A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

930 

Marriage between slaves and free persons is also attested (e.g., free

woman and slave: VAS 6 184; BM 94589). Infant children of slave

women, although automatically slaves, were not generally separated

from them, but were sold together with the mother. The sale and

pledge of complete families is attested, in which case either all mem-

bers are named separately or the number of persons is given, desig-

nated as “PN, his wife, and his child(ren)”.

4.4.4 Names^76

Slaves bore names that mostly followed common Babylonian prac-

tice. In addition to foreign names that reveal their origin, there were

special slave names expressing devotion to their owner. Some slaves

received a second name that is specially mentioned in documents.

In order to avoid confusion, a matronymic or the owner’s name was

sometimes added to the slave’s own name. Infants were not always

identified by name. Slaves who were engaged in independent busi-

ness (see 4.4.5.5 below) were given a pseudo-filiation to their owner:

instead of the patronymic and ancestral name customary with free

Babylonians, the name of the owner and his ancestor were used (PN

ardu/qallu“aPN 2 màrAN).

4.4.5 Capacity

4.4.5.1 Like women, slaves did not appear as witnesses to transac-

tions, with the exception of slaves of certain high-ranking persons.^77

4.4.5.2 Dowries frequently included slave women who were to assist

the wife in household tasks or in looking after the children. Their

presence emerges only when they are listed in divisions of inheri-

tance, dowry documents, or sales. Owners had their slaves trained

as craftsmen (e.g., cook, tailor, seal-cutter), in order then to employ

them personally or hire them out.

4.4.5.3 Slaves were frequently hired out. The owner received their

hire, and the two parties agreed in advance who should bear the

cost of feeding and clothing the slave. The arrangement was often

(^76) Stamm, Namengebung.. ., 307–14.
(^77) E.g., Nbk. 31: two slaves of the future king Neriglissar witness a slave sale
contract. See Dandamaev, Slavery.. ., 398–400.
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