READ THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS FROM
KING HAMMURABI’S CODE OF [282] LAWS –
THE FIRST WRITTEN CODE OF LAWS OF HUMAN HISTORY
First introduced in the Mesopotamian region when Babylonian King Hammurabi conquered this part of the
Fertile Crescent. He did not destroy the Sumerian civilization, but rather, made contributions to it. His
law code was intended “to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and the
evil doers; so that the strong should not harm the weak…; to further the well-being of mankind.”
2.
If anyone bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and leap into the river, if he
sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is not
guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who
leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.
22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death.
25. If fire break out in a house, and some one who comes to put it out cast his eye upon the property of the owner
of the house, and take the property of the master of the house, he shall be thrown into that self-same fire.
117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give
them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the
proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free.
127. If any one "point the finger" (slander) at a sister of a god or the wife of any one, and can not prove it, this man
shall be taken before the judges and his brow shall be marked. (by cutting the skin, or perhaps hair.)
138. If a man wishes to separate from his wife who has borne him no children, he shall give her the amount of her
purchase money and the dowry which she brought from her father's house, and let her go.
192. If a son…say to his adoptive father or mother: "You are not my father, or my mother," his tongue shall be cut off.
195. If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn [cut] off.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.
202. If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in
public.
229. 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.
282. If a slave says to his master: "You are not my master." If they convict him, his master shall cut off his ear.
SCORE____
NAME_____________________________________ PER.___DATE__________________ CLASS SET #____
“HAMMURABI’S CODE OF LAWS” READING EXERCISE
USING THE READING OF HAMMURABI’S CODE OF LAWS AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL
STUDIES, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING BY PLACING YOUR LEGIBLE LETTER ANSWER IN THE BLANK:
_____1. Hammurabi’s Code of laws was written and first introduced
A. during the Middle Ages
B. before the birth of Christ
C. in C.E. years
D. in anno domini times
______2.
Hammurabi’s empire was centered in the ancient civilization that
A. relied heavily on the flood waters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
B. was the first to build pyramids to its Olmec gods
C. introduced grid-patterned streets and sewer systems
D. destroyed all that stood in the way of its king from receiving the Mandate of Heaven.
______3. This code of laws was likely written in the language using
A. hieroglyphics
B. cuneiform
C. pictograms
D. calligraphy
______4. Hammurabi’s rule where he likely wrote his law code was centered in the capital city called
A. Nineveh
B. Jerusalem
C. Mecca
D. Babylon
_____5. Hammurabi’s code became the foundation for law in the region most noted for
A. its accessibility to the Mediterranean Sea
B. its transportation along the Nile
C. the land between two rivers
D. its centers of trade at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
_____6. The kind of government most likely practiced by King Hammurabi because he had conquered other
peoples and other lands was
A. an empire
B. a monarchy
C. a republic
D. a ruler whose powers were limited by his own laws.
_____7. Hammurabi’s code of laws was mostly
A. fair
B. non-discriminatory
C. biased
D. impartial
_____8. What statement might best apply to Hammurabi’s Code of Laws?
A. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
B. “Equal retribution for like offenses”
C. “There is no deity greater than Hammurabi”
D. The laws of Babylon support the belief in “ethical monotheism”
_____9. Which of the following crimes, according to Hammurabi’s Code, resulted in a death sentence for
the offender?
A. an assault upon a higher ranking person
B. the childless wife of the man who wishes to divorce her
C. a convicted thief
D. failure to repay a debt
1
_____10. What was Hammurabi’s punishment for someone who assaulted another that was considered to
be in a higher social class than the assailant? The assailant
A. was put to death
B. had his hand ‘hewned’ off
C. had his tongue first burned and then cut out
D. received 60 lashes with a whip in public.
_____11. If a man takes property from another man whose house is on fire, the man who took the property is
A. thrown into the river until he either swims to shore or drowns
B. is cast out of the village for the rest of his life,
C. is thrown into that same fire
D. has both hands cut off and his tongue burned off.
_____12. Which of these shall have both hands cut off for striking his parent?
A. a stepson
B. a biological son
C. a wife
D. a daughter
_____13. Which is not true of Hammurabi?
A. He became a pharaoh as soon as he conquered Egypt.
B. He conquered much of what is now Iraq.
C. He based much of his laws on the principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
D. He established his written code of laws in the Fertile Crescent region.
_____14. Hammurabi’s greatest purpose in writing his code of laws was to
A. ensure equality among all of his people under his rule
B. destroy the religious practices of the people he conquered
C. deny the rights and freedoms of the people he conquered
D. bring about virtue and justice to further the well-being of mankind.
_____15. Which is most true about the Code of Hammurabi?
A. It is the world’s first written code of laws
B. It was designed to protect the strong and the wealthy against the weak and the poor
C. It was as fair as today’s laws in the United States
D. It was the predecessor to the American Constitution.
2
NAME____________________________________________ PER.____
MODIFIED
READ THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS FROM
HAMMURABI’S CODE OF [282] LAWS –
THE FIRST WRITTEN CODE OF LAWS OF HUMAN HISTORY
First introduced in the Mesopotamian region when Babylonian emperor
Hammurabi conquered this part of the Fertile Crescent. he did not destroy the
Sumerian civilization, but rather, made contributions to it. His law code was
intended “to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the
wicked and the evil doers; so that the strong should not harm the weak…; to
further the well-being of mankind.”
6. If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and
leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house.
But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who
had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river
shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.
22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death.
26. If fire break out in a house, and some one who comes to put it out cast his eye
upon the property of the owner of the house, and take the property of the master of the
house, he shall be thrown into that self-same fire.
138. If a man wishes to separate from his wife who has borne him no children, he shall
give her the amount of her purchase money and the dowry which she brought from her
father's house, and let her go.
192. If a son…say to his adoptive father or mother: "You are not my father, or my
mother," his tongue shall be cut off.
195. If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn [cut] off.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.
203. If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty
blows with an ox-whip in public.
229. 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.
NAME____________________________ PER. ___ DATE______________SCORE____
HAMMURABI’S CODE OF LAWS MODIFIED READING EXERCISE
BY READING THE EXCERPTS FROM HAMMURABI’S CODE OF LAWS AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF
SOCIAL STUDIES, PLACE THE ANSWER LETTER ON THE BLANK. WRITE LEGIBLY.
______1. The kind of government most likely practiced by Babylonian King Hammurabi
because he controlled other peoples and other lands was
A. an empire,
B. a democracy,
C. a ruler whose powers were limited by his own laws.
______2. Hammurabi’s code of laws was mostly
C. impartial.
A. biased,
B. fair,
______3. What phrase might best apply to Hammurabi’s Code of Laws?
A. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
B. “An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth.”
C. “There is no deity greater than Hammurabi.”
______4. Which of the following crimes according to Hammurabi’s Code resulted in a
death sentence for the offender?
A. An assault upon a higher ranking
person,
B. the childless wife of the man who wishes to divorce her,
C. a convicted thief.
______5. What was Hammurabi’s punishment for someone who assaulted another
that was considered to be in a higher social class than the assailant?
The assailant
A. was put to death.
B. had his hand cut off,.
C. received 60 lashes with a whip in public.
______6. If a man takes property from another man whose house is on fire, the man
who took the property is
A. thrown into the river until he either swims to
shore or drowns.
B. is thrown into that same fire.
C. is cast out of the
village for the rest of his life.
______7. Which of these shall have both hands cut off for striking his parent?
A. a birth son,
B. a stepson,
C. a wife.
______8. Which is not true of Hammurabi?
A. He became a pharaoh as soon as he conquered Egypt.
B. He conquered much of what is now Iraq.
C. He based much of his laws on the principle of “an eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth.”
______9. Hammurabi’s greatest purpose in writing his code of laws was to
A. ensure equality among all of his people under his rule.
B. destroy the religious practices of the people he conquered.
C. bring about virtue and justice to further the well-being of mankind.
_____10. Which is most true about the Code of Hammurabi?
A. It is the world’s first written code of laws.
B. It was designed to protect the strong and the wealthy against the weak
and the poor.
C. It was as fair as today’s laws in the United States.