What Was The Mesopotamian View Of The Afterlife?

8. Write a paragraph explaining how the cultural epoch theory explains the stability of Egyptian culture for over 2,000 years. What differences do you notice (in your opinion) between Egypt and the Mesopotamian civilizations of Chapter 1?

There was a king named Hammurabi. He came to power in 1792. He made a code of laws to bring justice to all. He had many laws. Hammurabi’s code was fair since it protected the weak, in law 148 it talks about a husband’s responsibility to his wife “he shall not divorce his wife whom the disease has seized” also, law 168 says that a judge shall decide what is right “if the son has not committed a grave misdemeanor... the father shall not disinherit his son.”

Numerous laws in Hammurabi’s Code ensured the protection of the civilization by preventing future conflicts

The Code of Hammurabi is a set of laws that date back to 1745 BC put in place by the babylonian king Hammurabi. The laws were meant to keep the peace among its people. Hammurabi code consist a total of 282 laws such as “an eye for an eye.” Hammurabi code had positive effects on its people it created a sense of civic responsibility, personal responsibility, and formed a path to the progression of laws. These laws were meant for the people of Babylon to know that there was always a punishment in case someone did wrong or caused harm.

Around 4,000 years ago Hammurabi’s code was created by Hammurabi the king of Babylonia with the goal of bringing justice to his kingdom. He even claimed that Shamash the god of justice commanded him to make these laws. Then his laws were carved into large stone’s called steles, written in the ancient cuneiform written, and then put up throughout all major communities of Babylonia. However, these ancient laws were not fair for everyone in his kingdom. Hammurabi’s Code was unjust because the laws pertaining to family life, property law, and personal injury were unfair.

In Mesopotamia, Hammurabi equated accomplishments and prosperities to the gods’ intentions. Around 1755 B.C.E., Hammurabi created a law code that dealt with social, economic, and judicial conventions. According to Hammurabi,

The code of Hammurabi is a code of laws created by the Babylonian king, Hammurabi. The laws were enacted in 1750 B.C. The code of Hammurabi consisted of 282 laws that cover a wide variety of material. These set of laws formed a sense of justice for the people. The laws were written for the people who were under the rule of Hammurabi. They provide a great amount of information on how the ancient people of mesopotamia, such as,their class system and what was expected of them.

Women have played important roles throughout history. They have been responsible for the rise and fall of nations, sustaining families, and have been the focal point of worship in ancient religions. Moving forward in history, women's roles have continually changed. Their status as matriarchs changed as the more advanced ancient civilizations rose. The patriarchal societies of ancient Greece and Rome viewed women differently from some societies of past eras. The study of the economic and political status of women, their rights, and their contributions to both these ancient societies reveals how views change throughout history.

As we look into Hammurabi’s code; which is described as being the first evidence of written law. We realize how laws have helped with the creation of improved social and moral obligation overall. Though Hammurabi’s laws were perhaps more tailored to the rich, it did bring about a sense of equality. This was made evident by the shift of power from one individual who ruled; to a group considered the legal establishment.

Life, Death, and Legacy: Mortality and Purpose within Ancient Mesopotamian Cosmology How does humanity come to terms with our mortality? How do we continue to live our lives in the face of impending death? These questions are so central to human existence that mankind's earliest text, The Epic of Gilgamesh, focuses on life and escaping mortality. The literature contemplates death, legacy, and the principles of a life well lived as it follows King Gilgamesh's, the legendary Babylonian, pursuit of renown and eternal life. The Epic of Gilgamesh characterizes death as inevitable and unstoppable; quests for immortality will fail.

Firstly, the legal status of Mesopotamian women was, to a great degree, diverse and unjustifiable contrasted with ancient Egyptian women. The poorer women in Mesopotamia were not recognized, as the ones who were richer and famous, were protected legally. Richer women and men enjoyed the same legal rights Mesopotamian women were restricted from many activities that men were able to do. Women could not participate in law cases as a

The epic gives insight to the ways in which ancient Mesopotamians valued life. This becomes most obvious when Enkidu reveals to Gilgamesh his nightmare of the dark and enslaving afterlife as he is dying (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 2). This leaves Gilgamesh with extreme terror of death which provokes his desperate attempts to escape it. Giving death fearful and dark characteristics communicates that the afterlife is a harrowing experience and life is the individual’s harmonious experience. This serves to establish that ancient Mesopotamians sensed that life was something to be cherished and conceived of in a positive light. In addition, Mesopotamian life views are also illustrated when Gilgamesh must accept that he will not receive his requests for immortality from the gods (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 2). This suggests Mesopotamian society believed wise men should be grateful for their destiny and that he or she should not reach beyond what they are given. In doing so, this

As we have learned from history, women generally do not have the same equal rights as men do. In fact, it is rare to find a time in history, where both men and women were seen as equal people and given the same rights. During this course, we have studied several civilizations that do not practice equality for both genders. One primary example is the Athenian Civilization and how their women did not have natural rights, they were seen as housewives, and their husbands decided their freedom. This image of women is one that is constantly seen throughout history, and can even be found in some societies in today’s world.

The “Code of Hammurabi” is considered to be one of the most valuable finds of human existence. In fact its very existence created the basis for the justice system we have come to rely on today. The creation of “the Code” was a tremendous achievement for not only Babylonian society but for the entire Mesopotamian region as King Hammurabi was ruler over all of that area. Its conception can be considered to be the first culmination of the laws of different regions into a single, logical text. Hammurabi wanted to be an efficient ruler and realized that this could be achieved through the use of a common set of laws which applied to all territories and all citizens who fell under his rule. This paper will discuss the Hammurabi Code and the

The key similarities between the two waves of civilizations are important and were continued throughout history even further than the empires of the second wave. These similarities included slavery, treatment of women, and the patriarch and monarch rulers; these similarities were intertwined in both waves. Hierarchies of gender declared that women and men were not equal because “to be gendered as masculine or feminine defines the roles and behavior considered appropriate for men and women in every human community.” The hierarchy of gender led to the creation of patriarchy, the concept that women are lesser or subordinate to men in all aspects of life. This idea of patriarchy meant sons were valued more than daughters, men had more opportunities in society and with jobs, the opportunity to rule, and men were the heads of their households. However, this wasn’t true for every society, even in the first civilizations there were cities and groups of people living within some states that allowed women to do what they wanted to do out in society. The Egyptians were a good example of equality as women were legally viewed equal to men. They were able to own land and slaves, initiate divorce, and rarely they would reach the position of queen, the most famous being Hatshepsut. On the more extreme side, in ancient Mesopotamia, patriarchy took root quickly in the form of actual written law. The code of Hammurabi was created in 1750 B.C.E. creating very submissive laws for