...wrong doing our country now has a system to reclaim justice to the victim. This system of justice originated from a Babylonian King. King Hammurabi’s code would lay the foundation of justice for the people for generation to come after him. Before the greatness of Babylon in early Mesopatamia there was the III dynasty of Ur. The founder and king of the Ur dynasty Ur-Nammu ruled from 2113 - 2096 BC. “King Ur- Nammau was very involved in the rebuilding of his dynasty in agriculture and re- establishing civil order and security. King Ur-nammu would be succeeded by his son Shugli that ruled from 2096 -2048 BC. King Shulgi was very skilled in hunting and was an expert in military tactics” (Woolley 53). King Shugli would then have two sons to succeed him and take the crown unfortunately they had a very difficult maintaining the dynasty and as the legal and administration began to fall apart so did the dynasty and it would be reduced to a small city state. With the inevitable destruction of the Ur dynasty came the second phase of the Mesopatamia. Babylon would go through five kings spanning over a hundred years Hammurabi would get his shot at the throne. “During his rise to power Sin-muballit father of Hammurabi would finish off the last of the Ur dynasty and the transfer of power would begin through Hammurabi” (Oppenheim 157). “King...
Words: 2146 - Pages: 9
...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...
Words: 2731 - Pages: 11
...Mesopotamia/Babylon History Babylon was probably the most famous city of ancient Mesopotamia. Until today the city is a symbol for wealth, power, and sin (largely due to its treatment in the Bible). The name Babylon is the Greek form of Babel of Babili, which means "the gate of the god" in Semitic, which again is the translation of the original Sumerian name Ka-dimirra. The god was probably Marduk, the divine patron of the city. Like the other great Sanctuaries of Babylonia, the temple of Marduk had been founded in pre-Semitic times and the future Babylon grew around it. As Marduk was the son of Ea, the patron god of Eridu, it is possible that Babylon was a colony of Eridu. The earliest mention of Babylon is in a dated tablet of the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2334-2279 BCE), who is stated to have built sanctuaries there. Babylon remained a provincial town until it became the capital of the first dynasty of Babylon and then Hammurabi's empire, around 1795-1750 BCE. From this time onward it continued to be the capital of Babylonia and the holy city of western Asia. The claim to supremacy in Mesopotamia was not fulfilled de jure until the claimant had "taken the hands" of Marduk at Babylon. It was this which made Tiglath-pileser III (ruled 745-727 BCE) and other Assyrian kings so anxious to possess themselves of Babylon and to thus legitimize their power. Only Sennacherib of Assyria (reigned 704-681 BCE) failed to secure the support of the Babylonian priesthood, and subsequently...
Words: 1291 - Pages: 6
...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...
Words: 2447 - Pages: 10
...From 1792 BC to 1750 BC, Hammurabi, son of Sin-Muballit, reigned as the sixth king of the Babylonian kingdom. Hammurabi’s rule has been praised due to his military victories, as well as his supervision over issues in relation to the welfare of his subjects. Having successfully been the only king in his dynasty to rule Babylonia into an achieved state of peace, and a symbol of modern innovation of his time through his code of legislation, Hammurabi’s reign over the Babylonian dynasty had a definite positive impact overall. His applications of mandatory compliance with civil and criminal laws, the successful transformation of the Babylonian kingdom to an empire, as well as his creation and consistent preservation of peace – even during his numerous...
Words: 1166 - Pages: 5
...Marcus Banks-Bey_L2444950 June 29, 2014 Thesis Statement This research paper will discuss, and review the history of the Babylion Empire, its rulers, and the Empire’s influential relationship upon some of the major events which developed within Old Testament literature. Introduction Through my research, it is my intent to identify significant points within the history of the Babylion Empire, including its origins, development, expansion, eventual decline, and why it became a focal point of many of the major events of the Old Testament. From the Great Empire of Akkad, Babylon became a major seat of learning, culture, and technology. More than simply a city-state of defiance, and sinful practices, Babylon’s influence, very often viewed through a negative scholarly lens, shaped the history of Asia Minor, Northern Africa, and the world when approached from a biblical standpoint. As such, Babylon remains a critical, powerful nation in relation to its nation-state of Israel, and Old Testament history. Nimrod The Cushite The first nation-state identified within contemporary Biblical literature is the land that is “Ethiopia”, as mentioned in Genesis 2:13[1]. Most importantly, the Hebrew term “Kush” is the concordance term used by Strong’s, which is interchangeable with the term Ethiopia(n), and defines the peoples of Cush, Ethiopia as being Black, Africans.[2] It is my intent to avoid any racist terminologies which intentionally, or inadvertently were inserted into the bible...
Words: 3302 - Pages: 14
...What remains today of Old Babylon are the ruins of an ancient city under the water level of the Euphrates River, although some later city ruins still exist. However, archeology tells us much about the 4,000-year history of this storied city that passed through many hands and empires during its long existence. Babylon began as a small, administrative center during the reign of Sargon the Great. Babylon’s history truly begins with Hammurabi, an Amorite prince, who began his reign over the city in 1792 B.C. Through war and diplomacy, Hammurabi subdued all of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule by 1755 B.C. His empire stretched from Syria to the Persian Gulf. Hammurabi called his empire Babylonia. Besides Hammurabi’s famous law code, he focused...
Words: 505 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 406 - Pages: 2
...Hammurabi’s code: Was it just? The code of Hammurabi, the most complete and perfect extant(still in existence) collection of Babylonian laws, developed during the reign of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) of the 1st day dynasty of Babylon. I think Hammurabi’s code is just because it tells that if someone does a false accusation and they can’t prove that the other person did the crime they will be put to death. Now that is just that way they can keep the peace and protect the person just in case they didn’t like the person. Hammurabi’s code consists of legal decisions that were collected toward the end of his reign and inscribed on a diorite stela (A big tall rock) set up in Babylon’s temple of Marduk, the national god of Babylonian. Hammurabi...
Words: 340 - Pages: 2
...Hammurabi’s Law Hammurabi laws deal with all aspects of everyday life, and it describes both major and minor offenses and their punishments. It is one of the first written codes of law in history, and it is the longest code that has been discovered. The laws were made to equalize society, establish justice and fairness, bring about the rule of righteousness, and protect the weak from the strong. However, the rich and poor, men and women, and elites and commoners were treated differently under the law. This deepened the social hierarchy and distinctions between classes and genders, which soon became normal and accepted in society. L. W. King states that “Hammurabi laws also influenced the need for one, powerful leader. It used the political power to generate bonds between the people of different races and backgrounds. The Code of Hammurabi was developed by the Babylonian ruler, Hammburabi. He ruled Babylon, which he expanded to cover most of Mesopotamia, from 1792-1750 BCE. Laws, judgments, and decrees were incorporated into the 282 laws that make up the code. The code was given to Hammurabi by the sun God, Shamash. The Babylonian God, Marduk, facilitated Hammurabi's rule. He gave Hammurabi the authority to rule Babylon. Also, the code gave people moral standards, created distinct social classes, and worked to create equality. It was supposed to "protect the weak from the strong", but it in turn favored the rich and was harsher on the poor. After the fall of Babylon, Hammurabi left a...
Words: 1874 - Pages: 8
...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....
Words: 1204 - Pages: 5
...History Research Essay The First Babylonian Dynasty-Amorite Dynasty 1894-1595, The Empire of Hammurabi,and the Babylonians under the Persians. All three of these topics will be discussed via research from Wikipedia, Livescience.com, and Newworldencyclopedia.org. The Babylonians are one of the most recognizable Mesopotamian empires. The First Babylonian Dynasty-Amorite Dynasty,The Empire of Hammurabi,and Babylonians under the Persians will now be explained. The First Babylonian Dynasty-Amorite Dynasty occurred during 1894-1595 B.C.(1)Amorites are a foreign northwest semitic people who speak the language of Canaanite. A group of Amorites...
Words: 699 - Pages: 3
...Who was Hammurabi? Hammurabi was the first Dynasty King of Babylon, which is a city-state in Iraq. Hammurabi was the king of Babylon for 42 years. He made many laws that are still used today in some places. The laws are known as “Hammurabi’s Code.” I believe that some of Hammurabi’s Code is unjust. First off some of the laws are too extreme for the crime, such as Law 21. Law 21 states, “If a man has broken through the wall [to rob] a house, they shall put him to death and pierce him, or hang him in the hole in the wall which he has made.’’ (Excerpts from Hammurabi’s Code, circa 1754 BCE) Just because someone steals something doesn’t mean that they should die. Today people might accidentally steal something small and not return...
Words: 394 - Pages: 2
...This was shown in the text as it is said that the gods Anu, Bel, Marduk, and Ea, found Babylon and appointed Hammurabi to the the leader of Babylon. However, the Jewish believed in being entirely faithful to their god, Yahweh. The Babylonians believed that the gods brought this king, Hammurabi to rule and for them to answer to, while the Jewish believed that you only answered to god, and he was the one telling you what to pay for your sins. Though both religions had leaders that they used religion as law, the Babylonians responded to a king, while, the Jewish responded to...
Words: 740 - Pages: 3
...From the perspective of a twenty-first century historian, looking back on eighteenth century BCE Babylon, it is easy to consider it a “civilization”. Babylon’s sophisticated and complicated judicial system and method of social hierarchy are far to overpowering to be looked past. Although the roles of women were limited and not elaborate to say the least, it cannot vie against the strength of the other principles and the international legacy they have left on the world. Babylon was in fact a civilization that included sophisticated systems of law and social hierarchy, but lacked progression in women’s opportunity. First of all, the Babylonian justice system includes the most famous code of law ever assembled. Hammurabi, a king of ancient Babylon wrote a code...
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
