Question

What does law number eight of Hammurabi’s code describe the punishment for

Answer 1

Law number eight of Hammurabi's Code is part of the prologue and does not describe a punishment; however, the code is known for assigning punishments based on social status, reflecting the social hierarchy of Babylonian society.

Step-by-step explanation:

Law Number Eight of Hammurabi's Code

The Code of Hammurabi is one of the most important early law codes from ancient Mesopotamia, and its decrees are a testament to the legal principles of the time. Hammurabi's Code was established on the philosophy that punishment should fit the crime, and that penalties often varied based on social status. Law number eight specifically does not describe a punishment, rather it is one of the prologue laws explaining the purpose of the entire code. However, the punishment for crimes would likely reflect the Babylonian social hierarchy, where aristocrats, commoners, and slaves would receive different consequences for the same crime.

This notion correlates with modern legal principles where the punishment is proportional to the crime but contrasts with our notion of equality before the law. The reason for the different treatment based on social class in Hammurabi's Code could be attributed to the hierarchical nature of ancient societies, where social order was maintained through differentiating the value of individuals based on their status.

Answer 2

The Code of Hammurabi is inscribed on this seven-foot basalt stele. The stele is now at the Louvre. The Code of Hammurabi refers to a set of rules or laws enacted by the Babylonian King Hammurabi (reign 1792-1750 B.C.). The code governed the people living in his fast-growing empire.