A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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and/or oral evidence. Written documents recording contracts or

agreements formerly concluded between the litigants or their prede-

cessors in title (e.g., parents, grandparents), were often cited at the

relevant point in the dispute or brought into court for the judges’

inspection.

3.3.5 Witnesses’ depositions were the most common means of acquir-

ing pertinent evidence. Note that in some instances, written docu-

ments record individual or joint oral depositions relevant to the

preparation of a lawsuit.^21

3.4 Decisions

3.4.1 Nuzi trials always ended in a definite decision of the judges

in favor of the plaintiffor of the defendant, which included a state-

ment of the penalties imposed, where appropriate. The standard

introductory formula of the verdict reads: “PN(s) prevailed in the

case” (PN(s) ina dìni iltê); after this, the tablets set out the contents

of the judicial decision in favor of the winner and against the loser.

3.4.2 In some instances, the final verdict in a case was postponed

until further evidence could be made available or interim judicial

orders could be executed.^22 These interlocutory decisions were labeled

“memorandum” (†uppi ta¢silti): they served as additional pieces of

documentary evidence that later on would be taken into account by

the judges in the final stage(s) of the case.^23

3.5 The “Lifting of the Gods”

Conflicting or inconclusive evidence adduced by the litigants could

prompt the judges to order one party to perform the ritual of

(^21) See, e.g., the differing reports relating to the intricate case recorded in JEN
321, 135, 184, 512, 325, 644, and 388. For bibliographic references, see Zaccagnini,
“Proprietà fondiaria.. .,” 707–8. An unique example of depositions gathered to
serve as evidence in a trial of a public nature is provided by fourteen tablets (AASOR
16 1–14) recording the accusations (at times followed by defense statements) of many
citizens of Nuzi against the mayor Ku““iharbe and some members of his office.
Most charges concern acts of corruption, abuse of office, and related crimes; we
do not know the final verdict of the trial or, indeed, if it ever took place.
(^22) See, e.g., HSS 5 46, 51; JEN 191, 338, 355, 365, etc.
(^23) As correctly pointed out by Müller, “Ein Massenprozess.. .,” memorandum
tablets did not exclusively refer to litigation.
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