Question

How might the Code of Hammurabi be useful evidence in determining what life was like under the Babylonian empire in Mesopotamia? How might it not be useful?

Answer 1

The Code illustrates that property and ownership were extremely important. The punishment for certain types of theft was death. All business transactions required a receipt so that proof of sale and ownership could be established. If someone is responsible for the destruction of someone else's property through their own negligence, they had to pay for the loss. This all shows that the Babylonians cared deeply about the rightful ownership of property.