Of Hammurabis Laws example essay topic

Hammurabi's Laws One could guess that the laws enacted by Amorites King Hammurabi to Babylonians during the 1700's B.C. what the Holy Scriptures are to Christians today. Hammurabi was chosen by King A num and Ill il lord of heaven and earth to "destroy the evil and the wicked that the strong might not oppress the weak... to give light to the land". Since Hammurabi was chosen to represent their god Marduk, to establish laws in the best interest of the people, it is understandable why one would think of Moses the "law giver" from the Holy Bible in contrast. While it was originally thought that Hammurabi created the laws that became known as the "Code of Hammurabi", no such claim to power or fame is given to Moses in the Bible. Hammurabis' laws were found to have their origin from a body of long-standing Sumerian laws that he used to summarize the code of laws he enacted. The Code of Hammurabi was an "attempt to incorporate every phase of life into law, covering topics like: commerce, trade, parental and domestic relations, slavery, libel, slander, theft, marriage, adultery, divorce, property rights and ownership, and employer-employee regulations".

Hammurabi like his predecessors attempted to appease the deities, while protecting the people through alliances and war. He managed to have a peaceful reign until the last decade of his life when he fought with his enemies and expanded his empire. He combined the newly acquired territory with his inherited lands to form a United Kingdom and his codes were enforced there also. Although Hammurabis' reign was conquered and declined after his death, his set of laws promulgated to unify his diverse subjects and became an enduring legacy. The code of Hammurabi was inscribed on a seven-foot stele (pillar) and glorified in the temple of Marduk. This stele survived over centuries and was rediscovered in 1901 in Iran and is on display today in the Louvre.

Could it be that the code inscribed on a stele that led scholars to think the Mosaic laws were influenced by Hammurabi; or was it because the Mosaic Law (commandments) also addressed property laws, justice and other life issues to the people. The laws handed down to the people by Moses were given directly from God by divine inspiration according to the Holy Bible. While Moses wrote the Ten Commandments given to him from God on a stone similar to the one the Code of Hammurabi was inscribed upon, it is the distribution and enforcement of those laws that differ. Hammurabis' laws were conditionally phrased and the punishment prescribed in definite ways such as: If a woman is accused of adultery, she and the participant blinded and thrown into the water unless her husband grant her permission to live, thereby granting life to the partaker also (Code 129). In contrast, the commandments of the Bible allow for the exercising of free will without and always immediate penalty for adultery by stating what the law is and expecting obedience from Christians. An example of this would be, "thou shall not commit adultery" (Holy Bible, Exodus 20: 14), it doesn't say, if you commit adultery, you will be drowned immediately but, points out the consequences for such actions, while in the New Testament telling of Gods' mercy and grace for repentant sinners. i.e. :" ... go and sin no more...

". (Bible John 8: 4, 11) as spoken by Jesus to the woman caught in adultery by those who desired to have her stoned. Other Codes from Hammurabi (196-205) sets forth crimes and punishment as follows: "If a man has put out the eye of a free man, they shall put out his eye. If he breaks the bone of a (free) man, they shall break his bone. If he puts out the eye of a Villein or breaks the bone of a Villein, he shall pay 1 mane h of silver. If he puts out the eye of a (free) man's slave or breaks the bone of a (free) man's slave, he shall pay half his price.

If a man knocks out the tooth of a (free) man equal (in rank) to himself, they shall knock out his tooth... ". Most of Hammurabis' codes are contradictory to the laws of the Holy Bible. The Bible teaches against high mindedness and arrogance as sins of the flesh (Holy Bible); while Hammurabis' codes differentiates between men of status and rank. This is evident when he refers to slave and free and rank as opposed to non-rank (codes 196-205). The Bible in contrast states that "God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10: 34, Duet.

10: 17) and teaches against vengeance stating, "vengeance is mine... I will repay (Bible). The Bible further contrasts the code with "it has been said an eye for and eye... but I say... (Luke 6: 27-36, 38). Therefore, it is clear that Hammurabis' laws would not fit in today's Western Civilization and would have it's problems incorporating into some Middle East countries as well. American Society as a whole would never accept Hammurabis' laws as a credible way of dealing with it's crimes.

However, there are cults and other radical groups within American Society that would probably incorporate some of Hammurabis' laws as their own to fit their agendas. Hammurabis' laws were meant to govern all the people everywhere he ruled, while only Christians embrace the Holy Bible including the Mosaic Laws in their entirety as gospel truth. Hammurabi left the people no choice in the application of the law, he established the laws and their immediate consequences, even to the judges that strayed from them. His was not a system of equal just under the law and although equality is implied in the U.S. Constitution, our system of justice is also quite flawed. In the U.S. laws and justice differ from state to state and in some instances can be paid for.

America is a diverse country and as such diverse religious populations thrive here. While America is probably the best example of how peaceful coexistence can be achieved with diversity, utopia as an earthly theory only exists in the mind of the dreamer. Whether we are discussing Hammurabi and his peoples allegiance to their god Marduk or Christians and their submitting to the Holy Bible as the only inspired and trustworthy written word of God; there will never be a set of laws and rules that absolutely every human will agree to be fair and just.