In this two-part article, the author presents an overview of what various ancient textual artifacts “remember” about the earliest loan closings known to history and their participants, exploring the commercial lending practices of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, a region often designated by scholars as the “Ancient Near East.” In the first part, published in the February 2026 issue of The Banking Law Journal, the author introduced the topic. Here, the author explores ancient loan documents in depth.“Sealed According to Law”: The First Loan Closings in Antiquity – Part II
In this two-part article, the author presents an overview of what various ancient textual artifacts “remember” about the earliest loan closings known to history and their participants, exploring the commercial lending practices of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, a region often designated by scholars as the “Ancient Near East.” In the first part, published in the February 2026 issue of The Banking Law Journal, the author introduced the topic. Here, the author explores ancient loan documents in depth.Reprinted by JDSUPRA. The author, Ed Snow, is "a partner in the Atlanta office of Burr & Forman LLP."
Not mentioned in the summaries, but there is also coverage of evidence from Canaan, ancient Israel, and ancient Judaism.
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