The Code of

Hammurabi
Handouts
 Court Cases

#1
A carpenter built a house
for a nobleman but the
house fell down. What is a
fair way to deal with this
situation?
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#2
A “sister of God” goes into
a tavern for a drink. What
do you think should happen
to her?

The Code of Hammurabi 1

 #3
A son was mad at his
father and he hit his
father. What do you think
should happen to the son?

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#4
A citizen was found with
his neighbor’s ox. What is
a fair way to deal with this
situation?

The Code of Hammurabi 2

 #5
There is a wife whose
home is a mess and she
doesn’t take care of her
husband. When she is in
town, she says awful things
about her husband. What
is a fair way to deal with
this situation?

The Code of Hammurabi 3

 #6
A farmer’s land became
flooded because the canal
overflowed its banks. The
farmer lost his whole crop
and refuses to pay his rent
to the landowner. What is
a fair way to deal with this
situation?

The Code of Hammurabi 4

 #7
A doctor operated on a
Nobleman’s son and the son
died. Now the Nobleman is
upset with the doctor.
What is would be a fair
way to deal with this
situation?
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#8
A commoner was found to
be hiding a runaway slave.
What would be a fair way
to deal with this situation?

The Code of Hammurabi 5

 Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet

Babylon Court Hammurabi’s Judgment of this

Our Judgment of this Case
Case Case

1. Carpenter
accused of faulty
construction

2. “Sister of God”
tries to drink

3. Son strikes his

father

4. Citizen accused
of stealing an ox

The Code of Hammurabi 6

 Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet

Babylon Court Hammurabi’s Judgment of this

Our Judgment of this Case
Case Case
5. Wife who doesn’t
care for her home
and puts down her
husband

6. Farmer reuses to
pay rent because
his land flooded

7. Dispute between
a nobleman and a
doctor over a
patient’s death

8. Commoner
accused of hiding
a runaway slave

The Code of Hammurabi 7

 Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet—answer sheet

Babylon Court Hammurabi’s Judgment of this

Our Judgment of this Case
Case Case
The builder should replace all the goods
1. Carpenter that were lost and rebuild the house at his
accused of faulty own expense. In addition, he should give
construction the owner a slave and the builder’s son
should be put to death

2. “Sister of God”
The “sister of God” should be put to death.
tries to drink

3. Son strikes his

The son shall have his hands cut off.
father

The citizen should give the nobleman ten

4. Citizen accused oxen to repay him for the theft. If he
of stealing an ox cannot afford this, he should be put to
death.

The Code of Hammurabi 8

 Code of Hammurabi Student Worksheet—answer sheet

Babylon Court Hammurabi’s Judgment of this

Our Judgment of this Case
Case Case
5. Wife who doesn’t The man may divorce his wife and he does
care for her home not have to give her a financial settlement
and puts down her since the woman neglected the house and
husband humiliated her husband.

It was the landowner’s fault that the land flooded

6. Farmer reuses to because he neglected the canal. The landowner
pay rent because should be sold into slavery and all of his goods sold
as well. The farmer whose crop was ruined should
his land flooded receive a portion of the money.

7. Dispute between
The doctor’s hands should be cut off since
a nobleman and a
he operated on a nobleman and the
doctor over a nobleman died.
patient’s death
The commoner should be put to death.
8. Commoner Although he did not help the slave to
accused of hiding escape, he made no effort to find the
a runaway slave rightful owner and the slave was found in
his possession.

The Code of Hammurabi 9

 Comparing the Code of Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi Laws of the United States

• Babylon had courts, trials, and •

judges appointed by the King.

• Different laws were written for •

different classes of people.

• Written laws helped the monarch •

(Hammurabi) govern his empire.

• Hammurabi’s Code does not •

include laws that would protect
people from the government.

• Men and women served as •

government officials.

• Hammurabi’s Code applied to very •

specific situations (there are 282
laws).

• The Code of Hammurabi was •

written on a big stone pillar in the
center of town.

• The punishments were very •

specific.

• Hammurabi created the Code •

himself with the help of “god.”

The Code of Hammurabi 10

 Comparing the Code of Hammurabi—answer sheet
Code of Hammurabi
• Babylon had courts, trials, and
judges appointed by the King.
• Different laws were written for
different classes of people.
• Written laws helped the monarch
(Hammurabi) govern his empire.
• Hammurabi’s Code does not
include laws that would protect
people from the government.
• Men and women served as
government officials.
• Hammurabi’s Code applied to very
specific situations (there are 282
laws).
• The Code of Hammurabi was
written on a big stone pillar in the
center of town.
• The punishments were very
specific.
• Hammurabi created the Code
himself with the help of “god.”
The Code of Hammurabi
Laws of the United States
• United States has courts, trials,
and judges elected by the people.
• In the U.S., laws are applied
equally to all people.
• Written laws help keep order in
American society.
• The Bill of Rights protects the
citizens from the government.
• Men and women serve as
government officials.
• The United States’ laws are
general in nature and can be
applied to many different
situations.
• The laws of the U.S. are written
down in books and maintained by
the Attorney General.
• The laws of the U.S. provide
general guidelines for a judge to
use.
• The legislative branch creates the
laws with the approval of the
executive branch.
11
A Selection from the Code of Hammurabi

If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in

writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his
own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the
case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge's bench, and
never again shall he sit there to render judgment.
If any one owe a debt for a loan, and a storm prostrates the grain,
or the harvest fail, or the grain does not grow for lack of water; in
that year he need not give his creditor any grain, he washes his debt-
tablet in water and pays no rent for this year.
If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does
not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded, then
shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for money, and the
money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined.
If any one gives another silver, gold, or anything else to keep, he
shall show everything to some witness, draw up a contract, and then
hand it over for safekeeping.
If any one place his property with another for safe keeping, and
there, either through thieves or robbers, his property and the
property of the other man be lost, the owner of the house, through
whose neglect the loss took place, shall compensate the owner for all
that was given to him in charge. But the owner of the house shall try to
follow up and recover his property, and take it away from the thief.
If a man wishes to put his son out of his house, and declare before
the judge: "I want to put my son out," then the judge shall examine into
his reasons. If the son were guilty of no great fault, for which he can
be rightfully put out, the father shall not put him out.

The Code of Hammurabi 12

A Selection from the Code of Hammurabi-continued
If a man take a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire
to take a second wife he shall not put away his wife, who has been
attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house which he has
built and support her so long as she lives.
If a builder builds a house for some one, even though he has not
yet completed it; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must
make the walls solid from his own means.
If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it
properly, and the house, which he built, fall in and kill its owner, then
that builder shall be put to death.
If a veterinary surgeon perform a serious operation on an ass or an
ox, and cure it, the owner shall pay the surgeon one-sixth of a shekel
as a fee.
If he perform a serious operation on an ass or ox, and kill it, he
shall pay the owner one-fourth of its value.

The Code of Hammurabi 13

Examining a Law
Choose five of Hammurabi's Laws from the reading, A Selection from
the Code of Hammurabi. Carefully read each law you chose and answer
the following questions for each law:
y Who is involved?
y What are they told to do or not to do?
y What are the stated consequences of complying or not complying

with the law?

Law 1: ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Law 2: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Law 3: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Law 4: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Law 5: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

The Code of Hammurabi 14

 Comparing Hammurabi to Today
With your group, choose three of Hammurabi's laws. State each law in
your own words. Then compare each law to a law or laws we have today.
Law 1 (in your own words): _________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How is it similar to a law today? _________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
How is it different from laws today? _____________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Law 2 (in your own words): _________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How is it similar to a law today? _________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
How is it different from laws today? _____________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Law 3 (in your own words):
_________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How is it similar to a law today? _________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
How is it different from laws today? _____________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

The Code of Hammurabi 15