Part 13 (1/2)

Ali?u and Sumu-rame sue Shak.u.matim about a house they sold him.

Nonsuited. N. D.(194)

Shamash-bel-ili repudiates a sale of land to the Lady Mannas.h.i.+. He is nonsuited. ?ammurabi 15.(195)

Family of Ardi-rabish against Erib-Sin on account of property left them by Ardi-rabish. Nonsuited. Sin-mubalit 20.(196)

?amaziru sues Manutum for house and property but is nonsuited.

Sumu-la-ilu.(197)

Kasha-Upi bought a house of Itti-itishu and his sons, Belshunu and Ilushu-bani. Amel-Ninshuna, son of Belshunu, brought a suit about the house. Judges condemn him to be branded on the forehead and confirm Kasha-Upi's t.i.tle. Sin-mubalit.(198)

Nis.h.i.+nishu sues Ana-erishti-Malkat for three _SAR_ of land before the king's judges. Nonsuited. Samsu-iluna 2.(199)

Malkat-kuzub-matim sues Ani-talime for rest.i.tution of a field, before the judges of Babylon and Sippara. The witnesses sustain her claim, which is granted. Samsu-iluna 3.(200)

The family of Izidaria sue the family of Azalia about the property of Izidaria deceased. Their t.i.tle is confirmed. Zab.u.m 12.(201)

Shamash-bel-ili sues Nidnusha concerning a house bought by him of her. The judges grant him two shekels of silver. ?ammurabi 1.(202)

s.h.i.+-lamazi sues her brothers for a field and wins her case.(203)

Before Lushtamar, _nagiru_ of Babylon, Adadi-idinnam and Ibku-Ishtar, judges, Zariku was put to the oath and replied to Erib-Sin. He was told that as his domicile was at Sippara, he must not make his appeal to the judges of Babylon. So his case was dismissed. ?ammurabi 28.(204) The record is defective.

Cases before judges where the plea and its result can be made out with some certainty are as follows:

Ardi-Sin, son of E?iru, sued the sons of Shamash-na?ir who had sold a plot of land, two and a half _GAN_ in area, to Ibni-Adadi the merchant. He claimed the land as ancestral domain, _bit abiu_, and denied that he had ever alienated it. The sons of Ibni-Adadi, now in possession, produced the deed of sale, _duppu imati_, which E?iru and Sin-nadin-shumi, his brother, had executed to Shamash-na?ir and his son. The judges a.s.signed a small portion of the land, about a sixth, to Ardi-Sin, but make up the rest, apparently, from another quarter. Ammizaduga (?).(205)

Mar-Martu bought the garden of Sin-magir. Ilubani disputed the legality, _?imdattu_, of the sale. Before the judges at the gate of Nin-marki he deposed that he was the adopted son of Sin-magir, which adoption had never been revoked. In the time of Rim-Sin the house and garden had been awarded to Ilubani and then Sin-mubali?

had brought a suit against Ilubani, which was regularly heard before judges and witnesses from Nin-marki. They had awarded the house and garden to Ilubani. Sin-mubali? was now bound over to dispute the t.i.tle no more. ?ammurabi.(206)

Here it seems that on the deposition of Rim-Sin by ?ammurabi, Sin-mubali?, excluded by his bond from disputing Ilubani's t.i.tle, sold his claim to Mar-Martu, who attempted to enter into possession. Possibly it was thought that the new rulers would reverse the old decision.

(M293)

The sons of Namiatum sue their mother, Iashu?atum, about her share of their father's property. She appears before the judges of Babylon and puts in an inventory to show that she has taken nothing from the family possessions. Then the sons of Namiatum renounce further claim on the ground of family possession to the property of Idin-Adadi, Iashu?atum and their descendants.

Samsu-iluna 2.(207)

It seems that, after the death of Namiatum, Iashu?atum married again. The children of the first marriage bring an action to secure judgment that she shall not take with her any property of their father's. She had, as we know, a right to take with her her marriage-portion, but not her husband's gifts to her.

Amel-Ninsa? sues Garudu for the rent of a field. The debtor not paying was ejected. Apil-Sin.(208)

Shumi-er?itim sues for right to a sheep and some corn, the _naptanu_ of a G.o.d. Judges grant him half share. ?ammurabi 9.(209)

Judges summon Ibik-iltum before Elali-bani to account for corn. He purges himself on oath. N. D.(210)

Amat-Shamash claims to be the adopted daughter of Shamash-gamil and his wife Ummi-Ara?tum. Her witnesses proving unsatisfactory, her claim was disallowed on the oath of Ummi-Ara?tum that they had never adopted her. ?ammurabi (?).(211)