Women in Babylonia and adjacent countries

What is it about?

This book offers a comprehensive survey of what we know about women in Mesopotamia and adjacent countries, from 3.000 to 300 BC. Discussed are her physical life; veiling (or not); her legal status, particularly in marriage, including divorce, adultery and sexual offences (one chapter presents a commented translation of the Assyrian law-book on women). The woman within her family, interceding with the gods by praying, or others, of lower rank, weaving textiles and grinding flour in (temple) workshops. Prostitution, even in temples. Women constrained to hard work due to her husband's debts, or as prisoners of war. Her social status: from slave-women (musicians) to rich business women, married to merchants; rarely female scribes. Women at the royal courts, or as priestesses (including nuns in convents) or prophets. The book has 55 illustrations.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This is the only book on this topic ever written. For the first time, the rich material has been collected and is presented, taking into account the current scholarly debates (700 pages). It is written for the general reader, in an easy-going style, and will also interest historians and anthropologists who will find more in the 4,000 footnotes. Students of surrounding ancient cultures will be interested; an example is the institution of a second wife, known from the Bible.