Laws of Hammurabi

"Laws of Hammurabi" is a great example of how kings were considered to have the divine right to rule. The way Hammurabi describes himself in the prologue makes him sound godlike. In the beginning, he just says that he was appointed by the gods because "Anu and Enlil ... named me by the name" (76). He says he is a good king because he is "obedient to the god Shamash", implying that the favor of the gods is necessary for him to rule. The way Hammurabi describes himself later, though, makes him sound like he is a god himself. He calls himself a shepherd several times, which is the same way God is described as a shepherd in the Bible. Hammurabi also says he will "rise like the sun-god Shamash" (76-77). He describes himself as "the fierce wild bull" (78) which is exactly how the part divine, part human Gilgamesh was described. The language of the Prologue is similar to that in the beginning of a myth, giving the impression that Hammurabi is larger than life.

The laws in this document seem to deal out pretty harsh punishments. Many of the crimes listed, such as theft, are punishable by death. Other than that, the laws seem pretty fair. For example, if a person does not follow through on a promise, they must compensate for it in some way. We can also see that religion was not separate from law. Law 11 states that witnesses are to speak "before the god".