Hammurabi's Code Dbq Essay

Hammurabi’s code was unjust because of multiple family laws. Just look at law 148 “If a man take a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire to take a second wife he shall not put away his wife, who has been attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house which he has built and support her so long as she lives.”(doc C). As she lives Her dying days she would spend them watching her husband be happy with another woman. Also because the sick wife will stay in the house the husband might catch the disease and spread it to the town. Another law is if a son has struck his father his hand shall be cut off. This is a harsh punishment because the son might not be able to perform his housley duty when he comes of age. Father is higher on the social structure so it would seem fair in their time but to us it’s not because we would have to settle it between themselves. The last law is law “129 a women caught in adultery.” The judges don’t know what happens inside the house because maybe something bad is going on inside the house so if she is bind and tossed into the river Hammurabi doesn’t protect the weak (doc B). On that note, …show more content…
“Law 196 states if a man knocked out the eye of a free man his eye shall be knocked out.” If you compare this law to “law 199 slaves will only be payed half of their worth” . Hammurabi states he will protect the weak and injured (doc B) but the victim will not get anything to help his eye that is knocked out. If you take a look at law 218 “If a physician performs an operation and kills someone or cuts out his eye, the doctor’s hands shall be cut off” Say the person had been injured for week when the patient may be beyond saving. That would make cutting off his hands a harsh punishment. Also if a surgeon cannot perform surgeries many people will die because their are not many surgeons at the time. With the information provided I conclude Hammurabi’s code is