Table of Contents
Return to Inheritance Documents
Old Assyrian
Introduction
The archives excavated in the houses of Kaneš lower town belong mainly to Assyrian merchants settled there for business purposes during the 19th and 18th centuries BCE. This documentation contains relatively few contracts pertaining to family law, presumably because these were kept in Aššur. However, several wills have been found in Kaneš, suggesting the absence of specific rules of inheritance.
Format and content
Assyrians drew up wills (šīmtam šiāmum) that could demonstrate their concern for protecting the financial interests of all the women in their families. The widow’s support was provided for, either by a share in the estate or by the children. The consecrated daughter was usually among the first to receive a share. Certain widows deemed it worthwhile to draw up their own wills to distribute their belongings as they wanted.
In his will, Agūa provided in the first instance for his wife, who received his assets and the use of the house she was living in at Aššur, next his daughter, who inherited gold, silver, and a servant. By constituting his wife “father and mother” (abat u ummat) over the money that she received, Agūa granted her full ownership. She could use her money as she wished, on the condition that it remained in the family so that, at her death, the eldest son would inherit it, along with the family home in Aššur (55).
indicate the absence of specific rules of inheritance; the same is true of the Assyrian archives at Kaniš. Drawing up of wills with a view to providing for inheritance by women shows clearly that women enjoyed important socio-economic status, and the numerous letters found at Kaniš sent to and by women serve to reinforce this impression
Overview of corpus
The archives of Kaneš have yielded several dozens of documents concerning inheritance among which several last wills. Most of these texts date to the 19th century BCE.
Sample Text
Envelope | ||
Ob. 1 | (seal A) | |
2 | kišib I-dí-Sú-en6 | Sealed by Iddin-Suen, |
3 | dumu Puzur4-Ištar | son of Puzur-Ištar, |
4 | kišib A-šùr-na-da | sealed by Aššur-nādā, |
5 | dumu Pu<zur4>-A-na | son of Puzur-Ana, |
6 | (seal B) | |
7 | kišib A-pí-il5-ke-en6 | sealed by Apil-kēn, |
8 | [dumu Ì]-lí-dan | [son of I]lī-dān, |
9 | [kišib I-ku-pì-a dumu PN] | [sealed by Ikuppia, son of PN], |
10 | (seal B) | |
lo.e. 11 | kišib Sà-li-a dumu Ú-ṣú-ur-[x-x] | sealed by Salia, son of Uṣur-[x-x]. |
rev. 12 | (seal C) | |
13 | (seal D) | |
14 | ša ší-ma-at A-gu-a | (Text) concerning the will of Agūa, |
15 | dumu Šu-A-nim | son of Šū-Anum. |
16 | (seal D) | |
17 | (seal D) | |
u.e. 18 | (seal F) | |
l.e. 19 | (seal F) | |
r.e. 20 | (seal E) | |
Tablet | ||
Ob. 1 | A-gu-a : ší-im-tù-šu | Agūa, his will, |
2 | i-ší-ma : bé-tum ša A-limki | he drew up as follows. The house in Aššur |
3 | ša a-ší-ti-a : i-na kù-babbar | is the property of my wife. The silver |
4 | qá-dì : me-er-e-a-ma | with my children |
5 | ta-zu-az i-na kù-babbar | she shall share. Over the silver |
6 | zi-ti-ša : a-ba-at ù um-ma-/at | (that is) her inheritance share, she is father and mother |
7 | bé-tù-um ù kù-babbar wa-/ar-kà-/sà | After her (death), the house and silver |
8 | ù mì-ma ti-šu-ú | and everything that she owns, |
9 | ša Šu-Be-lim bé-tù-um | is the property of Šū-Bēlum. The house |
10 | ša Kà-ni-iš : ša Šu-Be-lim | in Kaniš is the property of Šū-Bēlum. |
11 | um-me-a-ni : me-er-ú-a | My investors, my sons |
12 | e-pu-lu-ma i-na kù-babbar | shall pay back, and of the silver |
13 | ša i-a-ti : i-šé-ta-ni | which remains belonging to me, |
14 | ⅓ ma-na kù-gi 1 ma-na | ⅓ mina of gold, 1 mina |
15 | kù-babbar ù am-tám Áb-ša-lim | of silver as well as a female slave, Ab-šalim |
16 | tù-ša-ra-ma : ta-lá-qé | shall be the first to take. |
ù i-na ší-ta-tim | Then, from what remains, | |
me-er-ú-a | my sons | |
lo.e. 19 | ša bé-ta-tim | who houses |
20 | lá il5-qé-ú-ni 4 gú-ta | did not receive, 4 talents |
rev. 21 | urudu ki-ma bé-ta-tí-šu-/nu | of copper instead of their (share of) real estate |
22 | i-lá-qé-ú : i-na | shall each take. Of |
23 | ší-tí kù-babbar am-tim wa-ar-dim | the remaining silver and male and female slaves, |
24 | a-ší-tí Šu-Be-lim ù me-er-ú-a | my wife, Šū-Bēlum and my sons |
25 | mu-ta mu-ta-ma | in equal parts |
26 | i-zu-zu : ša-wi-sú ša A-šùr-/i-dí | shall share.The šawītum-concubine of Aššur-idī |
27 | wa-šu!-ra-sú-um šu-ma kù-babbar | is ceded to him. In the case there is no more silver |
28 | i-a-ti : mì-ma ú-la iš-té-/tám | of mine, and |
29 | 4!(2*) gú-ta urudu | 4 talents of copper |
30 | ša bé-ta-ti-šu-nu | instead of their (share) of real estate, |
31 | me-er-ú-a : ú-lá i-lá-qé-/ú | my sons will not be able to each take, |
32 | 2 ma-na kù-babbar | 2 minas of silver, |
33 | Puzur4-Ištar ú-wa-da! | Puzur-Ištar shall designate |
34 | 2 ma-na kù-babbar Ú-ṣú-ur-/ša-A-šùr | 2 minas of silver Uṣur-ša-Aššur |
35 | ú-ta-ar | shall give back. |
36 | e-li-a-tù-šu-nu* | their elītum-share |
37 | a-pu-a-ti-šu-nu-ma | at their discretion |
u.e. 38 | i-ta-pu-lu | they shall mutually balance |
39 | A-bi-ì-lí šu-ma 10 ma-na | If Abi-ilī, 10 minas |
40 | kù-babbar i-ša-qal | of silver pays, |
l.e. 41 | qá-dì : a-hi-šu-ma : i-zu-az šu-ma 10 ma-na | he shall take a share together with his brothers, (but) if, 10 minas |
42 | kù-babbar lá iš-qúl : na-sí-ih ù 10 ma-na-ta | of silver he does not pay, then he shall be disinherited and 10 minas |
43 | kù-babbar a-na a-he-šu : i-na-pá-al igi I-dí-Sú-en6 | of silver to each of his brothers he shall have to compensate. In the presence of Iddin-Suen, |
44 | igi A-šùr-na-da igi A-pí-il5-ke-<en> igi I-ku-pì-a | of Aššur-nādā, of Apil-kēn, of Ikuppia, |
45 | igi Sà-li-a | of Salia. |
This text is published by Albayrak 2000, studied within its context by Michel 2000 and Michel to appear no. 54. It commented by Veenhof 2012, 183-184
Bibliography
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Michel C. 2000. À propos d'un testament paléo-assyrien: une femme ‘père et mère’ des capitaux, Revue d’Assyriologie et d’Archéologie orientale 94, p. 1-10 http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00642823/fr/.
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Veenhof K. R. 2008. The death and Burial of Ishtar-Lamassi in karum Kanish, in R. J. van der Spek (ed.), Studies in Ancient Near Eastern World View and Society Presented to Marten Stol on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday, 10 November 2005, and his retirement from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, p. 97-119.
Veenhof K. R. 2012. Last Wills and Inheritance of Old Assyrian Traders with Four Records from the Archive of Elamma. In K. Abraham and J. Fleishman (eds.), Family Cohesion in the Bible and the Ancient Near East. Studies in Honour of Aaron Skaist on the Occasion of his 76th Birthday, Bethesda, p. 169-201.
von Soden W. 1976. Ein altassyrisches Testament, WO 8 [1976], p. 211-217.
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Page prepared By Cécile Michel