Code Of Hammurabi Essay

During the second millennium, Babylon was ruled under Hammurabi. He was a powerful king who reestablished a central government throughout his kingdom. In 1780 BCE Hammurabi created approximately 282 laws to govern and rule over the Babylonians. Two earlier Sumerian codes of conduct existed in parts; however, this was the first complete set in history. Thanks to the tall black basalt stele artwork that displays Hammurabi’s laws we know of his ruling in elaborate detail. These rules became known as “The Code of Hammurabi”. These guidelines were written in Akkadian, a popular language in the region at the time. Hammurabi claimed that a very prominent god wrote the code and instructed him to rule under his name. This is a large component when

considering why Hammurabi had such a vast impact and control over the region. The people of the region highly respected the gods and his wishes and were quick to obey His laws governed over exactly how people should act and respond in most situations. Some of the topics reviewed in close detail of Hammurabi’s code are rules relating to an individual’s personal and family life, the punishment of criminals, and the treatment of women. In addition, the artwork displaying these rules will also be closely analyzed.
The Stele of Hammurabi is a vertical stone monument with his laws inscribed on it.

The structure is made of diorite and stands at 7.4 feet. One could say the heaviness of the material used to create the stele emphasizes the dense laws. Three-fourths of the monument displays The Code of Hammurabi. The top however, is a portrayal of Shamash and Hammurabi. Both are the same size, which suggests that they are equals even though Shamash is seated with thunderbolts of lightning surrounding him suggesting that he has more power. This suggests that the laws themselves came from a higher power and were given to Hammurabi to enforce. This monument is very important because it’s the reason why people know extensive laws that Hammurabi

enforced
The code of Hammurabi is very extensive and covers many essential topics. Men often had a considerable amount of power over their families. However, to some degree women were also protected under the code of Hammurabi. One key example of this is if a man marries a woman and later finds that she has a disease he may remarry. However, he must keep the first wife in his home and support her for the rest of her life. She can choose not to live with him is she wants. If the latter is chosen he must return to her the dowry that she brought when she first married him. Another demonstration of women being protected under Hammurabi can be seen in the compulsory financial dowry she receives when she marries. She may keep her dowry after divorce under certain circumstances. This displays the consideration the king had for the female gender under his ruling.
Criminals were very harshly punished in Hammurabi’s set of rules.

The term “an eye for an eye” was coined from these laws. The law that states if a criminal removed the eye of another individual and was caught they would also have their own eye taken away can support this. Criminals were often killed for committing a crime. Another instance in which both the victim and criminal were given equal punishment is in the circumstance when a builder builds a poorly constructed building which causes the death of the owner or his son the builder will also be put to death. If the building kills a slave he must replace that slave with another for the owner. This shows the extreme manner of Hammurabi’s ruling and the level of strictness in governing

society.
Overall, Hammurabi was a well renowned leader that took control of his surroundings and civilians in order to create a cohesive government. His laws pertained to all aspects of life including but not limited to family values, criminals, the economy, and the treatment of women. He often showed that he believed in penalize the criminal with the same punishment the victims experienced at the outlaws cost. Hammurabi’s code of conduct still exists today due to the black basalt stele artwork that proudly presents the laws printed on its exterior. The Stele of Hammurabi also had a lasting impact due to the fact that it was a complete set of guidelines one of the first get of governing laws seen in history.