Traditions and Encounters, 4th Edition (Bentley)

Chapter 2: EARLY SOCIETIES IN SOUTHWEST ASIA AND THE INDO-EUROPEAN MIGRATIONS

Internet Activities: Code of Hammurabi

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/medieval/hamframe.htm

1
Examine the laws of Hammurabi's code. What kinds of actions and situations does this code cover? What, if any, elements of our modern legal systems do you see in this code? What parts of our modern systems are absent from this code? What does that tell us about the society for which these laws were written?
2
In your opinion, what are the fundamental principles of justice that underlie these laws? What does the code tell us about the needs and concerns of the societies emerging during this era? Why might historians consider this code one of the most important contributions of Mesopotamian culture?
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