Why this Babylonian King’s CODE OF HAMMURABI will blow your mind; An eye for an eye
The main duty of government is to help protect the powerless from the powerful
Hammurabi, the king of Babylonia, ruled Mesopotamia (current Iraq) and lavant and was in a quest to expand his empire but the essential component — rule of law and code to which it would follow — was missing.
Babylonian King Hammurabi was the first to realize the need for strict laws to set the empire in order, thereby devising the complete code consisting of 282 rules during his reign from 1792 to 1750 B.C.
The codes were found carved on a black pillar which was missing and was later found at the start of the 20th century. it is believed it was looted in the mid-sixteenth century and was later recovered.
The code of Hammurabi, among all, was first to recognize the fundamental right of an accused to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, though, it did contain some harsh punishments which required dismembering the body parts.
according to research on History.com , the code of Hammurabi had punishments like if someone stole an ox, he had to pay 30 times the value of ox. There were three classses in the babylonian society and law for each differed in administrative, family law to professional contracts. The classes being propertied class, freedmen and slaves.
The punishments for various professions differed, as per H.G Wells “The outline of history”,
The doctor fees and punishment for each class and each causality would vary from cutting the hand of the doctor to just small financial fine. The same was the case with the contractor if he builts the house and the people die due to structural lapse at the hand of contractors due to poor quality used in the construction then the same member of the contractor family would die according to the code, thereby the phrase, An eye for and eye.
Some of the codes from Hammurabi code (Laws Covered):
- law #196: An eye for an eye, bone for a bone
- law #195: if a son slaps his father his hands will be hewn off.
- law #265: Fraud: if a man commits fraud he shall pay 10 times the amount if proven guilty.
- law #22: if a man commits theft, he shall be put to death
- law #104: "every transaction made by the merchant to agent shall have a written receipt approval. which agent will provide when the deal is finalized”
- Law #142: Divorce provisions were also made part of the code. According to which if the man is found guilty then the woman will be freed and would take dowry back from the husband and return to the father’s house.
- Law # if a woman is caught in an act of adultery, she would be tied and thrown to the river. if her husband jumps to save her, she would be forgiven.
- Law #3 fake witnesses if proven would be subject to the death penalty.
The main duty of government is to help protect the powerless from the powerful
— Hemmurabi
The writer is a member of Rich History Research Journal.