The Code of
Hammurabi
Handouts
Court Cases
#1
A carpenter built a house
for a nobleman but the
house fell down. What is a
fair way to deal with this
situation?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#2
A “sister of God” goes into
a tavern for a drink. What
do you think should happen
to her?
The Code of Hammurabi
1
#3
A son was mad at his
father and he hit his
father. What do you think
should happen to the son?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#4
A citizen was found with
his neighbor’s ox. What is
a fair way to deal with this
situation?
The Code of Hammurabi
2
#5
There is a wife whose
home is a mess and she
doesn’t take care of her
husband. When she is in
town, she says awful things
about her husband. What
is a fair way to deal with
this situation?
The Code of Hammurabi
3
#6
A farmer’s land became
flooded because the canal
overflowed its banks. The
farmer lost his whole crop
and refuses to pay his rent
to the landowner. What is
a fair way to deal with this
situation?
The Code of Hammurabi
4
#7
A doctor operated on a
Nobleman’s son and the son
died. Now the Nobleman is
upset with the doctor.
What is would be a fair
way to deal with this
situation?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#8
A commoner was found to
be hiding a runaway slave.
What would be a fair way
to deal with this situation?
The Code of Hammurabi
5
Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet
Babylon Court
Case
Our Judgment of this Case
Hammurabi’s Judgment of this
Case
1. Carpenter
accused of faulty
construction
2. “Sister of God”
tries to drink
3. Son strikes his
father
4. Citizen accused
of stealing an ox
The Code of Hammurabi
6
Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet
Babylon Court
Case
Our Judgment of this Case
Hammurabi’s Judgment of this
Case
5. Wife who doesn’t
care for her home
and puts down her
husband
6. Farmer reuses to
pay rent because
his land flooded
7. Dispute between
a nobleman and a
doctor over a
patient’s death
8. Commoner
accused of hiding
a runaway slave
The Code of Hammurabi
7
Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet—answer sheet
Babylon Court
Case
Our Judgment of this Case
Hammurabi’s Judgment of this
Case
1. Carpenter
accused of faulty
construction
The builder should replace all the goods
that were lost and rebuild the house at his
own expense. In addition, he should give
the owner a slave and the builder’s son
should be put to death
2. “Sister of God”
tries to drink
The “sister of God” should be put to death.
3. Son strikes his
father
The son shall have his hands cut off.
4. Citizen accused
of stealing an ox
The citizen should give the nobleman ten
oxen to repay him for the theft. If he
cannot afford this, he should be put to
death.
The Code of Hammurabi
8
Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet—answer sheet
Babylon Court
Case
Our Judgment of this Case
Hammurabi’s Judgment of this
Case
5. Wife who doesn’t
care for her home
and puts down her
husband
The man may divorce his wife and he does
not have to give her a financial settlement
since the woman neglected the house and
humiliated her husband.
6. Farmer reuses to
pay rent because
his land flooded
It was the landowner’s fault that the land flooded
because he neglected the canal. The landowner
should be sold into slavery and all of his goods sold
as well. The farmer whose crop was ruined should
receive a portion of the money.
7. Dispute between
a nobleman and a
doctor over a
patient’s death
The doctor’s hands should be cut off since
he operated on a nobleman and the
nobleman died.
8. Commoner
accused of hiding
a runaway slave
The commoner should be put to death.
Although he did not help the slave to
escape, he made no effort to find the
rightful owner and the slave was found in
his possession.
The Code of Hammurabi
9
Comparing the Code of Hammurabi
Code of Hammurabi
Laws of the United States
• Babylon had courts, trials, and
judges appointed by the King.
•
• Different laws were written for
different classes of people.
•
• Written laws helped the monarch
(Hammurabi) govern his empire.
•
• Hammurabi’s Code does not
include laws that would protect
people from the government.
•
• Men and women served as
government officials.
•
• Hammurabi’s Code applied to very
specific situations (there are 282
laws).
•
• The Code of Hammurabi was
•
written on a big stone pillar in the
center of town.
• The punishments were very
specific.
•
• Hammurabi created the Code
himself with the help of “god.”
•
The Code of Hammurabi
10
Comparing the Code of Hammurabi—answer sheet
Code of Hammurabi
Laws of the United States
• Babylon had courts, trials, and
judges appointed by the King.
• United States has courts, trials,
and judges elected by the people.
• Different laws were written for
different classes of people.
• In the U.S., laws are applied
equally to all people.
• Written laws helped the monarch
(Hammurabi) govern his empire.
• Written laws help keep order in
American society.
• Hammurabi’s Code does not
include laws that would protect
people from the government.
• The Bill of Rights protects the
citizens from the government.
• Men and women served as
government officials.
• Men and women serve as
government officials.
• Hammurabi’s Code applied to very
specific situations (there are 282
laws).
• The United States’ laws are
general in nature and can be
applied to many different
situations.
• The Code of Hammurabi was
• The laws of the U.S. are written
written on a big stone pillar in the
down in books and maintained by
center of town.
the Attorney General.
• The punishments were very
specific.
• The laws of the U.S. provide
general guidelines for a judge to
use.
• Hammurabi created the Code
himself with the help of “god.”
• The legislative branch creates the
laws with the approval of the
executive branch.
The Code of Hammurabi
11
A Selection from the Code of Hammurabi
If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in
writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his
own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the
case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge's bench, and
never again shall he sit there to render judgment.
If any one owe a debt for a loan, and a storm prostrates the grain,
or the harvest fail, or the grain does not grow for lack of water; in
that year he need not give his creditor any grain, he washes his debttablet in water and pays no rent for this year.
If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does
not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded, then
shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for money, and the
money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined.
If any one gives another silver, gold, or anything else to keep, he
shall show everything to some witness, draw up a contract, and then
hand it over for safekeeping.
If any one place his property with another for safe keeping, and
there, either through thieves or robbers, his property and the
property of the other man be lost, the owner of the house, through
whose neglect the loss took place, shall compensate the owner for all
that was given to him in charge. But the owner of the house shall try to
follow up and recover his property, and take it away from the thief.
If a man wishes to put his son out of his house, and declare before
the judge: "I want to put my son out," then the judge shall examine into
his reasons. If the son were guilty of no great fault, for which he can
be rightfully put out, the father shall not put him out.
The Code of Hammurabi
12
A Selection from the Code of Hammurabi-continued
If a man take a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire
to take a second wife he shall not put away his wife, who has been
attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house which he has
built and support her so long as she lives.
If a builder builds a house for some one, even though he has not
yet completed it; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must
make the walls solid from his own means.
If a builder build 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.
If a veterinary surgeon perform a serious operation on an ass or an
ox, and cure it, the owner shall pay the surgeon one-sixth of a shekel
as a fee.
If he perform a serious operation on an ass or ox, and kill it, he
shall pay the owner one-fourth of its value.
The Code of Hammurabi
13
Examining a Law
Choose five of Hammurabi's Laws from the reading, A Selection from
the Code of Hammurabi. Carefully read each law you chose and answer
the following questions for each law:
y Who is involved?
y What are they told to do or not to do?
y What are the stated consequences of complying or not complying
with the law?
Law 1: ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Law 2: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Law 3: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Law 4: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Law 5: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
The Code of Hammurabi
14
Comparing Hammurabi to Today
With your group, choose three of Hammurabi's laws. State each law in
your own words. Then compare each law to a law or laws we have today.
Law 1 (in your own words): _________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How is it similar to a law today? _________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
How is it different from laws today? _____________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Law 2 (in your own words): _________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How is it similar to a law today? _________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
How is it different from laws today? _____________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Law 3 (in your own words):
_________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How is it similar to a law today? _________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
How is it different from laws today? _____________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
The Code of Hammurabi
15