Similarities Between Babylonians And Hebrews

Both the Babylonians and the Hebrews had their own laws governing their society. The Babylonians had the “Code of Hammurabi" and the Hebrews had the “Ten Commandments". These laws existed to form order and rule within the two societies and crimes such as murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and others, were prohibited, viewed, interpreted, and punished accordingly. These crimes were considered to be detrimental to that sought for order and rule. Upon reading and understanding the "Code of Hammurabi" and the "Ten Commandments", some similarities can be seen. Both laws consider the crimes mentioned to have a negative effect on their respective societies and both laws also served as a rule to follow for civil order. Conversely, there are some notable differences between these two laws, and their respective origins being one of them.

On the other hand, the Hebrews believed that the "Ten Commandments" came from God Himself and was given to Moses. The sanctity of life was also viewed differently, while the "Code of Hammurabi" punished with death often, the "Ten Commandments" forbids killing altogether as stated in the commandment “You shall not kill”. Most of the laws in the "Code of Hammurabi" also focuses on money and property, while the "Ten Commandments" focuses primarily on the morality of the people instead of material belongings. These differences, and more that weren't mentioned, tell about the wider differences of values and concerns of each society. While the Babylonians focused on their physical belongings, money, and property, the Hebrews focused more on the spirituality and morality of a