Page:Laws of Hammurabi, King of Babylonia.djvu/14

72 his property and that son shall be deemed the proper person to exercise the control and possession over his father's field and garden.

29. In event his son [the son of an officer or drafted man] by reason of his infancy is incapable of taking possession of his father's property, the son's mother shall be given ⅓ the field and garden of the father and shall be charged with the maintenance and support of such son until he shall reach maturity.

30. In event an officer of the king or [drafted] man fails to make provision for the cultivation of his field, garden and the care of his house, or gives them in payment to some other person who enters into possession thereof and occupies the same for the period of 3 years, whereupon such officer or [drafted] man returns to claim such field, garden or house, the officer or [drafted] man shall not be deemed the rightful owner, and the property shall remain in the possession of the person occupying it.

31. In event he [an officer of the king or a man] shall lease his property for the period of one year and at the termination of said lease he returns to take possession of said property, he shall be entitled to the possession thereof.

32. Any person purchasing the freedom of an officer or man captured while on a march with his king, shall be repaid the ransom money by the captured officer or man, in event the officer or man has property or means sufficient to repay the purchaser of his freedom. In event such ransomed person has no means by which to repay the person purchasing his freedom, the municipality in which such captured person has his domicile shall compensate the purchaser of his freedom, the charge therefor to be first made upon the temple. In event of insufficient funds in the temple to make payment then the state shall defray the charge. The field, garden and house of the ransomed officer or man shall not be charged for repayment.

33. Any [officer] or [soldier] who deserts and substitutes a mercenary in his stead and the mercenary goes in his stead, then the deserter shall be deemed guilty of felony and punished by death.

34. If [officer] or a [soldier] injures the property of the king he shall be deemed guilty of felony and punished by death. If anyone delivers an officer of the king into bondage, and in so delivering the officer into bondage he bribes one in authority to assist him in the delivery and likewise appropriates to his own use property belonging to and bestowed upon the officer by his king, that wrongdoer shall be deemed guilty of felony and put to death.

35. Anyone purchasing a beef or small animal given by the king to an officer [for the officer's rations] shall forfeit the purchase price.

36. The field, garden and house of a taxpayer cannot be sold [is exempt from levy].

37. Anyone purchasing a field, garden or house of an officer, soldier or taxpayer the slate shall be washed [the contract therefor shall be null and void] and the purchase price shall be refunded to the owner [and he, the owner, shall retain his property].

38. A captain, soldier or taxpayer cannot sell the property of his feudal lord, wife or daughter, or pledge such property for the payment of his debts.

39. He [captain, soldier or taxpayer] may assign the field, garden or house which he has purchased with his own money and which he possesses in his own right for the payment of his debts. He may also convey such property to his wife or daughter.