The Laws Of Hammurabi

Separation of church and state has become the ideal sense of government in the Modern Era, specifically in America since the late 1700s. Secular governments seek to improve the nature and well being of the individual, in hopes to benefit the society as a whole. Secular law seeks to use moral guidelines to benefit the citizens of the nation, making crimes such as theft, murder, and physical harms highly punishable. However, where do these law codes get their structure? What, before the separation, influenced these legal structures and developed society? The answer is simple, religious law. Throughout time law and religion have parallel one another. Many secular law codes share the same moral values that religious law used to unify a society.

Nearly two millennia later, Salic law seeks to introduce a similar law code to that of Hammurabi. Religious influence binds these two legislations showing, once again, the importance of religious law. During the medieval times education and literacy took a sharp decline, leaving religious officials such as priests and monks in a state of power. Priests sought to influence kings in order to spread their faith and ensure that all people held a similar foundation in beliefs. Salic law sought to incorporate the rules of the ten commandments of Christianity and Judaism, as the foundation for this law code. This law code parallels Christian beliefs through its moral guidelines of not to kill, steal, fornicate, and be dishonest. However, unlike other law codes, Salic law does not hold any physical punishments for crimes such as murder, rather majority of the crimes ask for some sort of fine to be paid; “If any one shall have killed a free Frank, or a barbarian living under the Salic law, and it have been proved on him, he shall be sentenced to 8000 denars.” The purpose of this seems to be influenced by priests consulting with Clovis during the making of this law. Fines help build both the government and church, allowing for an increase of conversions and land to be obtained. Religious officials see Clovis as an opportunity to ensure the survival of their faith through Salic law hoping to bring unity within the nation and church. This cooperation with the church gave the monarchs the ability to keep power, making their reign a god given right. While this helps maintain power for the ruler, citizens are ostracized for disagreements with the ruler. The use of religion establishes the law’s authority, ensuring none question the decreeing of the king, unless that person wishes to be subject of