Code of Hammurabi and Law of Moses

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The Code of Hammurabi vs. The Law of Moses Hammurabi, the ruler of Old Babylon famously inscribed a lengthy list of 282 laws and codes to be used as a template for when people did not follow the law. This is known as the Code of Hammurabi. Many people who broke the law were given severe physical punishments or put to death. The Law of Moses was established around 300 years later when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to converse with the Lord. The Lord gave Moses 10 Commandments for his people, the Israelites, to follow. In addition to those commandments, the Lord also gave Moses a set of laws that are somewhat similar to the Code of Hammurabi. The Law of Moses pertained more to the worship of the Lord (one God), who demanded that his people live righteously. Both laws speak excessively of the death penalty, retaliation, and the removing of body parts. The major difference between the Code of Hammurabi and The Law of Moses seems to be that one focuses on civil responsibility and helping people get along with each other, while the other focuses on God’s expectations for His people to live righteously, so they can get along with Him. It is obvious that both laws have some very severe punishments that we do not see today. One of the most common punishment is to put the offender to death. The Code of Hammurabi had several violations that warranted the death penalty. In our society today, these offenses seem minor and not deserving of such an extreme punishment. For example, if a person stole anything and did not pay for it or return the stolen merchandise, they would be put to death. Also, if a person built a house, and it collapsed and killed the owner who moved in, the builder would be put to death. The Law of Moses would put people to death for sins such as smiting or cursing their mother or father, and stealing a slave. Both laws also speak of death in cases of

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