Source: Hammurabi's Code: An Eye for an EyeĬopyright ©2008-2021, owned by the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, founded 1942. For example, Hammurabi's Code required accusers to bring the accused into court by themselves. There are differences between ancient Babylonians and today's laws. All parties in a trial had to act honestly, and court officers had to be free of corruption so that the justice system could function effectively. Women had the right to buy and sell property and to obtain a divorce. The Code covers issues related to farming and herding animals, and the ownership and sale of slaves. The code states that "if a physician make a large incision with the operating knife and kill him. Although the pay for doctors was good, they suffered severe punishments for fatal errors. These laws deal with all aspects of every day life, and it describes both major and minor offenses and their punishments. Claiming that he received laws from the sun god, Shamash, Hammurabi declared a set of 282 laws known as Hammurabi's Code. Payment amounts for the work of doctors and other professionals are outlined. Hammurabi's Code 'An Eye for an Eye' King Hammurabi ruled Babylonia from 1792-1750 BCE. The code also gives rules for family matters such as marriage, divorce, incest, and adoption. Hammurabi's Code details how theft or destruction of property should be handled and gives guidelines for dealing with trade and business problems. For example, "If anyone bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, if it be a capital offense charged, he shall be put to death." The code outlines rules for witnesses and those making accusations of crimes. If he has destroyed the eye of a gentleman's slave. If he has destroyed the eye of a commoner. "If a man has destroyed the eye of a man of the gentleman class, they shall destroy his eye. However, the Babylonians clearly did not live under a social system that treated all people equally. In the introduction, Hammurabi stated that he wanted "to make justice visible in the land, to destroy the wicked person and the evil-doer, that the strong might not injure the weak." The laws themselves protect widows, orphans, and others from being harmed or exploited. As his empire grew, he wanted to unify the various groups he controlled. Although he was concerned with keeping order in his kingdom, this was not his only reason for compiling the list of laws. Hammurabi ruled the Babylonian Empire from 1792-50 B.C.E. When a professional who is being paid for his services acts negligently and damages property then the laws note that that professional is responsible for reimbursement of the others loss."An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is a paraphrase of Hammurabi's Code, a collection of 282 laws. Law 229 states that “if a builder build a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.” Coinciding with that is law 230 which states “if it kill the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death.” One more aspect of the trade laws in Hammurabi’s Code is that the idea of restitution is prevalent. The trade portion of Hammurabi’s Code also gives weight to the “eye for an eye” mentality that the Code is so famously known for. If it is a citizen the fee is 5 shekels a freeman, 3 shekels and if it is a slave the fee is 2 shekels. Those three laws outline the fees to be paid to a physician for the repair of broken bones of “diseased soft part” man. This section also helps to give insight into the value that the society gave to different classes of people. The laws go on to explain the conduct of all professions including builders, shipbuilders, physicians and barbers. The section on trade is the most extensive of all the laws in Hammurabi’s Code.
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