History: Discussion 1

Topic 1: Law Code of HammurabiRequired Reading:Kevin Reilly, The Human Journey, Chapter 2Website: Law Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon – http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/law-code-hammurabi-king-babylonWebsite: Code of Hammurabi: Ancient Babylonian Laws – http://www.livescience.com/39393-code-of-hammurabi.htmlWebsite: 8 Things You May Not Know about Hammurabi’s Code – http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-hammurabis-codeWebsite: Hammurabi, The Code of Hammurabi [-2250] (scroll about half way down the page past the transliteration to the English translation) http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/hammurabi-the-code-of-hammurabiAfter reading Chapter 2 and the material at the websites, and viewing the videos, please make a 250-word initial post that answers the following discussion prompt about the primary source:You can see from the web readings and the video that there is disagreement about the purpose, nature, and fairness of Hammurabi’s Code, a primary source created at the time of Hammurabi. There are 282 “laws” in the Code. Scan the whole Code at http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/hammurabi-the-code-of-hammurabi and then read 28 “laws” (10%) carefully before answering the discussion prompts: How is the Code organized? Why do you think some laws are first? What do the laws tell you about the nature of early urban life? What seem to be major concerns? Do the laws seem just? Why or why not?