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Ashlyn Gunn
Mr. Haupin
CP History 1
17 October 2011
The Usage of Hammurabis Code
Hammurabis Code is a useful source for an anthropologist analyzing Babylonian culture
because, using the four components of analyzing culture, you can see what the ancient
Babylonians were like and what they had as a people. The four components of studying culture
are society, religion, economy, and government. To study the society of the ancient Babylonians
an anthropologist would study law number 8. A law that displays religion in the Code of
Hammurabi would be law number 6. A law that would be good for an anthropologist to study for
economy would be law number 48. Also, a good law for studying government in the Code of
Hammurabi would be law number 26.
To study society of the ancient Babylonians, an anthropologist would study law number 8
of Hammurabis Code. Society consists of tracing kinship, social classes, marriage/ relationships,
roles of the women/ men/ children, sports, education and who is responsible, arts, and ways of
communication. It declares in law 8 that, If a patrician [noble] has stolen ox, sheep, donkey, pig
or ship, whether from a temple, or a house, he shall pay thirtyfold. If he be a plebeian, he shall
return tenfold. If the thief cannot pay, he shall be put to death. Law 8 deals with the social
classes, therefore it shows us that the ancient Babylonians had social classes [component of
society].
A law that displays religion in the Code of Hammurabi would be law number 6. Religion
has to do with worshiping, rituals/ prayers/ ceremonies, type of religion, holidays, superstition,
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beliefs toward death/ afterlife, the building of religious buildings/ temples/ churches, and a key
book or set of rules the people stand by or hold to. It states in law 6 that, If a man has stolen
goods from a temple or house, he shall be put to death; and he that has received the stolen
property from him shall be put to death. This law is basically saying that he who steals from a
house or temple, and he who buys the stolen goods will be killed. Law 6 informs us of the
religion of the ancient Babylonians because it tells us that they had a temple, or holy/ religious
building [component of religion].
A law that would be good for an anthropologist to study for economy would be law
number 48. Economy is involved in jobs, money, crops, economic exchange, measuring [weight,
height], clothing, food and how it is cooked, tools, systems of transportation, trade with other
cultures, and types of animals raised. Law 48 says, If a man has incurred a debt and a storm has
flooded his field or carried away the crop, or the corn has not grown because of drought, in that
year he shall not pay his creditor. Further, he shall post-date his bond and shall not pay interest
for that year. Law 48 shows that the ancient Babylonians had a money system and corn [a crop/
component of economy].
Also, a good law for studying government in the Code of Hammurabi would be law
number 26. Government, when analyzing culture, has components such as codes of laws/ sets of
rules, a constitution, type of government, who makes the cultural decisions, institutions to make
laws/ run government, penalties for crimes, military, warfare, places named, evidence of
government jobs, and what value do the laws [if any] show in this culture. If a chieftain
[officer] or a man [common soldier], has been ordered to go upon the kings highway for war
does not go, but hires a mercenary, if he withholds the compensation, then shall this officer or
man be put to death, and he who represented him shall take possession of his house, as it is said
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in law 26. Law 26 has told us that the Babylonians had punishments for wrong doings and
military aspects [components of government].
Hammurabis Code is a useful source for an anthropologist analyzing Babylonian culture
because, using the four components of analyzing culture, you can see what the ancient
Babylonians were like and what they had as a people. To study culture one needs to utilize and
identify the four components of culture in the document, which are society, religion, economy,
and government. For example, law number 8 represents the component society with the use of
social classes. Law 6 assists the religion part because it utilizes a temple/ holy and religious
building. For its use of money and crops, law number 48 assists you to learn more about
Hammurabis Code, thus informing us about the ancient Babylonians even more. Lastly, law 26
tells us that the ancient Babylonians had punishment for wrong doings and also had a military.
All of these components show us that the ancient Babylonians had all these components of
culture. The Code of Hammurabi is not just as if we are reading a set of laws, but as if we are
peering into the world of the ancient Babylonians. How much have we changed from then to
today?