Hammurabi DBQ

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“Law is not law if it violates the principles of eternal justice.” Hammurabi lived 38 centuries ago and ruled for 42 years. Hammurabi’s Code is a list of 282 laws issued by Hammurabi to the people of Babylonia. Hammurabi had three parts to his code: the Prologue, the 282 laws, and the Epilogue; Hammurabi wrote these things on a stele. Hammurabi was not just because of its property laws and its personal injury laws.
Hammurabi's Code was not just because of its property laws. According to the Babylonian leader Hammurabi, on Law 48, “If a man has borrowed money to plant his fields and a storm has flooded his field or carried away the crop, …. In that year he does not have to pay his creditor.” (Doc D) Next, it is unfair to the victim (the creditor) because the creditor is not getting rewarded in the year that the storm has demolished the crops; this is an example of
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According to Hammurabi, Law 196 states, “If a man has knocked out the eye of a free man, his eye shall be knocked out.” (Doc E) Furthermore, this punishment is an eye for an eye. The accused still may make a case that this is unfair because an eye being knocked out is very harsh, but, the victim’s eye is knocked out as well which is harsh for both of them. Similarly, it is not fair to society; this is because if a man were to punch a slave, or other social class, there may have been a less extreme consequence, which shows a lot about the empire of Babylonia. On the contrary, “If he has knocked out the eye of a slave …. He shall pay half his value.” (Doc E) These two laws show a hierarchy; a different consequence based on social statuses. The social status goes; ruler (male), priests (male) Government officials (male), head of household (male) men in the family, men in society, women, children, slaves. (patriarchy) Although this is very discriminatory, the Code of Hammurabi was in the middle of the city for everyone to