Code of Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Code of Hammurabi, the most complete and perfect extant collection
of Babylonian laws, developed during the reign of Hammurabi seventeen
ninety two seventeen fifty BC of the First Dynasty of Babylon.
Babylonia is an ancient cultural region occupying southeastern Mesopotamia between

(00:22):
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers modern southern Iraq, from around
Baghdad to the Persian Gulf. Because the city of Babylon
was the capital of this area for so many centuries,
the term Babylonia has come to refer to the entire
culture that developed in the area from the time it
was first settled about four thousand BCE. Before Babylons rise

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to political prominence sa eighteen fifty BCE, however, the area
was divided into two countries, Sumer in the southeastern Akad
in the northwest. Hammurabi, who reigned from seventeen ninety two
to seventeen fifty b C, was a prominent king of
the First Dynasty of Babylon. He is best known for

(01:11):
establishing one of the earliest and most complete written legal
codes in history, known as the Code of Hammurabi. This
code consisted of two hundred eighty two laws that covered
various aspects of daily life, including trade, labour, property rights,
and family relations. Hammurabi's governance marked a significant advancement in

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the administration of justice, as the laws were publicly inscribed
on stone steel for all to see, emphasizing the principle
of accountability and fairness in society. His reign is often
regarded as a golden age for Babylon, during which the
city became a major cultural and political center in ancient Mesopotamia.

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Hammurabi's code of his legal decisions that were collected toward
the end of his reign and inscribed on a dirite
stellas set up in Babylon's temple of Mardak, the national
god of Babylonia. Mardak, the revered national deity of Babylonia,
holds a prominent place in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon. Often

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depicted as a powerful figure associated with creation and order,
Mardak was believed to have defeated the primordial chaos represented
by the serpent Tiamat. As the protector of the city
of Babylon, he symbolized strength, wisdom, and justice, and was
central to the religious and cultural identity of the Babylonians.

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His significance is further highlighted in the epic poem enuma Elish,
which outlines his rise to prominence among the gods, showcasing
his vital role in establishing harmony in the universe. Code
of Sammarabi the most complete and perfect extant collection of
Babylonian laws, developed during the reign of Hammurabi seventeen ninety

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two seventeen fifty BC of the First Dynasty of Babylon.
It consists of his legal decisions that were collected toward
the end of his reign and inscribed on a dirite
stella set up in Babylon's temple of Mardak, the national
god of Babylonia. The black Stone steel containing the Code

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of Hammurabi was carved from a single four ton slab
of diorite, a durable but incredibly difficult stone for carving.
At its top is a two and a half foot
relief carving of a standing Hammurabi receiving the law, symbolized
by a measuring rod and tape from the seated Shamash,
the Babylonian god of justice. The rest of the seven

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foot five inch the monument is covered with columns of
chiseled cuneiform script. The text compiled at the end of
Hammurabi's reign is less a proclamation of principles than a
collection of legal precedents set between prose celebrating Hammurabi's just
and pious rule. Hammurabi's Code provides some of the earliest

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examples of the doctrine of lex talianis, or the laws
of retribution. Sometimes better known as an eye for an eye,
The Code of Hammurabi includes many harsh punishments, sometimes demanding
the removal of the guilty party's tongue, hands, breasts, eye,
or ear, but the code is also one of the

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earliest examples of an accused person being considered innocent until
proven guilty. The two hundred eighty two edicts are all
written in if then form. These two hundred eighty two
case laws include economic provisions prices, tariffs, trade and commerce,
family law, marriage and divorce, as well as criminal law assault, theft,

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and civil lot, slavery, debt. Penalties varied according to the
status of the offenders and the circumstances of the offenses.
For example, if a man steals an ox, then he
must pay back thirty times its value. The edicts ranged
from family law, of professional contracts, and administrative law, often

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outlining different standards of justice for the three classes of
Babylonian society, the propertied class, freedmen, and slaves. A doctor's
fee for curing a severe wound would be ten silver
shekels for a gentleman, five shekels for a freedman, and
two shekels for a slave. Penalties for malpractice followed the

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same scheme. A doctor who killed a rich patient would
have his hands cut off, while only financial restitution was
required if the victim was a slave. The background of
the Code is a body of Sumerian law under which
civilized communities had lived for many centuries. The existing text

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is in the Acadian Semitic language, but even though no
Sumerian version is known to survive, the code was meant
to be applied to a wider realm than any single country,
and to integrate Semitic and Sumerian traditions and peoples. Moreover,
despite a few primitive survivals relating to family solidarity, district responsibility,

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trial by ordeal, and the lex talianis ie an i
for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The code
was advanced far beyond tribal custom and recognized no blood feud,
private retribution, or marriage by capture. The principal and only
considerable source of the Code of Hammurabi is the stella

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discovered at Susa in nineteen oh one. The main source
of the Code of Hammurabi as the impressive steel that
was unearthed at the ancient site of Susa in nineteen
oh one. This significant discovery was made by the renowned
French orientalist Jean Vincent Schil, and the steel is currently
showcased in the prestigious Louver Museum in Paris, Chile, who

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was not only an expert in ancient cultures but also
an engineer, spearheaded an archaeological expedition to Persia to excavate
the Elamite capital of Susa. This site is situated over
two hundred fifty miles from the heart of Hammurabi's Babylonian Empire,
making the expedition a remarkable undertaking. During their extensive excavations,

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Schil and his team discovered the steel inscribed with the
laws of Hammurabi, which was found in three broken pieces.
Historical evidence suggests that this artifact had been transported to
Susa as part of the spoils of war, likely seized
by the Elamite king Shutruchna Hunt. Modern scholars have expressed

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admiration for the Code of Hammurabi, highlighting its notable fairness
and profound respect for the rule of law, as well
as the intricate nature of old Babylonian society. This ancient
legal document has sparked extensive discussions about its potential influence
on Mosaic law, particularly the principle of lex talianis commonly

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known as the epher An eye doctrine. This principle serves
as a fundamental concept that underscores both the Code and
the Biblical legal tradition. Within the field of a seriology,
debate continues to revolve around several critical aspects of the
code itself, including its intended purpose, the fundamental principles it embodies,

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the specific language used, and how it relates to both
the order and later legal frameworks in the region. Despite
the ongoing debates and uncertainties these topics may present, Hammerabbi
is widely acknowledged beyond the realm of a seriology as
a pivotal figure in the evolution of legal systems, with

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his code being celebrated as a true legal document that
helped lay the foundations for future laws. Evidence of Hammerabi's
lasting legacy can be seen in notable places such as
the US Capital, where a relief portrait of him is
prominently displayed alongside those of other historic lawgivers like Solin

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and Moses. Furthermore, replicas of the iconic style which bears
the code inscribed in cuneiform script, are housed in numerous
esteemed institutions, including the headquarters of the United Nations in
New York City and the renowned Pergaman Museum in Berlin,
serving as a testament to the codes enduring significance in

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the history of law and governance.