The Nuzi texts are ancient documents found during an excavation of Nuzi, an ancient Mesopotamian city southwest of Kirkuk in modern Al Ta'amim Governorate of Iraq, located near the Tigris river. The site consists of one medium-sized multiperiod tell and two small single period mounds. The texts are mainly legal and business documents. The Nuzi tablets, coming from private archives, consist of documents relating to marriage, adoption, inheritance and business of many kinds. From these documents we get an intimate view of woman's life and status in Nuzi personal and family records. They embrace all sorts of They have also been viewed as evidence for the age and veracity of certain parts of the Old Testament, especially of the Patriarchal age, but this is no longer widely accepted.
The status of the Nuzi woman as sister looms very important inasmuch as Nuzi society has many fratriarchal elements. Brothers often dispose of their sisters in sale, adoption and marriage. Thus, Sartesup sells his sister to Uanu. The latter pays him 36 minas of lead and 5 of copper as one installment (XVII) and 5 sheep and 6 minas of lead as another installment (XXX). In a document called twppi ahat(ut)i (FL 27), a brother makes his sister another man's adopted sister inconsideration of 40 shekels of silver^. It has already been pointed out that a man could make his sister someone else's adopted daughter (XXXIX). Then again, one can dispose of his sister as wife to anyone (XXV), even to a slave (Ch 6). According to S 13, a brother by adoption can be empowered by the adoptive father to receive the money paid by the future husbands of his sisters (i. e., sisters by adoption). Financial advantage in being a brother is counterbalanced by fraternal responsibility.
Silwitesup disposes of his sister in marriage but if his sister ever breaks the marriage contract, it is Silwitesup who will be obliged to forfeit the considerable sum of 10 minas of silver and 10 of gold (XXV). Brothers had so much power over their sisters that a farsighted bridegroom stipulates in the marriage contract that the bride's brothers are to waive all claim on her (LXIV: 38—41). Indeed, a certain brother, through misunderstanding or dishonesty, lays claim on his sister already transferred by their father (G 35). While the buyer of the girl is legally in the right, he is inconvenienced, nevertheless, by the necessity of proving his right in court. In FL 35, a brother claims the daughter of his deceased sister, but since he had received the marriage price of Iiis sister, the court does not support his claim (see Koschaker, ZA XLI, p. 33, n. 1).
A brother's power over his sister is sometimes shared with other members of the family and possibly with outsiders. Akapelli is given in marriage by her mother, her brother and by still another man, who has no ascertainable blood relationship with the rest (S 25). In XVIII we read of Alkite son of Akiia, Durari son of Zikura, and Wuruia daughter of Akiia disposing of their sister, Zipatu. The father of the second is not the same as that of the first and third. Therefore, Zipatu cannot be the full sister of each of them. Perhaps they were all children of one mother, or perhaps Durari was Zipatu's brother by adoption. A man may adopt a girl as his sister. ASGW 39, 5, text 26 is an ahdtutu 'sistership' document, whereby Zikipa transfers his sister in 'sistership' to Hutarraphi. The latter pays Zikipa the equivalent of 20 shekels of silver, while Zikipa binds the remainder {rihtu) consisting of 20 shekels, in the sister's qannu (hem of dress). The adoptive brother has the right of marrying her off to anyone he wants and of receiving the money furnished by the future husband. Sister-adoption might be more than mere business, if any weight is attached to the declaration of a girl to the effect that her adoptive brother shall protect, guard and help her (FL 29:6—12); see Koschaker, ZA XLI, p. 34. Though we are not able sharply to differentiate martutu from ahatutu, several differences are discernable^. Thus, any person having jurisdiction over a girl can dispose of her ana martuti, but in the Nuzi tablets published so far, only a brother (or the girl herself*) can transfer her ana ahatuti.
The status of the Nuzi woman as sister looms very important inasmuch as Nuzi society has many fratriarchal elements. Brothers often dispose of their sisters in sale, adoption and marriage. Thus, Sartesup sells his sister to Uanu. The latter pays him 36 minas of lead and 5 of copper as one installment (XVII) and 5 sheep and 6 minas of lead as another installment (XXX). In a document called twppi ahat(ut)i (FL 27), a brother makes his sister another man's adopted sister inconsideration of 40 shekels of silver^. It has already been pointed out that a man could make his sister someone else's adopted daughter (XXXIX). Then again, one can dispose of his sister as wife to anyone (XXV), even to a slave (Ch 6). According to S 13, a brother by adoption can be empowered by the adoptive father to receive the money paid by the future husbands of his sisters (i. e., sisters by adoption). Financial advantage in being a brother is counterbalanced by fraternal responsibility.
Silwitesup disposes of his sister in marriage but if his sister ever breaks the marriage contract, it is Silwitesup who will be obliged to forfeit the considerable sum of 10 minas of silver and 10 of gold (XXV). Brothers had so much power over their sisters that a farsighted bridegroom stipulates in the marriage contract that the bride's brothers are to waive all claim on her (LXIV: 38—41). Indeed, a certain brother, through misunderstanding or dishonesty, lays claim on his sister already transferred by their father (G 35). While the buyer of the girl is legally in the right, he is inconvenienced, nevertheless, by the necessity of proving his right in court. In FL 35, a brother claims the daughter of his deceased sister, but since he had received the marriage price of Iiis sister, the court does not support his claim (see Koschaker, ZA XLI, p. 33, n. 1).
A brother's power over his sister is sometimes shared with other members of the family and possibly with outsiders. Akapelli is given in marriage by her mother, her brother and by still another man, who has no ascertainable blood relationship with the rest (S 25). In XVIII we read of Alkite son of Akiia, Durari son of Zikura, and Wuruia daughter of Akiia disposing of their sister, Zipatu. The father of the second is not the same as that of the first and third. Therefore, Zipatu cannot be the full sister of each of them. Perhaps they were all children of one mother, or perhaps Durari was Zipatu's brother by adoption. A man may adopt a girl as his sister. ASGW 39, 5, text 26 is an ahdtutu 'sistership' document, whereby Zikipa transfers his sister in 'sistership' to Hutarraphi. The latter pays Zikipa the equivalent of 20 shekels of silver, while Zikipa binds the remainder {rihtu) consisting of 20 shekels, in the sister's qannu (hem of dress). The adoptive brother has the right of marrying her off to anyone he wants and of receiving the money furnished by the future husband. Sister-adoption might be more than mere business, if any weight is attached to the declaration of a girl to the effect that her adoptive brother shall protect, guard and help her (FL 29:6—12); see Koschaker, ZA XLI, p. 34. Though we are not able sharply to differentiate martutu from ahatutu, several differences are discernable^. Thus, any person having jurisdiction over a girl can dispose of her ana martuti, but in the Nuzi tablets published so far, only a brother (or the girl herself*) can transfer her ana ahatuti.
Gordon, C.H., «The status of Women reflected in the Nuzi Tablets», Zeitschrift fur Assyriologie, 1936.
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