The Status of War Prisoners at Uruk in the Old Babylonian Period

Abstract This paper elaborates on the status of war prisoners in southern Mesopotamia during the Old Babylonian period. The analysis focuses on the data from the bīt asīrī texts, coming from “the house of prisoners of war.” These texts date back to the reign of Rīm-Anum, who held power in Uruk during the rebellion of southern Mesopotamian city-states against king Samsu-iluna of Babylon. This archive provides unparalleled evidence for studying the status of war prisoners during the first half of the second millennium BC. The analysis suggests a distinction in the management of slaves and prisoners of war, showing that the latter were only employed as forced workers under the superior authority of the palace without being included in the slave trade or becoming privately owned slaves. The author argues that the status of prisoner of war was different from slavery, and the paper uses the emic term “head” ( sag ) when referring to them. To confirm this model, the author analyzes some elements of the so-called “death certificates” and particular ways in which war prisoners were employed, such as weavers. Additionally, the article presents the gifting of some prisoners to deities by the royal family. These gifted prisoners were high-ranking military officers or connected to prominent figures of Ešnunna, Malkum, and Mutiabal, often qualified as šallatum of Isin. It is argued that they were not slaves but hostages; giving them to the temples could have been a way to leave an option for a potential ransom or to negotiate agreements with other warring parties. Finally, the paper analyzes the ways of releasing prisoners upon ransom payment, agreements, or following a royal action, confirming the temporary nature of the dependent status of these prisoners working under the palace’s authority.