Compare And Contrast The Laws Of Hammurabi

Mediterranean civilizations Before Common Era, included some of the most influential and respected cultures of history. These cultures were fueled by the large support they received from empires and their divine rulers. Throughout history, every successful empire has implemented laws that allow citizens of the empire to live peacefully in avoidance of chaos and disorder. Two great Mediterranean B.C.E. examples are: the Mesopotamian empire and the establishment of the Israelites in the Promise Land.

The Mesopotamian civilization had many great rulers who helped keep order and peace throughout their vast empires. One of the greatest leaders in Mesopotamia was Hammurabi. He was able to unite the people of Mesopotamia and bring order to his large

empire. This land included the Euphrates River and spanned all the way from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf (Hill, 1/25/16). The sophistication of this empire in this time period is demonstrated in the Laws of Hammurabi, which are laws that King Hammurabi created in order to help the public and judicial officers with decision making. These laws can be seen as both innovative and original. Nearly three hundred years later, Moses and the Israelites embarked on a journey of freedom from the Egyptians (Hill, 1/25/16). Moses and the Israelites were led by a spiritual leader, Yahweh (or God). The whole journey of freedom for the Israelites can be defined as a “Special Covenant, or sacred pact, with this god and their becoming a Chosen People with a new identity” (the Book of Deuteronomy, 59). This pact included rules, which were called the Ten Commandments, God's guidelines for his chosen people. The Ten Commandments and the Laws of Hammurabi are eerily similar in terms of the rules and the impact it had on society. Though one was created from a spiritual figure and the other from mankind, the ideas were inherently the same at the core. The laws called for people to be good, to do good things for good things to happen to you in return (Hill, 1/25/16). The Ten Commandments and the Laws of Hammurabi greatly differ, but their similarities help introduce interesting questions to their audiences. This paper seeks to address whether or not the earlier origins of the Laws of Hammurabi discredit the validity of the Ten Commandments based off their similarities and differences.
The Laws of Hammurabi and the Ten Commandments can be simplified down to laws that were given to groups of people by a higher power.

The rules are mainly in place in order to help people live together while maintaining peace throughout their empires. The Laws of Hammurabi are written with much greater detail and moral reasoning to the text, whereas the Ten Commandments are broad but clear. The resemblance in their messages can arguably insinuate that one set of laws influenced the other, “[if] in a lawsuit a man gives damning evidence, and his word is not justified, then, if his suit be a capitol one, that man shall be slain”(The Judgment of Hammurabi, 14). The passage given is one that modernly reads or is the equivalent to not giving a false testimony about another person. The Law of Hammurabi presents the public with an in depth situation, though its message is similar to that of the Ten Commandments, “[neither] shall you bear false witness against your neighbor”(the Book of Deuteronomy, 61). The message, given to the Israelites and the Mesopotamians, are similar in structure and the main point that is addressed encourages giving an honest testimony. The Ten Commandments, as vague as they are, cover a majority of the topics that the very detailed Hammurabi does, “[honor] your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you;”(the Book of Deuteronomy, 61). The Ten Commandments directly addresses children and commands they obey their parents. . The Law of

Hammurabi declares the same message but elaborates by providing people with real life scenarios that citizens can relate to and commonly need resolution, “[if] a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off”(the Judgment of Hammurabi, 15). A situation is portrayed in the Law of Hammurabi in which a child isn't honoring their parents by striking their own father. Though the context and methods in which they explain their laws differ, both the Laws of Hammurabi and the Ten Commandments are so similar that it appears as if one has been read and then summarized or elaborated very well in the other set of laws.
Though the laws do share what is essentially the same overall purpose, they also differ in several large ways, which make it hard to claim that they discredit one another.

The Laws of Hammurabi is defined as, “a compilation of decisions, or misharaum (equity rulings), that the king made in response to specific cases and perceived injustices”(the Judgements of Hammurabi, 13). The Laws of Hammurabi is a guide that seeks to help the citizens of the Mesopotamian empire settles decisions and several situations that can cause conflict. This differs from the Ten Commandments of the Bible, which is seen as the ten sacred laws that God gave his people as a “sacred pact” (the Book of Deuteronomy, 59). The Ten Commandments do not present the Israelites with a breakdown of how to handle certain situations; instead it is a broad and generalized overview of what has to be done in order to reach Heaven. Whereas the Laws of Hammurabi are not filled with guidelines needed to reach heaven or any afterlife destination; the situations in the ancient artifact seem to support self-vindication. Throughout the Laws of Hammurabi, the situations depicted end with men handling the conflicts, “[if] in a lawsuit a man gives damning evidence, and his word that he has spoken is not justified, then, if the suit be a capital one, that man shall be slain...”(the Judgements of the Hammurabi, 14). The laws of Hammurabi are much less spiritual in origin, instead focus on the current physical world. These laws

also demonstrate the developed state that the Mesopotamian government was in at the given time, which was a large, quickly improving and developing empire. The Ten Commandments were written during a time of turmoil and uncertainty, as liberated slaves were fleeing from Egypt and embarking on a long journey with an unknown God. The messages that God sent to the newly liberated people were much less detailed, “[neither] shall you bear false witness against your neighbor”(the Book of Deuteronomy, 61).
The messages from both set of laws are similar in origin, but every different in outcome. The Ten Commandments leave the people with a simplified law, while the Laws of Hammurabi present the people with severe punishments for their actions. The Laws of Hammurabi also pay a lot of respect to women, which is shocking. All throughout history, women seem to be undervalued and are usually the last group to gain respect amongst human populations. The Law of Hammurabi protects women, “[if] a man has decided to divorce... a wife who has presented him with children, then he shall give back to that woman her dowry, and he shall give her the use of field, garden, and property, and she shall bring up her children”(the Judgments of Hammurabi, 15). The Ten Commandments doesn't go into detail but certainly doesn't provide rules that protect women like the Laws of Hammurabi do. This counter-example demonstrates the value of moral reasoning to the Laws of Hammurabi compared to the Ten Commandments. Even though the Ten Commandments are peaceful and morally correct for most, there isn't an exact reason for the laws other than the fact that God, who liberated the Israelites from Egypt, wrote these laws. The reasoning behind the Ten Commandments differs greatly from the given reasoning behind the Laws of Hammurabi, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (the Book of Deuteronomy, 60). The differences between the two laws demonstrate why the Laws of Hammurabi and the Ten Commandment don't discredit one another. Instead they support each other with their shared similarity of wanting to ensure peace through law and order.
The Ten Commandments and the Laws of Hammurabi, are two very different sets of rules given to two different groups of people by two completely different sources; the Laws of Hammurabi were given to the people of the Mesopotamian empire, by King Hammurabi, while the Ten Commandments were delivered to the chosen people of Israel by Moses, who received the tablets directly from God. Both laws have numerous similarities, such as their essential values and purpose for the public. It can be argued that one text can discredit the other based off of contextual similarities and the geographic origin of their rules. However, an analysis of their differences helps determine the varying roles the laws hold in each society. One can deduce that the Ten Commandments were essentially built upon love and forgiveness, while the Hammurabi seems to be centered around moral reasoning, as death or punishment by man himself rather than a divine entity seem to be an acceptable punishment as expressed throughout the book. The Ten Commandments are God's rules and paths for the Israelites to reach Heaven, while the Laws of Hammurabi are there to instill peace and order amongst the public. These two laws don't discredit each other, instead they merely have laws that overlap and achieve different outcomes once followed.

Hill, Gabriel. “Early Civilizations and the Hebrews” CH 201.1001. UNR 1-25-16

“Judgments of Hammurabi” in The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Volume I: To 1500, ed. Alfred Andrea and James Overfield. Boston: Wadsworth, 2012. 13-17.

“The Book of Deuteronomy” in The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Volume I: To 1500, ed. Alfred Andrea and James Overfield, Boston: Wadsworth, 2012. 59-62.