ipl-logo

Compare And Contrast The Laws Of Hammurabi

686 Words3 Pages

Justice, an often-misconceived word: fostering the acts of vengeance, revenge, and vindication within the hearts of many. Humanity relies itself upon emotional influence and the ability to solve the unknown. Early civilizations sought to create gods to justify morality initially. As our morality became identified with religion, rulers empowered themselves through the words of their gods. King Hammurabi was no different in his use of the gods to subdue the people in which he conquered. The Laws of Hammurabi were written during the years 1792-1750 B.C.E. King Hammurabi developed this code through his personal encounters in the court, creating a code based on case-law. Hammurabi did not himself write the code, but spoke to his priests/scribes …show more content…

King Hammurabi enacted his code throughout each city-state he conquered, replacing the high powers within the city, with his own. Once, Hammurabi’s laws had been set, they instilled fear throughout the nation to comply with their new king. Throughout the Laws of Hammurabi, there are severe punishments for disobeying Hammurabi’s divine laws. Hammurabi ensures that his laws instill honesty and show aspects of basic moral values, “If a man comes forward to give false testimony in a case, but cannot bring evidence for his accusation, if that case involves a capital offense, that man shall be killed.” In just the first order of laws, it is visible that Hammurabi takes false acquisitions against another seriously. This shows that Hammurabi wishes to keep citizens from bearing false witness in further testimony, but ultimately shows that the King does not wish to have his time wasted in court for it keeps him away from learning new laws from the god …show more content…

Nations consumed with pleasing their gods focus on material objects in which will bring them the most pleasure from their gods and financial prosperity. King Hammurabi saw that people followed orders from the gods, and how these orders could ensure financial security. A large chunk of Hammurabi’s code bases itself upon material issues such as property, slaves, material goods, and services. When discussing property King Hammurabi states one must have a witness when purchasing land so that both the buyer and seller did not steal the land, “If the buyer could not produce the seller who sold (the lost property) to him or the witnesses before whom he made the purchase, but the owner of the lost property could produce witnesses who can identify his lost property, then it is the buyer who is the thief, he shall be killed; the owner of the lost property shall take his lost property.” The powerful manipulation of the fear of death is used yet again by Hammurabi in order to assure conformity and compliance within his empire. However, punishment varies based on crime and social ranking. Crimes committed against an Awilu bring forth greater fines and potential mutilation. Hammurabi clearly shows that slaves are lesser than a free man, comparable to an ox in which one must pay a fine for their death. The fear of mutilation, death, and financial penalty allows

Show More
Related
657 Words | 3 Pages

Hammurabi’s Code DBQ King Hammurabi’s rule began in the city of Babylon. He later then extended his control by taking over Larsa and Mari a large part of Mesopotamia. After expanding his land, Shamash, the god of justice presented him with a code of 232 laws (Doc A). These laws were then influenced throughout the community and were considered a part of the communities culture. I disagree with Hammurabi’s code because most laws were to cruel and targeted certain people.

Read More
616 Words | 3 Pages

Around 4,000 years ago, there was a man who became the king of a small city-state called Babylon, his name was Hammurabi. Hammurabi wanted peace in his kingdom, so in his 38th year of ruling he created 282 different laws that were carved on a stele. He called this Hammurabi’s Code Of Laws. When they finished it there was a total of 3,500 lines of writing, that covered both sides of the stele. (BGE)

Read More
713 Words | 3 Pages

Hammurabi’s code: Was it Just? You’ve just been convicted of assaulting your father and now you have a sentence, both of your hands cut off! Back in Hammurabi’s court, this would’ve been your harsh punishment. Hammurabi’s was ruling over one million people, and he needed to have order.

Read More
301 Words | 2 Pages

The purpose of this paper is to answer how Hammurabi’s laws affect the people of Mesopotamia’s lives, and how his laws are applicable today. With this special power, Hammurabi ruled Babylon with limitless power, he expressed

Read More
453 Words | 2 Pages

About 4,000 years ago, Hammurabi, the King of Babylon, made 282 laws to gain peace. In my opinion, I think that Hammurabi’s Code wasn’t just because it shows that is hurt family, it made people lose some kind of property, and it depended who you were in order to come up with a consequence for personal injury. First of all, it demonstrated that it hurt family. For instance, in Law 129, if a married lady is caught cheating, she will have her hands tied up and she will be drowned in water. Also, in Law 168, it states that if a son hits his father, his hands shall be cut off.

Read More
1138 Words | 5 Pages

The Judgments of Hammurabi are a set of laws that were written by a god. The laws were put in place “to promote the welfare of the people, to cause justice to prevail in the land, and so the strong might not oppress the weak.” The Tale of The Eloquent Peasant, depicts how a peasant has been robbed of his goods and how he eloquently appeals to the king for justice to be served. Both articles discuss; the division of a society’s social class, how gods/kings interpret justice and family relationships within the law. The Judgments of Hammurabi laid out the rules for Mesopotamian citizens.

Read More
64 Words | 1 Pages

Hammurabi's code, a set of laws that ruled the people of Babylon. The Code worked as a legal version of revenge, "an eye for an eye". The Code ensured that if a person caught committing a crime would be punish for his crime. Some may argue that the code was barbaric, but the Babylonian's viewed it as the most efficient way to punish crimes.

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

In document C, Law 129 talks about how if a married lady is caught cheating on her husband, she and the man she was cheating with, get tied together and thrown into the water. Hammurabi should want his people to feel safe and be with whoever they want to be with. The husband may get mad at the lady, but getting thrown into water and drowning is really harsh. The woman would be scared. In Law 195 it states, “If a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off.”

Read More
701 Words | 3 Pages

King Hammurabi’s codes were unjust because of the evidence found in the 282 laws. The codes that King Hammurabi wrote about were personal injury law, property law and family law. First, there is evidence that the codes were unjust. The first, code was personal injury law.

Read More
875 Words | 4 Pages

Was Hammurabi’s code just? Nearly 4,000 years ago, a man named Hammurabi became king of a city state called babylon. Hammurabi made a very important code in 18th century B.C.E. Hammurabi made 282 laws and he made these codes to protect the weak and poor from the strong. There are areas of law where Hammurabi’s code can be shown to be both, just and unjust. These are Family Law, Property Law, and Personal Injury Law.

Read More
334 Words | 2 Pages

Thus this proves that Hammurabi 's law is important in keeping people and their possessions safe. Hammurabi 's laws were helpful and fair to the people. Laws like that helped the society become even stronger by keeping people who were done wrong out of the streets. Laws in our time and Hammurabi 's time were important and in the future laws will still help protect people and their property just like they did in Hammurabi

Read More
489 Words | 2 Pages

This can be seen by Hammurabi’s words, “If a men destroyed of a gentlemen, they shall destroy their eye… if he has the eye of a commoner, he shall pay one mina of silver… if he has destroyed the eye of a gentlemen’s slave, he shall pay one half the slave’s price.” This shows how the punishments depend on the social class of the victim and the criminal in Hammurabi's code. However, the modern law does NOT. Also, in the Modern Law, the criminals have a democracy. In Hammurabi’s Code, they punish you immediately.

Read More
874 Words | 4 Pages

Funk and Wagnall New World Encyclopedia wrote, “The basis of criminal law is that of equal retaliation, comparable to the Semitic law of ‘an eye for an eye’”(“Hammurabi, Code of” 1). Hammurabi was the first to make the law code meaning he was the first to start the foundation for our law system today. He was the father of law and today his justice code is still apparent today. The code of Hammurabi was designed to protect the weak, which includes: women, children and slaves. Funk and Wagnall wrote, “It seeks to protect the weak and the poor, including women, children, and slaves, against injustice at the hands of the rich and powerful”(Hammurabi, Code of” 1).

Read More
495 Words | 2 Pages

Laws are always the core of a society and they often indicate a variety of lifestyle decisions made by those people. Hammurabi’s famous set of laws and Moses’ laws could be viewed as two completely distinct documents, yet both set of laws aide historians in revealing insight to the Hebrew and Mesopotamian people. In both societies, enforcing strict consequences that are equivalent to the crime is common. Hammurabi’s well known law states that, “if a man has put out an eye of a free man, they shall put out his eye.” Whereas, in the Hebrew laws, it states, “...if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye...”

Read More
1390 Words | 6 Pages

If someone has too much power, can that lead to that person becoming corrupt?. During the middle ages the church was corrupt and many church officials abused their power in order to steal money from the peasants. The Pardoner uses his speaking skills and church position to steal money from the poor peasants who don't know any better. Chaucer depicts the corruption among the Clergy during the Middle Ages through the Pardoner's tale. Chaucer also depicts how the Pardoner's appearance is a reflection of him.

Read More

More about Compare And Contrast The Laws Of Hammurabi

Related Topics

Open Document