484
THE GREEN BAG
firm was not changed. We do not know how long ago. They did a very large business, and a quantity of their records were found. It would seem that when a document like a baked clay tablet became obsolete they filed it away in a cistern, and one of these filing places was found, and the contents are now in the Pennsylvania University. There were all kinds of notes and mortgages, and leases, and documents, which a person under such circumstances would expect to lay away, and which are the same as would be found among the old files of any mer chant of to-day. Among these old docu ments I quote the following: 1 . A mortgage is given on land to pay off an old debt and cancel expense of a visit to the king. 2. A debt is assigned, together with the security which was pledged for its payment, and a guaranty is given against future litigation. 3. An inventory is made out for two hundred jars full of old wine, by order of the superintendent of the house of the prince, to Rimut the inspector of food. 4. A mortgage is given of an orchard which is rented on shares, rent to be paid into the storehouse of Murashu's Sons. The mortgage recites that no other creditor shall have any power over the orchard until the debt is paid. 5. Land and buildings are rented for sixty years. Rent to be paid annually in advance. Part of the land to be put into an orchard. 6. Seventy-two oxen are leased with irri gation implements to run eighteen irrigation stations, four oxen each. 7. Murashu's Sons pay taxes, a mana of silver, a soldier for the king, flour for the king, and gifts for the royal palace; beingtaxes for one month. 8. A lease of fish-ponds in which the lessee, besides the stipulated rent of about $600.00 in silver, agrees to furnish one of the firm a mess of fresh fish every day.
9. One of the firm rents a house on the ramparts of the temple and pays rent in advance with a stipulation, that if posses sion is demanded before the end of the lease, he is to get all of his money back. 10. Three hundred and seventy-three sheep and goats are rented out by the firm and are to be delivered by the head animalkeeper. Rent to be paid in sheep, wool, and butter. Ten per cent allowed for death of animals at time of return, but for every dead one shall be returned a hide and two and one-third shekles (one oz.) of sinews. [For bow strings.] 11. Fields cultivated and uncultivated are leased out belonging to the overseer of the carpenters, in five different municipali ties, term three years, rent payable in silver, wine, sheep, and flour. 12. Murashu's Sons buy 25,240 adobe bricks to be made and delivered in instal ments at their brick shed. 13. Bel-nadin, one of Murashu's sons, buys a gold ring, and takes a guaranty in writing that the emerald set will not fall out in twenty years. 14. Murashu's Sons procure the release of a man from prison, and take a bond from the prisoner's uncle for about two hundred dollars, that the prisoner would not leave town without legal permission. But among other things there was a very peculiar document which was evidently drawn up by a lawyer of very large experi ence and is something of considerable in terest. It is the compromise of a damage suit, and is as follows: , CONTRACT Bagadata spoke to Bel-nadin, one of Murashu's sons, as follows: The town Rabiia, from which silver was taken, Hazatu, and its suburbs, thou hast destroyed. Silver, gold, my cattle, and mv sheep, and everything belonging to me, all, thou, thy bond -servants, thy messengers, thy servants, and people from Nippur have carried away.
