Hammurabi's Code Of Laws Dbq Research Paper

Around 4,000 years ago, Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylonia. While being the ruler for 42 years, Hammurabi’s empire grew to have an estimated population of 1,000,000 people. Hammurabi was the creator of one of the oldest set of laws known as Hammurabi’s Code. This code of laws consisted of 282 laws that were written on steles and placed around Babylon. Breaking these laws often resulted in extreme punishments (BGE). Was Hammurabi’s code of laws just? Hammurabi’s Code is not just in the areas of family, property, and personal injury laws. Family law in Hammurabi’s code is not just. First, law 129 states that if you commit adultery, you shall be tied up and thrown into the water. Second, law 195 states that if a son strikes his father, his hands shall be cut off (Doc C). Today, committing adultery would result in a fight between a couple, and most likely a divorce. Striking your father often gets you in a lot of trouble within your family, but nothing close to cutting off your hands. These terrible punishments would never happen today. …show more content…
First, law 23 says that if the person that robs you isn’t caught, then the mayor and city replaces everything that was stolen. Second, law 48 states that if you borrow money to plant crops, but water floods or carries away your crops, you don’t have to pay your creditor (Doc D). These laws aren’t fair. Law 23 isn’t fair because cities get money from the citizens, so it would technically mean the citizens are paying for the victim’s stuff. Law 48 isn’t fair because the creditor needs their money to plant their own crops. Without the crops, the supply of food for them, their family, and possibly part of the community will be