Table of Contents
Historical context
In conclusion
Works cited
Notes for Citation
He was a brilliant military commander, politician, visionary Babylonian ruler. Hammurabi was considered “the King and Queen of Justice”, and he created a law codification that contained 282 laws. Each law covers specific topics such as fraud, slander and slavery. The Code of Hammurabi from the Old Babylonian Period is the longest-surviving text. The code can be considered an early example of a law regulating an old constitution. It is also one the earliest examples for the presumption that all persons are innocent. In this paper I want to examine how the code unified, secured, and secured empire by setting a standard in moral values, religion and class structure. Also, how other people adapt to it. This is why I divided the paper into two sections. One section has a sub-section. I begin by giving an overview of the Kingdom and its origins. The second section, which is the first subsection, describes the actions of laws related to events such as fraud, slander and slavery. I will describe how the laws have impacted people and how they have revolutionized our generation in the second subsection. The appendix to the Works Cited contains the handbooks which I have examined. Before I begin to examine my research, I need to start with the historical context of the books. It is here that I turn.
Historical context
Hammurabi was a ruler for forty-three consecutive years, and came to power around 1792 B.C. Hammurabi, who sat on his throne in 1792 B.C., had a small kingdom. However, he did conquer some nearby city-states. His kingdom measured “some 60 x 160 kilometers”. His kingdom was expanding further with his wars for conquest. Hammurabi soon assumed the role of “good shepherd” for the diverse population he had conquered. After the many impeding wars, Hammurabi decided to take the initiative and become a great leader. He kept his people “safe & prosperous again” and did major renovations and buildings for the people and cities. While it’s not known what inspired Hammurabi to create The Code, Mieroop believes it was an important message that should be heard by Hammurabi and his people. The monument in The Code of Hammurabi dates back to December 1901. It was discovered in Susa, Iran, by a French government team under the command of M.de Morgan, a miner. The monument was made up of three pieces of shiny dark stone, which were about seven feet high. The monument featured a portrait depicting a man or king standing in front of a sitting figure. It was later discovered to be Shamash, a Babylonian god who is also the god of justice. Below the image were many rows written in a script called cuneiform. The name refers to the way the writing was created: Scribes pressed a reed-shaped reed onto damp clay. These words were however carefully carved into the black rocks on the monument.
The Code of Hammurabi is a collection of different contexts that were used to describe various events that took place during Hammurabi’s reign. Slander is one such context. It has many branches that can lead to different types or punishments. Slander types were occurrences against a priestess. A wife. A suitor. Witness. Capital offense. Paying fines, loss of property, etc. were the punishments. Fraud could also occur in a variety of contexts that included different categories. Fraud could be committed by illegal purchases, robbing or stealing, as well as substituting someone or making false claims. The penalty was “An eye to an eye” or death. Hammurabi’s reign was dominated by slavery at the time. Slavery was protected by laws. There were many laws that were applicable to slavery. However, they did not apply equally because the culture was different due to land grab.
The land-grabbing forced people to be sold as slaves, even though they were wealthy. Slavery was rewarded for misdeeds, captures, or deaths of owners.
Local liability was a set code that was created specifically for the governing magistrates or officers. The magistrate will be executed if he fires or takes the land from an officer without permission of the king. This was considered a robbery. He cannot sell his assets to any man. There were rules and regulations for Dowry, which was insurance money to cover a woman’s marriage. Divorce means that her dowry money and children are returned to her. She would also receive a silver amount if she did not receive the dowry. If she feels that her husband is in need of another woman, a wife can leave him with all she owes. Because of the differences in culture and class, inheritance is another crucial point. The idea of inheritance was based on children giving birth to mothers.
If a man marries a slave and has two wives, his child can inherit the dowry. These codes were created to protect the weak and the powerful, equalize society and bring justice and fairness to the table.
In summary
The law did not recognize the differences in the classes of the rich, poor, men, women, or elites. This created a social hierarchy that made distinctions between genders and classes easier and more accepted by society. The law allowed women to be treated as slaves, taking care of their homes and properties as well as raising their children. In order to justify doing any wrong, almost everything in society required that the code be justified. Righteous actions in this life were to receive a reward. These laws were implemented by the 10% of the population who were not literate. They also made the fear of punishments a part of their rule to give them more power. This was made possible by Hammurabi’s code, which restricted the lower classes. The code Hammurabi revolutionized the Babylon dynasty and was implemented over several centuries. There are also fines, death and other penalties, but they are rarer than the laws of today. The Louvre Museum is France’s oldest and largest museum of art, housing the shiny black stones.
