stele hambari
Eren Korkmaz
11.10.2013
The Code of Hammurabi
In the codes of Hammurabi, there is a generalization that defines most of the rules “An eye for an eye”(Code 196). It shows us that Hammurabi’s justice is processing in a harsh way.
Is this fair? Was it acceptable in that period of time? Did Babylonian society deserve it?
These questions can’t be answered certainly, but several discussions should be made about it.
Because, it is one of the unusual ways to rule in history.
We can see in the Babylonian history, also in the propaganda of the Code of
Hammurabi, the power to rule is given to Hammurabi by the great god of the sun, Shamash.
“On the obverse we have a bas-relief exhibiting King Hammurabi receiving the laws from the sun-god, to which the story of Moses receiving the ten words from Yahweh corresponds.”1 So that, he and his people believed he has got a divine power. Then he enforced his mentality of justice with the codes. Codes show us that society divided to 3 class: free men, dependant men and slaves (Amelu, Muskenu, Ardu). The first class belonged to the king and the officers of state, the nobles, also the proprietors. The second class represents the common men or poor men that still dependant to a Amelu. If they get sick, their fees to doctors were paid by an
Amelu, for instance. Finally, the people of the third class are completely slaves. It shows that
Hammurabi is not thinking about the equality of the society but he applies the justice ,which is his way of thinking, well. The codes define only the free men as humans, a life of a free men should be paid with another life, but the others could be paid with silver or gold. Value of to be a human was divided with this way.
Code includes the role of the religion in Babylon, in case of a murder or a situation of stealing a wife, children or rights of the wife (Codes between 128-153), oath takes a big
11.10.2013
The Code of Hammurabi
In the codes of Hammurabi, there is a generalization that defines most of the rules “An eye for an eye”(Code 196). It shows us that Hammurabi’s justice is processing in a harsh way.
Is this fair? Was it acceptable in that period of time? Did Babylonian society deserve it?
These questions can’t be answered certainly, but several discussions should be made about it.
Because, it is one of the unusual ways to rule in history.
We can see in the Babylonian history, also in the propaganda of the Code of
Hammurabi, the power to rule is given to Hammurabi by the great god of the sun, Shamash.
“On the obverse we have a bas-relief exhibiting King Hammurabi receiving the laws from the sun-god, to which the story of Moses receiving the ten words from Yahweh corresponds.”1 So that, he and his people believed he has got a divine power. Then he enforced his mentality of justice with the codes. Codes show us that society divided to 3 class: free men, dependant men and slaves (Amelu, Muskenu, Ardu). The first class belonged to the king and the officers of state, the nobles, also the proprietors. The second class represents the common men or poor men that still dependant to a Amelu. If they get sick, their fees to doctors were paid by an
Amelu, for instance. Finally, the people of the third class are completely slaves. It shows that
Hammurabi is not thinking about the equality of the society but he applies the justice ,which is his way of thinking, well. The codes define only the free men as humans, a life of a free men should be paid with another life, but the others could be paid with silver or gold. Value of to be a human was divided with this way.
Code includes the role of the religion in Babylon, in case of a murder or a situation of stealing a wife, children or rights of the wife (Codes between 128-153), oath takes a big
References: The American Journal of Theology, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul., 1904) Commentary by Charles F. Horne, (1915) Commentary by Claude Hermann Walter Johns, The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed, 1910Review: The Code of Hammurabi, J. Dyneley Prince, The American Journal of Theology Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul., 1904), pp. 601–609 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable http://oll.libertyfund.org