A collection of
legal rulings written at the time of the
reign of
Hammurabi (1795-1750
B.C.E.), king of
Babylon. Hammurabi is granted rule by the gods
Anu and
Enlil, and is instructed to “make justice prevail in the
land”. These are not the earliest known laws from
Mesopotamia, but are the most
complete. The laws lend great insight into the structure of social classes in
ancient Babylon, especially as to the conduct of women and slaves. Law #142 illustrates that
women are treated fairly when a
marital relationship is breaking
down:
142. “If a woman
repudiates her husband, and declares, ‘You will not have marital
relations with
me’- her
circumstances shall be investigated by the authorities of her city
quarter, and if she is
circumspect and without
fault, but her husband is wayward and
disparages her greatly, that woman will not be subject to any
penalty; she shall take her
dowry and she shall depart for her father’s house.”
See also:
The Epic of Gilgamesh