Adoption
On the 6th of Tishri, that is day 22 of Payni, year eight of Darius the king, then in Syene the fortress, Uriah son of Mahseiah, an Aramean of Syene, said before Vidranga, the Guardian of the Seventh, the Troop Commander of Syene, to Zaccur son of Meshullam, an Aramean of Syene, . . . as follows:
Jedaniah son of Takhoi, [you]r la[d] whom you gave…
Uriah son of Mahseiah adopts Jedaniah (probably a former slave, not Jedaniah son of Gemariah, the community leader mentioned in other Elephantine documents) and commits, under penalty of a fine, that no member of his family or household may enslave or brand Jedaniah. This document is from 416 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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