavery constitutional amendment proposed by the American Congress in 1861. From the site: When the 36th Congress adjourned on March 3, 1861, it was anyone's...