Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters

by C.H.W. Johns

Claude Hermann Walter Johns (1857-1920) was an Assyriologist and Church of England clergyman. He was born at Banwell, Somerset. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge (B. A., 1880), and was second master successively at Horton College, Tasmania, in 1880-84 and Paston Grammar School, in 1884-86. He was ordered deacon in 1887 and ordained priest in the following year and from 1887 until 1892 was tutor in St. Peter's Training College for Schoolmasters, Peterborough, as well as curate of St. Botolph's, Helpston (1887-88), and of St. John's, Peterborough (1888-91). In 1892 he became rector of St. Botolph's, Cambridge. He was also chaplain of Queen's College from 1893 to 1901, and from 1897 lecturer in Assyriology in Cambridge University, as well as in King's College, London, from 1902. He was Edwards fellow in Cambridge university since 1900, and honorary secretary of the Cambridge Pupil Teachers' Centre from 1894 to 1900. His works include: An Assyrian Doomsday Book (1901), Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters (1904), The Religious Significance of Semitic Proper Names (1912) and Ancient Babylonia (1913).

Genres: History, Law, Nonfiction, Ancient History

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2004

About the author

Rev. Claude Hermann Walter Johns, MA, 1857-1920. Lecturer in Assyriology at Queen's College, Cambridge, England.

Reviews

[David S Weinstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t find the actual 1904 edition reprinted by the Legal Classics Library that I read but this option was the closest possible choice. Not being a lawyer, I read it for the history sort of the way you do when you read ahead in the litergy when bored to some interesting part of ancient history. The sumptuary laws are not to be believed but they had problems to solve and this was their way. It’s a book you read in between other things 15 minutes at a time. Flip the pages to any point and you can just get engrossed.

[Ed Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Legal History

If you are interested in legal history, this books will give you solid visibility into the Babylonian legal system. Interesting parallels with modern legal theories are evident. Not a riveting page turner, and I would have liked to see more commentaries. Having said that, it is an interesting legal history read.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

En genomgång av babylonisk lag, med tillägg av brev från statspersoner som illustrativa exempel. Fullständigt adekvat; inte speciellt intressant om man inte är historienörd (vilket jag dock är).