PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. SESSION 1878-9. Third Meeting, 7th January, 1879. THE REV. CANON ST. VINCENT BEECHEY, M.A., IN THE CHAIR. THE following Presents were announced, and thanks ordered to be returned to the Donors : From the Archæological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland :— "The Archæological Journal;" Vol. XXXV., Nos. 138 and 139, 8vo. London, 1878. Mélanges Asiatiques, tirés du Bulletin de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg; Tome VIII., Livraisons 1 and 2, 8vo. St. Petersbourg, 1877. From the Author:-"Studies on the Times of Abraham," by Rev. H. G. Tomkins, 4to. London, 1878. From the Author:-"Nouvelle Chrestomathie Démotique Mission de 1878;" "Contrats de Berlin, Vienne, Leyde, &c.," par Eugène Revillout, 4to. Paris, 1878. From the Author :-"De Jérusalem à Bir el-Mer'in, fragment du journal d'une excursion faite en Juin, 1874," par Ch. ClermontGanneau, 8vo. (Extrait du Bulletin de la Société de Géographie). "Sur une Inscription Arabe de Bosra, relative aux croisades," par Ch. Clermont-Ganneau, 8vo., 1878; Extrait du Journal Asiatique. "Gomorrhe, Ségor et les filles de Lot" (Lettre à M. F. de Saulcy), par Ch. Clermont-Ganneau. Paris, 1878. Extrait de la Revue Archéologique. The following Candidates were nominated by the Council for election as Members of the Society : The following were duly elected Members of the Society: Edward G. Allen. Rev. George O. Balleine. Breslau Royal and Univ. Library. Marburg University Library. Rev. Charles H. Jeaffreson, M.A. Rev. Ant. Cottrell Lefroy, M.A. | Library of Congress, Washington, Harvard College Library. Watkinson Library, Hartford. Library of the Parliament of Mercantile Library, Philadelphia. Canada, Ottawa. This being the Anniversary Meeting of Society, the Report of the Secretary for the Ninth session, 1877-8, was read. The following Officers and Council for the current year were duly elected: President.-S. BIRCH, D.C.L., LL.D. Vice-Presidents. Rev. Frederick C. Cook, M.A., Canon of Exeter. Rev. Geo. Currey, D.D. The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., D.C.L., &c. Sir William Gregory, C.B., G.C.S.I. The Right Hon. the Earl of Harrowby, K.G., D.C.L Charles T. Newton, C.B., D.C.L. Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart., D.C.L., M.D. Rev. Geo. Rawlinson, D.D., Canon of Canterbury. Rev. Charles Ball, M.A, Rev. T. K. Cheyne, M. A. Council. Chas. Harrison. Rev. Canon J. B. Lightfoot, D.D. J. Manship Norman, M.A. P, Le Page Renouf. Prof. W. Erasmus Wilson, F.R.S. Hon. Treasurer.-B. T. Bosanquet. Secretary.-W, Harry Rylands, Hon. Secretary,-Arthur Cates. Hon. Secretary for Foreign Correspondence.-Rev. A. H. Sayce, M.A. Hon. Librarian.-William Simpson, F.R.G.S. The following proposed alterations in the Rules were submitted to the Meeting and passed;— Rule XV. The words " or be nominated by the Council" to be added. Rule XVIII. The amount of the life composition fee of personal members to be 15 guineas in place of 10. This rule not to come into force as regards existing members until 30th June, 1879. Rule XXVII. The words "may borrow for two months any printed book, &c.," to read "Any printed book borrowed by a member in the country for a period not residing in London one month." may be to be retained by those residing exceeding two months, and those Rule XLV. The number of separate copies of papers presented to the authors to be 25 in place of 12. Rule XLVII. This rule to read "A copy of the Society's publications issued for the year during which he is elected, shall be delivered free to every member not in arrear with the Society, if in stock." The following communication on Babylonian Tablets, from Dr. Julius Oppert, was read by the Secretary : The object of this paper is to show the difference between the contract tablets of Babylonia and those of Assyria; the latter being for the most part written after an almost invariable formula, it may be said that to know the legal form of one perfectly is to know them all. On the contrary, with regard to those of Babylonia, no two are written in exactly the same legal form, and as they are generally very obscure, it is necessary before one can be properly understood, to search for the special fact peculiar to the particular tablet. The two tablets here translated have not before even been published in the original. The first is in the collection of M. de Clercq, and is a very fine specimen of its kind. 1. A sale of lands, a field of five-sixths hemicorion revenue, with gardens of timber wood, as will be stated, and assessed in value [situated] in the district of the town of Hapisu. The hemicorion is that of the town of Dasu. It lies above, towards [the] North, near [the land of] Nabu-edir-napsati, son of Nukaea, son of Egibi, and Kalba, son of Nabu-ahē-idin, son of Sin-nasir, and Nabu-ibni, son of Nabu-iklin, son of Babutu; the descendants of Nabu-habal-idin, son of Nabunnai, and Ina-bitisaggatu-irba, son of Marga, son of Egibi. It lies below, towards [the] South, near [the land of] Ben-ahi-idin, the... [? owner] of the field, and Nabu-kitabsi'si ... Nabu-nasir, son of Mat'. It lies above towards [the] West, near [the land of] Nabu-ikkira, son of Nabu-ahē-idin, son of Egibi, the descendants of E-zi-da-habal-siba, son of Sin-tabni. son of It lies below, towards [the] East, near [the land of] Marduk-kin, son of Sala, son of Kanuca, and Marduk-zir-usur, son of Zirya, son of Il-ik-ea. Thus is the field of five-sixths of [an] hemicorion revenue [situated] according to the statement [made] and [of] the price of this field. Bene-áhe-idin, son of Kinn-zir, son of Egibi, made with Bel-ballit, son of Basa, son of Siu-zakip, a contract on two minas one drachma, and handed it over after the payment of the entire price, and he gave him according to his wish two measuring staffs of two hands length in silver. Instead of the two minas one drachma, the two measuring staffs of two hands length in white silver will be the security which is now in the hands of Ben-ahe-ib-idin, son of Kin-zir, son of Egibi, and which for Bel-ballit, son of Basa, son of Sin-zakip is [to be taken as] the equivalent of the price of the field. The entire price has been fixed, the party has no repentance, it will not be revoked mutually, it will be stated [in a different manner]. Whomsoever, amongst the brethren, the sons included, the servants and female slaves of Bel-ballit swears thus :-This field has not been given, and the price has not been fixed; the man who shall make the eviction will have to pay the price, and he will be fined for the twelvefold sum. This has been agreed to in this deed, in the presence of follow the names of the witnesses, eight in number.] In the city of Bit-Abu-rim, the month Tishri, the fourth day, in the first year of Nabunid, King of Babylon. [Then The second tablet translated, which is from the collection in the Louvre, is a Succession Settlement, and reads as follows: Treaty of the transfer of silver from the residuary estate which Nabu-ahe-idin, son of Sula, son of Egibi, owed to Bal'-sanu, son of Bel-ahē-idin, son of Sin-zakip, and after the death of Nabu-ahē-idin, Ki-marduk-balat, son of Nabu-ahē-idin and Bel'-sanu, son of Bel-aheidin, agreed thus with each other : Three minas sixteen drachmas which Ki-marduk-balat [or IttiMarduk-balat] would take from the residuary estate, the mother widow shall make over to the house of her son. The capital of four minas and a half, the father assigned [to] Ki-Marduk-balat, and transferred it to him, as first born son; from those four minas [of] silver, the amount of the debt and delay interests [?], repentance money and security [of] value Barkasa and Nabu-lu-irsi shall give them to Bel'-sanu, as to their first born brother. They are mutually responsible as to all the transferred possessions. Their . . . . . of their tablets, the changing of their donations, [unintelligible line] [they engage] the seeds according to the treaty, which they possess near the mouth of the River of Borsippa, from which their brother gathers like them the harvest, and mutually [the end of this line is illegible]. [Then follow the witnesses]. Babylon, in the month of Elul, the 16th day, in the 3rd year of Cambyses King of Nations. Dr. Oppert discusses the probability of the date read by Mr. Theo. G. Pinches, as the 11th year of Cambyses.* He takes it This paper, with that of Mr. Theo. G. Pinches, will be printed in full in a future part of the Transactions. |