...Code of Hammurabi Western Civilization and the World I 100 Professor Preface This paper will examine the Code of Hammurabi and how it affected the people of Babylon before, during and after its creation. The nature of the topic is to have a better understanding of how the Code of Hammurabi changed society, hindered women’s rights and independence and left a lasting impression for future generations. Chronology 1810 BC Hammurabi was born to the then-king of Babylon Sin-muballit. 1792 BC Hammurabi, king of Babylon, started his rule. 1787 BC King Hammurabi captured Uruk and Isin. 1784 BC King Hammurabi campaigned against Rapigum and Malgium. 1772 BC Code of Hammurabi was created. 1763 BC With the aid of Mari and Eshnunna King Hammurabi conquered Larsa, putting an end to the long reign of Rim-Sin I. 1755 BC Captured Eshnunna which was the last of his Mesopotamian rivals. 1750 BC King Hammurabi died and passed the reigns of the empire to his son, Samsu-iluna. 1738 BC Under Samsu-iluna’s rule his empire fell to the Sealand Dynasty. 1595 BC Babylonian empire restored to glory of the Hammurabi’s age. 1901 Code of Hammurabi monument is discovered by French archaeologists. 1910 The Code of Hammurabi was translated by Leonard William King. During the rule of King Hammurabi he wrote the Code of Hammurabi. This consisted of many laws that changed the society, hindered women’s rights and independence and left a lasting impression for future generations...
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...Code of Hammurabi The code of Hammurabi was written by King Hammurabi, the sixth king of the first babylonian dynasty.Hammurabi ruled the Babylonian Empire from 1792 BC. to 1750 BC. Hammurabi came to power by using his advanced military and political tactics to unite many smaller city states to unite his mighty empire. Not long after his reign began, Hammurabi created the code of hammurabi. Written on large clay tablets, the code of Hammurabi consisted of 262 rules/laws covering a variety of subjects including adultery,family law and property law. Hammurabi created these laws following a philosophy of the punishment must fit the crime. In essence, the magnitude of a crime must fit the magnitude of the punishment. Furthermore, the code of Hammurabi played a detrimental role in the development of the babylonian empire. Many speculations can be made from reading these rather harsh, laws about the babylonian empire. Law’s played an important role in the development of Hammurabi’s empire....
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...Many people believe that Cyrus is the most important ruler in Mesopotamian history, but I believe that Hammurabi was the greatest ruler. His code of law, want for justice and easy-going style of being an empire, he was the greatest emperor of Mesopotamia. Hammurabi ruled from 1792 BC- 1750 BC. The Akkadians first conquered Sumer. Babylon was located near the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and the Persian Gulf. The Akkadians formed “empire mania”. The Babylonians grew grain, which they traded for gold. They believed that all rulers, including Hammurabi, were sent by the gods. The city-states were like our states today, a few of them included Ur, Uruk and Nineveh. Starting with Hammurabi's code of law. There were 282 laws in this code. He...
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...Preface: Hammurabi was a Babylonian king who ruled from 1792 to 1750 B.C. His attributes were he extended his empire northward from the Persian Gulf to the Tigris and Euphrates River and west to the Mediterranean Sea. He united the area into one extensive empire, Mesopotamia, which in present day is known as Iraq. (Ancient Mesopotamia) Hammurabi created a list of rules and laws for the people of his empire to follow called “The Code of Hammurabi”. This is one of the oldest and most detailed documents in existence and gives insight as to how the members of Babylonian society lived. The code listed 282 rules for society to obey by and the consequences or guidelines for each member given their social status and their gender. There were rules of every category. From marriage and adultery, criminal acts such a stealing, property, and monetary trading. What’s interesting about this rulebook is the detail and coverage of the book. While in today’s world we may not follow rules such as “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” like the Code of Hammurabi, whose punishments for a crime were much more extravagant and gruesome at times. There was segregation in gender and social status. The topics addressed in the code are some of the same topics addressed that we, today, value and instill. In today’s government we have laws of crime and punishment, monetary laws, and laws regarding marriage. We have these laws so we can have structure and a successful government and society. It’s...
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...An Eye for the Truth The Laws of ancient civilizations may be confusing to some people nowadays, but, when put into the context of the location, time, and mindset of the people who created these laws, they become much more reasonable within that framework. In this essay, two distinct sets of laws from the ancient civilizations will be compared and contrasted; The Code of Hammurabi, by Hammurabi, the sixth Babylonian king in the 1700s B.C. and the Ten Commandments and Exodus, written, or at least attributed to Moses. The first difference that must be noted is the way that the laws are introduced, or the prologues, one obviously polytheistic, the other blatantly monotheistic. The Code of Hammurabi says in its prologue, “at that time Anum and Enlil named me to promote the welfare of the people.”1 It also mentions Igigi and Anumnaki, minor gods who attend to the major gods Enlil and Anum respectively, so very clearly a polytheistic setting there, as these gods appoint Hammurabi as the promoter of the people’s welfare. The Ten Commandments states, in contrast, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, you shall have no other gods before me.”2 This starting sentence immediately says that there is only one god, and later in the passage it also mentions as one of the laws not to create any idol.3 These two societies then might be said to have different social values in the idea that as a monotheistic person, you would be expected...
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...A king of Babylon named Hammurabi created 282 laws to keep problems in order. These laws went by the name of Hammurabi’s Code. However, were these laws just? Although there is a variety of laws, nearly all were not. There are three categories I will choose to prove my point. The categories I will be talking about are the Family Law, the Personal Property Law, and the Personal Injury Law. To start with, Hammurabi’s Code negatively bothered some family members. For example, in Law 168 it said,”If a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off.” Moreover, Law 128 states the following,”If a married lady is caught[in adultery] with another man, they shall bind them and cast them into the water.” Based on what I read, Law 195 says if a son disrespects his father by hitting him, his hands shall be cut off. This law negatively bothers the son considering that the effect is too strong for what he did, cutting off his hands should not be the way to fix the problem. Law 129 also bothers them, so much that their hands become tied and then drowned to death. This shows that Hammurabi’s laws are too harsh for the committed misdemeanors. As you will notice, he should have made his laws based on how...
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...Question 1: Why is the Hammurabi Code considered to be so important? The Law Stele of Hammurabi or the Hammurabi code is perhaps one of the oldest, most comprehensive and influential codification of laws ever created in ancient times. The intricately chiselled basalt pillar (or Stele) upon which the codes are written is considered an historical work of art, history and literature which is now housed in the Louvre in Paris, France (André-Salvini, 2003). It towers over 7.5 feet tall and the text is chiselled into solid stone. King Hammurabi (c. 1792 – 1750 B.C.E.) commissioned its construction to create a sovereign authority of universal laws throughout the Babylonian empire and as a demonstration of his duty to the gods and the citizens (Roth, 1995). It is a collaboration of pre-existing laws gathered from around the Babylonian Empire. The Hammurabi code served as not only an educational tool to “enlighten the land [but also created legal precedent] to further the well-being of mankind” (Hammurabi, 1752 B.C.E). The sheer height and shape of the structure alone is a testament to his...
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...I have chosen the Stele of Hammurabi sculpture, along with the story of Aeneid to complete my final project. A piece of diorite, standing over 7 ft. tall, the “Stele of Hammurabi” was created by the Babylonian king Hammurabi in 1800 BCE. Aeneid is a story of Aeneas, who was known as the leader of the Trojans and their travels from Troy to create the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, Charles Virgil did not complete this manuscript prior to his death in 19 BC. The Stele of Hammurabi stands tall and assertive. Hammurabi, the Babylon king expresses justice and laws in this powerful statement. In this sculptures top half, Hammurabi is receiving the code from Shamash, who was known as a god. The bottom consists of the spoken code. This was a great accomplishment for Hammurabi, but the sculpture tells me that he was not intimidated by Shamash, as they are equal size. This sculpture is carved on all sides and is one of the top relief sculptures in history. The story of Aeneid tells how a group of people that have been defeated can push forward and create something special with desire. The fact that this story was told in no particular order and was never completed leads you to believe that the writer put much thought into the story. It is a story of heroism, love and destiny, which is what, caught my attention. This dramatic story and prominent characters are sure to keep my attention. The one thing that is similar in both pieces of art is the desire for humanity. Each symbolizes a long...
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...The Code of Hammurabi The Code of Hammurabi, was established by Kind Hammurabi in 1750 B.C, then in 1901 it was discovered almost completely intact. This code has employed the concept of even punishments; “a eye for an eye” , a tooth for a tooth. Draco’s law The Draco’s Law was established in the year of 621 B.C., and “was named for a citizen of Greece who had been selected to write a code of law for Athens”. Under the Draco's law, “the penalty for many crimes was the death penalty”. The law was first written in Greece, and introduced the concept that the state is responsible for the punishments of the accused rather than private citizens. Law of the Twelve Tables The Law of Twelve Tables was established in the year of 450 B.C. This law “only had ten laws originally”, and two statutes were later added”. There were ten Roman men that had wrote the laws that were to govern the Romans. These laws has helped organize how crimes are punished. Also, these laws protected lower class citizens, and did not leave sole justice in the hands of the judge. Justinian Code The Justinian Code established in 529 A.D. and was founded by Justinian, the Emperor Of Byzantium. However, as of today, some of the legal maxims under this law are currently in use. Some modern concepts of justice came from the emperor’s name. This code formed the foundation of civil law. Magna Carta The Magna Carta had established under...
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...Code of Hammurabi: The whole purpose of the Code of Hammurabi was to improve the harmony that the people within the Babylon era had with one another. At this point in time, people were migrating to larger cities and Hammurabi suggested that these people were to be accepted and if anyone were to disregard the code, they would be dealt with accordingly with severe punishments including death. Draco’s Law: Draco created a law which more or less followed the guidelines of democracy. Under Draco’s law, the King had limited powers and could not pass additional laws as he saw fit. Instead the laws would have to be presented before a chosen body of governing officials for evaluation and they would decide from there if the laws were justified. Also a lot of the guidelines within the law were direction proportional to the code that Hammurabi had set forth. Law of the Twelve Tables: “Lex Duodecim Tabularum” (Latin) was the basis for Roman law and the Roman Constitution. The law primarily dealt with the general public or Rome. People were tied together in ethical bounds and they were granted several rights in regards to property and economic rights, similar to the foundation of the United States Constitution. Justinian Code: The Justinian Code was another form of guidance which was intended to be an addition to the Roman Constitution and codes that had been set forth in previous eras. Justinian I had made this addition primarily to deal with a larger, more circuitous population since...
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...Athens had a democratic government with many people deciding on the rules. Sparta had an oligarchy, which means very few rulers. The frequent fighting with each other and the Peloponnesian war, which Sparta won, weakened both of the states with led for them to fall to Alexander the Great. 6. King Cyrus, Hammurabi, and Asoka were one leaders of the ancient world. King Cyrus unified the Iranian people and became the first king of the Persian Empire. Cyrus created a military and went out to conquer more land. Cyrus went on to create one of the largest empires in the ancient world. As a king Cyrus had a reputation as a kind and merciful leader. However, Cyrus later found himself in the midst of conflict especially with the Greeks, as soon as he died the Persian empire weakened. Hammurabi the king of Babylon was another great leader. Hammurabi was the greatest ruler of the first Babylonian dynasty and vastly expanded its land. Hammurabi established the first law and order. The laws that Hammurabi created, known as the Hammurabi code, set a model for modern day laws. Hammurabi got sick and weakened which made Babylon lose some of iras barriers and attract invaders. The empire was weakening...
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...What caused the shift from hunting & gathering to farming? How did this affect mankind? Around 8000 B.C. a shift began… It was called the Neolithic Revolution This brings in the “New Stone Age” What is the REVOLUTION? A TOTALLY new way of living: Going from Hunter Gathers to Agriculture The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived. Agriculture (Farming) Growth of Cities Division of Labor (Specialization) Trade Writing and Mathematics ---Why does ‘trade’ bring about writing and mathematics? Mesopotamia – Fertile Crescent Sumer – The Earliest of the River Valley Civilizations Sumerians grew up along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Kuwait. What is the “Fertile Crescent.”? A well-watered and fertile area, that arcs across the northern part of the Syrian desert. The Fertile Crescent * Greeks called the northern part of the Fertile Crescent …Mesopotamia which means “The Land Between Two Rivers” (Tigris River and Euphrates River) * The southern part of Mesopotamia was called Babylonia, originally Sumer. Which country is Mesopotamia today? (Iraq) Sumer - Sumerians (Kuwait) ca. 3500 to 3000 BC. * Sumer gave us the city-state. * Political unit made up of a city and the surrounding lands. Each city state has its own government, even when it shared a culture with neighboring city states. Sumerian Writing: Cuneiform Cuneiform is created by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet. Sumerians...
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...Historical Laws and Security Hope Washington CJS/250 02/21/2013 John Adams Historical Laws and Security In a brief description, here you will find the following laws in which they were originated. Civilizations throughout time have found it necessary to establish a set of laws dependent on their society's religious beliefs, social structure, setting, and other variables. Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally "Great Paper"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin. Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain rights (pertaining to nobles and barons), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects, whether free or fettered most notably the writ of habeas corpus, allowing appeal against unlawful imprisonment that led to the rule of constitutional law today in the English speaking world. The earliest legal system known in its entirety is the Code of Hammurabi which was established in ancient Babylonia nearly 4000 years ago. The Code of Hammurabi was compiled by King Hammurabi himself. Hammurabi was the most notable ruler of the first Babylonian dynasty, and unified Mesopotamia under one central government. Hammurabi's life is unknown, it is predicted that he established his reign around 1792-1750 B.C., thus dating the Code to approximately this...
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...Historical Laws and Security Melissa Church CJS/250 Rich Montcalm July. 27, 2015 Historical Laws and Security In a brief description, here you will find the following laws in which they were originated. Civilizations throughout time have found it necessary to establish a set of laws dependent on their society's religious beliefs, social structure, setting, and other variables. Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally "Great Paper"), also called Magna Carta Liber Tatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin. Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain rights (pertaining to nobles and barons), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects, whether free or fettered most notably the writ of habeas corpus, allowing appeal against unlawful imprisonment that led to the rule of constitutional law today in the English speaking world. The earliest legal system known in its entirety is the Code of Hammurabi which was established in ancient Babylonia nearly 4000 years ago. The Code of Hammurabi was compiled by King Hammurabi himself. Hammurabi was the most notable ruler of the first Babylonian dynasty, and unified Mesopotamia under one central government. Hammurabi's life is unknown, it is predicted that he established his reign around 1792-1750 B.C., thus dating the Code to approximately...
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...Where would our world be today if the ancient civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Palestine did not exist? Who do we have to thank for their achievements? What contributions did they make to society? In these paragraphs the ancient world of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Palestine will come back to life as I talk about their achievements and contributions that helped not only to their civilizations, but helps to the future civilizations to come. In 2650 B.C. Egypt's Old Kingdom era began. (Document 1) During this time period dynasties were created and in those dynasties were Egyptian rulers called pharaohs. The pharaohs had majestic pyramids as tombs built to show their power. These pyramids started the architectural development. Every since the Egyptian civilization started the Egyptians believed in faithful life after death. On judgment day the more pure you are the better and kinder judged you will be by Osiris the god of the dead. (Document 3) The Egyptians wore clothing made out of cotton. Cotton is one of the world's most important agricultural products and not many civilizations could grow it so the Egyptians sold it. (Document 4) Egyptians had a system of writing called hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics are a form of pictures to create an idea. Over time scribes developed demotic a simpler form of writing. They wrote on paper like material called papyrus. The Egyptians were among the first to use something to write on rather than stone and clay tablets. Now today we have...
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