A Property Dispute Settled by Oath
On the 18th of Kislev, that is the 17th day of Thoth, year 21 (of Xerxes the king), the beginning of the reign when Artaxerxes the king sat on his throne, Dargamana son of Khvarshaina, a Khwarezmian of the detachment of Artabanu, who is stationed in Elephantine the fortress, said to Mahseiah son of Jedaniah, a Jew of the detachment of Varyazata…
A Jewish family takes a judicial oath by YHW (the usual spelling of YHWH, God’s name, in the Elephantine texts) to deny a property claim made by Darga-mana, a Persian. Apparently, the oath was imposed by the court because neither party had proof of ownership; in such cases, the party currently in possession of the property asserts its claim by oath, and the claimant must accept the oath. This document is from 464 BCE.
Related Guide
The Ancient Near Eastern Background of Biblical Law
Biblical law was influenced by the legal collections of its powerful neighbors, especially the Babylonians and Assyrians.
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