(M359) Whenever the mother alone appears, as giving her daughter in marriage, we may suspect that the father was dead, or the mother divorced. When the mother is a votary, we know that such a person was not entitled to have a daughter at all, and hence we are not surprised that the _terḫatu_ offered for the girl is small, five shekels(308) or even one shekel.(309) So the penalty laid upon the man for divorcing such a wife is only ten shekels.(310) On the other hand if she was unfaithful she was to be drowned.(311) (M360) Very singular are the cases in which a votary marries. We know from the Code that this sometimes took place; but the votary seems to have been expected, though married, to keep her vow of virginity. In one case we read that a woman first devotes her daughter, _ullilši_, then marries her, and declares at the same time that she is vowed, _ellit_, and that no one has any claim on her.(312) (M361) (M362) In some cases a sister had the power to give her sister in marriage, with the declaration that no one has any claim on her.(313) We may imagine the sisters orphans, without brothers. The name of their father is, however, given; and his sons and daughters are mentioned. It seems to be closely parallel to the case of the marriage of a king’s daughter(314) where a sister also gives a sister in marriage. Here Elmeshu, daughter of the king Ammiditana, is given in marriage by Zirtum, also daughter of king Ammiditana, on the order of her brother, Shumum-libshi. The bridegroom was Ibku-Anunitum, son of Shamash-limir and Taram-shullim, his wife. The parents paid for their son only four shekels as _terḫatu_, which Shumum-libshi and Zirtum received. If the bridegroom repudiated his bride, he had to pay half a mina. It is not clear what penalty the bride had to pay if she repudiated her husband. This is dated in the reign of Ammiditana; but in which year of his reign does not appear, as the traces of the year-name do not agree with any in the Chronicle. It must then have fallen somewhere between the seventh and the twenty-second years. Hence the father of the princess was alive at the time. Why had he no hand in the marriage? The history of the reign is not very well known. Perhaps he was away from home. His son and successor, Ammizaduga, whom we may imagine to have been the eldest son, does not appear in the case. Perhaps he also was away. But it is remarkable that the king never does directly take part in any contract. That is probably due to his sacred character. The young princess was not treated with overmuch consideration, judging by the smallness of her dowry. (M363) We have a very singular case in the marriage of two sisters to one man. This has already been translated and commented upon by Meissner,(315) Pinches,(316) and Sayce.(317) It is, however, too important to omit here. There are two tablets concerned with it.(318) The first is the contract between the husband and his wives. We may render it thus: