Stele of Hammurabi Essay Sample

Stele of Hammurabi Essay Sample Stele of Hammurabi: the Gem of Mesopotamia A huge black Stele covered with mysterious writing reminds us of the glorious power and wisdom of ancient Babylonian civilization lived thousands of centuries ago. Their race had gone but left behind a significant achievement, the Code of law imprinted in black rock. Now, the masterpiece made of the diorite, more than 2.25 meters high, is displayed in Paris. Thus, any person can literally touch a unique enigma. However, the Stele of Hammurabi, the matter of pride for Sumerian and a prominent temple was initially placed in the territory of modern-day Iraq. By chance, the first Code of law in Earth’s history recorded on the stone was found by excavators in the first decade of the last century. It is dated back to the 12th century B.C. The Code of Hammurabi, as the scientist named the writings, described Ancient Babylonian Laws and established the penalty system. Who were the men invented the first writing code? How did they live? And what can tell us the message inscribed on the Stel e? Hammurabi: the Man who United People A group of people lived in Mesopotamia was a part of the ancient race called Semites. Hammurabi, a king, managed to unite the people of Mesopotamia separated for a long time and during several decades of the reign, he had established a complete Code of law. The set of rules was inscribed on the rock and placed in public. Thus, anyone could read the Code, though, not many of the subjects were literate enough to comprehend the meaning. Law Fixed on Rock The Stele of Hammurabi is a unique masterpiece that contains near 300 laws imprinted on a dozen of tablets. A broad range of aspect of a human life was regulated by Hammurabi and his set of rules. They are: Divorce; Agriculture; Assault; Homicide; Inheritance; Adoption; Dept; Taxes and fees; Brewing of beer; Many other. It may be added that Hammurabi needed the Code to bring the message to the Babylon people. The key idea was the divine nature of his rule and the laws. Hammurabi alleged himself to be a successor of the holiest Babylonian god, Marduk. According to Hammurabi, the God authorized him to govern in his name. He also declared the set of rules as sacred and endorsed by Marduk. It gave the young king a tremendous religious and political authority over his subjects and provided further support in bringing the Mesopotamian people together. To prove his words, Hammurabi ordered to carve his and Marduks portrays at the top of the rock as a symbol of his sacred authority received directly from the God. Clay Tablets Instead of Piece of Paper How was it possible to write on the large stone? According to the research, the ancient people used tools which resemble a wedge to inscribe words on wet clay. Ancient scribes put the words in columns and started writing on the left side. Having filled the entire surface of the clay tablet, they turned it upside-down to continue carving, on the other hand, gradually moving from right to left. The structure of the ancient techniques is quite accurate; it was not surprising for modern scientists to be plenty bewildered by the symbols. Worthless Womans Life: Family Laws Under the Babylonian law, the head of a family possessed unlimited power over other members. To pay off the debts, a father could easily sell his children or wife into slavery or even disinherit a son on the background of unacceptable behavior. What is more shocking for a modern person, a head of a family was allowed to have his sons hands cut off if a child hit the father. Men had considerable power over his family as well as society. According to the set of rules, the parents of bride and groom were responsible for arranging their marriage. After the wedding, the girl was expected to be completely obedient to her husband. In the case of her infidelity, a wife would be condemned to death. The only exception concerned a woman whose spouse was imprisoned in war, and she must find another man to feed her. Carrot-and-stick: the Scale of Penalties Under the Code, the system of punishment played a prominent role as the tool of impact on society. The death penalty is mentioned in Ancient Laws at least 30 times. For example, anyone who steals the palace or temple property would be executed. The form of punishment depended on gender or a social status of individuals. Thus, an elite man might pay off to avoid a severe physical execution. But the tenant farmer who neglected rent land could be sold into slavery to repay his debt. Conclusion Hammurabi developed complete guidelines for almost each aspect of social and private life that became a powerful instrument for the affirming the kings authority. Nevertheless, he was not the first person who wrote down laws in Mesopotamian area. Scholars believe that at least three law codes preceded Hammurabi. Nevertheless, it was Hammurabi who commanded to place the Code with his portrait in the forefront. In this way, any member of society enabled to read the set of rule. But what was a use of it for illiterate people that could not interpret the symbols? It is more likely that the Stele was the epitome of Hammurabi divine authority, his ultimate power, and allegation of connection to the God.