I dunno Chris, seems like they pretty much just killed everybody who did something wrong.

Not a very "chill" society.

Yeah dude, "This builder built a house, and it fell down 5 years later, just get rid of him"

It does illustrate how unnatural it is to live in a large settlement, though. We have since gotten very good at structuring large societies, but early cities must have been hellish

282. If a slave says to his master: "You are not my master," if they convict him his master shall cut off his ear.

Half of these include burying the guy who did you wrong in your house. What's up with that?

I'm good with just cutting his ear off

But one may have to consider. Before large settlements and complex societies, the only jurisprudence may have been personal vendettas. So maybe these laws reconcile local custom with an objective apparatus for implementing law.

215: If a physician performs eye surgery and saves the eye, he shall receive ten shekels in money.

Ancient eye surgery <:nervous:359009898115104770>

@Jason - CT absolutely, what I'm saying is that the apparatus is clunky, and that I'm happy to live in a time where the heavy hand of the state doesn't weigh down on me in such an inhuman way

I wonder how much of this was actually necessary to enforce.

Or if threat of really clear and severe capital punishment was enough to dissuade all but the most impulsive criminals.

Some of these seem to be very easy to accidentally commit

Yeah i noted that as well

192. If an adopted son says to his adoptive father or mother: "You are not my father, or my mother," his tongue shall be cut off.

195. If a son strikes his father, his hands shall be cut off.

196. If someone says, "They watch anime" they shall have their eyes removed

This is a good law ^

Idk. Seems like they were on to something.

127. If any one "point the finger" at (slanders or accuses of adultery) a holy woman or someone else’s wife but cannot prove it, this man shall be taken before the judges and his brow shall be marked (by cutting the skin, or perhaps cutting off half his hair.)

lol.

Half of ya'll would be bald.

Respect Wamen

@Sean @Wamyn. Don't be sexist!

@Deleted User Tfw Muller has no hair.

Wvmvn

141. If a man's wife, who lives in his house, wishes to leave to engage in business, plunging them into debt, trying to ruin her house, and neglecting her husband, and is judicially convicted, if her husband wants a divorce, she may go on her way, and he gives her nothing as a gift of release. If her husband does not wish to release her, and instead chooses to take another wife, the first wife shall remain as servant in her husband's house. OG Thot patroling

@fgtveassassin Sounds alot like many verses in the Old Testament.

That sounds like a strong, independent first wife. She should have been a cool wine aunt.

200. Thou shall not talk down to thy neighbor's wife's son.

Interesting convo y’all are having!

Just lurking here

Wonder how some of these played out, like: 207. If the man dies of his wound, he shall swear similarly, and if he (the deceased) was a free-born man, he shall pay half a mina in money.

Would there be anyone on the side of the deceased who could testify, for example, the killer had motive to kill the person?

These do sound a lot like the Old Testament. Brb google

Old Testament began to be written around 400 years after Hammurabi’s code.

@fgtveassassin Doesn't seem to require proof of motive.

@fgtveassassin I think these did not play out very often, perhaps most of their authority was in the words of the law itself, as law enforcement was primitive and ineffective

If someone knows they will only be caught 10% of the time they break a law, because enforcement is simply rare, then they would break it pretty commonly. Now make these laws as draconian as the Hammurabi code, and see if they’re still going take that gamble

We can start with Chicago and see how it goes.

I think the better law enforcement you have, the more lenient you can be with the conviction

We need a paraglider division stat.