FREE ESSAY ON HAMMURABI

HAMMURABI

Hammurabi
In his position as king of Babylonia, Hammurabi managed to organize the world's first
code of law and establish Babylon as the dominant and successful Amorite City of its
time. Records written on clay tablets show that Hammurabi was a very capable
administrator and a successful warrior. His rule spanned from 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C. When
he became king in 1792, he was still young, but had already become entrusted with many
official duties in his administration.
In the early years of his reign, Hammurabi mostly participated in traditional activities,
such as repairing buildings, digging canals, and fighting wars. Yet later in his rule,
Hammurabi organized a unique code of laws, the first of its kind, therefore making
himself one of the world's most influential leaders. 
Hammurabi was primarily influential to the world because of his code of laws. This code
consisted of 282 provisions, 
systematically arranged under a variety of subjects. He sorted hiss laws into groups such
as family, labor personal property, real estate, trade, and business. This was the first
time in history that any laws had been categorized into various sections. This format of
organization was emulated by civilizations of the future.
For example, Semitic cultures succeeding Hammurabi's rule used some of the same laws that
were included in Hammurabi's code. Hammurabi's method of thought is evident in present
day societies, which are influenced by his code. Modern governments currently create
specific laws, which are placed into their appropriate family of similar laws. 
Hammurabi had his laws recorded upon an eight foot black stone monument. Hammurabi based
on his code on principles like, the strong should not injure the weak, and that
punishment should fit the crime. As for punishment, legal actions were initiated under
the code by written pleadings; testimony was taken under oath. The code was severe in its
penalties, prescribing an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This code of laws was able
to be maintained by invoking the authority of the gods and the state. Although the
punishments were different than those of today, the authority of the state (government)
is similar. Currently, punishments are issued through the state's law enforcement system,
comparable to the 
way punishment was determined and enforced in ancient Babylon.
In the code, crimes punishable by death required a trail in front of a bench of judges.
Included in these crimes were: bigamy, incest, kidnapping, adultery, and theft. There
were also laws similar to today. For example, a husband who wished to divorce his wife,
was required to pay alimony and child support. By creating the world's first set of
organized laws, Hammurabi constituted a model set of moral codes for other civilizations
to duplicate.
The code of Hammurabi is believed to have greatly influenced the development of Near
Eastern civilizations for centuries after it was written. Although Hammurabi failed to
establish an effective bureaucratic system himself, his ideas were successful in
establishing laws in Babylonia. Since Babylon was the world's first metropolis, the large
population needed to be bound by a strict set of organized civil laws. The way Hammurabi
constructed his laws is influential to the world today, because laws can be more easily
understood by the people.