Laws of the Land

In King Hammurabi of Babylon by Marc Van De Mieroop, the author explains the code of laws that were established by the Mesopotamian king. The Laws of Hammurabi give unique insight into the Babylonian society under King Hammurabi’s rule. His code presents the customs, morals, and business practices of the time. These laws especially provide insight in the realms of authority, political culture, and commerce. While strict, the powerful King Hammurabi shows that he cares about the welfare of his people through his code.

Hammurabi explains that the gods charged him with maintaining a just and orderly society, and he decrees the necessary laws for his kingdom to follow. He maintains his devotion to the gods while arrogantly exalting his own achievements and conquests. He establishes harsh penalties for bearing false witness in court, for accusations without evidence, for stealing, for inflicting injuries, and for many other offenses. These punishments often take their form in an execution, ensuring that Hammurabi’s laws would be respected, if not feared. Such repercussions serve to deter crime, and ensure that perpetrators are not likely to act again, therefore benefiting the Babylonian society. Hammurabi’s laws also assume that the accused is innocent until proven guilty, which protected his people from being convicted without the presentation of proper evidence. Hammurabi’s code protects women, specifically in the realm of marriage and divorce, and also regulates wages for various types of labor.

King Hammurabi sets forth the laws to rule an organized and fair society without neglecting the well-being of the common Babylonian. He shows that an immense amount of power can be utilized to essentially establish a culture’s values. The Laws of Hammurabi demonstrate how useful such a written code can be for a civilization, and serve as an example to other empires after Hammurabi’s time.