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Code of Hammurabi today
Code of Hammurabi today
Characteristics of hammurabi code
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Code of Hammurabi today
Code of Hammurabi today
Characteristics of hammurabi code
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Code of Hammurabi today
They were the first set of written laws. The purpose was to punish people for stealing ,murdering,and other things. Hammurabi’s codes were just because it is a punishment and they are fair to people. Hammurabi’s Code is just for two reasons family law and property law.
He also claimed that multiple gods including Shamash gave him the right to rule. The laws were displayed all over the place on humongous stone steeles which is a pillar-like structure. The question now is, was Hammurababi’s code just or unjust? Hammurabi’s code was unjust because not everyone was treated equally, it couldn’t be changed, and it was written from one perspective. To start, Hammurabi’s code was unjust because it treated people of different social classes differently.
Although the code sculpted the culture in 1797 BC, the code would have no chance of surviving in any modern country to this day due to the harsh punishments received from breaking the laws. According to Hammurabi, he stated “...the strong might not inquire the weak, in order to protect the widows and orphans, I set up these my precious words...etc” (Doc B). Although I do not agree with Hammurabi’s code, I do believe that he was trying to create and maintain a healthy and safe environment for his people by trying to prevent crime with such a harsh set of laws. However, the consequences for not abiding these laws were too harsh.
The Code of Hammurabi is a well preserved Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, during 1754 BC. It is one of the oldest writings of significant length in the world. The words are written in wedge-shaped cuneiform letters that are carved into the stone. Was Hammurabi code just? Was the laws he had made and instructed fair for the people?
Hammurabi’s code gives judgements and consequences for certain crimes. The punishment for a crime depended on one’s social rank. There were essentially three classes; the priests and noble landlords, the freemen, and slaves. Each law illustrated the division in the societies social status. As a particular law read; “If a man has destroyed the eye of another free man, his own eye shall be destroyed.
Hammurabi’s code was not just because the personal injury laws did not protect all people equally, property laws were harsh and not protecting people enough, and the Family laws should allow people to be with whoever they want to be with. Looking at the evidence from the Personal Injury Laws states that punishments towards slaves are
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.
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.
After close analysis, the law code of Hammurabi was just in the area of property law. In the first place Hammurabi helped to protect peoples property by creating his property laws. A example of how Hammurabi protected his peoples property is law 23, "If the robber is not caught, the man who has been robbed shall formally declare whatever he has lost before a god, and the city and the mayor whose territory or district the robbery has been committed shall replace for him whatever he has lost." This shows that if the robber was not found the community was still to help out by replacing what was stolen.
Hammurabi's code and the Ten Commandments have similar rules or laws to follow. In Chapter 20, Verse 12, The Ten Commandments say that one should, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days will be prolonged in the land your Lord your God gives you.” This is basically saying that if you respect your parents you shall be rewarded with the Promised land. The same goes for Hammurabi's code. Law 195 says, ”If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.”
The Code of Hammurabi was written by King Hammurabi and were the first set of laws to ever be created. Hammurabi created 282 laws, that set standards in his empire and in ancient Mesopotamia. Hammurabi made it clear that the laws were not only to equalize society but also establish fairness and also protect the weak from the strong. However, according to the laws, the punishment for men, women, rich, and the poor, were all different; leading that he made the laws unfair. The women of Mesopotamia had a series of laws where it clearly shows they were classified as property.
Both systems of laws cause the people to become afraid of committing a crime. If you commit a crime in Hammurabi’s code, you can get thrown into a river, get your fingers cut off, or killed to death. However, if you commit a crime in Modern Law, you can get sentenced to jail or get fined. Lastly, they are both similar because they both offer protection for your belongings and you. They both punish people who invade your property and your
Hammurabi's code is unjust. Hammurabi did try to do what was right by trying to have a community with justice, but the laws are very unequal and harsh. These laws would not last in today's
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).
Hammurabi’s code revolves around maintaining the order in society and establishing political power while the Hebrew law outlines behavioral guidelines. In Exodus, the text reads, “...not to be partial to the poor or deaf or defer to the great.” This line demonstrates a caring concern for others and the obligation to assist the poor, the disabled, and the weak. As compared to Hammurabi’s code, the Hebrew laws displayed a hint of mercy as well as love and a desire for justice. To the Hebrews, these laws proved that Yahweh, their god, cared and loved them, whereas, Hammurabi 's code was primarily a document that fixed his order and power.