The Oldest Code of Laws in the World | Page 9

go after their father.
section 136. If a man has left his city and fled, after him his wife has
entered the house of another, if that man shall return and has seized his
wife, because he hated his city and fled, the wife of the truant shall not
return to her husband.
section 137. If a man has set his face to put away his concubine who
has borne him children or his wife who has granted him children, to
that woman he shall return her her marriage portion and shall give her
the usufruct of field, garden, and goods, and she shall bring up her

children. From the time that her children are grown up, from whatever
is given to her children they shall give her a share like that of one son,
and she shall marry the husband of her choice.
section 138. If a man has put away his bride who has not borne him
children, he shall give her money as much as her dowry, and shall pay
her the marriage portion which she brought from her father's house, and
shall put her away.
section 139. If there was no dowry, he shall give her one mina of silver
for a divorce.
section 140. If he is a poor man, he shall give her one-third of a mina of
silver.
section 141. If the wife of a man who is living in the house of her
husband has set her face to go out and has acted the fool, has wasted
her house, has belittled her husband, one shall put her to account, and if
her husband has said, 'I put her away,' he shall put her away and she
shall go her way, he shall not give her anything for her divorce. If her
husband has not said 'I put her away,' her husband shall marry another
woman, that woman as a maidservant shall dwell in the house of her
husband.
section 142. If a woman hates her husband and has said 'Thou shalt not
possess me,' one shall enquire into her past what is her lack, and if she
has been economical and has no vice, and her husband has gone out
and greatly belittled her, that woman has no blame, she shall take her
marriage portion and go off to her father's house.
section 143. If she has not been economical, a goer about, has wasted
her house, has belittled her husband, that woman one shall throw her
into the waters.
section 144. If a man has espoused a votary, and that votary has given a
maid to her husband and has brought up children, that man has set his
face to take a concubine, one shall not countenance that man, he shall
not take a concubine.

section 145. If a man has espoused a votary, and she has not granted
him children and he has set his face to take a concubine, that man shall
take a concubine, he shall cause her to enter into his house. That
concubine he shall not put on an equality with the wife.
section 146. If a man has espoused a votary, and she has given a maid
to her husband and she has borne children, afterwards that maid has
made herself equal with her mistress, because she has borne children
her mistress shall not sell her for money, she shall put a mark upon her
and count her among the maidservants.
section 147. If she has not borne children her mistress may sell her for
money.
section 148. If a man has married a wife and a sickness has seized her,
he has set his face to marry a second wife, he may marry her, his wife
whom the sickness has seized he shall not put her away, in the home
she shall dwell, and as long as she lives he shall sustain her.
section 149. If that woman is not content to dwell in the house of her
husband, he shall pay her her marriage portion which she brought from
her father's house, and she shall go off.
section 150. If a man to his wife has set aside field, garden, house, or
goods, has left her a sealed deed, after her husband her children shall
not dispute her, the mother after her to her children whom she loves
shall give, to brothers she shall not give.
section 151. If a woman, who is dwelling in the house of a man, her
husband has bound himself that she shall not be seized on account of a
creditor of her husband's, has granted a deed, if that man before he
married that woman had a debt upon him, the creditor shall not seize
his wife, and if that woman before she entered the man's house had