The Priest King Hammurabi, at one time claimed to have acted as “a real father figure to his people.. established prosperity… and [given] good government to the land” #. His historic Code, 3,600 cuneiform lines about two hundred and eighty two laws, indicates the basis for this claim. With a reoccurring theme of retaliation, it appears as one of the most insightful observations of Mesopotamian civilization. Through the Code of Hammurabi, accurate historic conclusions can be made about the people, their priorities and morals, as well as the severe divisions between class systems and sexes of this society.

Although, Columbia Encyclopedia says that “[Hammurabi’s] Code [of Laws] is generally humanitarian“, the revenge declared throughout the code, hint at a proud community that demanded compensation. Laws that deal with consumer protection imply that buildings are the responsibility of the builders. “If that building collapses and kills the owner, the builder is put to death.”# Laziness was intolerable. Another law of Hammurabi’s code states that if a farmer did not keep his irrigation in good repair, he could be sold into slavery and the profit would

Changes within the past four thousand years have made life, possibly, easier, but in many ways more difficult. In Hammurabi’s Code, questions had simple stated answers. Problems were easily solved and revenge was never debated, it was never weighted on the shoulders of the victim. People knew their place under Hammurabi. In this society, status went unchallenged. Whether these differences are good or bad, or simply disputable, is of no interest to the people living under Hammurabi’s Code.

Women and men also seem to be regarded as separate classes. In the Code of Hammurabi, laws and settlements varied based on gender. In essence, only for metaphorical comparison, the men were the nobles and the women were the slaves. Marriage was an imbalanced institution where men were given rights, privileges, and free reign of their wives. Men divorced women if she humiliated him, and she could be thrown in the river for such an offense. Men had the right to other women, besides their wives, whereas women were murdered for adultery. Men ruled their children as well as their wives; submission was not only expected but was law.

Justice in Hammurabi’s code varied based on the defender/victim status. Clear class divisions were all bu

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