CONTENT

Preface.......................................................................................................... xi

List of Abbreviations..................................................................................

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction.................................................................................................... 3

I. The Texts................................................................................................. 5

The archives............................................................................................ 5

The Babatha archive.................................................................... 5

Babatha and her family.......................................................................... 7

The Salome Komaise archive........................................................... 12

Salome Komaise and her family........................................................... 15

Legal implications of the documents

Women’s archives................................................................................. 17

Continuity and change: obtemperare legibus nostris

Traianus conpulit imperator?.............................................................. 19

‘Reichsrecht und Volksrecht’ and conflict of law................................ 25

Previous treatment of legal issues in relation to

present study......................................................................................... 31

II. The Treatment

Terminology.......................................................................................... 43

a. the meaning of law or legal system............................................ 43

b. Jewish law at the time of the archives....................................... 44

c. Roman law at the time of the archives.......................................

Method.................................................................................................. 53

Sources.................................................................................................. 55

Note on extent of legal detailing..................................................... 56

PART ONE

THE LAW BEHIND THE DOCUMENTS:

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EVIDENCE

Introduction to part I................................................................................... 59

Chapter One: Language............................................................................... 63

I. Language and Law............................................................................ 63

Greek as language used in legal documents........................................ 64

Roman vs. indigenous courts?.............................................................. 73

Greek vs. Aramaic?............................................................................... 78

Choice of language is choice of law?................................................... 84

II. Conclusions..................................................................................... 88

Chapter Two: Language and References to Law......................................... 93

I. Case S tudies..................................................................................... 93

P.Yadin 2 and 3: a Jew amongst Nabataeans...................................... 93

P. Yadin 6: Jews conducting business in Nabataean........................... 97

P.Yadin 8 and 9: different yet the same............................................. 107

P.Hever 60 and 12: Aramaic where Greek is expected...................... 115

P.Yadin 5, 17: depositing ‘according to the law of deposit’... 117

P.Yadin 11: loan from a Roman centurion......................................... 156

P.Yadin 21-22, 23-24: a sale without capacity to dispose? 168

II. Conclusions...................................................................................

Overview............................................................................................. 181

Chronological development................................................................ 184

The use of languages against the background of

the parties........................................................................................... 184

References to law in the documents................................................... 186

Law behind the documents.................................................................. 186

Chapter Three: A New Approach to Understand the

Relationship between Roman and Local Law in the Archives... 188

I. Determining the Applicable Law.................................................... 188

Under Nabataean rule

Language and references to law......................................................... 188

General-specific................................................................................. 190

Under Roman rule

Language and references to law............................................ 193

Formal-substantive............................................................................. 195

II. Conclusions................................................................................... 204

PART TWO

THE LAW BEHIND THE DOCUMENTS:

CASE STUDIES

Introduction to part II............................................................................... 209

Chapter Four: Law of Succession.............................................................. 213

I. Evidence for Applicable Law of Succession in the

Archives..................................................................................................... 214

Son 214

Other children/wife in presence of a son.................................................. 220

In absence of a son.................................................................................... 226

Order of succession based on documentary evidence...............................

What law determined the order of succession found in the documents?.. 237

II. Discussion of Legal Position of Daughter in Ancient

Eastern Legal Systems....................................................................... 246

Evidence from legal code and documents.......................................... 246

Conclusions........................................................................................ 250

Mesopotamia...................................................................................... 251

Mesopotamian law anterior to Hammurabi’s Code............... 251

Old Babylonian law............................................................................ 255

Excursus: the daughter-heir in Athenian law.................. 259

Assyrian laws

a. Old Assyrian.................................................................... 262

b. Middle Assyrian.............................................................. 264

c. Neo-Assyrian................................................................... 266

Nuzi..................................................................................................... 267

O verview............................................................................................ 271

Anatolia and the Levant..................................................................... 274

Hittite Laws......................................................................................... 274

Emar.................................................................................................... 277

Alalakh................................................................................................ 281

Ugarit.................................................................................................. 284

Overview............................................................................................. 289

Excursus: Elephantine........................................................................

III. Conclusions.................................................................................. 292

Overview............................................................................................. 292

Conclusions........................................................................................ 294

Chapter Five: Guardianship

I. Guardianship of a Minor

The case of Babatha’s son Jesus........................................................ 300

The appointment of the guardians...................................................... 301

The dispute about maintenance.......................................................... 319

The actio tutelae................................................................................. 330

Contents and formalities.................................................................... 336

Excursus: did Babatha win her case?................................................ 344

The case of Judah’s nephews............................................................. 346

II. Guardianship of a Woman

Evidence pro and contra.................................................................... 354

Two legal concepts?........................................................................... 366

The demands of formal law: the case of P.Yadin 27.......................... 368

III. Conclusions.................................................................................. 372

Chapter Six: Marriage

I. P.Yadin 10: Babatha’s Document: A Real Ketubba?

Structure and most important features of P.Yadin 10....................... 379

The ketubba and its legal implications.............................................. 388

Babatha’s sale of the dates................................................................ 389

Babatha’s dispute with Besas............................................................. 391

Babatha’s dispute with Miryam.........................................................

Conclusions........................................................................................ 396

II. P.Yadin 18: Shelamzion’s Document: Jewish vs.

Hellenistic?

Structure and most important features of P.Yadin 18 398 Jewish, Hellenistic, or is it?..................................................................................................................... 401

Conclusions................................................................................................ 420

III. P.Hever 65: Salome Komaise’s Document: Premarital

Cohabitation Or Agraphos Gamos?

Structure and most important features of P.Hever 65....................... 423

Premarital cohabitation?................................................................... 424

Agraphos gamos................................................................................. 427

Conclusions: Legal implications of different

interpretations.......................................................................... 432

IV. Conclusions: What Marriage Documents Can Show

Regarding the Development of (Jewish) Law..................................... 433

Bibliography.............................................................................................. 439

Indices........................................................................................................ 449