oldest source of law is considered to be the law of Hammurabi, or rather a set of them, which regulated the life of the ancient Babylonian society.We discovered it during one of the archaeological expeditions in the territory of Mesopotamia, between the legendary Tigris and Euphrates rivers.French archaeologists have worked in Susa, one of the oldest cities, located in present-day Iraq.The findings were impressive: artefacts, numerous clay tablets with cuneiform texts mysterious, utensils.Among them was a special thing - a black basalt pillar height of 2.25 meters.The bottom of it was completely covered with cuneiform characters.Upstairs adorned image of the sun god Shamash.He handed a scroll man in royal garb.
find was taken to Paris, national museum of France Louvre.The researchers immediately went into raptures, decipher the mysterious inscriptions.It was an amazing work of art and at the same time a reminder of the ancient law, dubbed "the laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi."
How did this lawyer?To answer this question, we should look at the political map of the region.In the first half of the XVIII century.BC.Mesopotamia is himself a number of cities, which are often competing with each other.Hammurabi united these states into a single unit, stop infighting and selected Babylon as its capital.In order to centralize its authority, it takes its own set of rules and regulations.This is the story of Hammurabi, and what is their point?
lawyer, who was handed over to the king by the Shamash, consists of an introduction, the articles (total number of which is equal to 282) and a conclusion.Violation of them was considered a crime against the deity, so was punished very severely.Hammurabi of Babylon was to give peace, justice and prosperity.Article compiled in casuistic form, that is, they do not describe the general rules and specific cases of life.
claimed Hammurabi division of society into full and unequal.For the same crime, they responded differently.The state used slave labor, and is completely dependent person submits to the will of his master.However, a slave might have their own farm, the family, and even to enter into civil transactions.Hammurabi facilitated the formation of the institution of private property, but it is still regulated by the civil and family relationships, heredity.
was interesting and the criminal policy of the Babylonian state.Hammurabi wanted to eradicate the evil, fought with the criminals, atheists and villains.His laws calling for retribution, punishment, which is equal to the damage.Of the principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", which is then found in the Bible occurred here.In addition, used to intimidate, a system of fines and public trial as a remnant of the tribal system, were taken into account extenuating circumstances.
Although Hammurabi lawyer applied fairly short time, his influence on the development of the legal culture of the world is invaluable.
