#Eye for an eye tooth for a tooth code

They were treated differently and what was permissible for one stratum was not permissible for the other.

#Eye for an eye tooth for a tooth code

The code was stratified because there were different laws for slaves, free men, and nobility. There were differences based on class and gender. The code also helped give an insight into the structure and organization of the society at that time. The texts gave historians an initial understanding of the judicial system in ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of western civilization. Older texts which were discovered later on were not as thorough or complete as the Hammurabi’s code. It has a resemblance to the Hebrew Bible and the Torah Laws. It served as a model and influenced codes of law that came after it. When it was discovered in 1901, it was the oldest collection of laws and it remains the longest surviving text from the old Babylonian period. Also, a consistent law code contributes to the stability of society and is the foundation of civilizations. It ensured that the laws remained fixed and everyone was aware of the laws. They were final and conclusive and did not allow for an alternate interpretation. The laws were not left to be commanded or pronounced by the ruler according to his will in each situation, and writing made sure that the laws were aimed, no question of whether something is legal or illegal or whom the laws apply to. Everyone realized the laws, and the system was based on practical justice rather than lofty principles. It was an early effort to ensure fairness in the legal system. As his kingdom expanded, Hammurabi had to rule over a diverse group of people, so he planned the code. Law and order are necessary for a state or society, and Hammurabi’s code served this purpose. There wasn’t much freedom, and the code gave a lot of power to the government. For example, if a man killed a free-born pregnant woman, his own daughter would be killed as retribution. It was unjustified because in certain cases children suffered for the acts of the parents. The society was not egalitarian, and it never questioned slavery. The code had unequal punishments and treated certain groups of people and women unequally. The punishments were harsh and unreasonable and included severe punishments like death penalties. It was a means to get rid of crimes in the state and keep the nation safe, but it was a terrible way of enforcing the law.

It ensured that people obeyed the laws and that people got punishments according to their crimes.

It was a fair system with strict, simple rules and helped keep crimes at bay because of the harsh punishments. The code helped maintain social order and have an organized society. He revised and expanded older collections of Sumerian and Akkadian laws while formulating the code. So with the help of his artisans, he codified the laws in the country intending to promote social cohesion and administration in the country and publicized it to show transparency in his governance. As his empire expanded, he found it difficult to administer a large and diverse group of people. The code was promulgated by King Hammurabi of Babylon, who ruled over much of Mesopotamia from 1792 to 1750 BC. But the codes were not based on equality there were stratification and differences in punishments based on class and gender. The code followed the principle of lex talionis, the law of retributive justice where the criminal gets punishment equal to the one they inflicted on the victim i.e., “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. It was looted and later rediscovered by a team of French archaeologists in Susa, Iraq.

They were carved into massive, finger-shaped, black stone stele and dates back to 1754 BC. The code of Hammurabi containing 282 laws is one of the oldest written laws codes in the world.