The family was, like most cultures, the basic unit of Babylonian society. Marriages were arranged by the parents and were recognised when the groom presented the brides father with a bridal gift reflective of the fathers stature in society. A marriage ceremony was concluded with a contract inscribed on a tablet. Marriage was thus a practical arrangement between families (however pre-marital love making wa not unheard of).

Woman

Woman were secondary to men, but they had certain legal rights including the ability to hold property, to engage in business and were able to qualify as a witness in court. Husbands could divorce their wives fairly easily. If a wife did not have childred the husband could take a second wife.

Children

Children were or course an important part of the Babylonian family. They were under the absolute authority of their parents and could be disinherited or sold into slavery in times of need. Children were normally loved very much, with the sons inheriting the family property on the death of their father. Adopted children were not uncommon and were loved as much as biological children.