Hammurabi's Code of Law

Hammurabi's Code are a set of laws made by the Babylonian King Hammurabi. Hammurabi united all the Semites under his rule and established a capital in Babylonian territory. With it came the establishment of the code of law now famous as the Code of Hammurabi. These laws were carved into a stile made of black diorite more than seven feet tall. The code consisted of a total of 282 laws written and each law had a severe punishments for each crime.

The Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest set of laws found and it was one of the best preserved. The code was nothing like today's court and laws where depending on how severe the crime was and whether it was an accident or not, your punishment would be lessened or worst. The code showed rules and punishment if the rules were broken. It did not accept excuses or explanations for mistakes or accidents. The level of punishment also varied depending on your class and which law you broke. Modern scholars state that it doesn't cover every dispute that could have risen so it isn't a full law code.

Mainly his primary reason for writing it was for the gods but it was also intended towards the citizens of the city. It was also placed in a public place so that all can see although not many people in the period could read. We can assume that Hammurabi was inspired by the older codes. In addition, he would have added his own personal experiences when he was putting together his laws. This created the law we know now as the Code of Hammurabi, one of the influences that helped make the Constitution.

By reading several of the laws on the Hammurabi's Code, you