What Is The Code Of Hammurabi Dbq

The Code of Hammurabi was a comprehensive set of laws that are considered by many scholars and historians to be the oldest laws established. They were passed down for four thousand years by King Hammurabi of Babylon. Although the code was created with good intent and humanitarian intent it contained the “eye for an eye” theory of punishment, which is a very barbaric form of the concept of making the punishment fit the crime. This and many other laws within the code tell us humans a lot about the Mesopotamian civilization but one’s that stood out are code numbers 3, 5, and 6. The Code of Hammurabi was a unique set of laws and had many interesting ones, but one that I think that stood out and revealed a lot about Mesopotamian civilization is code number 3, “if anyone bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offence charged, be put to death.” This law shows us humans a lot about the Mesopotamian civilization and how it worked and their values. This law essentially means if you lie you will die. This furthermore shows us that the elders (the highest ranking citizens) did not like disorder and did not have time for these foolish accusations and instead prioritized their time in successes in other areas such as medicine, architecture, and trade. This

It states, “If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgement in writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge’s bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgement.” This law shows us that the Mesopotamians cared about fairness and wanted everyone to receive their fair rights. This shows us that they were humane and did not want for anyone to suffer if they were not supposed