Hammurabi Portray Himself in the Prologue (Book Review Sample)

Hammurabi Portray Himself in the Prologue

* An elevated prince.
* A god-fearing individual to create a sanctity of leadership, defeat wicked people, and not threaten the weak.
* He perceives himself to "control black-headed people like Shamash and rejuvenate the land to the wellbeing of people."[Paul, Halsall, “Ancient History Sourcebook: Code of Hammurabi, c. 1780 BCE,” Fordham University, Last modified March 1998, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/hamcode.asp.]

* He is acknowledged to be behind the greatness of Babylon.
* He is a wise law-giver based on his codes.

* He is a benevolent autocratic leader.
* His subjects could easily reach him because he was quite an accessible king.
* He is the protector of the weak from the powerful in society.

What role does religion play in this society, based on what you've read?

* Religion is the epicenter of defining leadership in this society.
* It provides the premise for virtues and vices.
* It informs the leadership of this society.
* It helps in enriching society and brings about a sense of God's blessings.
* It exemplifies God's role in their victory over the wrongdoers or enemies.

* Religion is vital in this society because it defines its codes or laws.

* Religion defined the laws or codes guiding society.
* Religion was also significant in guiding worship and offerings to God.

How does Babylonian society define justice? Include two examples from the Code in your answer.

* It defines justice by upholding the concept of innocence until proven guilty, but the guilty face varying forms of severe punishments.
“If anyone ensnares another, banning him, but he can not prove it, he that ensnared him shall be put to death.”[Halsall, “Ancient History Sourcebook.”]
“If anyone brings an accusation of any crime before the elders and does not prove what he has charged, he shall be put to death if it is a capital offense charged.”[Halsall, “Ancient History Sourcebook.”]

The Babylonian society defines justice as an “eye for an eye.”
Everyone was allowed to defend themselves before punishment.

Justice involves punishment only if the complainant or the offended person proves a case.
“If she had been a bad wife, the Code allowed him to send her away while he kept the children and her dowry; or he could degrade her to the position of a slave in his own house, where she would have food and clothing.”[Halsall, “Ancient History Sourcebook.”]

What role did social class play in Babylonian society? Did one's wealth matter when it came to obeying the code and possible punishment?

Social class defined the type of punishment individuals got based on their social class.
Wealth mattered in the type of punishment, but obeying the code was non-negotiable regardless of wealth.