The Code of Hammurabi

Marriage is a union or a legal contract between a man and woman who become spouses that could be ritually or socially recognized to create kinship, rights, and obligations of one another on their terms. Marriage varied through cultures and religions, people get married for different reasons such as financial, sexual relations, religious purposes, it could have been arranged or force marriage by families because some parent looked at their children as property, or a child or children could have been born out of wedlock.

The Code of Hammurabi treated women unfairly and kind of harsh, it gave women few rights, they seem to have no control in their marriage, they could only divorce. Marriage in the Code of Hammurabi was a legal contract that is usually arranged by the bride’s father, a wife could be treated as property like sons, and daughters but they belonged to their husband instead of their father. According to code 181 “If a father has offer (his daughter) a priestess a hierodule or a votaress to a god but has not bestowed a dowry on her, after the father goes to his fate she shall at the division take one-third of her inheritance out of the parental estate and shall have usufruct f it so long as she live. Her estate goes to her bothers.” But if a man wanted to marry a wife he had to bring forth a bridal gift and dowry. For example, code 160 says “if a man has had a gift brought to his father-in-law’s house or given a bridal gift and the father of the girl states “I will not give you my daughter (in marriage)” he must double everything that has been brought to him and restore it.” The father could have changed his mind on the price or if he wants the man to marry his daughter. Once the daughter is married she is the property of the husband and he sexuality belongs to him. If a woman was accused of committing any sexual relation outside of her marriage she could be drowned, but in code 131 “if the husband of a married lady has accused her but she is not caught lying with the other man, she shall take an oath by the life of god and return house.”

Women could only divorce in the code of Hammurabi, if a woman had hated her husband and states “Thou shalt not have the natural use of me” the facts of her case shall be determined in her district and, of she has kept her chaste and has no fault, while her husband is given to going out of doors and so has greatly belittled her, that woman shall suffer no punishment, she may take her dowry back and return to her father’s house.” (142)

In the ten commandments is the biblical laws and commandments of Christianity, Judaism, Islam. The commandments differ from the code of Hammurabi because the commandments don’t punish or kill anyone if they commit crime, it gives divine ordinance. The commandment of Christ says, “Love the lord your god a with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment.