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Exodus: The Hammurabi Codemore by Benjamin Jones 3,036 Down oad !"pd#$ %&'('The'Hammurabi'Code"pd#
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Benjamin JonesBrown Uni-ersi.y)/01/021
)1Exodus: The Hammurabi Code The 3e a.ionship Be.ween 4osai5 Law and .he 4esopo.amian Lega Canon In .he his.ory o# i.erary 5on-ersa.ion
be.ween .he anna s o# 4esopo.amian i.era .ure and .he Hebrew Bib e6 .he s.ories re#eren5ed in .he Boo7 o# 8enesis areprobab y .he mos. immedia.e y re5ogni9ab e"
4esopo.amian # ood egends6 i7e .he .a eo# :.rahasis and .he s.ory o# U.( ;apish.i #rom .he 8i gamesh epi56 are reminis5en. o# .he#amous Bib i5a s.ory o# ;oah<s ar7" Howe-er6 .he
5on-ersa.ion be.ween .he Bib e and.he 4esopo.amian 5anon rea5hes beyond my.ho ogy= .he .wo sour5es ha-e remar7ab ysimi ar approa5hes .o
jurispruden5e" The Co-enan. Code6 .he se. o# aws gi-en by>ahweh .o 4oses6 who 5on-eyed .hem .o .he Israe i.es6 bears a mar7ed simi ari.y .o .he aw 5odes o# 4esopo.amia6
in5 uding6 in par.i5u ar6 .he Code o# Hammurabi" 4any o# .he same mora and ega issues are addressed6 and bo.h .he presen.a.ion o# .hemes and.he narra.i-e s.y e o#
.he .wo do5umen.s bear a s.rong resemb an5e .o one ano.her" Thissimi ari.y begs .he ?ues.ion: wha. was .he inspira.ion #or .he Co-enan. Code@ Do .hesimi ari.ies
be.ween .he Law o# Hammurabi and .he Co-enan. Code re# e5. simi ari.iesbe.ween .he ega sys.ems o# Baby on and Judah6 wi.h .he .wo sys.ems and re5ordsde-e oping
simu .aneous y@ Ar was .he aw in Exodus appropria.ed dire5. y #rom .he aws o# Hammurabi6 as a phi osophi5a or s5ho ar y exer5ise@ Though i. is
impossib e .o7now wi.h any degree o# 5er.ain.y6 bo.h exp ana.ions may be par. y .rue" The .wo se.s o# 2wri.ing wou d seem .o ha-e been based on a 5ode and
pra5.i5e o# aw 5ommon in .heregion6 ye. .he simi ari.ies be.ween .he Co-enan. Code and .he Code o# Hammurabi areenough .o sugges. .ha. .he au.hors o# Exodus
were aware o#6 and inspired by6 .heBaby onian ega do5umen." Howe-er6 .he .wo do5umen.s are su##i5ien. y di##eren. .ha. i.seems more i7e y .ha. .he re a.ionship
was one o# inspira.ion6 ra.her .han dire5.appropria.ion" I. seems 5 ear .ha. i# .he Co-enan. Code was inspired by any one pie5e o# 4esopo.amian ega wri.ing6 i. was
.he Code o# Hammurabi" The .wo .ex.s share .heirbase #orma.: a b o57 o# 5asuis.i5 aw abu..ed on ei.her side by 5hun7s o# Bapodi5.i5 awC!appearing in
bo.h .ex.s in .he #orm o# empha.i5 s.a.emen.s$" The 5en.ra b o57 o# 5asuis.i5 aw in .he Co-enan. Code and .he a..er ha # o# .he Code o# Hammurabi presen.simi ar
.hemes in a simi ar order"
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Indeed6 as Da-id Drigh. poin.s ou.: B;o o.her 7nown5unei#orm aw 5o e5.ion has as many and per-asi-e
simi ari.ies wi.h E.he Co-enan.CodeF as does E.he Code o# HammuabiF" :nd no o.her bib i5a 5o e5.ion has as manysimi ari.ies .o E.he Laws o# HammurabiF as does E.he Co-enan.
CodeFC"
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To wha. ex.en. and in wha. way .he Co-enan. Code borrowed #rom .he Laws o# Hammurabi is by no means 5er.ain" I# .he in.en. o# .he
Co-enan. Code was .o ay down.he es.ab ished and a5.i-e aw o# .he .ime6 and i# .ha. 5en.ra body o# aw was he d in5ommon wi.h 4esopo.amia during i.s A d Baby onian period6
.hen bo.h 5odes wou dha-e been drawing on .he same exis.ing 5orpus o# ega .hough.6 exp aining .hesimi ari.ies be.ween .he .wo do5umen.s" Howe-er6 i# .he
Code o# Hammurabi was no. are# e5.ion o# a5.i-e y pra5.i5ed aw6 bu. ser-ed some o.her purpose6 .hen .he in5 usion o#
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Hso mu5h o# i.s s.ru5.ure in .he Co-enan. Code 5as.s .ha. do5umen.
in a -ery di##eren. igh." To be..er unders.and .he re a.ionship be.ween .hese .wo .ex.s6 i. is #irs. ne5essary.o examine .he purpose o# .he Code o# Hammurabi in i.s
own .ime6 and nex. .o 5onsider.he ra.iona e behind i.s .ransmission .hrough .he ages"The Code o# Hammurabi does no. s.and a one in .he anna s o# 4esopo.amian ega
wri.ing" I. is pre5eded by .he aws o# Lipi.(Ish.ar6 Eshnunna6 and Ur( nammu6 and#o owed by .he neo(Baby onian Laws6 :ssyrian Laws6 and Hi..i.e Laws" : .hese
aw5odes bear s.y is.i5 simi ari.ies .o one ano.her: .hey are in arge par. 5omprised o# 5asuis.i5 Ii# : .hen B< s.a.emen.s6 whi5h are grouped in.o .hemes6 e"g"6 aws
5on5erningmurder6 sexua .ransgressions6 or .he#." A#.en6 .wo .ex.s wi share remar7ab y simi ar6 ore-en iden.i5a anguage"
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Con.ras. .his
passage #rom .he Code o# Ur(namma: BI# a manpresen.s himse # as a wi.ness bu. re#uses .o .a7e .he oa.h6 he sha ma7e 5ompensa.ion o# wha.e-er was .he obje5. o# .he 5aseC
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6 wi.h .his one #rom .he Code o# Hammurabi: BI# aman in a 5ase bear #a se wi.ness6 or do no. es.ab ish .he .es.imony .ha. he has gi-en6 i# .ha. 5ase be a 5ase in-o -ing i#e6 .ha.
man sha be pu. .o dea.h" I# a man bears wi.ness#or grain or money6 he sha himse # bear .he pena .y imposed in .ha. 5aseC
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" Though .hephrasing has
de-e oped6 .he #undamen.a meaning remains .he same" In 4esopo.amian aw6 a re#usa .o .a7e .he oa.h was 5onsidered ei.her an admission o# gui .6 or are5ogni.ion o# .he
7now edge .ha. one wou d ha-e .o perjure onese #" Bo.h aws propose.ha. a wi.ness who sub-er.s .he ega pro5ess by re#using .o .es.i#y or .es.i#ying #a se y
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