The Old Testament In the Light of The Historical Records and Legends Part 37

Another figure which appears at this time is that same Neriglissar who was to play so important a part in the affairs of Babylonia at a later date.

In the case of this prince (unlike the Nabonidus of the inscription translated above) we are not tormented by any doubts whatever. It is really and truly Neriglissar, and none other. He first appears in Nebuchadnezzar's thirty-fourth year, in the following legal doc.u.ment-

"100 sheep of Kili(gug?), servant of Nergal-arra-u?ur, concerning which Abi-nadib, son of Ya-?ata, said to Nergal-arra-u?ur, son of Bel-um-ikun, thus-

" 'Nabu-?abit-qata, servant of Nergal-arra-u?ur, brought them by my hand.'

"If Abi-nadib (and) Nabu-?abit-qata prove (this), Abi-nadib is free; if he prove it (not), Abi-nadib will give to Nergal-arra-u?ur 100 sheep, (with) wool (?) and young (?).

"Witnesses: ?illi-Bel, son of Abi-yadia; Kabtia, son of Marduk-zer-ibni, descendant of the potter; Nabu-na?ir, son of Zilla; and the scribe, (Nabu)-a?e-iddina, son of ula, descendant of egibi. Takretain (?), month Elul, day 2nd, year 34th, Nabu-kudurri-u?ur, king of Babylon."

Neriglissar must therefore have been an extensive cattle-owner, and had many servants, some of whom at least must have been men of substance, like Abi-nadib, who engages to restore to his master the 100 sheep, if it could be proved that they had been lost by his fault. Judging from the name, Abi-nadib (= Abinadab) must have come from the west, his Biblical namesakes being Israelites. Nabu-?abit-qata elsewhere appears as the major-domo of the crown prince (? Laborosoarchod = Labai-Marduk) during the reign of Neriglissar, and of Belshazzar during the reign of his father Nabonidus. The reader will meet his name again in the translations which follow.

A similar transaction to the above is one in which two servants of Neriglissar were concerned, but in which the prince himself seems not to have been directly interested. It is as follows-

"(At the end?) of the month Sivan, arru-ilua, servant of Nergal-arra-u?ur, will bring his witness and will prove to ?atanu, servant of Nergal-arra-u?ur, that arru-ilua gave to ?atanu the iron _raqundu_. If he prove it, ?atanu will give to arru-ilua a _raqundu_.

"Witnesses: Muezib-Bel, son of Nabu-iltama', and the scribe, Nabu-a?e-iddina, descendant of egibi. Upia (Opis), month Nisan, day 29th, (year ...)th, Nabu-kudurri-u?ur, king of Babylon."

During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the "chief of the house" or major-domo of Neriglissar was Bel-e?iranni, who is mentioned as having borrowed money, whether on his own or his master's behalf is not known. This took place in the forty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar. The following is an order for the delivery of goods to the prince-

"Cause ... iron implements (and) 80 _kudutum_ to be taken to Nergal-arra-u?ur by the hands of Nabu-um-iddina, secretary of Nergal-arra-u?ur. Month Iyyar, day 12th, year 43rd, Nabu-kudurri-u?ur, king of Babylon."

To all appearance prince Neriglissar was a very busy man, who sought to add to his worldly goods by every means in his power, and did not disdain to engage in trade in the attainment of wealth. What he had apparently begun in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he continued in the time of Evil-Merodach, during whose reign there are several inscriptions referring to his transactions with regard to houses. In the first of these inscriptions he hires a house for 11 mana of silver from Nabu-abla-iddina, by his agent, Nabu-kain-abli (first year of Evil-Merodach, month and day lost).

In another contract he acquires 4 canes, 1 cubit, 8 fingers (of land) from Marduk-akin-umi, and 2 canes, 6-2/3 cubits from Kurbanni-Marduk, for a total of 4 mana 19 shekels of silver. (Babylon, month Tebet, day 9th, 1st year of Evil-Merodach.)

In the third contract it would seem that the property in land of Nabu-abla-iddina had been given over to his creditors, of whom Nabu-bani-a?i was one, the amount due to him being, in all, 53 shekels of silver, due to him from Nabu-abla-iddina in the name of a third party. By the authority of Neriglissar it would seem that 42-1/3 shekels of silver were paid to Nabu-bani-a?i, who then gave to Neriglissar a contract for 53 shekels of silver, promising, at the same time, to speak to the king's scribes, and draw up and deliver to Neriglissar a _sealed_ doc.u.ment. If he did not do this, he was to be liable for the silver and its interest.

By advancing the money to this creditor, Neriglissar became himself a creditor of the estate of Nabu-abla-iddina (15th of Adar, 1st year of Evil-Merodach), and it seems to have been his intention to get the whole of the land and the houses thereon into his own hands. He therefore acquired further interest in the property a few weeks later (26th of Nisan, 2nd year of Evil-Merodach), and again after a further interval of three months (14th of Tammuz, 2nd year of Evil-Merodach). To all appearance, the amounts advanced by Neriglissar to the creditors of the estate were less than the sums due to them from Nabu-abla-iddina on account of their claims. He seems, however, to have got them to give him receipts in full, and they had to promise to deliver sealed doc.u.ments. He must have made a considerable profit out of this species of bill-discounting.

The last tablet referring to the estate of Nabu-abla-iddina is dated in the accession year of Neriglissar's own reign (9th of the 2nd Adar), and in this Nabu-a?e-iddina secures an interest by paying 26- shekels of silver on account of a sum of 52- shekels-just half. The land is stated to have been "sold for silver for a palace," and the money was paid by the intermediary of Nabu-a?e-iddina, Neriglissar's representative in such matters before he ascended the throne. The following is a translation of this interesting doc.u.ment-

"52- shekels of silver due to Ikia, son of Gilua, descendant of Sin-adunu, which is upon (_i.e._ due from) Nabu-abla-iddina, son of Bala?u, descendant of the butler (?), in (part payment) of the price of the house of Nabu-abla-iddina, which has been sold for silver for the palace. In agreement with the creditors, Ikia, son of Gilua, descendant of Sin-adunu, has received 26- shekels of silver from the hands of Nabu-a?e-iddina, son of ula, descendant of egibi, and has given the contract for 52- shekels of silver, which is upon (_i.e._ due from) Nabu-abla-iddina, to Nabu-a?e-iddina.

"Witnesses: Daanu-um-iddina, son of Zeru-Babili, descendant of the dagger-bearer; Nabu-nadin-umi, son of Abla, descendant of Sin-nadin-umi; Bel-unu, son of Uaa, descendant of a?i-bani;

"and the scribe, Nabu-bala?-su-iqbi, son of Ikia, descendant of Sin-adunu. Babylon, month of the later Adar, day 9th, year of the beginning of dominion of Nergal-arra-u?ur, king of Babylon."

But Neriglissar was now king, and had no need and but little desire to appear before his subjects as a purchaser of houses, or as a trader in any way (it is probably on this account that his name does not occur in the above doc.u.ment). When he engaged in anything of the kind, it was henceforth through agents. The only exception known is the marriage-contract of his daughter Gigitum, who espoused the high priest of Nebo at Borsippa. The following is a translation of this doc.u.ment, as far as it is preserved-

"Nabu-um-ukin, priest of Nebo, director of e-zida, son of iriktum-Marduk, descendant of Ide-ilani-dannu, said to Nergal-arra-u?ur, king of Babylon: 'Give Gigitum, thy virgin daughter, to wifehood, and let her be my wife.' Nergal-arra-u?ur (said) to Nabu-um-ukin, priest of Nebo, director of e-zida...."

(About twenty-eight lines are wanting here, the text becoming again legible at the end of the list of witnesses on the reverse.)

"..., son of Nabu-um-liir, ...; ...-ri, son of Nabu-arra-u?ur, the judge (??);

"Nabu-um-u?ur, the scribe, son of Aur ... Babylon, month Nisan, day 1st, year 1st, (Nergal-arra)-u?ur, king of Babylon. Copy of e-zida."

The mutilation of the record is unfortunate, as the conclusion of the matter cannot be ascertained, but it may be regarded as fairly certain that Neriglissar really did give his daughter Gigitum in marriage to Nabu-um-ukin, for had it been otherwise, there would have been but little need to draw up the doc.u.ment of which the fragment here translated has been preserved to us. The remainder of the tablet was probably taken up with the usual conditions-the penalty Nabu-um-ukin would have to pay should he divorce or abandon his wife; the penalty Gigitum would have to suffer if she disowned or forsook her husband; directions with regard to the amount and disposal of her dowry, etc. This and similar inscriptions seem to suggest that Herodotus was probably wrongly informed with regard to the compulsory nature of the public prost.i.tution of unmarried women which, he says, was practised in Babylonia, the expressions found in these inscriptions often pointing, as in the present case, to a belief, on the part of the bridegroom, in the chast.i.ty of the woman chosen by him to be his wife.

The date corresponds with the Babylonian New Year's Day, 559 B.C.

With this inscription we take leave of Neriglissar except as the ruler whose name the scribes used to date by.

Though, according to Berosus, Laborosoarchod (Labai-Marduk) was a mere child when he came to the throne, there is no doubt, from the inscription which follows, that he was old enough to have an establishment of his own, and also to carry on the business of money-lender, Nabu-?abit-qata (see p.

439) being his representative in the transactions in which he engaged. As it is an inscription typical of its cla.s.s, it is given here in full-

"12 mana of silver of the son of the king, which (has been advanced through) the hand of Nabu-?abit-qata, chief of the house of the son of the king, is upon (_i.e._ due from) um-ukin, son of Muallim-ilu. In the month Nisan the silver, 12 mana, in its full amount, he will repay.

Everything of his, in town and country, all there is, is the security of the king's son-another creditor shall not have power over it until Nabu-sabit-qata receives the money. Nabu-a?e-iddina, son of ula, descendant of egibi, takes responsibility for the receipt of the money.

"Witnesses: ama-uballi?, son of Ikia; Kalba, son of Bel-ere; the scribe Bel-a?e-ikia, son of Bel-e?eru. Babylon, month Elul, day 10th, year 2nd, Nergal-arra-u?ur, king of Babylon."

What the crown prince did, it goes without saying that all the court officials sought to do. An instance of this is Bel-a?e-iddina, the king's captain, who is recorded as having lent 2/3 of a mana of silver to Ardia and ula, at an interest of one shekel upon every mana monthly-twenty per cent. yearly-a sufficiently high interest, though it was the usual rate in Babylonia. This inscription is dated at Babylon, 7th day of Kisleu, 2nd year of Neriglissar. It is noteworthy, however, that there is no mention of interest in the doc.u.ment drawn up for Labai-Marduk's major-domo.

Interesting is the inscription in which two partners engage to meet two other men, also partners, at the gate of the house of the king's son to come to an arrangement concerning profits which they had made _a zallanu u duse_, _i.e._ with regard to two "lines" of leather goods (9th day of Tammuz, 3rd year of Neriglissar). It also furnishes further testimony to the fact that this prince had a separate establishment.

After Laborosoarchod's nine months came the reign of Nabonidus, whom, as will be remembered, the Babylonians and Cyrus, his conqueror, accused of neglecting the G.o.ds, and sending them forth from their shrines to the cities around. Perhaps his crime consisted in his preference for the G.o.ds of other cities than Babylon, the city which Nebuchadnezzar's lavish favours had somewhat spoilt, and who resented her neglect at the hands of the antiquarian king. However that may be, contemporary records show that he gave to the benefit of Sippar, the city of the Sun-G.o.d, not unfrequently. A mutilated inscription refers to full-grown oxen and sheep from the son of the king, for the king's sacrifices, divided between two temples at Sippar, one of them being that of Anunitu[m] (7th of Adar, 9th year of Nabonidus); and things from the _bit makkur nidinit arri_ ("warehouse of the king's gifts") are often mentioned. Naturally he had to make gifts to many shrines in Babylonia.

Whether the following refers to oxen for sacrifice or not is doubtful-

"20 shekels of silver have been given to Nabu-arra-u?ur, the sec(retary) of the king, for oxen for the husbandmen who are in the city ?a(buru). He has not given the oxen. Month Nisan, day 16th, year 7th, Nabu-na'id, king of Babylon."

The above inscription comes from Sippar, near which the city referred to must have stood.

Several inscriptions refer to the storehouse into which the king's gift was delivered. The following is a specimen of these texts-

"Fruit, the amount of the 10th year, Ana-amat-Bel-atkal has given into the storehouse of the gift of the king. Month Kisleu, day 14th, year 10th, Nabu-na'id, (king) of eridu.

"35 _gur_, ama-killi-anni.

"12 _gur_ 90 _qa_, um-ukin and Remut.

"65 _gur_ 144 _qa_, Ikia.

"45 _gur_ 72 _qa_, Kina.

"62 gur, Niqu(du).

"17 _gur_ 72 _qa_, ...

"Altogether 23(8 _gur_ 18 _qa_)."

This and other inscriptions, especially one referring to 250 _gur_ of grain, shows that Nabonidus was fairly liberal to the temples at Sippar.

It is also very probable that he provided for the needful repairs of this and other temples from time to time, one of the inscriptions (dated in his third year) recording a contribution of half a talent and 7 mana of silver for work done on the great temple-tower of Sippar, e-babbara, besides 8 mana 20 shekels of silver as t.i.the, seemingly for grain for the city ?aburu, where, it is to be conjectured, an agricultural farm belonging to one of the temples of Sippar was situated.(133)

It is not by any means improbable that Nabonidus had a residence at Sippar, and if so, this would explain the reason of his favouring that city, and at the same time add to the causes of the discontent of the "sons of Babylon." This is implied by a small tablet apparently inscribed with an account of the receipts and expenditure of the temple e-babbara at Sippar, which occupied the position of purveyor of water, and took the place of the water-company of the cities of modern Europe-

"2 mana 13 shekels of silver, the price of the king's water, which is from Bel-abla-iddina, the overseer of(134) Ki-Bel, the chief man of the king's water, has been brought by the hands of ama-kain-abli, son of Balatu.

"From the amount, 2 mana of silver have been given for 80 measures (?) of oil to Nabu-u?ur-u, son of Dummuq, descendant of Ga?al, in the presence of Kalba, the secretary. 13 shekels of silver are in the treasury.

"Silver, 2 mana, is with Nabu-dur-pania. Of the amount, 4 shekels of silver have been paid for 2 _parrum_(135)-stones, which were given to Aur-rimananni, son of Nabu-bala?-su-iqbi.

"Month later Adar, day 27th, year 6th, Nabu-na'id, king of Babylon."