The Hamurabi Code: The Code Of Hammurabi

The Babylonian King, Hammurabi, established the Code of Hammurabi during his reign from 1792-1750 BCE, which held a compendium of 282 laws. The code recognized the Babylonian Empire into three distinct social classes: an upper class (royal family), a middle class (freemen), and a lower class (slaves). Under the Hammurabi code, Babylonian society was one of stringent sanctions for criminal offenses with punishment varying according to the wealth of an individual and gender. The code was unjust, due to its law of exact retaliation, gender bias, and the extremity of punishment.

In the Hammurabi Code, the law of exact retaliation states: “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out” (Hammurabi 196). Although the law of retaliation stated that if a person were hurt the injured person would take retribution on the act, the law was stratified, and less vengeance was put against the wealthy. The codes were only applied “eye for eye” if both members were of social equals. For example, in law 202-208, there is a distinction in the punishment within class ranks. The individuals of higher status were able to exonerate out of a criminal offense with a money payment, as opposed to being punished in

Hammurabi’s code gives an insight on the strict and unjust lives many Babylonian’s lived. Women were an item to men, and the wealthy overpowered the slaves. Despite the fact that there was no rightfulness within the laws, Hammurabi’s code indicates the presence of a stable family structure, a system of trading, as well as a development into the medical field. Many of the laws that were established in ancient Babylon, can be seen dealt today in modern America. Being one of the earliest pieces of text, Hammurabi’s considers thoughts of punishment towards the criminals, which is a system we have adapted