Compare And Contrast The Laws Of Hammurabi

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

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

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