Transcript Hammurabi - Culver City Middle School

AND THE BABYLONIAN
EMPIRE
Ch 4 Lesson 1 (part 2)
Pgs 114-116
BABYLONIANS
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People known as AMORITES
• Western region of Fertile Crescent
About 2000 B.C., conquer Akkadians
Establish capital at Babylon
• On the Euphrates
Hammurabi’s Reign
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Hammurabi ruled
from 1792-1750 B.C.
Expanded Babylonian
Empire from
Mesopotamia
throughout Fertile
Crescent
Installed governors,
tax collectors, and
judges to help him
keep order
Statue of Hammurabi praying
FIRST CODE OF LAW
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Hammurabi collected all the existing laws
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Created code to bring JUSTICE
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Then created a single unifying law code for all
the Babylonian citizens
Fair treatment for all citizens
Gives citizens rights
Punishments depend on crime, social class
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Punishments usually payment, injury or death
FIRST CODE OF LAW (CONT’D)
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Hammurabi had the law code
etched into giant pillar
monuments
The law code was written in
cuneiform
The pillar monuments, also
known as steles, were erected
near all the city temples
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14 fragments have been found
The Code of Hammurabi
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Sculpture of Hammurabi
presenting the laws to
the supreme god
Code consists of 3 parts
• Intro
• Body
• Conclusion
The Code of Hammurabi
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Intro
• Biography of Hammurabi
Body
• List of laws
• Laws create class
distinctions
• Establishes responsibility
• Sets certain religious
guidelines
Conclusion
• Praise in favor of the laws
Why is Hammurabi’s Code important?
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A government should provide
protection and justice for its
citizens.
Society should be run by the rule
of law, applied to all people.
Elimination of revenge as a way of
solving problems.
By placing the laws on public
monuments everyone could read
the laws and know the
punishments for breaking them.