Hammurabi

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” This quote by Mahatma Gandhi means that if someone does something bad to us, we shouldn’t do the same thing to them. Hammurabi, who was king of the Babylonian Empire from 1792 to 1750 BC was most famous for his code of laws that governed all parts of Mesopotamian life. His laws are important because they were the first laws that applied to everyone, although they still didn’t treat everyone the same. Hammurabi’s code is unjust because it doesn’t treat everyone the same, some punishments are too harsh, and because it doesn’t take into account intent, or why someone did the crime, whether it was on purpose or on accident.

Hammurabi, King of Babylon was the first person to create laws that would unite his empire. He created two-hundred and eighty-two laws that dealt with private matters/rights and criminal activity. The majority of the laws for private matters was put in place to protect the slaves and women, people that did not have a sufficient amount of power. The law for criminal activity covered offenses against others that included murder, assault, robbery and etc.There were specific punishments for crimes, this law prevented wrath towards one another. Hammurabi's Code set the standards for justice and social order throughout Mesopotamia. His code taught us about how life in Babylon and Mesopotamia changed from what is was like before the laws got set in

Hammurabi’s code included some gruesome punishments, some that might be believed as unruly, but is still just. Hammurabi’s code was just in many ways pertaining to their time. These laws are not the oldest set, but they were possibly the most strict from the ancient world. The punishments for breaking some laws are different for the multiple classes on the social structure and genders. Also, during his time, Hammurabi was known more as a builder and conqueror than a law-giver. All in all, the laws abiding in Hammurabi’s code are just because of its personal injury and family laws.

Hammurabi was the sixth king in the First Dynasty of Babylon in the 18th century BCE. He became a first king of the empire of Babylonia when he conquest Sumerian and Akkadians. He was the creator of the Code of Hammurabi that known as one of the earliest surviving codes of law in recorded history.

The “Code of Hammurabi” is considered to be one of the most valuable finds of human existence. In fact its very existence created the basis for the justice system we have come to rely on today. The creation of “the Code” was a tremendous achievement for not only Babylonian society but for the entire Mesopotamian region as King Hammurabi was ruler over all of that area. Its conception can be considered to be the first culmination of the laws of different regions into a single, logical text. Hammurabi wanted to be an efficient ruler and realized that this could be achieved through the use of a common set of laws which applied to all territories and all citizens who fell under his rule. This paper will discuss the Hammurabi Code and the

The nature of the cruelty in Hammurabi's Codex is surly according to the culture of people back in that period of time  Criminal Law.

Hammurabi was the sixth and most notable king of the first Babylonian dynasty. He greatly expanded Babylon during his time as king, uniting all of Mesopotamia. His innovative Code of Laws made him an important historical figure. Hammurabi’s law codes were important not only due to the fact that they were written Akkadian—the language of the Babylonians—but also because they were physically displayed in heavily populated areas. This allowed the public to view and understand the official laws of their land—an unprecedented development during this period. Hammurabi’s Law Code provided women with a number of rights and protections, including protection of their children as well as various marital benefits.

Even though we know about Hammurabi for his famous laws, "The Code of Hammurabi", there is much more about him that makes him knowns as being a man of peace and justice. Hammurabi was more than a king who wanted to make a great change for his city and his people so that they could have had a prosperous life and growth within the city. There are three reasons to what makes Hammurabi famous. They are about who Hammurabi is, the lands that he conquered, and his political view of the laws he created.

As the Sumerian gained control of more land, the city-states began to fight one another for power over land and water leaving these villages to be an easy target for invaders. The Akkadians, a group north of the Sumerian Empire, occupied the city-states and found a new empire. Sargon's Empire, the leader of the Akkadians, soon fell to invasions from adjoining hill people that brought back the system of quarreling city-states. Hammurabi's Empire consisted of a disciplined foot army that carried axes, spears, and bronze and copper daggers as well as outwitting his opponents to overcome them. Hammurabi was a man of both war and peace as he encouraged trade, helped the economy recover, helped his people build temples, defensive walls, and irrigation

The Mesopotamian society existed in 3500 B.C., in what is today modern Iraq. This society created the first legal codes in human history; these codes created laws, but also were filled with inequality and social division. For example, the fine for rape in the Code of Ur-Nammu was only a mere five shekels. This small fine is insulting to women and would be unacceptable today. An example for inter-social class fairness, however is in Hammurabi’s Code. Law 200 states that if a man knocked out the tooth of another man of the same social standing, he should have his tooth knocked out as well. This legal code also had difficulties with proving crimes occurred, law number one in Hammurabi’s code is a prime example, it states that if one were to accuse a crime, had no evidence, he shall be put to death. The Mesopotamians added a lot to human history, but were discriminable against women, had an abundance of social class fairness, and had dilemmas prosecuting crimes.

How would you like to be a woman in Mesopotamia when Hammurabi ruled? Back then it was really unfair for women. Hammurabi’s Code was unfair and too harsh for women. The laws that are in the documents are a too harsh, mostly for women. Two of the laws in document E are way too easy for men( Laws 209, 213 ). In the article, “Hammurabi’s Code: Was It Just?” the text states, “Nearly 4,000 years ago, a man named Hammurabi became king of a city-state called Babylon.” Hammurabi ruled for forty-two years. The article says, “ For the first 30 of these years, Hammurabi’s control was limited mostly to Babylon.” Hammurabi soon took power in 1792 BCE. He would eventually rule over an estimated population of one million. Most of Hammurabi’s laws were way too harsh, mainly for women. I am glad things are not the same for women today!

Although, the transatlantic slave trade comes into mind when slavery is mentioned, the history of forced servitude is much broader. The Saqaliba were Slavs gathered in the Muslim world to work in differing ways, from servants to soldiers. This not only displays the interconnection of the slavery-centered, expanding world, but shows there was no singular way to make one a slave. For this reason, it's fair to say slavery existed all throughout history, often exemplified one’s status, and commonly utilized through manual labor.

Within the past decades, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of heinous crimes committed, causing some of the laws to significantly change. During the 1970s, some dramatic changes occurred when laws shifted from one extreme to another: rehabilitation to retribution. Such circumstances created an additional emphasis on the offense rather than on the offender. During the 1980s, the “get-tough-on-crime” era began; thus, radical changes in laws continued up until the late 1990s. Throughout the period of the Industrial Society, the United States had two bipolar types of punishment: harsh and lenient. Today, the main focus of the Criminal Justice System is about retribution and punishment.

Noble and just, kings from Before the Common Era, Hammurabi and Gilgamesh vanquished evildoers from their lands, with influence forever shaping their respective society— while being revered by friends and feared by foes. With legacy inscribed in cuneiform, their legacy lives on to prosper, the impact of which is insurmountable. However, unlike The Code of Hammurabi, The Epic of Gilgamesh “…was not written by one specific author but evolved gradually…” (95). Nevertheless, Gilgamesh’s core traits were not lost to the test of time, remaining a “…powerful kind and an awe-inspiring warrior” (95). These two texts speak to the testaments of what great men are made of and the how great societies are represented by equally great leaders. Even though Hammurabi and Gilgamesh appear harsh in nature, they are virtuous and capable kings – serving the greater purpose of the people they represent.

It has been discovered from multiple sources that ever since ancient times, punishment was a necessary concept in order to prevent crime or wrongdoings. Ancient laws such as the Code of Hammurabi and the Mosaic Law (or Law given to Moses atop Mt. Sinai) use different methods to attempt to prevent or minimize the unavoidable occurrence of crime. Hammurabi’s Code using retribution (e.g. an eye for an eye), and the Mosaic Law using fear of God’s judgement. Neither of these have proven to be very effective. Since the dawn of human law, new laws have emerged. others have been forgotten, and many have been refined. Logically, it would be impossible to rid society of all actions that harm another person, which means the controllers of our societies (corrupt governments backed by mega-corporations) must concoct a way to keep society from descending into chaos, while still retaining their bloated wallets. The first prisons came about almost immediately after the first sets of laws. In Ancient Greece, “Imprisonment as a penalty was used initially for those who could not afford to pay their fines. Eventually, since impoverished Athenians could not pay their fines, leading to indefinite periods of imprisonment, time limits were set instead” (Allen). For some odd reason, society has still not evolved from using the Machiavellian method of instilling fear in order to prevent rebellious acts. Our supposedly ‘wise and responsible leaders’ actually believe that by using isolation and