Download Code of Hammurabi

Unit
1
The Ham
Code
mu
f bi
o ra
Ancient
Mesopotamia
In ancient times , Mesopotamia
was the name of the region between the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers , located mostly
in what is now Iraq. This area is often
referred to as the “cradle of civilization,” as
it is the place where agriculture and
written language were born.
Tigris river
Between 2900 and 1100 B.C., a
time known as the Bronze Age , great
empires such a Sumer , Akkad , Babylonia ,
and Assyria existed in Mesopotamia. Each
new group of people that settled in the
region adopted some of the customs ,
traditions and beliefs of the existing
culture. Therefore , while certain aspects
of civilization in Mesopotamia changed
over time , others remained the same for
centuries.
The Code of Hammurabi
The ancient region of Mesopotamia was ruled by
many empires. Before 2000 B.C., the Akkadian Empire
was the most powerful. Soon after this , however , the
Akkadians were conquered by a people called the
Amorites. The Amorite capital was a city named Babylon ,
located in modern-day Iraq. Therefore , the empire they
built became known as the Babylonian Empire.
Life in the Babylonian Empire was very
orderly. The kings of Babylon built irrigation
canals , defensive walls , massive public
buildings , and street grids. They also started
one of the earliest systems of taxation to
collect money from Babylonian citizens. The
most famous king of Babylon was Hammurabi.
Although he was a great warrior , he is better
remembered for something else : the Code of
Hammurabi.
Hammurabi’s code was a collection of
laws that were written down and put on display
for everyone to see. It not only described what
was against the law but also what punishments
would be given to lawbreakers. For example , the
code stated that stealing property from temples
was illegal. It also said that anyone caught doing
this would be put to death. The range of the code
was quite broad , covering issues from money
lending to military service.
Some of the 281 laws in the code came
from Amorite tradition. Others were borrowed
from earlier empires , such as the Akkadians. Still
others were brand new. The principle of “an eye
for an eye” was an example of a new method of
justice.
If people caused others harm ,
they would be punished by having the
same type of harm inflicted on them.
Many copies of Hammurabi’s code were
written on large slabs of stone or wood
and placed in public areas. This was the
first time a government’s laws had been
explained and distributed like this.
Eventually , the Babylonian Empire fell
, just as its predecessors had. It was conquered
by the Kassites , a people from present-day
Iran. But the Kassites didn’t destroy Babylon. In
fact , they adopted many elements of
Babylonain culture , including the Code of
Hammurabi. In this way , the code was passed
from empire to empire , guiding the
development of different legal systems. Its
influence can ever be seen in the laws we
follow today.
Vocabulary Building
1-5 Complete each sentence with one of the words
from the box.
conquer / illegal / inflict / distribute / influence
distribute
1. Relief workers will ………………………………….
food to hungry children.
2. The young painter’s art shows
influence
the…………………………………of
his great teacher.
conquer
3. The king’s plan to………………………………….the
enemy failed.
conquer / illegal / inflict / distribute / influence
inflict
4. Bullies like to ………………………………….harm
on others.
illegal
5. It’s ………………………………….to
download
copyrighted movies without permission
6-10 Choose the words that are closet in meaning to the
underlined ones.
6. I won’t deceive her because it’s against all my
principles.
a) Religion b) truth
c) clues d) beliefs
7. The predecessor made laws that banned criticism
before the current ruler came to power.
a) Forerunner b) officer
c) lawyer
d) manager
8. An orderly schedule can make everyone’s job easier.
a) disciplined
b) regular
c) organized
d) excellent
9. I don’t think that’s quite the word to describe his
appearance.
a) define
b) remember
c) forget
d) diminish
10. It took fifty strong men to move the massive rock
from the middle of the road.
a) huge
b) minor
c) unmanageable
d) overall
11-13 Complete each sentence with the following idioms.
11. They thought the boy was lying ,
in fact
but……………………………….he
was telling the truth.
12. His last painting
put on display
was……………………………………….at
the National Art
Museum.
13. There are many reasons to raise taxes ,
such as
………………………………………the
need to build more
schools.
Reading Comprehension
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) King Hammurabi developed laws that were fair
to everyone.
b) The Babylonians were more advanced than the
Akkadians.
c) King Hammurabi created one of the first
written legal codes.
d) Daily life during Babylonian times was difficult
for citizens.
2. According to the passage , what was a feature of the
Babylonian Empire?
a) It was founded by the Amorites.
b) Its people had to pay high taxes.
c) It was located next to the Akkadian Empire
d) Its kings were disorganized.
3. What was the Code of Hammurabi primarily written on?
a) blocks of stone or wood
b) pieces of paper
c) sheets of soft metal
d) walls of public buildings
4. The word adopted in the passage is closet in meaning to
a) removed
b) borrowed
c) withheld
d) changed
5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the
passage as an issue covered by Hammurabi’s laws?
a) service in the army
b) stealing objects
c) the printing of money
d) personal injury
6. What can be inferred about later Mesopotamian
empires?
a) Their rulers neglected Hammurabi’s code.
b) They lasted longer than the Babylonian
Empire.
c) They were governed without clear laws.
d) Their laws closely resembled those of
Babylon
7. Where did the laws in the Code of Hammurabi
come from?
Some laws came from Amorite tradition, others came
from earlier empires like the Akkadians, and still others were
brand new.
8. What does “an eye for an eye” mean?
"An eye for an eye" means that if people cause
others harm, they will be punished by having the same
type of harm inflicted upon them.
9. What did Hammurabi’s code of laws describe?
They described what was against the law and
what punishments would be given to lawbreakers.
Summary
Read the passage again and complete the outline with the
words below.
Akkadians / Babylon / Kassite/ orderly / in public/ issues /
punishments / legal systems / created / survived
I.
The Babylonian Empire
Akkadians
A) The Amorites conquered the ………………………………
around 2000 B.C.
orderly
B) Babylon was ruled in a(n) ………………………………..…….
fashion by its kings.
Akkadians / Babylon / Kassite/ orderly / in public/ issues /
punishments / legal systems / created / survived
II.
King Hammurabi
Babylon
A) The best known king of……………………………………………..
.
Created
B) ……………………………………a
system of laws called the
Code of Hammurabi.
III.
The Code of Hammurabi
issues
A) Included laws for a variety of…………………………………………
.
punishments
B) Introduced…………………………………..based
on the idea of
“an eye for an eye”.
in public
C) Was written down and displayed ……………………………………
for all to see.
IV.
The end of the Babylonian Empire
Kassite
A) Conquered by the……………………………………….people.
survived
B) The Code of Hammurabi……………………………………and
legal systems
influenced later ………………………………….
.
Complete the summary with your own words based on the
outline
The Amorites conquered the…………………….around
2000 B.C. and ruled Babylon in a(n)……………………..fashion.
………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Code of Hammurabi………………………………….and
influenced later………………………………
The Amorites conquered the Akkadians around 2000
B.C. and ruled Babylon in an orderly fashion. The best-known
king of Babylon was King Hammurabi, and he created a system
of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. The laws dealt with a
variety of social issues. They also introduced new
punishments based on the idea of "an eye for an eye."
Hammurabi had his code written down and displayed in public
for everyone to see. The Babylonian Empire was eventually
conquered by the Kassite people. The Code of Hammurabi
survived and influenced later legal systems.