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A Greek Legal Instrument in Hellenistic Uruk

As is true of all periods in Mesopotamian history, economic documents from Hellenistic Babylonia are generally stereotyped in both form and content. Occasionally, however, we find documents which present some unusual feature or features to excite our interest. The text OECT IX 42, a sales contract concerning the emoluments of an erib bit piristütu and goldsmith's prebend, is such a document. The year in the date formula of the text is lost, but from line 37 we can see that it was dated during the reign of a Seleucus. Since the scribe, Illut-Anu/Nidintu-Anu/Sin-leqe-unninni is known from documents dated between 122 and 145 of the Seleucid era we can be certain that the text is to be dated to the reign of Seleucus IV Philopater (125-137 S. E.). In addition to the normal description of the prebend the text also contains a clause explaining how, some years previously, the prebend shares came by somewhat unusual means into the possession of the seller's father (lines 4-9) . The purpose of the clause was obviously to insure that no claimant could come forward with the assertion that the prebend shares in question did not actually belong to the seller, and hence were not his to dispose of. It is this clause which attracts our attention because of some unusual features which will become evident as we discuss the text.