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MESOPOTAMIA
NEO-BABYLONIAN PERIOD
Joachim Oelsner, Bruce Wells and Cornelia Wunsch^1
While named after the Neo-Babylonian Empire, this survey covers
the law of Babylonia during the entire first millennium. Politically,
the millennium may be divided as follows:
- The early part of the millennium was characterized by weak kings
of Babylon struggling with Aramean and Chaldean groups settling
for the most part outside the cities. On several occasions, members
of these groups succeeded in gaining the kingship in Babylon. - For most of the late eighth and the seventh centuries Babylonia
was under Assyrian control. - During the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the so-called “Chaldaean dynasty”
(626–539) brought about a final period of political independence. - Inclusion of the territory in the Achaemenid Empire (539–331)
brought about only minor socio-economic and legal changes. The
legal institutions as reflected in the documents remain more or less
the same as before. - After the conquest of Alexander (331) as well as under Hellenistic
rule (Seleucid, 331–141) and even well into the Parthian period
(Arsacid, 141 B.C.E.–ca. 225 C.E.), cuneiform traditions, including
the traditional law, remained alive. The latest administrative and
legal documents (contracts) date to the early first century B.C.E.^2- S L
Only a few documentary sources are known for Babylonia from the
first quarter of the first millennium. Texts of legal relevance are iso-
lated stone monuments (formerly known as kudurrus (see 1.3 below). From
the eighth century^3 onwards, however, to the end of the millennium
(^1) Sections 1, 2, 4.2.1.1, 6.1, 7: Oelsner; sections 2.1.4.6, 3, 4, 5, 6: Wunsch (with
editor); section 8: Wells.
(^2) According to recent research, cuneiform script (and the Akkadian language) was
still being used in the first centuries C.E.: see Geller, “The Last Wedge.”
(^3) Sources from ca. 1000 to 700 surveyed in Oelsner, “Frühneubabylonische...”
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