Hammurabi concord the first and second, third proved to be a little bit of a challenge, but he managed to have the Babylonian people contribute in their own way to Mesopotamian civilization. One of his greatest accomplishments was the proclamation of the law codes that were used offers us today a wealth of information on what life was like during Mesopotamian times. All though these laws give us a look into the Mesopotamian life, they were not the first; in fact the earliest goes back to about 2100 B.C. Hammurabi proclaimed that he issued these laws on divine authority “to establish law and justice in the language of the land, thereby promoting the welfare of the people.” Some of those laws included laws about marriage, laws about land owning, laws about adoption, laws about murder and the death penalty, as well as suspicion, and anything to do with owning slaves, exiling people. Any contract was also included under the Laws of Hammurabi.
Justinian Code was developed by the king of the Byzantine Empire. He based these laws of the Romans codes and many of the legal maxims from his text are still used today. Magna Carta limited the power of the king and setup the due process legal system that is still used today. It also stated that no freeperson should be imprisoned without the judgment of his or her peers. Statute of Westminster involved everyday citizens in policing and preventing crime.
It also thought there should be representation of the people at the parliament. Furthermore it stated that The Rule of Law was vital to impose order in the lives of citizens and no one can abuse human rights. Historians believe there were many legal systems and forms of punishment in ancient history. The first one of all being Adam and Eve’s punishment from God that banished them from Heaven to Earth. Undoubtedly the first codified one was
1901 Code of Hammurabi monument is discovered by French archaeologists. 1910 The Code of Hammurabi was translated by Leonard William King. During the rule of King Hammurabi he wrote the Code of Hammurabi. This consisted of many laws that changed the society, hindered women’s rights and independence and left a lasting impression for future generations. Were these laws too tough for the people to handle or where they what the Mesopotamia society needed to bring order and justice to their society?
In terms of social structure, Egyptian society was structured like a pyramid. The pyramid in order was pharaoh, government officials, soldiers, scribes, merchants, artisans, farmers, and slaves and merchants. Egyptians believed that the pharaohs were gods and that they controlled the universe. Therefore, it was important to keep them happy. They could make the Nile overflow, cause famine, or even bring death.
It helped them keep clean and was a good way to socialise. The roads and forts were another great breakthrough for Rome. It is still thought of as amazing that civilisations so far back in time could have come up with such an idea. Another reason why the Romans were so successful was that they built many entertainment buildings as well. It is proved that they built taverns, theatres and even gyms.
Worship was an important part in both societies, and both Egypt and Mesopotamia had polytheistic religions. Egyptians and Mesopotamians called upon their gods and goddesses for help with their daily lives. Being civilizations with large populations, both Egypt and Mesopotamia established near important rivers to ensure that there was enough water for drinking and irrigation. Egypt had a centralized government, but Mesopotamia divided its land into city-states. A pharaoh with immense power ruled over Egypt, and passed laws, oversaw trade, directed armies, and had many other responsibilities.
In Enuma Elish, creation of man and much of the world was done by Marduk, and in Genesis God carries out all creation of man and the world. Further parallels can be seen in the order in which the aspects of the world were created. In both stories, light was the first creation and mankind the last. At the end of the creation in each story, the God or Gods each celebrated their accomplishments, although in different ways (Marduk and the Babylonian god’s celebrating with a party and God in Genesis with rest, declaring the seventh day the Sabbath). Another similarity is perhaps the most interesting correlation between the two narratives, both describe a division of primordial waters.
Guns Germs and Steel Quotes “History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves” (p. 39). This quote has a very strong message that is proven correct not only in the past but also today. Because of that message I chose to write about this quote. When we look at the most powerful communities today we see that they are all located near areas with ample natural resources. When the first community was found to have been located in Mesopotamia, near the Tigris and Euphrates river, it was no coincidence that the settlers remained in that location, but because of the rich and workable environment.
Hammurabi was a born leader; he claimed many city-states and ruled the town’s people with fair but strict control. He in fact was the 6th ruler of the Babylonian, as well as being responsible for restoring the order and justice for the people of Mesopotamia. In about 1786 Hammurabi organized a set of codes, which was probably not his own creation but a continuation of a passed legal system. Hammurabi’s code consisted of 282 laws that governed over family, crime, ethics, business, and trade, as well as every single aspect of the lives in which his people led. Many of his codes were harsh and cruel for instance, one of his most infamous codes is number 196, “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.” His codes were fair