The Code of Hammurabi
Hammurabi, king of Babylonia from 1795-1750 BC, is the earliest recorded example of a ruler or king that gave his people a written "entire body of laws arranged in orderly groups" (Horne 1). He did this so that all people under his control would know what he expected of them morally and professionally. This group of laws, known to us as The Code of Hammurabi, gives us great insight on the ways of the Babylonians. Hammurabi ruled Babylonia with unlimited power and absolute authority. He expressed goodwill towards his people and protected the weak, lower class citizens from upper class citizens of higher status and power. Women citizens were noble, respected, and free. He protected consumers from professionals causing harm by faulty work and poor work ethics. In addition, he protected his citizens from judges that made careless, unjust mistakes during law cases and court proceedings. The Code clearly stipulates punishments for crimes against morality and society. Commonly referred to as the law of "an eye for an eye" and "a tooth for a tooth" (Johns 11), it accepts no excuses or explanations for any crime committed. The only recourse that the accused person would have was to throw hi
be cut off. Law number 196 is the popular "eye for an eye" law and law number 200 is where the saying "a tooth for a tooth" derived from. Two other examples include law number 210 and law number 229. Law number 210 says that if a man hits a pregnant woman, she loses her unborn child, and then she dies, "his daughter shall be put to death" (Johns 28). And law number 229 states that if a builder builds a house and it falls killing the homeowner due to poor construction, "then that builder shall be put to death" (Johns 29). mself or herself into the Euphrates River. The belief was that if the accused came back to the shore, carried by the current, they were innocent. If guilty the accused would drown. We can assume that the Babylonians had not learned the skill of swimming at this time. It also gives us insight on how strongly they believed that their gods implemented justice over such events. Another event that suggests Babylonians strongly believed in gods and Many of the laws were devoted to matters of business and agricultural life including; land ownership, slave ownership, merchants, traders, innkeepers, and tavern-keepers. Many of these laws clearly state the importance of having proof of sale, trade, or purchase. All parties involved neede
Some common words found in the essay are:
Babylonians Hammurabi's, Babylonians Hammurabi, Euphrates River, Hammurabi Hammurabi, Code Hammurabi, eye eye, tooth tooth, code hammurabi, Hammurabi's Code, strongly believed gods, tooth johns 11, found guilty incest, eye eye tooth, eye tooth tooth, laws code, guilty incest, death johns, eye tooth, law 210, law 229, laws laws,
Approximate Word count = 857
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
|