Liverpool unknown 8 (Strassmaier 1885)

Content

Paraphrase: Marriage agreement with divorce and adultery clauses
Dialogue document. The groom A asks the bride’s father B to give (nadānu, imp. bi in-nam-ma) him ^fC, his daughter, in marriage (ana aššūti). The request is followed by B’s statement of accidence (šemû) and the confirmation that he gave his daughter to A in marriage. This is followed by clauses foreseeing the dissolution of the marriage. Should B divorce (muššuru) his wife (^fC), or should he want to take a second wife (aššatu šanītu ahāzu), i.e. in addition to her, he will have to pay her 6 minas of silver, and she can go (alāku) where she wishes (ašar ṣebât) Should ^fC commit adultery and be caught in flagrante (kašādu), she will be put to death with an iron dagger. The parties to the contract swore (nīš zakāru) by Nabû and Marduk, and by Nebuchadnezzar not to contravene the agreement (ana la enê). Names of 5 witnesses, a.o. the bride’s brother Mār-šarru-ilūa/Arba’ilāya and the scribe: Nabû-ahhē-iddin/Šulāya//Egibi.

A= Nabû-ahu-iddin/Aplāya; B= Dalīli-eššu/Arba’ilāya; ^fC= ^fBanât-Esagil, daughter of B.