 Usually these women were part of the elite, often from royal families.Their financial independence was based on their dowry, which they were not allowed to pass on to a man; the dowry was the compensation for not being included in the inheritance, as this was passed on through the patriarchal line.It is not exactly clear whether the "nadītu" were allowed to marry, or whether this right was only reserved for the "nadītu" that belonged to the Marduk temple.