Writing and Laws - Mesopotamia

Writing and Laws - Mesopotamia

Why People Have Laws

Why did KIng Hammurabi Create Laws?

• Hammurabi thought he was appointed by the Gods to bring order

• Trade, Travel, People had Property

• Conflicts Broke Out

• People and Communities Needed Limitations and Laws

The Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi, 1792-1750 B.C.E., basalt, 225 x 65 cm (Louvre, Paris).

Multiple Choice

The actual stele is considered a...

• secondary source
• primary source
• a decorative way to present a king's laws
• cool artifact from ancient times

Multiple Choice

Which modern idiom refers to Hammurabi's Code?

• An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth
• It's raining cats and dogs.
• Break a leg!
• The wisdom of an old man brings wealth.

Multiple Choice

What were the ancient people like in Mesopotamia?

• They were a lot like us. Everyone was treated equally.
• They believed that the gods gave their kings authority.
• They were very unkind and unjust.
• They believed in one god.

Multiple Choice

How would you describe his laws?

• Fair and balanced.
• Very harsh by our modern standards.
•  Too lenient (easy on the offender)
• complicated

Multiple Choice

What is cuneiform?

• The early letters/symbols.
• An early language of the Babylonians.
• The big black stone where the code was written.
• Hammurabi's language.

Multiple Choice

What is a stele?

• A babylonian chariot.
• A big black rock with the written laws etched on it.
• A big black rock with carvings etched on it.
• An early form of steel.

Multiple Choice

What is he famous for?

• He was the first to use cuneiform (writing)
• He was the first emperor.
• He had a powerful army.
• He was the first to produce written laws.

Multiple Choice

Who was Hammurabi?

• He was a god.
• He was a king of the first city of Ur.
• He was the king of the Babylonian empire.
• He was a Mesopotamian scribe.

How Did They Write Down Their Laws and History?

Cuneiform!

Through his struggle to find meaning in life, Gilgamesh defied death and, in doing so, becomes the first epic hero in world literature. The grief of Gilgamesh, and the questions his friend's death evoke, resonate with every human being who has wrestled with the meaning of life in the face of death.

Hero's Journey Began with...

The Epic of Gilgamesh