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THEOPHILUS G. PINCHES, LL.D., M.R.A.S., ON 



that is doubtful. This was again a female slave, but without 

 any child, and the price paid for her was 25 shekels of silver. 

 From the list of witnesses we learn that the deputy-governor 

 of " the land of the sea " (Tdmti^) was Nabu-suzziz-anni. This 

 personage is mentioned in other documents. The slave was 

 seemingly handed to him for the real purchaser, " at the sitting 

 of Bau-ilat, daughter of Bibea, sister-in-law of Nabu-musetiq- 

 urri, the seller." (Babylon, the 11th of Elul, 26th year.) 



And among the other slave-sales which Babylon saw was 

 that of Ubartum and Nabu-nadin-ahi (probably her son), the 

 unespoused slaves of Kabtaya son of Nabu-na'id descendant 

 of Mandidi, and Guzumma, his mother. The price for the two 

 was 55 shekels of silver. The sellers guarantee against rebellion 

 on the part of the slaves and claims on the part of third parties, 

 and are joined in this by two others, possibly relatives. (11th 

 of Sebat, 29th year.) 



Unfortunately all the tablets are not perfect, and now and again 

 we come across even important ones which we should like to 

 have in a more complete state. One of these refers to the 

 responsibility taken for someone — in this case not a slave, but a 

 private person and a freeman. The words needed are probably 

 hut sepe, " right of foot " — that is, liability of the person answered 

 for to leave a place in order to avoid some responsibility, such 

 as the payment of a debt. In this case Bel-etir and Manna-ki-ili, 

 sons of Nurea, seem to answer for Nabu-na'id (Nabonidus), 

 their brother. This responsibility is assumed by them on behalf 

 of Warad-Sin, head-slave of Nergal-sar-usur (Neriglissar), prob- 

 ably the royal personage already referred to, who ascended the 

 Babylonian throne after Awel-Maruduk (Evil-Merodach), Nebu- 

 chadrezzar's successor. This identification is strengthened by the 

 fact that the document is dated at Opis, where, as we have seen, 

 Neriglissar resided. (10th of Marcheswan, 37th year of 

 Nebuchadrezzar. ) 



But besides these, there were many other scenes to be witnessed 

 in Babylon — the joyful occasion of the wedding-contract and 

 the pledge with regard to the dower, the rare occasions of the 

 freeing of a slave, the open-air courts to which merchants brought 

 their witnesses to prove or disprove some disputed point — all 

 these and many another possibly unrecorded transaction were 

 to be met with. One of these documents concerning the citing 

 of principals who produced their witnesses, translated by me 

 at the beginning of my Assyriological career — and translated 



