Imposition of a Judicial Oath
On the 18th of Phaophi, year four of Artaxerxes the king in Elephantine the fortress, Malchiah son of Jashobiah, an Aramean, hereditary-property-holder in Elephantine the fortress of the detachment of Nabukudu[rri], said [to Ar]tafrada son of A[rvastah] mara of the detachment of Marya as follows:
[Y]ou com[plained against me] in Np’:
“Yo[u brok]e…
A Jew states that he has been accused of theft and assault and required by the authorities to swear an exculpatory oath by the god Herembethel, and he commits himself to doing so. The court presumably required this procedure, which is reminiscent of the law in Exodus 22:10, because there were no witnesses to confirm or refute the accusation. This document is from 401 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.
You may also like
A Property Dispute Settled by Oath
Settlement of a Claim
Bequest of a House to a Daughter
