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pledged could only re-pledge it to the creditor and if he alienated
it, the acquirer of the object assumed the obligations with which it
was burdened.^1757.6 Distraint
A defaulting debtor could be arrested and held by the creditor or
in prison.^176 Debt slavery, however, is hardly found in this period.^1777.7 Suretyship^178
Obligations could be secured by the widely attested institution of
suretyship (pùt na“û). It is found not only in debt notes (e.g., NRVU
290–343; BR 6 93–106) but also in separate suretyship documents
(e.g., BR 8/7 81). The surety was not deemed an accessory debtor.
The surety either guaranteed that the debtor would be available to
the creditor at the due date (“Stillesitzbürgschaft”) or undertook to
deliver the debtor to the creditor (“Gestellungbürgschaft”).^179 Cases
are also attested of substitution, where the surety takes the place of
the debtor and personally promises payment.^180 Often the surety
guarantees payment by the debtor (pùt e†èri na“i); if the debtor should
then default, the creditor will have recourse to the surety—which
presumes that the surety’s obligation is of a secondary nature.^181
Where there are multiple debtors, they assume mutual suretyship
(i“ten pùt “anî na“i/pùt a¢ame“ na“û), as well as each being liable for
the whole sum (“whoever is available, shall pay,” “a qerbi i††ir).7.8 Social Justice
It is notable that no debt release decrees or other measures of social
justice are attested from this period.(^175) Petschow, Pfandrecht.. ., 94, 96.
(^176) Petschow, Pfandrecht.. ., 35–44.
(^177) Dandamaev, Slavery.. ., 157–80; see also Petschow, Pfandrecht.. ., 33–35.
(^178) Koschaker, Bürgschaftsrecht.. ., 32–236; San Nicolò, “Bürgschaft,” 77–79, and
Zur Nachbürgschaft...
(^179) Koschaker, Bürgschaftsrecht.. ., 50–57.
(^180) On the difficulties of this form, see Petschow, Pfandrecht.. ., 86, n. 247, and
the literature cited therein.
(^181) Koschaker, Bürgschaftsrecht.. ., 57; Petschow, “Bürgschaftsregreß.. .,” and “Zum
neubabylonischen Bürgschaftsrecht.”
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