22 Questions
Match the following individuals with their comments on Hammurabi's Code:
Father Jean-Vincent Scheil = "a moral and political masterpiece" C. H. W. Johns = "one of the most important monuments in the history of the human race" John Dyneley Prince = "the most important event which has taken place in the development of Assyriological science" Charles Francis Horne = "wise law-giver" and "celebrated code"
Match the following languages with their early editions of Hammurabi's Code:
French = Father Jean-Vincent Scheil German = Hugo Winckler English = C. H. W. Johns Italian = Pietro Bonfante
Match the following rediscovered collections with their respective dates:
Code of Lipit-Ishtar = 1947 Laws of Eshnunna = 1948 Code of Ur-Nammu = 1952 Hammurabi's Code = rediscovered in 1902
Match the following scholars with their comments on Hammurabi's Code:
James Henry Breasted = "justice to the widow, the orphan, and the poor" Owen Jenkins = perceived secularism Charles Souvay = "founded upon the dictates of reason" H. G. Wells = "the earliest known code of law"
Match the following with their respective descriptions:
Code of Hammurabi = Babylonian legal text Akkadian = Old Babylonian dialect in which the Code of Hammurabi is written Susa = Location where the primary copy of the Code of Hammurabi was rediscovered Louvre Museum = Current residence of the primary copy of the Code of Hammurabi
Match the following with their respective content on the Code of Hammurabi stele:
Laws expressed as 'if. then' conditional sentences = Broad scope content of the stele Hammurabi with Shamash = Image in relief at the top of the stele 4,130 lines of cuneiform text = Content of the stele beneath the relief Prologue and epilogue in poetic style = One fifth of the content of the stele
Match the following with their respective content of the Code of Hammurabi:
Prevent the strong from oppressing the weak = Claim in the prologue by Hammurabi Casuistic laws = Type of laws expressed in conditional sentences Criminal law, family law, property law, and commercial law = Broad scope of the laws Fairness and respect for the rule of law = Admiration by modern scholars for the Code
Match the following with their respective timeline of the Code of Hammurabi:
1755–1750 BC = Time of composition of the Code of Hammurabi 1901 = Year of rediscovery of the primary copy of the Code of Hammurabi Sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon = Purported author of the Code of Hammurabi Over a millennium = Time period the text was copied and studied by Mesopotamian scribes
Match the ancient legal collection with its respective description:
Code of Hammurabi = First Mesopotamian law collection to be discovered Code of Ur-Nammu = Extant collection predating the Code of Hammurabi Laws of Eshnunna = Another extant collection predating the Code of Hammurabi Digest of Justinian = Comprehensive surviving legal corpus from before the Code of Hammurabi
Match the archaeological finding with its location:
Louvre stele = Ancient Elamite city of Susa Fragments of second and possibly third stele = Susa Fifty manuscripts containing the laws = Various locations Replicas of the stele = Numerous institutions including the United Nations headquarters in New York City and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin
Match the attribute with the Code of Hammurabi's influence:
Eye for an eye principle = Mosaic Law Important figure in the history of law outside Assyriology = Hammurabi Subject of discussion regarding influence on the Mosaic Law = The Code of Hammurabi Replica at the U.S. Capitol = Hammurabi alongside other historic lawgivers
Match the following individuals with their comments on Hammurabi's Code:
Father Jean-Vincent Scheil = Called the Code 'a moral and political masterpiece' C. H. W. Johns = Referred to the Code as 'the earliest known code of law' John Dyneley Prince = Described the Code's rediscovery as 'the most important event' in Assyriological science James Henry Breasted = Noted the Code's 'justice to the widow, the orphan, and the poor'
Match the following individuals with their role in the Code of Hammurabi:
Hammurabi = Sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon Shamash = Babylonian sun god and god of justice Mesopotamian scribes = Copied and studied the text for over a millennium Modern scholars = Responded with admiration at its fairness and respect for the rule of law
Match the following materials with their descriptions in the Code of Hammurabi:
Basalt stele = Primary copy of the text inscribed with cuneiform Cuneiform text = About 4,130 lines containing the laws Louvre Museum = Current residence of the stele Susa, Iran = Site where the stele was rediscovered in 1901
Match the following legal areas with their inclusion in the Code of Hammurabi:
Criminal law = Included in the laws expressed as conditional sentences Family law = Scope of the laws covering various aspects Property law = Broad scope of the laws Commercial law = Covered within the laws of the Code
Match the following features with their descriptions in the Code of Hammurabi stele:
Image in relief of Hammurabi with Shamash = Featured at the top of the stele Prologue and epilogue in poetic style = One fifth of the cuneiform text "If. then" conditional sentences = Expressed in the remaining four fifths of the cuneiform text Claim of rule by the gods to prevent oppression = Stated in the prologue by Hammurabi
Match the following ancient legal collections with their predating dates:
Code of Ur-Nammu = 2050-1950 BC Code of Lipit-Ishtar = 1934-1924 BC Laws of Eshnunna = 1930 BC Laws of X = unknown
Match the following locations with their significant archaeological findings related to the Code of Hammurabi:
Susa, Iran = Louvre stele and fragments New York City = Replica of the stele Berlin = Pergamon Museum with replica of the stele U.S. Capitol = Relief portrait of Hammurabi
Match the following legal systems with their primary focus in the Code of Hammurabi:
Welfare of subjects and interest in law and justice = Balanced by Hammurabi's concern Consistent underlying legal system = Suggested by similarities with earlier law collections Influence on the Mosaic Law = Subject of discussion Scribal curriculum inclusion = Made it part of the curriculum
Match the following individuals with their role in the history of the Code of Hammurabi:
Hammurabi = Sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon Shamash = Image with Hammurabi on the Louvre stele Justinian = Digest of Justinian French Archaeological Mission = Excavated the Louvre stele at Susa
Match the following attributes with their influence on the history of law:
Eye for an eye principle = Underlying the Mosaic Law and the Code of Hammurabi Hammurabi = Regarded as an important figure in the history of law outside Assyriology Replicas of the stele = Found in various institutions Comprehensive legal corpus = Existed in Mesopotamia before the Digest of Justinian
Match the following languages with their primary usage:
Sumerian = One of the earlier written law collections Akkadian = One of the earlier written law collections Cuneiform = Script used on the Louvre stele Elamite = City where fragments of the Code of Hammurabi were found
Study Notes
The Code of Hammurabi: History, Influence, and Copies
- Hammurabi, the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon, ruled from 1792 to 1750 BC and secured Babylonian dominance over the Mesopotamian plain through military prowess and diplomacy.
- Hammurabi's aggressive foreign policy and construction works were balanced by his concern for the welfare of his subjects and interest in law and justice.
- The Code of Hammurabi was the first Mesopotamian law collection to be discovered and was not the first written; several earlier collections survive, written in Sumerian and Akkadian.
- The similarities between the Code of Hammurabi and earlier law collections suggest a consistent underlying legal system, but interpreting the purpose and underlying legal systems of these collections poses challenges.
- The Code of Ur-Nammu, the Code of Lipit-Ishtar, the Laws of Eshnunna, and the Laws of X are extant collections predating the Code of Hammurabi.
- Mesopotamia has a comprehensive surviving legal corpus from before the Digest of Justinian, including contracts, judicial rulings, letters on legal cases, and reform documents.
- The most complete copy of the Code of Hammurabi is on a 2.25 m stele displayed in the Louvre, with an image of Hammurabi and Shamash at the top and about 4,130 lines of cuneiform text.
- The Louvre stele was found in three large fragments at the ancient Elamite city of Susa, modern-day Khuzestan Province, Iran, and was excavated by the French Archaeological Mission.
- Fragments of a second and possibly third stele recording the Code were found at Susa, and over fifty manuscripts containing the laws were found in various locations.
- Copies of the Code were created during and after Hammurabi's reign, becoming part of the scribal curriculum, with some copies dating from one thousand years after the stele's creation.
- The influence of the Code on the Mosaic Law is a subject of discussion, with the "eye for an eye" principle underlying the two collections and Hammurabi being regarded as an important figure in the history of law outside Assyriology.
- Replicas of the stele are found in numerous institutions, including the United Nations headquarters in New York City and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, and the U.S. Capitol has a relief portrait of Hammurabi alongside other historic lawgivers.
The Code of Hammurabi: History, Influence, and Copies
- Hammurabi, the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon, ruled from 1792 to 1750 BC and secured Babylonian dominance over the Mesopotamian plain through military prowess and diplomacy.
- Hammurabi's aggressive foreign policy and construction works were balanced by his concern for the welfare of his subjects and interest in law and justice.
- The Code of Hammurabi was the first Mesopotamian law collection to be discovered and was not the first written; several earlier collections survive, written in Sumerian and Akkadian.
- The similarities between the Code of Hammurabi and earlier law collections suggest a consistent underlying legal system, but interpreting the purpose and underlying legal systems of these collections poses challenges.
- The Code of Ur-Nammu, the Code of Lipit-Ishtar, the Laws of Eshnunna, and the Laws of X are extant collections predating the Code of Hammurabi.
- Mesopotamia has a comprehensive surviving legal corpus from before the Digest of Justinian, including contracts, judicial rulings, letters on legal cases, and reform documents.
- The most complete copy of the Code of Hammurabi is on a 2.25 m stele displayed in the Louvre, with an image of Hammurabi and Shamash at the top and about 4,130 lines of cuneiform text.
- The Louvre stele was found in three large fragments at the ancient Elamite city of Susa, modern-day Khuzestan Province, Iran, and was excavated by the French Archaeological Mission.
- Fragments of a second and possibly third stele recording the Code were found at Susa, and over fifty manuscripts containing the laws were found in various locations.
- Copies of the Code were created during and after Hammurabi's reign, becoming part of the scribal curriculum, with some copies dating from one thousand years after the stele's creation.
- The influence of the Code on the Mosaic Law is a subject of discussion, with the "eye for an eye" principle underlying the two collections and Hammurabi being regarded as an important figure in the history of law outside Assyriology.
- Replicas of the stele are found in numerous institutions, including the United Nations headquarters in New York City and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, and the U.S. Capitol has a relief portrait of Hammurabi alongside other historic lawgivers.
Test your knowledge of the Code of Hammurabi with this quiz covering its history, influence, and copies. Explore the impact of this ancient Babylonian legal code and its similarities to other Mesopotamian law collections.
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