Hammurabi's Law Code

Early civilizations formed around rivers. The Mesopotamians lived along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. They were divided into city-states, one of which is the Babylonians. The sixth Amorite king of Babylon was Hammurabi and he ruled the Babylonians under his terrifying law codes. Hammurabi became the first king of the Babylonian Empire following the abdication of his father, Sin-Muballit and he is the best known and most celebrated of all Mesopotamian kings. This paper will prove that Hammurabi’s law codes kept the Babylonians from receiving unequal treatments because of the punishment following their criminal actions.

Hammurabi’s law code is described as, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." The law codes were set up

When an accuser accuses someone of being guilty, the one has to have proof or else his/her life is the price to pay. Hammurabi eliminated the false accusations made in his civilization easily by putting the accuser’s life at risk. Another one of Hammurabi’s law code included, “If anyone break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.” When one Babylonian breaks a hole in another’s house, it also meant digging their own grave. Stealing from others was making bargains with the one’s own life. The consequences of Hammurabi’s law code can be pretty terrifying because most of the punishment involved death. Hammurabi’s law code also comprise of, “If a man take a woman to wife, but have no intercourse with her, this woman is no wife to him.” The Amorite king made it explicit that married couples not having intercourse also means to file divorce papers. Hammurabi does not accept the fact that a married couple is a married couple, unless they have intercourse. The punishment of this action is very light compared to most of his usual consequences. Hammurabi showed no mercy under his firmly set law codes. Horne claims on avalon.law.yale.edu, “These grim retaliatory punishments take no note of excuses or explanations, but only of the fact--with one striking exception.” The writer explains that there were no other exception to the