Law Code Of Hammurabi Research Paper
The Law Code of Hammurabi is the emblem of the Mesopotamian civilization. The high basalt stele erected by the king of Babylon in the 18th century BC is a work of art, history, and literature.
As a king, one must be the epitome of a citizen but at the same time be “better” than everyone for the sake of appearance. The king guides all subjects in a seemingly infallible fashion that goes beyond their simplistic ways of thinking. The king is the one being that citizens pledge their allegiance and lives to. The king does not live to make everyone happy, for it is the king’s responsibility to rule over the kingdom how he chooses. In a way, the king is equivalent to God in ancient times. The king serves as the giver of life and the bringer of death …show more content…
for all those who reside within his domain.
Royal authority and divine power are synonymous in ancient societies. King Hammurabi served as the leader of ancient Babylonia. He set forth a series of moral codes that were mandatory for all citizens to follow. Actions like this show up in different religious groups such as Christianity with the 10 Commandments. To ensure that all citizens lived by the laws given to them, Hammurabi dictated his laws with harsh punishment to all rebels of the system. To maintain order and avoid chaos in Babylonia, Hammurabi created a way of life for people to live by. He acted in a way that God would in the Old Testaments of the Bible. Hammurabi ruled his people with an iron fist and took no shame in making examples out of those who dared to defy his infallible laws. At the time, the strongest people ruled over the meek and Hammurabi’s rule is the perfect example of such ideology. The strongest individuals were looked at as gods and were praised. Whether Hammurabi was right or wrong in his method of ruling is opinion-based, but one thing is certain. His rule was very effective in setting a foundation of justice. Although many laws seem unfair and extremely bias to us today, the system of retribution and structured revenge became the basis of justice systems. It paved the way for improvement, revision, and application for generations.
Worship has been around since the dawn of mankind.
Whether it be the worship of one God or many gods, reverence has always played a major part in the lives of believers. Those with a particular faith have the insatiable desire to please their god(s). In many ancient societies such as ancient Persia, the king was looked at as one of the many gods that exist. The king is to be praised as the physical god that blesses the subjects with his mere presence. He is to always be followed because he is perfection and is omniscient. Any who defy the king defies a god and should be punished severely for blasphemy. Many polytheistic religions still exist but the world’s most popular religions today are monotheistic. Catholics, for example, look to their pope for guidance. The pope is looked at as the only person that could bring forth the word of God. The pope is even said to be infallible when within a holy place that brings him closer to God. Followers indulge in the words of this religious leader for the word of their one God. This leader is looked at as a priceless source of divine knowledge and serves as a step below God itself. Believers of monotheistic and polytheistic religions ultimately look to follow in the steps of their god(s) and to please the power that resides outside their feeble, human
comprehension.
These laws were enforced by the saying "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” and to them this meant something very important to their life. This revealing justifies revenge from someone of a particular social class when dishonored by another citizen of the same social class. However, this is only one part of Hammurabi’s Code, he shows many ways for people to get revenge on other in a manner that is “reasonable”. By doing this as well as offering unforgiving punishment, he brings structure the violent nature of those angered by feeling incorrect. These codes are actually extremely far from different to present day laws in our societies today.
As a king, one must be the epitome of a citizen but at the same time be “better” than everyone for the sake of appearance. The king guides all subjects in a seemingly infallible fashion that goes beyond their simplistic ways of thinking. The king is the one being that citizens pledge their allegiance and lives to. The king does not live to make everyone happy, for it is the king’s responsibility to rule over the kingdom how he chooses. In a way, the king is equivalent to God in ancient times. The king serves as the giver of life and the bringer of death …show more content…
for all those who reside within his domain.
Royal authority and divine power are synonymous in ancient societies. King Hammurabi served as the leader of ancient Babylonia. He set forth a series of moral codes that were mandatory for all citizens to follow. Actions like this show up in different religious groups such as Christianity with the 10 Commandments. To ensure that all citizens lived by the laws given to them, Hammurabi dictated his laws with harsh punishment to all rebels of the system. To maintain order and avoid chaos in Babylonia, Hammurabi created a way of life for people to live by. He acted in a way that God would in the Old Testaments of the Bible. Hammurabi ruled his people with an iron fist and took no shame in making examples out of those who dared to defy his infallible laws. At the time, the strongest people ruled over the meek and Hammurabi’s rule is the perfect example of such ideology. The strongest individuals were looked at as gods and were praised. Whether Hammurabi was right or wrong in his method of ruling is opinion-based, but one thing is certain. His rule was very effective in setting a foundation of justice. Although many laws seem unfair and extremely bias to us today, the system of retribution and structured revenge became the basis of justice systems. It paved the way for improvement, revision, and application for generations.
Worship has been around since the dawn of mankind.
Whether it be the worship of one God or many gods, reverence has always played a major part in the lives of believers. Those with a particular faith have the insatiable desire to please their god(s). In many ancient societies such as ancient Persia, the king was looked at as one of the many gods that exist. The king is to be praised as the physical god that blesses the subjects with his mere presence. He is to always be followed because he is perfection and is omniscient. Any who defy the king defies a god and should be punished severely for blasphemy. Many polytheistic religions still exist but the world’s most popular religions today are monotheistic. Catholics, for example, look to their pope for guidance. The pope is looked at as the only person that could bring forth the word of God. The pope is even said to be infallible when within a holy place that brings him closer to God. Followers indulge in the words of this religious leader for the word of their one God. This leader is looked at as a priceless source of divine knowledge and serves as a step below God itself. Believers of monotheistic and polytheistic religions ultimately look to follow in the steps of their god(s) and to please the power that resides outside their feeble, human
comprehension.
These laws were enforced by the saying "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” and to them this meant something very important to their life. This revealing justifies revenge from someone of a particular social class when dishonored by another citizen of the same social class. However, this is only one part of Hammurabi’s Code, he shows many ways for people to get revenge on other in a manner that is “reasonable”. By doing this as well as offering unforgiving punishment, he brings structure the violent nature of those angered by feeling incorrect. These codes are actually extremely far from different to present day laws in our societies today.