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History
Unit 3:
Name:
Date:
Mesopotamia
The Code of Hammurabi
Pre-Reading Directions: Read the following passage about Hammurabi's Code and then answer
the pre-reading question. Underline any words that are in your Unit 3: Mesopotamia Vocabulary
Journal or on the Word Wall. Answer the questions that follow in complete sentences.
Hammurabi was the king of Babylon in Mesopotamia from around 1790 BC/BCE until 1750
BC/BCE. Under Hammurabi’s control, Babylon became an empire that controlled most of
Mesopotamia. Hammurabi was a great warrior, but he is best remembered for his code of laws.
Hammurabi’s Code is over 250 laws that name crimes and set out punishments for each of them.
The code deals with many different aspects of life: farming, trading, marriage, religion, even how
family members should treat each other. The famous phrase “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”
is based on the ideas written out in Hammurabi’s code. The code of Hammurabi was not the first set
of laws ever written, but it is the best preserved and most well known.
Historians know about
Hammurabi’s because they found a large cuneiform tablet that had the code written out on it.
1. Who was Hammurabi?
Mr. Woodward, Ancient History
History
Unit 3:
Name:
Date:
Mesopotamia
2. What was Hammurabi's Code?
During Reading Directions: As you are reading, underline the crime and box the punishment.
Selections of Laws from
The Code of Hammurabi
Law 6: If any one steals the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one
who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.
Law 8: If any one steal cattle or sheep, or a donkey, or a pig or a goat, which belongs to a temple or to the
king, the thief shall pay thirty-fold; if they belonged to a free person, he shall pay tenfold; if the thief has
nothing with which to pay he shall be put to death.
Law 10: If anyone wants to accuse another of stealing, he must present witnesses to identify the object
and confirm that it belongs to him. If he does not bring witnesses to identify the object, he is an evil-doer
and shall be put to death.
Law 11: Anyone who is accused by another of a crime may present witnesses to confirm their innocence. If
there are no witnesses, then he is an evil-doer and shall be put to death.
Law 16: If any one hides in his house a runaway slave, the owner of the house shall be put to death.
Law 21: If any one breaks into a house, he shall be put to death in front of that house and be buried.
Mr. Woodward, Ancient History, 2008-2009
History
Unit 3:
Name:
Date:
Mesopotamia
Law 53: If any one is too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition; if then the dam breaks and all the fields
be flooded, then he whose dam broke will be sold for money, and the money shall replace the [grain] which
he has caused to be ruined.
Law 110: If a "sister of a god" [nun] open a tavern, or enter a tavern to drink, then shall this woman be
burned to death.
Law 129: If a man's wife breaks her marriage vow with another man, both will be put to death.
Law 195: If a son strike his father, his hands shall be [cut] off.
Law 196: If a noble man put out the eye of another noble man, his eye shall be put out.
Law 197: If a man breaks another noble man's bone, his bone shall be broken.
Law 198: If a man puts out the eye of a commoner or break the bone of a commoner, he shall pay one piece
of silver.
Law 199: If a man puts out the eye of a man's slave, or break the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half
of its value.
Law 210: If a man hits a woman and causes her to lose her child, his child will be put to death.
Law 229: If a builder builds a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which
he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
Law 230: If a builder builds a house for someone, but does not construct it properly, and house collapses
and kills the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death.
Mr. Woodward, Ancient History, 2008-2009
History
Unit 3:
Name:
Date:
Mesopotamia
Post-Reading Directions: Do you think that Hammurabi’s Code is fair? Why? Why not? Give at
least three specific pieces of evidence from the above laws to back up your answer, and explain how
each law supports your opinion.
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Mr. Woodward, Ancient History, 2008-2009