Private Legal Documents and Everyday Law in Babylonian Archives (c. 2000–500 BCE)

1. Neo-Assyrian period preserves Babylonian legal culture

   Jan 1, 9110 BCELabels: Neo-Assyrian scribal

   • Britannica
   • BM Cuneiform

2. Ur III law code preserved in later copies

   Jan 1, 2100 BCELabels: Code of

   • Ur Nammu
   • Britannica

3. Old Babylonian legal tablets proliferate in archives

   Jan 1, 2000 BCELabels: Old Babylonian

   • Met Essay
   • Britannica

4. Lipit-Ishtar law collection circulates in scribal tradition

   Jan 1, 1870 BCELabels: Lipit-Ishtar code

   • Lipit Ishtar
   • Britannica

5. Hammurabi’s reign standardizes Babylonian legal practice

   Jan 1, 1792 BCELabels: Hammurabi reign

   • Britannica
   • Met Essay

6. Hammurabi’s royal law stele is produced

   Jan 1, 1750 BCELabels: Hammurabi stele

   • Louvre
   • Britannica

7. Elamite seizure moves Hammurabi stele to Susa

   Jan 1, 1155 BCELabels: Elamite seizure

   • Louvre
   • Britannica

8. Eanna and Ebabbar temple archives document daily transactions

   Jan 1, 700 BCELabels: Eanna archive, Ebabbar archive

   • ORACC BALT
   • NINO Leiden

9. Neo-Babylonian private archives expand contract documentation

   Jan 1, 626 BCELabels: Neo-Babylonian archives

   • ORACC BALT
   • Met Object

10. House of Egibi archive begins (family business records)

    Jan 1, 602 BCELabels: House of

    • Egibi
    • ORACC BabCity

11. Egibi archive ends amid Persian imperial rule

    Jan 1, 486 BCELabels: Egibi archive

    • Egibi
    • ORACC BabCity

12. Murašû business archive formed at Nippur

    Jan 1, 450 BCELabels: Mura archive

    • Mura
    • Britannica