Day 5: Hammurabi's Code

On the second to last day of my trip, I spent it discussing and reading various Mesopotamian laws that date all the way back to 2250 BCE! The laws discuss many different things. It should be stated that the first-ever law code was created in Ancient Mesopotamia. It was called the Hammarabis code. The goal of this was to provide stability and keep everyone united. The Mesopotamians believed that this system had no flaw, in their minds, Hammurabi was sent by the gods to protect them. Laws range from involving family all the way to crime. The most interesting one I saw said, “If a son says to his father, "You are not my father," he [the father] can cut off his [the son's] locks, make him a slave and sell him for money.” (Muss-Arnolt, 1904, pg. 445-447). This is a very interesting law. Essentially it means that a son shall show his father respect or he will lose everything. The law even goes the other way and says “If a father say to his son, "You are not my son," the latter has to leave the house and field and he loses everything. (Muss-Arnolt, 1904, pg. 445-447). This law further reiterates the idea that a son shall respect his father.

Another interesting law I read about “If a woman, whose dowry her husband has taken charge of, remains childless and loses her husband, her dowry shall be returned to her in full out of the late husband's estate.” (Muss-Arnolt, 1904, pg. 445-447) This was interesting to know because of the similarities to modern society. Even though where I currently live, dowries are no longer a thing. In 2022, many countries around the world still use this practice. I appreciate the fact that Hammurabi made sure that the widowed wife was taken care of in case of a deadly event. I feel that in some other cases in other countries, a widowed wife would be left to her own devices. It’s nice to know that she is cared for. On to the last day of my trip!