Babylonian laws / edited by John C. Luies and G. R. Driver V.1

THE present edition of 'Babylonian Laws', which appears in two volumes, is designed as a companion to the same editors' 'Assyrian Laws', published in 1935.

A brief account of the manner in which the Commentary was pre pared may be given. During 1935-9 the editors discussed each section at lengthy sittings; at the end of each section Miles summarized the conclusions, and Driver afterwards wrote them up from his notes. The text was then revised and typed, and in this way the first draft was drawn up. During Driver's absence on military and national ser vice, during 1940-4, Miles worked through the typescript, correct ing and rewriting it from beginning to end. On Driver's return in 1944, the two editors together again went through the Commentary with great care and later, during Miles's absence of three months from Oxford, Driver prepared a new draft, which he sent to the press. In this draft he added a considerable amount of illustrative matter, especially in the notes, together with numerous references. He also made many changes in the wording in an attempt to harmonize the different styles of the two editors. As these alterations were not seen by Miles until he received the proofs, revision was consequently only possible to a limited extent, although the Press treated the editors very liberally. The text therefore perhaps lacks some of the clarity and logical consistency to be expected in a legal work, but it is hoped that these deficiencies have seldom affected the force of the arguments or the validity of the conclusions reached.