Hammurabi's Code

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Hammurabi’s code

Hammurabi was the King of Babylonia from about 1790 BC to 1750 BC Hammurabi is believed to be the sixth ruler of the Amorite Dynasty. Although he was a successful governmental and military leader, his name will always be known for his Codes of Law. Hammurabi was the first King ever to record all the Laws of his Empire. He had a black stone carved with the 282 laws of Babylonia. On top of the stone sits a statue of a God handing the laws to Hammurabi. Because of his codes, Hammurabi was an immensely influential leader.

Hammurabi came into power as a young man. Although he was young, he had already gained respect and trust will many powerful duties. In the early years of his rule, projects such as repairs, trading deals, and expansion were the corriculum. But as he aged, so did his wisdom. He began to have more specific laws than most. Eventually, he had his 282 laws etched on stone in Cuneiform. These would be the governing laws of all his people. People then knew all the punishments and consequences for breaking the laws, and they knew what they must due when accusing a criminal. (We know what we must do on Saturday to Woodstock, don’t we?) Hammurabi created a set of moral codes that was to be copied and used by other civilizations.

The Codes of Law were broken into certain categories. These categories are not definitely known, but the majority of historians believe them to be: family, labor, personal property, real estate, trade and business. Many think...

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