Middle Assyrian Laws

Historical source page 12

An Assyrian Law Code 11 in the regulation of property rights we find comparatively advanced legislation to prevent encroachment on a man's domain. Text No. 2 — so far as preserved — deals largely with the regulation of property rights. The one who removes boundaries is severely punished, and a distinction is made between a 'large' and a 'small' trespass of this character (Text No. 2, §§8 and 9). Light is thrown on agricultural methods by provisions against using prop- erty not belonging to one for digging a well, for planting orchards, or for making bricks (Text No. 2, §§ 10, 12-15). Irrigation is regulated (Text No. 2, §§ 17-18) and the division of an estate carefully provided for (Text No. 2, §§ 1-5). Of special interest is the elaborate procedure for the purchase of an estate (Text No. 2, § 6) for a proclamation to be made three times, calling upon all who have a claim on an estate to appear before the recorder and deposit their claims, in written form. A month's time is allotted for such notice and the purchase is made in the presence of a group of officials which includes a representative of the king, the surrogate, the city scribe, the recorder, the prefect, and three magistrates. Another feature, meriting special notice, are the provisions for the regulation of the dress of women when appearing in public (Text No. 1, §39). The paragraph in question enables us to trace back the veiling of women — still so widespread in the Near East — to the second millennium B. C; and the point of view from which veiling and covering of the head (by which a complete enveloping is meant) is regarded, is instructive for the light that it sheds upon the origin of the custom. Wives and daughters are to be veiled or to have their heads covered, or both, to mark them as the property of the husband and father, and as a warning to others to keep their hands off. Hence the hierodule who remains unmarried — who belongs to the temple and not to any man — is to be unveiled, and likewise the harlot, because she belongs to any man. A severe punishment is imposed upon a harlot who appears veiled in public, as also upon the one who sees her thus disguised and fails to report her 'to the palace'. The original purpose of the veiling shades over into the factor of social distinction and accordingly slave girls are likewise to go unveiled. This gradual change in the custom is again of special interest, because in other respects, the Assyrian Code is marked rather by the absence of class distinctions, in contrast to the Hammurabi Code which is full of special legislation for the