The Oldest Code of Laws in the World, King of Babylonia Hammurabi [best books to read for women .txt] 📗

§ 123.  If without witness and bonds he has given on deposit, and where he has deposited they keep disputing him, this case has no remedy.

§ 124.  If a man has given silver, gold, or anything whatever to a man on deposit before witnesses and he has disputed with him, one shall put that man to account, and whatever he has disputed he shall make up and shall give.

§ 125.  If a man has given anything of his on deposit, and where he gave it, either by housebreaking or by rebellion, something of his has been lost, along with something of the owner of the house, the owner of the house who has defaulted all that was given him on deposit and has been lost, he shall make good and render to the owner of the goods, the owner of the house shall seek out whatever of his is lost and take it from the thief.

§ 126.  If a man has lost nothing of his, but has said that something of his is lost, has exaggerated his loss, since nothing of his is lost, his loss he shall recount before God, and whatever he has claimed he shall make up and shall give to his loss.

§ 127.  If a man has caused the finger to be pointed against a votary, or a man’s wife, and has not justified himself, that man they shall throw down before the judge and brand his forehead.

§ 128.  If a man has married a wife and has not laid down her bonds, that woman is no wife.

§ 129.  If the wife of a man has been caught in lying with another male, one shall bind them and throw them into the waters.  If the owner of the wife would save his wife or the king would save his servant (he may).

§ 130.  If a man has forced the wife of a man who has not known the male and is dwelling in the house of her father, and has lain in her bosom and one has caught him, that man shall be killed, the woman herself shall go free.

§ 131.  If the wife of a man her husband has accused her, and she has not been caught in lying with another male, she shall swear by God and shall return to her house.

§ 132.  If a wife of a man on account of another male has had the finger pointed at her, and has not been caught in lying with another male, for her husband she shall plunge into the holy river.

§ 133.  If a man has been taken captive and in his house there is maintenance, his wife has gone out from her house and entered into the house of another, because that woman has not guarded her body, and has entered into the house of another, one shall put that woman to account and throw her into the waters.

§ 134.  If a man has been taken captive and in his house there is no maintenance, and his wife has entered into the house of another, that woman has no blame.

§ 135.  If a man has been taken captive and in his house there is no maintenance before her, his wife has entered into the house of another and has borne children, afterwards her husband has returned and regained his city, that woman shall return to her bridegroom, the children shall go after their father.

§ 136.  If a man has left his city and fled, after him his wife has entered the house of another, if that man shall return and has seized his wife, because he hated his city and fled, the wife of the truant shall not return to her husband.

§ 137.  If a man has set his face to put away his concubine who has borne him children or his wife who has granted him children, to that woman he shall return her her marriage portion and shall give her the usufruct of field, garden, and goods, and she shall bring up her children.  From the time that her children are grown up, from whatever is given to her children they shall give her a share like that of one son, and she shall marry the husband of her choice.

§ 138.  If a man has put away his bride who has not borne him children, he shall give her money as much as her dowry, and shall pay her the marriage portion which she brought from her father’s house, and shall put her away.

§ 139.  If there was no dowry, he shall give her one mina of silver for a divorce.

§ 140.  If he is a poor man, he shall give her one-third of a mina of silver.

§ 141.  If the wife of a man who is living in the house of her husband has set her face to go out and has acted the fool, has wasted her house, has belittled her husband, one shall put her to account, and if her husband has said, ‘I put her away,’ he shall put her away and she shall go her way, he shall not give her anything for her divorce.  If her husband has not said ‘I put her away,’ her husband shall marry another woman, that woman as a maidservant shall dwell in the house of her husband.

§ 142.  If a woman hates her husband and has said ‘Thou shalt not possess me,’ one shall enquire into her past what is her lack, and if she has been economical and has no vice, and her husband has gone out and greatly belittled her, that woman has no blame, she shall take her marriage portion and go off to her father’s house.

§ 143.  If she has not been economical, a goer about, has wasted her house, has belittled her husband, that woman one shall throw her into the waters.

§ 144.  If a man has espoused a votary, and that votary has given a maid to her husband and has brought up children, that man has set his face to take a concubine, one shall not countenance that man, he shall not take a concubine.

§ 145.  If a man has espoused a votary, and she has not granted him children and he has set his face to take a concubine, that man shall take a concubine, he shall cause her to enter into his house.  That concubine he shall not put on an equality with the wife.

§ 146.  If a man has espoused a votary, and she has given a maid to her husband and she has borne children, afterwards that maid has made herself equal with her mistress, because she has borne children her mistress shall not sell her for money, she shall put a mark upon her and count her among the maidservants.

§ 147.  If she has not borne children her mistress may sell her for money.

§ 148.  If a man has married a wife and a sickness has seized her, he has set his face to marry a second wife, he may marry her, his wife whom the sickness has seized he shall not put her away, in the home she shall dwell, and as long as she lives he shall sustain her.

§ 149.  If that woman is not content to dwell in the house of her husband, he shall pay her her marriage portion which she brought from her father’s house, and she shall go off.

§ 150.  If a man to his wife has set aside field, garden, house, or goods, has left her a sealed deed, after her husband her children shall not dispute her, the mother after her to her children whom she loves shall give, to brothers she shall not give.

§ 151.  If a woman, who is dwelling in the house of a man, her husband has bound himself that she shall not be seized on account of a creditor of her husband’s, has granted a deed, if that man before he married that woman had a debt upon him, the creditor shall not seize his wife, and if that woman before she entered the man’s house had a debt upon her, her creditor shall not seize her husband.

§ 152.  If from the time that that woman entered into the house of the man a debt has come upon them, both together they shall answer the merchant.

§ 153.  If a man’s wife on account of another male has caused her husband to be killed, that woman upon a stake one shall set her.

§ 154.  If a man has known his daughter, that man one shall expel from the city.

§ 155.  If a man has betrothed a bride to his son and his son has known her, and he afterwards has lain in her bosom and one has caught him, that man one shall bind and cast her into the waters.

§ 156.  If a man has betrothed a bride to his son and his son has not known her, and he has lain in her bosom, he shall pay her half a mina of silver and shall pay to her whatever she brought from her father’s house, and she shall marry the husband of her choice.

§ 157.  If a man, after his father, has lain in the bosom of his mother, one shall burn them both of them together.

§ 158.  If a man, after his father, has been caught in the bosom of her that brought him up, who has borne children, that man shall be cut off from his father’s house.

§ 159.  If a man who has brought in a present to the house of his father-in-law, has given a dowry, has looked upon another woman, and has said to his father-in-law, ‘Thy daughter I will not marry,’ the father of the daughter shall take to himself all that he brought him.

§ 160.  If a man has brought in a present to the house of his father-in-law, has given a dowry, and the father of the daughter has said, ‘My daughter I will not give thee,’ he shall make up and return everything that he brought him.

§ 161.  If a man has brought in a present to the house of his father-in-law, has given a dowry, and a comrade of his has slandered him, his father-in-law has said to the claimant of the wife, ‘My daughter thou shalt not espouse,’ he shall make up and return all that he brought him, and his comrade shall not marry his wife.

§ 162.  If a man has married a wife and she has borne him children, and that woman has gone to her fate, her father shall have no claim on her marriage portion, her marriage portion is her children’s forsooth.

§ 163.  If a man has married a wife, and she has not granted him children, that woman has gone to her fate, if his father-in-law has returned him the dowry that that man brought to the house of his father-in-law, her husband shall have no claim on the marriage portion of that woman, her marriage portion belongs to the house of her father forsooth.

§ 164.  If his father-in-law has not returned him the dowry, he shall deduct all her dowry from his marriage portion and shall return her marriage portion to the house of her father.

§ 165.  If a man has apportioned to his son,