The Law Code of Hammurabi was on to something and had a good idea of what it wanted to get across to its people, but there seemed to be quite a few silly mistakes within it. Law #2 says that if any man accuse another and the accused then survives his forced jump into the river, that the accuser now must die and surrender his home to the man he accused. This is quite silly. If I accused a man of stealing from me and he then jumps into the river and survives, mainly because he is an excellent swimmer, though did in fact rob me, I must now give my home to him and then die. This seems rather insane and would seem to have more keep quite so as to not risk your own fate. Laws #22, #196 and #197 are all laws today that you can still find apparent in some foreign countries, such as in the Middle East or possibly in the criminal underworld of America. Robbing or hurting another does not legally lead to death these days in the US but in some foreign or seedy walks of life these laws have remained strong.

        Laws #122, which says that if anyone hands over gold, silver or anything else that a contract should be drawn up as proof, and law #271, which says that a certain payment be paid for the rental of an oxen, cart and driver, are both alive today. Having contracts protecting ones goods is like taking out insurance on expensive personal belongings and paying a daily fee to use goods is found all over. People rent cars, equipment, tools, etc constantly and they must pay a daily fee for the use of these items. The Laws of Hammurabi were not always so extreme. As I mentioned in my last blog, the developing mind of these ancient people is intriguing. Whether extreme or rational these laws had deep thought and consideration behind them. 

         Law #117 was the original mindset of slavery. The law states that anyone who can not afford a debt be sold of into slavery, along with wife and kids and then would have to work for set amount of years in order to work off their debt. Though this is not a good law nor did it reappear at a good time in history, it did still appear still some centuries later. Also the laws that acknowledge slaves, but do not count them as equals is very similar to the rules and laws of the days of slavery and even as recent as the years before the civil rights movement.

         The laws that  deal with the relationships of men and women are all quite interesting. Law #128 says that if a man marries a woman but she will not sleep with him then they are not married. Wow thats saying what relationships were based around at this time and who had the power in a relationship. Law #129 says if a man finds his wife cheating on him then both cheaters shall be thrown in the water. This is quite drastic. Good thing for Nisa and her people these rules did not apply for them. I do like law #148. This law says that if a mans wife be seized by disease that he can get another wife though he m,must house his first wife and take care of her till she dies. At least this law shows some love and compassion. I am surprised it did not say that the husband could dump the sick wife in the water though. Overall these laws are a bit ridiculous though they had the right ideas in many cases.