Basic Metadata
- NaBuCCo ID
- 430
- Museum No.
- BM 30337
- CDLI P-Identifier
- Place of issue
- Babylon city
- Type and Content
- Inheritances
- Archive
- Egibi/Nūr-Sîn
- Dossier
- None
- Period
- Each
- Year BCE
- None
- Editio princeps
- Dar.
Content
- Paraphrase
- Division of inheritance.
The present document provide details on how the three Egibi brothers, A1, A2 and A3 divide amongst them their father’s property. It concerns the allocation of shares in houses, slaves, arable land, animals, outstanding debts, business assests and varia.
A1, the eldest brother, takes as his half share (ahi zitti) 10 houses and more than 40 slaves. He also receives 6 minas of silver, paid to him as equalizing payment (takpurtu) for property in Borsippa. First, the property in Babylon is detailed: 7 houses, one of which is no more than a reed building (huṣṣu) and a plot of unbuilt land (kišubbû).Then, information about the property in Borsippa follow: this consists of 3 houses and 3;0.3 ½ sq. r (c. 42.87 m2) of built/building land (bītu). Finally, there is a detailed list of the slaves.
The other half share (ahi zitti) in houses and slaves goes to A2 and A3, and consists of 6 houses (resp. building land), 4 of which are in Babylon and 2 in Borsippa, and 51 slaves (amīlūtu). Thus, A2 and A3 receive: (1) the family’s main house (lit. “the big house of Nabû-ahhē-iddin”) in Babylon, (2) including the land (qanû) with the houses, some of them dilapidated, that goes with it; (3) another house in Babylon, (4) a 2 sq. r (c. 24,50 m2) building plot (qanû) in the Te-neighbourhood of Babylon; (5) a house in Borsippa, (6) and the big, old house in Borsippa. A2 and A3 give to their older brother 6 minas of silver as equalizing payment (takpurtu) to buy it out: such sum compensates (apālu) for his larger share in the main house (ultu bītu rabû) in Borsippa, and A1 confirms that he has taken (leqû) this silver.
The houses listed above are all identified by their bordering properties and in some cases also by the person from whom it was bought. The slaves are listed by name and usually grouped in families (Slave X, his wife Y, (and) Z, their child(ren)/daughter).
Next comes the division (itti ahāmeš izuzzu) of arable land, animals and future income. One half share belongs to A1, the other to A2 and A3. It concerns shares in their land cultivated with trees and grain (zēru zaqpu u mērešu), as much as there is, including also any arable land (zēru) that A1 bought in his name, or in his wife’s (fB) name or through a proxy. The brothers also divide their oxen, small livestock (ṣēnu) and donkeys, their income from nishu-payments that have still not been paid off (ina sūqu), their escaped slaves and all their other goods (mimma mala bašû, lit. “whatever there is”).
Finally, there are a series of cases that need special attention. First comes (the slave) C, his wife and children, his house and his entire property (be it inside or outside his land, lit. “in the house or on the street”): it is agreed that A1, A2 and A3 will divide it into shares (ahi zitti) and each will take his share. Secondly, it is stated that A2 and A3 have paid off (eṭēru) their share (zittu) in the debt (rašûtu) owed by A1. Thirdly, the older brother and A3 are allowed to take (leqû) the properties that were part of their wives’ dowries (nudunnû). Fourthly, the three brothers take whatever property that they made available to D to do business with (harranu), including a house in Hursagkalamma, and divide it into 2 equal shares (ahi zitti). The 0;1 sq. kor (c. 2700 m2) of land planted with trees (zēru zaqpu), located outside (kīdânu) the Zababa Gate, is evenly shared (malmališ zittu) by A1, A2 and A3.
Through their commonly held property (karû), they will clear (murruqu) any possible claim (paqāru) about this division, and [...] to each other (ana ahāmeš). Each party has taken one copy of the document each, in order to make sure that this deal will not be changed. Names of 6 judges and 26 witnesses, and the scribe. Seal impressions of 2 judges and of the scribe.
A1 = Marduk-nāṣir-apli/Itti-Marduk-balāṭu//Egibi; A2 = Nabû-ahhē-bulliṭ/Itti-Marduk-balāṭu//Egibi; A3 = Nergal-ušēzib/Itti-Marduk-balāṭu//Egibi; fB = fAmat-Bābu; C = Madān-bēlu-uṣur; D = Kalbāya - Transliteration
- Transliteration available on Achemenet
- Babylonian Date (year-month-day):
- Dar. yy-V-dd
further information
- Imported (Person, Date)
- Stefania Ermidoro 17/05/2017
- Legacy NaBuCCo ID
- 7128