"The written records of legal proceedings make fascinating reading regardless of the medium on which they are inscribed. Such is certainly true of these written remains from sixth-century B.C.E. Mesopotamia, which afford a close-up, often dramatic, view of ancient courtroom encounters and shed light on facets of that society's legal culture and daily life. An explanatory essay precedes each of the fifty texts transliterated and translated in this volume. In addition, the book offers an introduction to Neo-Babylonian social history, archival records, and legal materials. Beyond its interest to scholars interested in the history of law, it can also be used as a classroom text in advanced Akkadian."--Back cover.