Code of Hammurabi

Choose another ancient law-giver, such as Ur-Nammu, Moses, Solon of Athens, the Decemviri of Rome, etc. How are their laws different or similar to those of Hammurabi?

Consider the institution of enslavement in ancient Babylon, as reflected in the Code of Hammurabi. How did it differ from enslavement in the Greco-Roman world, and in what ways was it similar?

Closely analyze how sociocultural factors appear in the Code. What does studying the Code reveal about Babylonian society in terms of its social structure, ideas of leadership, and/or moral values?

Consider the interplay between Babylon’s imperialistic policies and the reception of Hammurabi’s Code, and analyze the likely effects. Did Babylon’s extended geographical influence promote the Code more widely? Did its imperialistic tendencies belie the Code’s claims of justice and righteousness for the oppressed? Why or why not?

The story of Abraham’s family in the Bible (found in Chapter 16 of the Book of Genesis), reveal Abraham’s Mesopotamian cultural background. What other ancient texts reflect aspects of Hammurabi’s Code, or provide instructive contrasts?

Compare the penalties in the Code to modern penalties in your own country’s justice system. What principles does your modern justice system retain from the Code, and which principles have been altered or discarded? Which system is more preferable as a mode of justice?

Compare and contrast the Code with a work of Mesopotamian literature, such as Enuma Elish or The Epic of Gilgamesh. How does comparing a legal text with a literary one illuminate some of the social and religious values and assumptions of each? What kinds of insights does each type of text grant the historian?

Based on the Prologue and the Epilogue, Hammurabi’s image was that of a self-consciously great leader. What sort of rhetorical techniques does Hammurabi use to present himself as great? How do his ostensible virtues suggest his credibility as a lawgiver?