Remembering Babylon

placed on them by those rules. Hammurabi’s code, Confucius’s analects, and the Bible all have clear rules and regulations that state how an individual should live, while still allowing certain freedoms to their followers. Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylon, the world's first metropolis from 1795 to 1750 BC. The most remarkable artifact discovered from Hammurabi’s reign was his code of laws, the earliest-known example of a ruler declaring public laws to his people, presented on an eight foot…

In the Babylonian civilization they had a king for every city-state and they were referred to as the local God of each city-state. They were known as the ensi, God’s representative and governor. They had the support of military leaders, priests, priestesses, and other important individuals. Religion was very powerful during this time. Since the ensi was looked to as the God of their land being close with religious figures made a big impact if they continued to be liked and rule they area. The…

Expected Roles of Women In the first couple lessons of the textbook, lecture, and documents, we have learned about different societies founded in all parts of the world. Each of these societies have their own laws, rules, and views on gender roles. Women are viewed differently in each society. In The Code of Hammurabi, The Code of Manu, and The Laws of Exodus, women have different expectations and roles that help shape society. First, The Code of Hammurabi is a document created by the king…

Through ancient writings and laws, we get insight into the sociological functions of the society the piece originated from. According to Ways of The World, “Access to ancient peoples’ early written records allows us some insight in their own words”. The Code of Hammurabi, as a set of laws and punishments for breaking them, reflects the views and social hierarchy of a region located near modern-day Iran, called Mesopotamia. These written laws give us a glimpse into what life in the Babylonian…

marriage was considered a “contract” between the husband and wife. The Code was so detailed as to even tell exactly how much (if any) of the wedding gifts were to be returned upon divorce, separation, or death. Women were considered free citizens of Babylon and in the case of a divorce could keep custody of the children and hold property of their own (Hammurabi). Hammurabi’s Code also includes more than thirty-five laws about land ownership and renting land out such as Hammurabi’s 55th rule, “…

One of the other developments that a common language allowed was the development of a code of laws to help govern the empire. Laws helped to reaffirm power structures in the empire as well as protection of human rights, an idea that has lasted to present times. The ruler often used laws to express his will throughout the empire and these laws were distributed by the officials of the ruler were higher ranking than the citizens. Goodspeed discusses this structure in the Babylonians, “The…

capital to Nineveh, which he handsomely restored. The famous Hanging Gardens, which traditionally have been attributed to Babylon, are now thought by some scholars to have actually been Sennacherib’s creation at Nineveh. His reign was marked largely by his campaigns against Babylon and the revolts against Assyrian rule led by a tribal chief named Merodach-Baladan. After sacking Babylon, he was assassinated by his…

Woah, watch out! A crazy thief burst through your wall and stole silver, but soon after is caught. Does he deserve to die? According to Hammurabi's Code, the thief would be pierced or hung in the hole that he entered (Document D), but is this punishment just? King Hammurabi reigned from 1792 BC to 1750 BC in Mesopotamia, he being one of the first rulers to write down a complete set of laws. His code, an accommodation of 282 laws, was inscribed on a large stone pillar called a stele (Document A)…

The choices people make is what differenciate us from one another. It takes great sacrifice to be a good person. During Hammurabi`s reign his people feared the harsh punishments that came with breaking the law. This is similar to the period of the old testament where not only did the people live in fear of consequences but they also feared a God that may have never existed. Although the code of law of Hammuribi and the old testaments rules vary the mindset is very similar. According to Hammurabi…

Hammurabi ruler of Babylon, he claims to be the king of righteousness and wrote the code of laws to protect the weak, but these laws are unfair (Doc B). 4,000 centuries ago Hammurabi ruled Babylon for 42 years, and Babylon is approximately 400 miles. The three social classes in Babylon that you could be are landowners, free people, and slaves. A lot of people lived there at the time. There was about 1,000,000 people there, so Hammurabi was very busy. (BGE) Was Hammurabi’s Code of Laws just?…