Amat-Mamu (daughter of Sin-ilum)

Not to be confused with the nadītu scribe Amat-Mamu.

Amat-Mamu was a Babylonian nadītu priestess in Sippar from the 18th century BC who was the subject of legal proceedings involving her inheritance. Amat-Mamu was chosen as the heir of fellow nadītu Belessunu, who bequeathed Amat-Mamu her land and slaves. In exchange, Amat-Mamu was to provide for Belessunu until her death. The estate was claimed by two of Belessunu's cousins, but the mayor ruled in favor of Belessunu and Amat-Mamu. Amat-Mamu then lost the deeds when they were kept in her uncle's home, requiring her to have them reconstituted in a new tablet. This tablet was preserved, and its description of Amat-Mamu's inheritance provides insight into Babylonian inheritance practices.

Family and inheritance

A depiction of Shamash

Amat-Mamu was a nadītu, a priestess to the god Shamash.^[1] She was the daughter of Sin-ilum (also transcribed as Sîn-ilum or Sin-ili). Sin-ilum was the son of Sin-tajjār, who in turn was the son of Akšāja.^[2] Amat-Mamu had a cousin, an aunt, and a great aunt who were all nadītus as well.^[3] Nadītus were sometimes allowed to choose their own heirs, including potential heirs outside of their own families.^[4] Such an option was allowed to the nadītu Belessunu, daughter of Mannium, as part of the terms of her own adoption as the heir of her aunt Naramtum,^[5][6] and Belessunu adopted Amat-Mamu as her heir.^[1]

Amat-Mamu inherited four fields totaling forty-six acres: a five-acre field and a twenty-acre field in the Pzur-Ilaba district, a nine-acre field in the Akbarum district, and a twelve-acre field in the Pahuşu district. She also inherited two plots of land: one and one-third sar of partially developed land in the cloister and six sar of undeveloped land of Sippar-rabum. Amat-Mamu inherited three slaves from Belessunu: Ana-pani-Šamaš-nadi, Sin-mašmaš, and Sin-mašmaš's brother.^[7] Also inherited were a house, two copper pots,^[2][5] and two axes.^[8] Amat-Mamu was given the deeds, or "mother tablets", entitling her to Belessunu's property.^[9]

Per the terms of the agreement, Amat-Mamu was required to pay Belessunu's debts and provide for her while she lived.^[2][5] The debt totaled two-thirds mina, six shekels of silver. To provide for Belessunu, Amat-Mamu was required to provide Belessunu with six gurs of grain, twelve minas of wool, twenty-four liters of oil, six feasts, twenty liters of flour, and two pieces of meat each year. The agreement specified that this agreement was only with Amat-Mamu, and no other person could lay claim to Belessunu's estate by providing for her.^[8]

Two years after the agreement was made, two of Belessunu's cousins and fellow nadītus—Amat-Šamaš and Nīši-īnīšu—laid claim to the fields.^[6] The mayor of Sippar, Zimri-Erah, ruled that the inheritance was rightfully Belessunu's. The cousins were penalized for making a false claim over property, and they were forced to give Amat-Mamu a tablet that relinquished their claims.^[10] Professor Rivkah Harris speculated that Belessunu passed over her cousins in favor of Amat-Mamu because Amat-Mamu was a member of a wealthy family and therefore better able to support Belessunu during her life.^[11]

Reconstitution of the tablets

The cuneiform tablets confirming Amat-Mamu's inheritance were stored in the home of her uncle, Ikun-pī-Sîn.^[9][12] They were kept separate from the family archive so as not to suggest that the inheritance was part of the family estate.^[13] It is unknown why they were kept in her uncle's house, though such storage arrangements with family members were not uncommon.^[13]

When they were lost, her father Sîn-ilî had a deposition taken from the uncle admitting to their loss.^[10] Amat-Mamu was forced to go to the court so the judges could authorize the creation of new tablets.^[9] The tablets that Belessunu received as a girl during her own adoption were not reconstituted, for her and her witnesses to that contract had already died.^[1] The court also ruled that should the previous tablets be found, they were still the sole property of Amat-Mamu.^[13]

The sequence of events describing both the legal dispute and the tablets' loss was documented on the reconstituted tablet.^[6][14] The reconstitution meant that some details were lost and inconsistencies were introduced, primarily in the description of the fields.^[15] The tablet is dated to the 14th year of Samsu-iluna's rule, placing its creation in 1736 BC. It has been preserved and is designated by archeologists as CT 47.63.^[16] Amat-Mamu's story is listed on the tablet alongside that of Belessunu, including Belessunu's dedication as a nadītu and her adoption by her aunt.^[15] The tablet is used in the modern era as a reference to understand Babylonian property and inheritance law.^[9][17]