The meaning and status of the _rîdtsâbê_ was discussed by S. DAICHES, _Zur Erklärung des Hammurabi-Codex_, in _Zeitschrift für Assyriologie_, 1904-1905, pp. 202-22. Many useful hints will be found in _Semitica: Sprach-und rechtsvergleichende Studien_, in the _Sitzungsberichte der philosophisch-historischen Klasse der kaiserlichen Akademie in Wien_, 1906, cols. 1-88 (Wien, A. Hölder). The exact way in which the Semitic people of the Hammurabi period exploited the stores of legal knowledge acquired by the Sumerians is still much discussed. So by M. SCHORR in his _Die altbabylonische Rechtspraxis_, published in _Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes_, vol. xxiv, pp. 431-61, and again in the _Revue Sémitique_, 1912, pp. 378-97, _Zur Frage der semitischen und sumerischen Elemente im altbabylonischen Rechte_. See also _Das Sumerische in den Rechtsurkunden der Hammurabi-Periode_, by M. SCHORR, in the _Hilprecht Anniversary Volume_, pp. 20-32. The question whether the Sumerian phrases in the contemporary contracts were read as Semitic or Sumerian has been discussed by A. POEBEL in the _Orientalistische Litteraturzeitung_, 1911, cols. 241-7, under the title _Zur Aussprache der sumerischen Phrasen in den altbabylonischen Rechtsurkunden_, and in cols. 373-4 A. UNGNAD wrote, under the same title, _Eine Berichtigung_. M. SCHORR replied, cols. 559-61. The question how far the Hammurabi Code was operative was soon raised. The existence of a very large number of legal documents relating to all manner of transactions seemed likely to afford a ready answer. In 1905 BR. MEISSNER wrote his _Theorie und Praxis im altbabylonischen Recht_ for the _Mitteilungen der Vorderasiatischen Gesellschaft_, pp. 257-303. The need of a more extended examination made the promise of KOHLER and PEISER’S _Hammurabi-Gesetz_ so welcome, see p. 67. KOHLER and UNGNAD have now fulfilled this by publishing in Heft III-V the whole available material as _Übersetzte Urkunden_ with most valuable _Erläuterungen_ (Leipzig, Hinrichs, 1909-1911). A similar enterprise was undertaken by M. SCHORR in _Kodeks Hammurabiego a owezesna praktyka prawna, Das Gesetzbuch Hammurabis und die zeitgenössische Rechtspraxis_, in the _Bulletin de l’Académie des Sciences de Cracovie_, followed by _Altbabylonische Rechtsurkunden aus der Zeit der I. babylonischen Dynastie_ in the _Sitzungsberichte der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, philosophisch-historische Klasse_, 155. Band, 2. Abhandlung, 1907, 160. Band, 5. Abhandlung, 1909, and 165. Band, 2. Abhandlung, 1910 (Vienna, A. Hölder), with transcription, translation, and commentary. Together with UNGNAD’S work this should enable any scholar to form a well-founded and independent judgement.