REVIEW OF BOOKS 445 a c c o u n t of p a y m e n t s m a d e (a wage list) a n d t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e a t t e n d a n c e list a n d t h e b u n c h of d o c k e t s sent it t o his superior f o r t h e u l t i m a t e control. Con-s e q u e n t l y all t h e Con-s e d o c u m e n t Con-s were placed in a bag, b a Con-s k e t or veCon-sCon-sel, Con-sealed a n d deposed in an archive.
I n t h e c h a p t e r d e v o t e d t o t h e seal impressions, a f t e r an i n t r o d u c t i o n b y E d i t h P o r a d a , w h o discusses t h e q u e s t i o n of t h e seal owners, t h e d a t e of t h e impressions as well as t h e style a n d i c o n o g r a p h y of t h e impressions, follows a descriptive c a t a l o g u e of t h e seal impressions (by E d i t h P o r a d a a n d P a u l L a m p l ) a n d m a n y p h o t o g r a p h s of t h e seal impressions on t h e d o c k e t s (pp. 137-145).
[ U n i v e r s i t y of Lodz] C. Kunderewicz
P i e t e r Willem Ρ e s t m a η. Marriage and Matrimonial Property in Ancient Egypt. A Contribution to Establishing the Legal Position of the Woman. (Papy-rologica Lugduno-Batava. E d i d i t I n s t i t u t u m ' P a p y r o l o g i c u m U n i v e r s i t a t i s L u g d u n o - B a t a v a e . Vol. I X ) . E . J . Brill, L e i d e n 1961, X I I + 2 3 8 pp., 4 dia-g r a m s . P r i c e f. 40.
This d i s s e r t a t i o n , v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g for t h e h i s t o r i a n s of t h e law as well as for t h e B o m a n i s t s a n d papyrologists, r i g h t l y deserves t o be r e c k o n e d a m o n g t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t w o r k s concerning t h e law of A n c i e n t E g y p t . T h e a u t h o r tries „ t o e x a m i n e m a t r i m o n i a l law a n d t h e law r e g a r d i n g m a t r i m o n i a l p r o p e r t y , as it w a s valid in E g y p t w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e E g y p t i a n s t h e m s e l v e s u p t o t h e B o m a n p e r i o d " a n d gives us a brilliant a n d e x h a u s t i v e s t u d y of t h e m a t r i -m o n y , divorce a n d -m a t r i -m o n i a l p r o p e r t y in A n c i e n t E g y p t .
I n t h e p r e f a c e we f i n d a short s u r v e y c o n c e r n i n g : 1) t h e sources f r o m w h i c h one can get t o k n o w t h e law of A n c i e n t E g y p t a n d 2) a review of previous in-v e s t i g a t i o n s in t h e field of t h i s law. T h e a u t h o r p o i n t s o u t t h a t his w o r k differs essentially f r o m t h e Ägyptische Eheverträge of L ü d d e k e n s (Wiesbaden, 1960) a n d t h a t t h e t w o w o r k s s u p p l e m e n t each other, t h e second being of p u r e l y philological a n d sociological c h a r a c t e r a n d t h e f i r s t a juridical c o m m e n -t a r y . T h e p r e f a c e ends w i -t h some r e m a r k s of p r a c -t i c a l n a -t u r e which concern t h e d i a g r a m s c o n t a i n e d in t h e book, t h e r e n d e r i n g of p r o p e r n a m e s i n t o English, t h e ' deeds a n d t e x t s used in t h e b o o k a n d t h e chronology.
T h e f i r s t p a r t of t h e w o r k is d e v o t e d t o t h e p r o b l e m s of celebration a n d dissolution of m a r r i a g e . This p a r t begins w i t h a concise i n t r o d u c t i o n in w h i c h t h e a u t h o r m a k e s some general r e m a r k s a b o u t m a r r i a g e in A n c i e n t E g y p t . H e calls a t t e n t i o n t o t h e f a c t t h a t according t o t h e s t a t e m e n t of Diodoros t h e E g y p t i a n m a r r i a g e is p o l y g a m o u s while according t o H e r o d o t o s it is mono-g a m o u s a n d expresses opinion t h a t „it is m o s t likely t h a t H e r o d o t o s is r i mono-g h t T h e a u t h o r considers also t h e s t a t e m e n t of Diodoros concerning t h e
admissi-446 С. KUNDEREWICZ
b i l i t y of t h e b r o t h e r - s i s t e r m a r r i a g e in E g y p t as n o t reliable ( t h e case of t h e r o y a l f a m i l y excepted). N e v e r t h e l e s s t h e genealogical trees p r o v e t h a t o f t e n t h e p a r t n e r in m a r r i a g e was chosen f r o m t h e same f a m i l y circle (e.g. uncle a n d niece, cousins). T h e choice of t h i s p a r t n e r is o f t e n m a d e also w i t h i n t h e s a m e social circle. T h e age a t w h i c h it is c u s t o m a r y t o m a r r y is 20 y e a r s f o r m a n a n d 14 y e a r s f o r w o m a n .
I n C h a p t e r One t h e a u t h o r deals w i t h t h e celebration of m a r r i a g e . A scru-pulous analysis of t h e d o c u m e n t s l e a d s h i m t o t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h a t in A n c i e n t E g y p t existed t w o d i f f e r e n t t y p e s of m a r r i a g e . T h e elements of t h e f i r s t t y p e a r e : 1) t h e consensus, originally b e t w e e n t h e f a t h e r of t h e b r i d e a n d t h e f u t u r e h u s b a n d , l a t e r (since t h e t i m e s of 2 6 t h d y n a s t y ) b e t w e e n t h e bride a n d t h e b r i d e g r o o m ; 2) t h e h a n d i n g over of a gift b y t h e h u s b a n d t o his wife (presu-m a b l y originally t o his f a t h e r - i n - l a w ) . F r o (presu-m t h e y e a r 517 B.C. a p p e a r s also t h e second t y p e of m a r r i a g e in w h i c h t h e c e n t r a l m o m e n t is h a n d i n g over of a gift b y t h e wife. T h e m a r r i a g e comes i n t o existence only b y t h e consensus of t h e f u t u r e h u s b a n d a n d t h e f a t h e r of t h e b r i d e or of t h e b r i d e a n d t h e bride-g r o o m w i t h o u t a n y requisite in f o r m . Basinbride-g on t h e d a t a available a t t h e m o m e n t t h e a u t h o r expresses opinion t h a t w i t h t h e ancient E g y p t i a n s a m a r r i a g e „is n o t h i n g m o r e t h a t a c o m m o n i n t e n t i o n of m a k i n g life t o g e t h e r " a n d t h a t „ d u r i n g t h e m a r r i a g e t h e w i f e ' s place is in t h e s a m e house as t h a t of her hus-b a n d " .
C h a p t e r T w o concerns t h e legal consequences of m a r r i a g e as r e g a r d s f a m i l y law. H e r e is f o u n d a v e r y i m p o r t a n t assertion t h a t t h e E g y p t i a n h u s b a n d h a s n o t m a r i t a l power over his wife a n d t h a t she m a y p e r f o r m legal a c t s q u i t e i n d e p e n d e n t l y . B o t h spouses a r e b o u n d n o t t o c o m m i t a d u l t e r y a n d are f r e e t o divorce.
T h e question of t h e dissolution of t h e m a r r i a g e is discussed in t h e n e x t c h a p t e r . Marriage is dissolved b y t h e decease of one of t h e spouses or, certainly f r o m t h e t i m e s of t h e Middle K i n g d o m , b y divorce p r o p o s e d b y t h e h u s b a n d as well as b y t h e wife w h e n e v e r t h e y w a n t a n d w i t h o u t a n y r e q u i s i t e in f o r m . A f t e r t h e divorce t h e wife leaves as a rule t h e house of her f o r m e r h u s b a n d , a n d h e i n some cases d r a w s u p for his f o r m e r wife a deed c o n f i r m i n g t h a t he h a s r e p u d i a t e d her a n d t h a t she is free t o m a r r y again.
T h e second p a r t of Mr P e s t m a n ' s book concerns t h e p r o b l e m s of t h e m a t r i -m o n i a l p r o p e r t y . H a v i n g p r e s e n t e d in an i n t r o d u c t i o n t h e -m e t h o d s he will a p p l y , t h e a u t h o r (in C h a p t e r F o u r ) considers t h e position of t h e m a n a n d t h e w o m a n as r e g a r d s t h e law of p r o p e r t y b e f o r e m a r r i a g e a n d comes t o t h e conclu-sion t h a t b e f o r e t h e m a r r i a g e b o t h m a n a n d w o m a n m a y h a v e a p r o p e r t y of t h e i r own a n d f r e e l y dispose of it. I n C h a p t e r F i v e t h e a u t h o r deals w i t h v a r i o u s p a r t s of m a t r i m o n i a l goods a n d t h e n w i t h s e t t l e m e n t b y t h e h u s b a n d as r e g a r d s his p r o p e r t y as a whole i n view of m a r r i a g e ( C h a p t e r Six), t h e position of t h e h u s b a n d a n d wife as r e g a r d s t h e law of p r o p e r t y d u r i n g m a r r i a g e ( C h a p t e r
R E V I E W OE BOOKS 447 Seven) a n d t h e law of p r o p e r t y as following t h e dissolution of m a r r i a g e b y divorce ( C h a p t e r E i g h t ) . C h a p t e r Nine c o n t a i n s several conclusions concerning t h e law of m a t r i m o n i a l p r o p e r t y a n d a s c r u p u l o u s analysis of some clauses of t h e „will" of N a u n a k h t e d a t i n g f r o m t h e 2 0 t h d y n a s t y .
T h e a u t h o r p r o v e s t h a t d u r i n g t h e m a r r i a g e t h e m a r r i e d w o m a n can own a p r o p e r t y a n d a p p e a r s t o be entitled t o one t h i r d in t h e p r o p e r t y of her h u s b a n d or i n t h a t p a r t w h i c h he h a s acquired d u r i n g m a r r i a g e . She has t h e r i g h t t o dispose of her p r i v a t e p r o p e r t y a t her will a n d freely. Some m a t r i m o n i a l goods which belong t o t h e w i f e a r e p u t in t h e h a n d s of t h e h u s b a n d w h o is f r e e t o a d m i n i s t e r a n d dispose of t h e m . A f t e r t h e dissolution of m a r r i a g e t h e ex-h u s b a n d is obliged t o give b a c k tex-hese goods (or t ex-h e v a l u e of t ex-h e m in m o n e y ) . If t h e m a r r i a g e is dissolved a division of p r o p e r t y t a k e s place a n d each of t h e f o r m e r spouses t a k e s t h e t h i n g s t o w h i c h he is e n t i t l e d . T h e r e p u d i a t e d wife receives m o r e o v e r f r o m her f o r m e r h u s b a n d a f i n e r e m u n e r a t i o n .
T h e t h i r d p a r t of t h e w o r k (Conclusion) e m b r a c e s C h a p t e r T e n in w h i c h is a discussion of t h e deeds which m a y b e d r a w n u p in view of m a r r i a g e a n d divorce as well as t h e q u e s t i o n of t h e legal s t a t u s of t h e w o m a n ( C h a p t e r E l e v e n ) . As t o t h e legal position of t h e w o m a n t h e a u t h o r p r o v e s t h a t in A n c i e n t E g y p t she h a s n o t only de iure b u t also de facto a completely e q u a l position t o t h a t of t h e m a n . A f t e r t h e c o n q u e s t of E g y p t b y A l e x a n d e r t h e G r e a t t h e legal position of t h e E g y p t i a n w o m a n becomes w e a k e r a n d g r a d u a l l y equalizes w i t h t h a t of t h e Greek w o m a n in E g y p t . I n t h i s p a r t of t h e b o o k we f i n d f u r t h e r t h e genealogical trees, a c o m m e n t a r y t o t h e d i a g r a m s placed a t t h e e n d of t h e work, a copious b i b l i o g r a p h y , a D u t c h s u m m a r y of t h e b o o k a n d v e r y good indexes of s u b j e c t s a n d sources.
[ U n i v e r s i t y of Lodz] C. Kunderewicz
B u r k h a r t К i e η a s t , Die altassyrischen Texte des Orientalischen Seminars der Universität Heidelberg und der Sammlung Erlenmeyer-Basel. Untersuchungen zur Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie ( E r g ä n z u n g s -b ä n d e zur Z e i t s c h r i f t . f ü r Assyriologie u n d v o r d e r a s i a t i s c h e n Archäologie, N e u e Folge) B a n d 1. Mit 32 T a f e l n K e i l s c h t i f t a u t o g r a p h i e n u n d 8 T a f e l n P h o t o s v o n Siegelabrollungen. W . de G r u y t e r et Co. Berlin 1960. P p . X I I |
-125. Price D M 42.
T h e collection of t h e Old Assyrian t a b l e t s e d i t e d b y B. K i e n a s t consists of t h r e e p a r t s . T h e f i r s t c o n t a i n s 53 t a b l e t s f r o m t h e Orientalisches S e m i n a r of H e i d e l b e r g U n i v e r s i t y (nos 1 - 5 3 ) , t h e second — 22 t a b l e t s owned b y F r a u P r o f . M. L. E r l e n m e y e r (nos 54 — 75), t h e t h i r d — t h e descriptions of t h e seal impressions on t h e e d i t e d t e x t s . I n a n a p p e n d i x t o t h e second p a r t t h e r e is p u b l i s h e d a t a b l e t owned b y Mr E . M a t t h i e n s e n f r o m F r a n k f u r t a. Main.
