Underwood & Underwood 



AN ARAB HOME IX BABYLONIA 



is suggested by such episodes as the story 

 of Hagar in the Old Testament, which is 

 not in accord with the Mosaic Code, 

 which was doubtless extensively influ- 

 enced by the Amorite culture, but is sim- 

 ilar to the Babylonian. 



Abraham may have become acquainted 

 with Babylonian law while sojourning in 

 southern Babylonia, if the theory that Ur 

 of the Chaldees is to be located in that 

 region ; but it is more probable that he 

 learned it in Aram, his ancestral home. 



On some subjects but one law is given, 

 while upon others as many as thirty. 

 The following brief outline will afford 

 an idea of the subject-matter treated: 

 Witchcraft, witnesses, judges ; concern- 

 ing offenses involving the purity of jus- 

 tice, as tampering with witnesses, jury, 

 or judge; crimes of various sorts, as 

 theft, receiving stolen goods, kidnaping, 

 fugitive slaves, burglary; duties of pub- 



lic officers in their administration ; laws 

 relating to landlords, tenants, creditors, 

 debtors ; canal and water rights, licenses, 

 messengers, herdsmen, gardeners, slan- 

 der, family relationship, marriage, di- 

 vorce, desertion, breach of promise, 

 adultery, unchastity, concubinage ; rights 

 of women, purchase-money of brides, in- 

 heritance, adoption, responsibility for all 

 kinds of assaults ; fees of surgeons ; 

 branding of slaves, fees and responsibili- 

 ties of builders and boatmen ; hiring of 

 boats ; agricultural life, the purchase and 

 punishment of slaves who repudiate their 

 master, etc. 



GRADES OF SOCIETY 



In no better way is it possible to be- 

 come acquainted with the every-day life 

 of the ancient Babylonian than by a care- 

 ful study of the Hammurabi Code. 



The code recognizes three grades of 

 society — the aristocrat, or gentleman, the 



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