The Status of the Handmaiden Tamet: A New Interpretation of Kraeling 2 (TADB3.3)

Abstract

Among the best known Aramaic documents from Elephantine are the so-called “marriage contracts” (TADB2.6; 3.3,3.8; 6.1–4). Three of these are intact (TADB2.6; 3.3), or virtually so (TADB3.8), and are written by the scribe Nathan b. Ananiah (TADB2.6; 3.3) and his son Mauziah (TADB3.8) respectively. Mauziah wrote one of the fragmentary documents (TADB6.4) and, on the basis of the handwriting, probably another one as well (TADB6.1). Both are professional scribes with several other documents to their credit: Nathan —TADB2.7; 3.1; Mauziah —TADB2.9–10; B3.5. They were well-versed in legal terminology and so we must pay careful attention to their formulations, according appropriate significance to omissions or additions as among the various contracts. So, too, must we probe the legal realia underlying each document to see how these may account for unique formulations and revisions.