Archaeologica.org

The Code of Hammurabi was a lot more specific (and lengthy) than the Ten C.

Perhaps his people were more literate?


http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM

I thought that the 10 c 's came from the rules of Maat?

Minimalist wrote:The Code of Hammurabi was a lot more specific (and lengthy) than the Ten C.

Perhaps his people were more literate?


http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM

Hammurabi was a real hard-ass. Some of those laws are pretty damn strict. In some cases either the accuser or the accused must die. Bet that cut down on the frivolous law suits. I'm actually surprised that I named the right king from memory, even though I had the wrong kingdom. My favorite was Ashurbanipal. Now that was a real hard-ass. He did a lot of fighting and conquering. Plus that's a cool name.

Didn't the rules of Maat come after Hammurabi's code? I think they all copied each other a little. The ten commandments are actually pretty lenient by comparison.

Mr. Minimalist,
Thanks for posting the code of Hammurabi...My first time reading it.
The descriptions of
transgressions seem very familiar. The concept of "private property"
is firmly entrenched...including real estate, money, cattle, and humans.
Also a hierarchy of class...gods, royalty, ....property owners, wives,
slaves, prostitutes, etc.

The autobiographical introduction is revealing, too. Absolute power,
awesome responsibility, deriving from the creator...Marduk. The whole thing is set in a religious context, but is is mostly composed statutes regarding property crimes.

I think the first of the Hebrew10 commandments is 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me." But in the Hammurabic code there is no direct command
like this. A lot of it is just "regulations"
which seem practical, to stop people from squabbling, stealing, and killing each other...for the protection of the oppressed, as H. says.

So if someone finds an artifact from this culture....is it automatically "religious"? I see the question more clearly now.

[quote="Anonymous"][...] My favorite was Ashurbanipal. Now that was a real hard-ass. He did a lot of fighting and conquering. Plus that's a cool name. [/quote]

And a LOT better than 'Guest' . . .

Stan, the way I understand what I read the "Code" comes off as quasi-religious. Although wording is not religious they were written under the inspiration of their Gods, kinda like our Bible. I wonder is the school children of that time had to memorize them, like we had to in SundaySchool?

Rokcet Scientist wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[...] My favorite was Ashurbanipal. Now that was a real hard-ass. He did a lot of fighting and conquering. Plus that's a cool name.

And a LOT better than 'Guest' . . .

Ok, guest was me as I'm sure you can tell.

Hi, Leona.

Thanks for your reply about Hammurabi. Frank Harrist was suggesting
that kings have "always" done things and built things like pyramids to
assert control over their subjects, rather than out of any explicitly
reliigious motivation, and therefore all objects and monuments of ancient
civilizations should not be immediately interpreted as "religious."

A cynic might say that Hammurabi didn't really believe all the assertions in the introduction, but was merely asserting his power to
get his fractious subjects to behave themselves, while at the same time
aggrandizing himself.

What do you think?

(I confess I have trouble with the Biblical comparison and use of the term
"quasi religious" in this context...because of my own protestant upbringing....)

Stan,

You can call me Bob. I don't like to stand on ceremony.

Most of the message boards I belong to have people using topical usernames. This one, of course, has to be different.

Stan, I was using quasi-religious in the sense that in some degree it resembles a religious document without actually being one. The prolog sounds like he wants his followers to beleive that the Gods are behind him, so that is the purpose of the laws. I know that I'm probably not makeing sense and I'm sorry. But sometimes I things going on in my head and they can't seem to come out clearly and logicly. By the way I was raised Roman Catholic, and have attended at least five different Protestant denominations, and have problems with all of them.

Rokcet Scientist wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[...] My favorite was Ashurbanipal. Now that was a real hard-ass. He did a lot of fighting and conquering. Plus that's a cool name.

I like this quote from Esarhaddon of Assyria.

"I am powerful, I am omnipotent, I am a hero, I am gigantic, I am colossal!"

He forgot to add,"I am redundant".

[...] My favorite was Ashurbanipal. Now that was a real hard-ass. He did a lot of fighting and conquering. Plus that's a cool name.

I like this quote from Esarhaddon of Assyria.

Quote:
"I am powerful, I am omnipotent, I am a hero, I am gigantic, I am colossal!"

[quote="Frank Harrist"]He forgot to add,"I am redundant".[/quote]

ROTFLMAO!

It probably didn't translate very well from ancient Assyrian.

Yeah and most of those guys back then were pretty long-winded and full of themselves. Also the general public was easily impressed by lots of big flowery speeches. Repeating something over and over just drove it into their brains.