Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi is a collection of written laws, considered the oldest in human history. It was created by Hammurabi, a king of Babylon, around the year 1760 BCE. The code is inscribed on a basalt stone stele that measures over two meters in height. This stele was found in Susa, in what is now Iran. The Code of Hammurabi is divided into several sections covering different areas of law, such as family law, criminal law, and commercial law. It contains a total of 282 laws, which establish the rights and obligations of individuals in Babylonian society. These laws cover a wide range of topics, including trade, property, marriage, divorce, slavery, theft, punishments for different crimes, among others. An interesting feature of the Code of Hammurabi is its principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," which means that punishments should be proportional to the crime committed. Additionally, the code establishes the idea that the king is the guardian of justice and that his duty is to protect the weak and ensure peace and order in society. The art used in the Hammurabi stele reflects the artistic style of ancient Babylon. The figures depicted on the stele, such as Hammurabi and the god Shamash, are sculpted in a rigid and square manner, following the aesthetic standards of the time. This simplified representation of the characters allowed for easy identification and understanding of the scenes.