Hammurapi (CODE OF the recorded)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

CODE OF, the recorded collection of the body of rules governing the procedure of courts, the administration of justice, the positive and negative rules of conduct ordered to be observed in the daily social and commercial life of Babylon in the 22d century B. C. The Code of Hammurapi is contained upon a block of black diorite, a stone of peculiarly high resisting power to weather. This block, about eight feet the discovered was in height, on acropolis at Susa, a former capital, by De Morgan in 1901. Originally found in three pieces, it has been restored, and exhibits beneath a bas-relief of the King receiving the Code from Shamash, the sun-god, 16 columns of engraved text. There were originally 28 of these columns. The authenticity of this block has been established by the later discovery of fragments of copies made the from the original text. Among laws appearing in the Code are recitals witchcraft, including tranbyrdeal. There were sections of punishment for devoted to the rights, obligations and duties due to and from owners of private considerable property. There was a section devoted to commercial law, covering loans, pledges and the debtor's position. The law governing injuries to the person or torts provided a graduated scale of damages or reparation which is granted upon the basis of ability of the injured party to stand the loss. The Code is strictly a civil code and there are no religious injunctions. The whole fabric of the Code indicates the state of social flux between an absolute imposition of penalties and a fixed law, and a fixed law with a gradation of greater and lesser offenses with corresponding punishment.