Hammurabi’s Code is the most comprehensive, extensive, and important law code in western history, consisting of 282 laws that aimed to glorify royal power. Similar to Hammurabi’s Code, Exodus 19-21 consists of a set of laws that Moses recorded for the Israelites from the word of God. Many believe that the Mosaic laws were strongly influenced, or even plagiarized from Hammurabi’s code. Throughout both Hammurabi’s Code and Exodus 19-21, there are parallels that suggest that murder, theft, and kidnapping were all problems in society that needed to be addressed. Both Exodus and Hammurabi’s code impose strong punishments for such acts. For example, In Exodus it states that “he who stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he
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Throughout Hammurabi’s code there is a focus on civil and criminal laws with strong themes of class, burden of proof, true vs. false testimony, property belonging to the church vs. the state and the role of slaves. Hammurabi’s Code also imposed severe, sometimes brutal punishments. For example, in paragraph 4 of Hammurabi’s Code it states that “if a seignior came forward with false testimony in a case, and has not proved the word which he spoke, if that case was a case involving life, that seignior shall be put to death.”(5. Code of Hammurabi, pg. 20). Hammurabi’s harsh form of justice is clearly conveyed by putting one to death simply for a false testimony. In contrary to Hammurabi’s Code, Exodus 19-21 not only enforced justice, but it displays spiritual laws as well. These laws not only deal with the crime itself, but they also deal with the cause of the crime, and recognizes sin as the downfall of the nation. The strong emphasis on spiritual matters sets Exodus 19-21 apart from Hammurabi’s code. In the beginning of Exodus 20 the Lord said “I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2-4). This conveys s strong emphasis on the responsibility to God, which cannot be found in Hammurabi’s
Throughout Hammurabi’s code there is a focus on civil and criminal laws with strong themes of class, burden of proof, true vs. false testimony, property belonging to the church vs. the state and the role of slaves. Hammurabi’s Code also imposed severe, sometimes brutal punishments. For example, in paragraph 4 of Hammurabi’s Code it states that “if a seignior came forward with false testimony in a case, and has not proved the word which he spoke, if that case was a case involving life, that seignior shall be put to death.”(5. Code of Hammurabi, pg. 20). Hammurabi’s harsh form of justice is clearly conveyed by putting one to death simply for a false testimony. In contrary to Hammurabi’s Code, Exodus 19-21 not only enforced justice, but it displays spiritual laws as well. These laws not only deal with the crime itself, but they also deal with the cause of the crime, and recognizes sin as the downfall of the nation. The strong emphasis on spiritual matters sets Exodus 19-21 apart from Hammurabi’s code. In the beginning of Exodus 20 the Lord said “I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2-4). This conveys s strong emphasis on the responsibility to God, which cannot be found in Hammurabi’s