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Essay / Similarities and Differences Between Hammurabi's Code and Mosaic Laws
Table of ContentsAncient Idea of Marriage and DivorceWhat was the purpose of these ancient laws?ConclusionIt is necessary to have laws in place because they not only maintain order, but they also protect the rights of the individual and the general safety of people. No one is obliged to follow the laws in force. However, there are consequences for non-compliance with these laws. In ancient times, two famous legislators were Hammurabi and Moses. Hammurabi was the ruler of the Babylonians from 1792 to 1750 BCE. Babylonian civilization developed in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Hebrew civilization, on the other hand, developed when Moses was appointed by God and led the Hebrews out of Egypt into the Sinai Desert. Even though Moses and Hammurabi handled situations differently, their beliefs are very similar. Some of the beliefs they have in common are their beliefs about marriage, retaliation, and theft. The first thing they have in common is their ideas about marriage. In Hebrew and Babylonian society, marriage was considered a “legal contract.” “They strongly believed that there should be no sexual relations with another woman or man during marriage. The punishment for those who did not follow these rules was very severe. Even though Hammurabi and Moses had the same idea of what a marriage should be, there are some differences. In Babylonian society, if a woman was caught cheating on her husband, she was to be punished. “If a man's wife is caught sleeping with another, they will be strangled and thrown into the water. . . », .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Ancient Idea of Marriage and Divorce However, there is no punishment if a man is caught cheating on his wife. Unlike Babylonia, in Hebrew society, a married man is punished if he commits adultery. “If a man is caught sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. . . ". In Mosaic laws it was also possible for a man to have more than one wife, but in Babylonian society this was forbidden. The purpose of marriage was to have children and protect property rights. Hebrew law allowed a man to divorce his wife simply because he found something in her that he did not like or agree with. All the man has to do is write out a divorce paper and put it in her hand, and then she is kicked out of the house. It did not protect women as much as the Code of Hammurabi. In Hammurabi's code, a man could also divorce his wife without reason, but if they had a child together, she could keep the children, get the dowry, and use the property. Not only were both societies against adultery, they were also against incest. However, this did not worry them as they found it disgusting. Hammurabi's main concern was maintaining a clear line of inheritance. Moses, for his part, was concerned about maintaining the holiness of the people. Incest was against the morals of the Hebrew people. Hebrew society fundamentally believed that anything that went against its ethics was an evil act. They would call these acts defilement. The defilement was considered “abominable,” meaning it was horrible. They believed that if someone disobeyed the laws, it would impact the community both spiritually and socially. Another similarity between the two is.