Generally they lived together in a special building, or convent, attached to the temple, but they had considerable freedom and could leave the convent and also contract marriage.  Their vows, however, while securing them special privileges, entailed corresponding responsibilities.  Even when married a votary was still obliged to remain a virgin, and, should her husband desire to have children, she could not bear them herself, but must provide him with a maid or concubine.  Also she had to maintain a high standard of moral conduct, for any breach of which severe penalties were enforced.  Thus, if a votary who was not living in the convent opened a beer-shop, or should enter one for drink, she ran the risk of being put to death.  But the privileges she enjoyed were also considerable, for even when unmarried she enjoyed the status of a married woman, and if any man slandered her he incurred the penalty of branding on the forehead.  Moreover, a married votary, though she could not bear her husband children, was secured in her position as the permanent head of his household.  The concubine she might give to her husband was always the wife’s inferior, even after bearing him children, and should the former attempt to put herself on a level of equality with the votary, the latter might brand her as a slave and put her with the female slaves.  If the concubine proved barren she could be sold.  The votary could also possess property, and on taking her vows was provided with a portion by her father exactly as though she were being given in marriage.  Her portion was vested in herself and did not become the property of the order of votaries, nor of the temple to which she was attached.  The proceeds of her property were devoted to her own maintenance, and on her father’s death her brothers looked after her interests, or she might farm the property out.  Under certain circumstances she could inherit property and was not obliged to pay taxes on it, and such property she could bequeath at her own death; but upon her death her portion returned to her own family unless her father had assigned her the privilege of bequeathing it.  That the social position enjoyed by a votary was considerable is proved by the fact that many women of good family, and even members of the royal house, took vows.  The existence of the order and its high repute indicate a very advanced conception of the position of women among the early Babylonians.

From the code of Hammurabi we also gather considerable information with regard to the various classes of which the community was composed and to their relative social positions.  For the purposes of legislation the community was divided into three main classes or sections, which corresponded to well-defined strata in the social system.  The lowest of these classes consisted of the slaves, who must have formed a considerable portion of the population.  The class next above them comprised the large body of free men, who were possessed of a certain amount of property but were