The Code of Hammurabi

748 Words2 Pages

The Code of Hammurabi was written by King Hammurabi, who began ruling the Babylonian Empire in about 1800 BC. Hammurabi came to power using his strengths as a military leader, conquering many smaller city-states to create his Empire. Hammurabi believed that the gods appointed him to bring justice and order to his people, and he took this duty very seriously. Not long after his ascent to power, he created his Code, 282 laws written to define all relationships and aspects of life in the kingdom. The laws were displayed in a public place so that all the people could have the opportunity to study them. The laws applied to everyone, though application of the laws and punishment differed according to social class. The punishments for disobeying the laws were swift and harsh, further encouraging compliance. The form of the Code of Hammurabi is significant in the way that it is written. The simple language used to write the Code allowed the average member of Babylonian society to understand the expectations placed on them. Each of 282 laws was written separately with specific examples of indiscretions that were illegal, and the precise form of punishment that would occur. The Code also sets guidelines for the fees that were paid to doctors, veterinarians, shipbuilders, ferryboat operators, and to the owners of rented livestock. The author of the Code also makes some key assumptions while writing his laws. Hammurabi must assume that the members of his kingdom have the same values and morals that he does. He writes as if everyone will agree with each law written, and makes no provision for members of society to disagree with him. Hammurabi also assumes that the punishment he prescribes will be enough to deter crime and prevent repeat offenders. When prescribing the incentives given to doctors, Hammurabi made assumptions about how much money it would take to encourage doctors to practice medicine and shipbuilders to build ships. The Code of Hammurabi, carved into stone, leaves no questions about its credibility. It stands out because it was the most complex and most advanced collection of law in its time. Much can be learned about Babylonian society through reading the Code of Hammurabi. At a very basic level, the document itself and the materials used to produce it tell a lot about how advanced the empire was. The Code reveals the priorities that Hammurabi and his kingdom held.

Hammurabi DBQ
645 Words | 2 Pages
The Code Of Hammurabi was a system of laws created by King Hammurabi of Babylon. It is written on a stele pillar in cuneiform. There are a total of 282 laws. The King claims that the laws are to protect the weaker people. Was The Code Of Hammurabi just? The Code Of Hammurabi is not just because of it’s property laws, personal injury laws, and family laws.
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Hammurabi And Thucydides
1209 Words | 3 Pages
The Hammurabi’s code was an important code in the 18th century BC of the Babylonian empire. The ruler of the Babylonian empire was Hammurabi, one of the great King at that time period, from 1792 to 1750 BC. The main aim of Hammurabi was to unite the Mesopotamia empire, which he did under his rule from about 1800 to 1750 B.C.E. In view of achieving his goals, Hammurabi formed a legal set of codes called the Hammurabi’s law code. Hammurabi wanted these codes to be visible to all, therefore these codes were carved apon a black stone monument, eight feet high in public view so that everyone will be able to see it and understand the rules of it.
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Analysis of Hammurabi’s Code
669 Words | 2 Pages
Throughout the world, people consider The Code of Hammurabi one of the most important codes of law ever recorded in the history of the world based on what it tells us about the history of early Babylon. The code gives people a way to see not only how the society of Babylon developed early on but also how other civilizations were developing complex societies, which were similar to the Babylonians. However, the code also shows us how the role of written documents and writing is effectively portrayed in Hammurabi’s laws. This is effectively observed by analyzing what types of documents the code provides evidence for, what are situations and reasons in which Babylonians used writing, and if writing is the only acceptable form of proof. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the most important codes ever recorded because it shows us evidence of early principles of justice, which provide proof for early legal documentation; gives us observable, physical proof of the Babylonian beliefs for future people to witness; and shows us how written works are the only acceptable form of proof because of the historical accuracy of the work.
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The Code of Hammurabi
525 Words | 2 Pages
The code of Hammurabi was the first set of written laws to have been created. There were a collection of 282 laws which were recorded. Hammurabi states in his codes the reason for his laws. As stated in The Making of the West by Hunt, "to show Shamash that he had fulfilled the social responsibility imposed on him as a divinely installed monarch" (p.16). This meant that Hammurabi clearly felt that he was accountable for the justice and morals of his people, and that they should abide by them. One of the major points of the moral code included equal punishment under the same class. Code 196 states "If a noble man puts out the eye of another noble man, his eyes shall be put out." This clearly implies that the equal punishment law was severely followed by the Babylonians. Another important point was how woman were of lesser importance compared to men. Code 132 states how if a woman is not caught sleeping with another man she should jump in the water for the sake of her husband. This shows how woman were expected to be faithful and follow by their husbands side. While, if a man was to create adultery with his daughter he would only be exiled. The making of the West by Hunt states "A wife could divorce her husband for cruelty; a husband could divorce his wife for any reason" (p.16). This evidently shows how indisputably biased Hammurabi was towards woman in that society. Slaves' conducts and rules were also listed in the codes. They had absolutely no rights at all, even if they were to be killed by another being.
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What Is Hammurabi Code Dbq
105 Words | 1 Pages
Hammurabi’s Code was a set of written was to end personal revenge. It was an important accomplishment because The need to unite was to bring justice and fair treatment to the people. The idea of law was to see what the punishment was and justice to the people. The idea of justice for all was fair treatment to the people.
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Civilization: The Code Of Hammurabi
1009 Words | 3 Pages
The capital of this civilization was the city of Babylon. To keep peace among people living so closely together, they needed rules. King Hammurabi, who ruled around 2000 BCE, drew up the first recorded set of laws. The Code of Hammurabi, as these laws were called, set down harsh penalties for those who broke the laws like, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” You might question why and how did they come up with that type of code? That’s a good question! The creation of “the Code” was a tremendous achievement for not only Babylonian society but for the entire Mesopotamian region as King Hammurabi was ruler over all of that area. Its conception can be considered to be the first culmination of the laws of different regions into a single, logical text. Hammurabi wanted to be an efficient ruler and realized that this could be achieved through the use of a common set of laws which applied to all territories and all citizens who fell under his rule. But how and where did put these codes at? This is when the writing system came
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How Did Hammurabi's Laws Influence Current Government Laws
203 Words | 1 Pages
The 6th Babylonian King, Hammurabi, made judgments about social matters, sexual matters, and even political matters. He created 282 legal laws that have influenced many current government laws today. A majority of his laws were based on civil law, property laws and minimum wages. Hammurabi was responsible for developing these law codes, and it is the earliest coherent system that survived for a long period of time.
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Compare Mesopotamia And China
1414 Words | 3 Pages
In the preface, Hammurabi states that his code, along with himself, was given a divine origin, emphasized by the quote, “...then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil-doers; so that the strong should not harm the weak; so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash, and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind,” (Hammurabi’s Code of Laws, translation of L.W. King) which reveals his power that is to be used to unify Mesopotamia. Babylon was given these law codes to produce order and peace among all classes under Hammurabi. The individual punishments in the codes were to be harsh, constituting the phrase “an eye for an eye,” but equal in Babylonian society to the wrongdoing among any gender or social class, which is expressed through code number twenty-two, “If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death,” (L.W. King) and law fourteen, “If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death,” (L.W. King) which, to ensure order, justly punish kidnappers or
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Hammurabi Research Paper
1127 Words | 3 Pages
To conclude my speech today, Hammurabi was the sixth king of Babylon (Hammurabi). He was a successful military leader and ruler that concentrated on building defensive protection, establishing a basis of law and order, and specializing irrigation. Hammurabi is arguably most remembered for his code of the laws governing Babylonian life. The Code of Hammurabi consists of 282 laws ranging from divorce, property and inheritance, and fairness in commercial exchanges (Code of Hammurabi: Ancient Babylonian Laws). Punishment and severity varied within social structure. “It symbolizes not only the rise of justice in the minds of men, but also man’s rise above ignorance and barbarism toward the peaceful and just societies that we still pursue today” (EAWC Anthology: Hammurabi's Code of Laws).
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Hamurabi´s Code And The Social Structure Of Hammurabi's Code
700 Words | 2 Pages
One of the most important aspects of any society is the ruling system. A society simply could not function without any sort of rules or regulations. With the tremendous growth of Babylonian society came the need for law systems. Perhaps one of the most well known law systems was Babylonian ruler Hammurabi’s compilation of Mesopotamian laws known as Hammurabi 's Code. Hammurabi 's Code contained laws pertaining to trade, marriage, property, crime, social class, and more (Judge and Langdon, 25). So much can be learned about early societies through this famous artifact. Although these laws may have been accepted by the Babylonian citizens at the time, it is now clear to see that the code was extremely unjust. Hammurabi 's Code uncovers the social
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Hammurabi Code Dbq
619 Words | 2 Pages
The Hammurabi Code is the oldest and most comprehensive set of laws in the world. The 282 laws set the structure for the civilization of Mesopotamia. Hammurabi, who was the sixth king of Mesopotamia, created these laws for a sense of order and peace. However, when investigating these laws further, they seem unfair and unjust for many reasons. People would be punished differently based on their class status. The punishments were harsher towards the freemen, rather than slaves. Although the Hammurabi Code worked to keep order and justice, discrimination existed between slaves and freemen, men and women, and adults and children.
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The Code of Hammurabi
946 Words | 2 Pages
The Hammurabi Code of Law was the original father of our “penal and civil laws” of today. It provided guidance on creating a general code that sought to be just and applicable to all classes of citizens. Hammurabi can be considered as the forefather of the modern justice system; we should be very thankful to past societies and rulers for their contributions.
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Hammurabi: Architect of Modern Law
2080 Words | 5 Pages
Hammurabi was an ancient ruler and the sixth king of the dynasty of Babylon, he was a celebrated, loved and rejoiced leader. Through his reign, Hammurabi was able to conquer all of Ancient Babylon by the end of his reign in 1750 BC. (2011, Hammurabi Code.) Hammurabi had brilliant military strategies, and was able to compile alliances and orchestrate detailed political maneuvers in order to reach his success. Looking at all of his advancements and accomplishments, the most renowned and important would be, the Code of Hammurabi, a set of codified laws which he made during his time in the Kingdom of Babylon. By creating the first set of organized laws, Hammurabi created a model which modern society has adhered to. Hammurabi based
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Hammurabi Code Of Laws
1010 Words | 3 Pages
In ancient times the civilization of Babylon was able to thrive under the rule of Hammurabi. His birth date is unknown, but he was born
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Women's Rights In The Hammurabi Code
1529 Words | 4 Pages
The Code of Hammurabi played a significant role in how women were treated, as well as their rights during Old Babylonian civilization. The Code of Hammurabi was created in 1780 B.C.E. and represents as the oldest written document in the development of human legislation. The “eye for an eye” principle comes from this code and states that if someone injures another person, then the person penalized to the same degree with the same action. Hammurabi’s code reflected three different classes which were; the
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The Code of Hammurabi

Hammurabi DBQ

Hammurabi And Thucydides

Analysis of Hammurabi’s Code