Unpublished Economic Texts From the Old Babylonian Period

The cuneiform texts considered one of the most important resources which play an important role , and help us to know how was the economic , politic and religious conditions , and everything related of the history of Mesopotamia , which contain many information that enrich our knowldgement about Mesopotamia civilization , since using writing as a way to documentation the science and human knowldgement

1-Place of contract (quantity and type of borrowed material). 2. type of Interest. 3. The contracting parties 4. the creditor's obligation (delivers formula). 5-the period of the loan, 6-the date of repayment of the loan, 7. Witnesses 8. Date of writing the loan (the Date Formula) . (Aljboore,p:40.) So , Two main types of loans wich can be distinguished as : 1-Loans with Interest also called loans (⎯ubbulum). (CAD,⎯, P. 216/b.). In Sumerian Languge (UR5.RA). It was common to deal with loans interest in the old Babylonian period, because the add of interest on the loan text was a normal thing agreed upon it, in the ancient period in general.( UET, V, No. 325-361.) 2 -Loans without Interest: It was also a very common loan texts in the old Babylonian period . This type of loan texts includes several types, the most important of them was loans(⎯uputtatum Some of them see that the loans(ŠU.LAL) as loans with interest and when the term (ŠU.LAL) comes with the formula (MÁŠ NU.TUK). Become loans without interest. (Skaist, OBLC, P. 133.) , .as in( text no 1.) Other types of loans without interest characterized , so it didn't appeared an interest terms, such as:

Loans for Assistance (usātum):
This kind of loans didn't contain an interest or profit of any kind of benefit return to the lender, and the purpose of this loan is very clear , that "to help" (ana usātim). (Bilgiç, AÜD, V, P. 451. ) . and in Sumerian (ŠU.DIR.RA) or (ŠU.U4.SUD.DA) . that mean is to aid or to assistance. ( MSL, V, 10: 16-17;& CDA, P. 428/a.) . and these loans were given to the poor and small younger investors to help them, and to make their investment successful, so this type of loans are free of interest to do its purpose that is to help. (MSL, V, 10: 16-17) .

Loans for Seeding (zērānū) :
The main purpose of these loans are(ana zērānī).( CDA, P. 446/a.), wich mean for seeding in the cultivation land, so the borrowed material is usually the grain for using in the cultivation of their land. And the time of borrowing before the seed seasons, and the date of payment after the harvest seasons.

Loans for profit (kušīru) :
which means for profit (CDA, P. 170/b.) , and the main purpose of these loans was purely commercial investment , and to take profit . Therefore we notes in these loans that it specializes in lending a large amounts of silver , as well as it includes large facilities, so in terms of interest, we find that this type of loans does not have interest rate, Such as (⎯ubuttatu(m) loans, including without interest , or some didn't contain this interest.

Income texts:
It is one of that types of economic texts ,wich means all documents that had relate with income of all animals or other material , came from different quarters and for many purposes. The term came in Sumerian(MU.DU) ,and in Akkadian (šurubtum)( AHW ,p. 1287 .) , which means (income) of a certain materials. that means input of the material into the liability and responsibility of a particular person or institution under a contract of delivery . It is clear that there are several entities that send the income, just like a religious, or including professionals and artisans as well as administrative and military or rulers.( CDA, p:389:a.) The Cuneiform texts included a different types of materials , that have considered as inputs, and the vast majority of these materials are animals, cattle, grains, metals, fabrics, oils and others. Hilgert.M,.OIP.115, ,p.342ff,p.514ff.), This term appeared in the form that gives the meaning of the nominal formula and translated into the meaning of ( income) , but it contained verb formula consists of (MU), the verb sentence tool in Sumerian, and (DU) the root of the verb in the sense to( bring) or (enter).
The beginnings of this term dates back to the Early Dynastic periods ш.( -Bauer.J ,p:154f,384f