PRIMARY SOURCE: HAMMURABI’S CODE
Questions for Analysis
The Code of Hammurabi is a set of laws that were developed under the rule of King Hammurabi
during the period of Babylonian rule in Mesopotamia. The legal code dates to c1750 BCE. The
code was written in the Akkadian language, using cuneiform script.
When answering the following questions, be sure to cite/reference specific laws that support your
arguments. You may simply state the law’s/laws’ number(s) for easy reference.
1. What evidence is there of class distinctions in Babylon?
2. What was the status of women in this society? Did they enjoy any protections or liberties?
3. What was the status of children? Did they enjoy any protections or liberties?
4. Mesopotamian society has been characterized as a patriarchal society by historians. Does the evidence
in this collection of legal decisions tend to support or refute that idea?
5. What does this collection of laws reveal about the basic values, ideals, and worldview of Babylonian
society during the rule of King Hammurabi?