Co d e o f Ha m m u r a b i

Teach me, O Lord the way of Your statutes,

And I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding and I shall
keep your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my
whole heart.
Make me walk in the path of
Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
Incline my heart to your
testimonies, and not
to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at
worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
Establish Your word to
Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
Turn away my reproach which
I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.
(Psalm 119:33-40)

Have you ever wished that there weren’t so many rules

in life—you know, your parents’ rules, or church rules, Hammurabi (c. 1792–1750 B.C.) was a priest-
king who united all of Mesopotamia.
or the government’s rules, or even God’s rules? Did
you ever wonder why we need rules to begin with? Did
you ever wonder whether an ad campaign that once while running triumphantly with his hands in the air.
proclaimed “No Rules—Just Right!” was right? Sure Your whole team angrily shouts at him: “That’s no
you have! And you’re not alone. Most people have at goal! You went out of bounds! It’s a goal kick! You’re
some time or another. breaking the rules!” The winger shouts back, “I don’t
Now imagine playing in a pick-up soccer game have to follow the rules. Rules are made to be broken.
with friends. You’re playing fullback defending I’m ‘creative.’ I just made a new move. You guys are just
against a player on the opposing team who’s drib- jealous. No rules—just right!”
bling at full speed down the sidelines trying to turn Or imagine performing the role of Juliet in a presen-
the corner and score a goal. You stop him from turn- tation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In the famous
ing the corner and force him to dribble over the end “balcony scene” where Romeo and Juliet profess their
line, out of bounds. Having done your jobs, you and undying love for each other, your Romeo suddenly veers
your teammates relax for a moment, expecting to get off script and begins shouting that he really doesn’t like
the ball back for a goal kick. Unexpectedly the oppos- you anymore, “it was just a fling, I’m outta here, hope you
ing winger continues to dribble the ball out of bounds have a good life,” and exits stage left.
behind the goal, then suddenly cuts back on to the What is the problem in these two situations? The
field, shoots the ball into the net, and shouts “GOAL!” problem is that somebody in the game (and somebody
2 O m n i b u s I

in the play) decided not to follow “the Remember in your reading of the book
rules.” If these rule breakers are of Genesis how God set Adam and
not punished in some man- Eve in the Garden of Eden and
ner, the game or play will be gave them certain rules, requiring
ruined. If everybody made them to “tend and keep” the
up his own soccer rules (or Garden and permitting them
lines for Romeo and Juliet) to eat the fruit of every tree in
then you could never have the Garden, “but of the tree of
a soccer game (or perform the knowledge of good and
Shakespeare’s play). Rules evil you shall not eat.” (Gen.
are a necessary part of 2:15–17). Likewise, even in
life. “No rules” doesn’t the New Heavens and New
m e a n freedom or “just Earth after the return of our
right,” it means Lord Jesus Christ, and His
chaos, destruction and final judgment, there will
ultimately death. (Just be rules for awesome praise
ask Outback Steakhouse and worship in the glory
if “no rules” applies to of the Lord. The difference
paying their bill after you in the New Heavens and
eat their steak!) The is- Earth is that the rules will
sue is not whether there be written on our hearts by
are rules, but whose rules the grace of God, and we
they are and how we will never break them!
should follow them. The book you are about
Laws are formal to read is a translation of
rules enacted or decreed old Babylonian case laws
(commanded) by an (commonly called the
authority to govern “Code”) of Hammurabi,
social relationships. Just written or collected by a
as there is no soccer pagan king of ancient
game without soccer Babylonia, with com-
rules, there is no society ments and a compari-
without laws. And laws son of some similar
are required not just in laws from the Bible. In
our current sinful world. building the first great
Babylonian empire,
This is a stele that Hammurabi conquered
stands nearly eight
feet high on which
most of Mesopotamia,
the laws of including the cities
Hammurabi are and land of the Epic
engraved, extend- of Gilgamesh, the pre-
ing entirely around vious book in your
the shaft and occu-
Primary Omnibus
pying over 3,600
lines. Above is a fine reading. Hammurabi
relief showing King lived in the eighteenth
Hammurabi standing century B.C., a couple
at the left, receiving hundred years after
the laws from the Gilgamesh, king of
Sun-god on the right.
 Code of Hammurabi 3

Uruk and a few hundred years before the Exodus of the laws. The top third or so of the monument, above
God’s people from Egypt. the inscription of the laws, is a large engraved picture
Because Hammurabi’s empire worshipped the showing Hammurabi humbly and reverently stand-
same unreliable pagan gods as Gilgamesh (no doubt ing before Shamash, the sun god of Sippar, the an-
the Gilgamesh story was told to Hammurabi when cient city that founded the Hammurabi dynasty. The
he was growing up), Hammurabi decided that one god is sitting on his throne and delivering the divine
way to glorify his accomplishments, make his empire code to Hammurabi. The text of the monument un-
permanent and demonstrate his divine wisdom derneath the picture is divided into three main parts:
for all to see, was to publish his legal decisions a lengthy Prologue saying where the laws came from,
and judgments throughout the land. In reading why the king who gave them is so great and why
Hammurabi’s Code (we will call it “the Code”) we you had better pay attention to them; the 282 laws
will learn some important things about why and (of which we have 247, the other 35 having been
how pagan kings made rules and tried to establish “erased” by damage to the surface of the stone); and
justice and order in their kingdoms, why they were an Epilogue restating where these laws came from,
unsuccessful, why external laws by themselves are and declaring them to be justice and light which no
not sufficient to establish a godly life or society, and future kings must ever change.
why justice depends on the righteousness of the Despite Hammurabi’s bragging about his
triune God of the Bible. achievements in the Code’s Prologue, his empire was
very shaky and unstable. In order to keep and grow
his empire he had to fight wars almost continually.
Several times he double-crossed city-states that had
General Information been his allies, and many times he broke agreements
he made with other kings. The last four years of his
Author and Context reign were relatively quiet, and he concentrated on
In 1905 professor W. W. Davies edited an English his lawgiving (this is when he produced the Code)
translation of the Code of Hammurabi. He notes and enlarging the religious centers and temples
some comparisons with the laws of Moses from the in his empire. Even then, however, he was building
Bible and comments on many of the laws to make many defensive fortifications for his cities, expect-
their meaning clearer. In the 1890s scholars already ing future attacks against his empire. Soon after
knew much about the great King Hammurabi, and a Hammurabi’s death his empire began falling apart,
three volume book on the letters and inscriptions of and the region broke up into several smaller, com-
the king was published in 1900. The Code, however, peting kingdoms. No “super power” empire appeared
was not discovered until early in 1902, unexpectedly, again until the great and terrible Assyrian empire in
during a dig by French archeologist M. deMorgan the early 700’s B.C., the empire which conquered the
in ancient Susa (biblical Shushan), Persia (present northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.
day Iran). During the time of Hammurabi, Persia
was called Elam. Since the Code is in Babylonian
script and language, and Hammurabi was king of Significance
Babylonia, scholars did not suspect that such a code Why do we care about these four thousand-year-
would be found in Persia. (Either Hammurabi con- old case laws anyway? There are several reasons. One
trolled Elamite territory, or the Code was brought is that they are one of the oldest and largest collections
back to Susa when the Elamites conquered Babylon of non-biblical laws of which we have actual copies
later in the twelfth century B.C.). from ancient times. They demonstrate how the an-
The Code was discovered on three pieces of a cient pagan societies and kingdoms that “went their
large, black stone (usually called a “stele”) approxi- own way” after Noah and God’s dispersing of the peo-
mately eight feet tall, five to six feet wide (slightly ples at Babel were very sophisticated and smart people
tapered) and rounded at the top. Both sides of the with a highly developed understanding of the need for
stone monument are covered with the inscription of rules of justice and order.
4 O m n i b u s I

A second reason we read the Code is because it the key technological tool of Mesopotamian farmers
shows us how ancient pagan societies tried to bring and builders (Mesopotamian buildings were made out
order and justice to their lands without having the of baked mud bricks). Enlil was associated with the
laws that God delivered to His chosen people. city of Nippur.
A third reason is that they show how a great pa- Enki is the manager of the earth’s productivity, and
gan king attempted to control his kingdom, demon- god of artists and craftsmen. He was associated with
strating his self-proclaimed divine wisdom through the city of Eridu.
just laws, in an attempt to create a kingdom which Ishtar (Inanna in Sumerian) is queen of heaven, a
lasts forever. prostitute and the goddess of love and war, the chief
female deity (the Hebrew Ashtoreth and the Greek
Astarte represent the same goddess, widely worshiped
Main Characters in the ancient world).
Not much is known about the personal life or Nanna or Sin is the moon god, who measures and
personality of Hammurabi. Documents that we have, illuminates the night. His chief centers of worship were
including signed letters of Hammurabi, indicate that Ur and Haran, both places associated with Abraham.
he had a powerful personality, was a good military “And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot,
strategist, broke alliances or agreements whenever he the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his
thought he could increase his empire by doing so, and son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from
he did not like to delegate work (that is, he was always Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and
personally involved in negotiations and diplomacy, or they came to Haran and dwelt there.” (Gen. 11:31).
in making decisions on appeals made to him from his Nanna is often represented as a bull, such as the fa-
subjects, rather than letting the people who worked for mous harp with a carved bull whose beard is made
him handle these matters). This latter observation leads of lapis lazuli, found at Ur and now at the Museum
historians to believe that one reason his empire was so of Archeology at the University of Pennsylvania in
fragile and did not last long after his death was that he Philadelphia (which would make a great field trip if
refused, or did not know how, to construct an effective you are close to Philadelphia).
government bureaucracy to manage his vast empire. Shamash or Utu is the sun god, widely known in the
Thus, the whole empire depended on him as “the great ancient middle east (Beth-shemesh is the “house of the
man” who ran things by the force of his personality. sun god,” Joshua 15:10). As the god of the penetrating
He did have organizational skills, since he produced light that goes everywhere, he was judge and defender
many large public works including temples to the gods of justice. His sacred cities were Sippar and Larsa, and
and huge canal projects. Typical of most ancient kings, his symbol was the sun disk. In Ezekiel 8:16, apostate
who were the celebrities of their day, his ego and vanity Israelite men in Jerusalem were worshipping Shamash
knew no limits (he had a very “big head”). with their back to God’s Temple.
Nergal is the god of the underworld who is re-
sponsible for fever, plague and the scorching sum-
Summary and Setting mer heat on earth. His wife, Ereshkigal, was the
Babylon was a setting in which many gods were sister and underworld rival of Ishtar or Inanna. In
worshiped and served. We do not have room to give Mesopotamian mythology, because of some mean
a detailed account of all of the gods mentioned in the things Ereshkigal did when Inanna and her con-
Code. Here are the main ones: sort Dumuzi (Tammuz in Hebrew) once visited her,
Lord of heaven An (or Anu) is the chief god (al- Dumuzi was forced to live in the underworld part of
though he had divine parents too), and with his wife every year, and thus became known as the dying and
Ki was the father and creator of numerous gods and reviving god (like Persephone in the Greek myths). In
demons. He was the chief god of Uruk and its temple Ezekiel 8:14, at the same time that some Hebrew men
called Eanna. were worshipping Shamash, some Hebrew women
Enlil is lord of the atmosphere, who sends rains were worshipping pagan gods by ritually lamenting
and destructive storms and was creator of the pickaxe, Tammuz’ death.
 Code of Hammurabi 5

The Code is divided into three basic sections: instead. The foul, however, does little to stop your
1) the Prologue, 2) the list of case laws, and 3) the progress and you continue toward the goal. The
Epilogue. In some ways the Prologue and Epilogue are referee waves his arm signaling “play on” and you
the most important parts because they establish what continue to dribble closer to unload a strong shot on
Hammurabi was trying to do by publishing the Code, goal. Stop and consider: Why didn’t the referee stop
and why he was trying to do this. the match and give the defender who fouled you the
usual penalty for breaking the rules? The answer is
that the foul rule is intended to prevent the defender
Worldview from unfairly impeding the dribbler’s progress. In
Remember the soccer winger who dribbled out this case, even though the foul was committed, you
of bounds behind the goal, then back onto the field continued on and your progress was not significantly
to score a “goal?” He made up his own rules, and his impeded. Calling the penalty in this situation would
“goal” of course would not count in any real soccer have harmed you because play would have stopped
match. Obviously, if everyone made up their own just when you had gained an advantage (by beating
rules, or changed the rules whenever they felt like it, the defender who fouled you). Thus the rule was
there could be no soccer game. Everyone would be not enforced because enforcement would not have
doing something different, and served the purpose of the rule—to prevent
it would not look like soccer at unfair impeding of the dribbler.
all. Similarly, if the actors do not In this sense the soccer rules and
closely follow the lines of Romeo rules of life are similar. The rules God
and Juliet, it is impossible to have gives us Himself, as well as those from
the play Romeo and Juliet at all. the authorities (like our parents) that He
Now, imagine you are playing gives us, are there for a purpose, and the
in a soccer game officiated by purpose is not the rules themselves.
a referee. This time you are Just as the soccer rules were created
dribbling the ball toward your not as an end in themselves (the win-
opponent’s goal. A defending ner of the game is not the team
player tries to steal the ball from that follows the most
you, but misses and fouls you rules, but the team
that scores the
The pagan festival of Easter
most goals),
originated as the worship of
the Babylonian goddess, Ishtar. but to permit
Easter was not considered a the playing of
“Christian” festival until the the game, so
Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. life’s rules are
decreed that “Easter” should
not the end or
be celebrated on the first
Sunday, after the full moon, purpose for
on or after the vernal equinox. which we live,
Many pagan customs were then but a means
absorbed into the Christian which permits
holiday of Easter. us to live godly
The egg was an emblem of
lives and have
rebirth, and the rabbit was
a pagan symbol of fertility. a godly society.
Christian missionaries extended The purpose or
the dominion of Christ end of a soccer
to the celebrations of pagan game is to play
cultures and replaced the older
the game and
festivals with the celebration of
the Resurrection. score the most
6 O m n i b u s I

goals. The purpose or end of life, both individually The Bible tells us we can neither avoid the
and for society, is to live to the glory of God and enjoy consequences of ignoring God’s law nor earn
Him forever. salvation or glory by keeping the letter of the law.
Remember when Jesus was out walking through These things are simply impossible to accomplish.
some grain fields on the Sabbath? His disciples As rebellious creatures first created and loved by
were hungry, and they pulled off some heads of the Creator, we deserve the just wrath of God. Only
grain to eat. The Pharisees complained to Jesus that God can save us, through the blood atonement of
His disciples were doing “what is not lawful on the Jesus Christ that provides both for God’s justice and
Sabbath.” Jesus then asked the Pharisees why they His mercy. When God does a great work in us by
didn’t remember the story of David when he was a changing our hearts to follow Jesus, He gives us His
refugee running from Saul, how, needy and hungry, Spirit, Who gives us the ability to desire and follow
he and his men went into the house of God and ate His laws because we love Him and know that this
the showbread, “which is not lawful to is best for us and everybody else. Only with such
eat except for the priests.” Jesus a changed heart can David say in Psalm
then told the Pharisees, “The 119:20 “My soul breaks with longing
Sabbath was made for for Your judgments at all times.”
man, and not man for the Jesus tells us that He,
Sabbath. Therefore the the Son of Man, is the Lord
Son of Man is also Lord and giver of the law, thus
of the Sabbath.” Jesus, reminding us that 1) laws
who did not come to always have a personal
abolish the law, but to source, and 2) laws
fulfill it (Matt. 5:17) are a reflection of the
shows us that the law character of their
is given not as an end source. All law codes
in itself, but for life in reveal something
Christ. about the worldview
People who are being of the people who
disobedient (unbeliev- make the laws,
ers or Christians) will not including what they
see this purpose and thus assume about God,
often twist the law or make man, justice, and the
bad laws. (Remember, any purpose of the law. In
man-made law that conflicts the case of Hammurabi,
with God’s laws is by defini- we know a lot about the
tion a bad law). God has made us gods that he said gave him
for Himself. When we rebel against the authority to make the Code.
Him we “naturally” misinterpret or misap-
ply God’s laws or seek to make different laws of our God
own. As sinners we have a tendency to disobey in one Earlier we learned that the top of the stele
of two ways: we either refuse to obey any laws that we containing the Code has a large picture of
do not agree with (this is called antinomianism by theo- Hammurabi standing before Shamash, the
logians—anti is against and nomos is law in Greek) or Babylonian sun god, seated on his throne delivering
we try to perfectly obey the external letter of God’s laws the Code to the Babylonian king. In the lengthy
(as we interpret the letter) for the purpose of “earning” Prologue and Epilogue Hammurabi declares to the
salvation or our own glory (called “legalism” by theolo- world and his subjects that he rules like the sun
gians). Both of these sins reflect an unbiblical view of god over the people, giving “light to the land” and
the purpose of the law. promoting the “welfare of mankind.” Hammurabi
 Code of Hammurabi 7

actually claims the authority to “cause justice,” one, hoping he or she would not fail. For example,
destroy the wicked, and prevent oppression in his the inscription on a statue of the god Nabu (son of
god-like status. Like the Greeks later on, and like all Marduk), set up in the Mesopotamian city of Nimrud
pagan peoples that God let “go their own way” from in the 700’s B.C., ends with the words “Wait on Nabu;
the time of Noah to the time of Christ, the ancient do not trust in another god.”
Mesopotamian peoples were polytheistic, meaning The gods’ only interest in men seemed to be for
they had many gods. As we saw above, the gods of their ability to do the hard work on the earth neces-
the Mesopotamian cities that were strongest, or sary for feeding, caring for and worshipping them in
conquered other cities, became the most important the temples of the land. They may or may not show fa-
gods because the people believed that they were vor or mercy to a man at any particular time, and they
the most powerful gods. When Babylon became never made a covenant with man or gave man any
the preeminent city in southern Mesopotamia, written rules by which to live and relate to the gods.
thanks in large part to Hammurabi, the patron or Like the Egyptian and Greek gods, the Mesopotamian
hometown god of Babylon, Marduk, was regarded as gods, although very powerful, were unreliable and ul-
the supreme ruler among the gods. This is the same timately subject to “fate” like men. In short, they were
Marduk who is the top god of the Babylonian empire not in control of the world like the creator God of the
of Nebuchadnezzar over one thousand years later. Bible. Because the Mesopotamian gods did not have
The prophet Jeremiah then prophesied (Jer. 50:2) the power, goodness, or desire to change men’s hearts
that when the Lord brings judgment on Babylon, and live in a loving relationship with them, it was im-
even Marduk (spelled Merodach in the New King possible for such gods to give men laws for the pur-
James version) will be terrified. As with all the pagan pose of life in the true, biblical sense, for which men
gods throughout history, ancient and modern, they were created.
are man-made “no gods” (or demons worshipped This situation left the Mesopotamians with no
as if they were real gods) whom the living God will guidance on how to build a just and orderly soci-
destroy for good on the final “day of the Lord.” On ety among sinners. Just like their gods, the king who
that day, all the nations will worship the one true God was strongest made the rules—until a stronger king
and Savior, Jesus Christ (See Jer. 10:11; Zeph. 2:11). shoved him out of the way and brought his own rules.
Like all pagan gods, Hammurabi’s gods were When Hammurabi became the strongest king, he
thought of as supermen. They were stronger and imposed his will by force and then claimed that all
more powerful than men, but not all-powerful and the gods had
sovereign over the universe like the triune God of the given him the
Bible. They behaved in all the bad ways men behave. authority to
Different gods seemed to have responsibility for rule and “cause
different parts of life or different parts of the land, justice” in the
representing the people’s understanding of different land. He knew
parts of nature (like the sun and storm gods) and cul- that, like soc-
ture (like the technology and judging gods). The gods cer, you can’t
continually fought against each other for position play the game
and power. They were amoral gods, who raped, killed of life without
and were unfaithful just like men. They were un- rules. One of
trustworthy like men, which may explain why there the ways he
were so many gods. If one failed, you tried the next proclaims his

One of the numerous clay-tablet letters of Hammurabi,

the king of Babylon. The writing, done while the clay was still
soft, shows signs of the speed with which the king’s secretary
took down the king’s dictation over four thousand years ago.
This particular letter orders a local governor to hear the appeal
of an official who thinks himself unjustly defeated in law.
8 O m n i b u s I

justice is by publishing his Code of laws throughout between the uncreated, sovereign, all-powerful, all-
the empire so that all the people would submit to him knowing Triune God and his creatures made in His
and all the cities would have the same rules. Then image—man. This is known as the “Creator/ creature
they all would be playing the “game of life” under his distinction” that can never be changed. Even when we
rules. Hammurabi the man sought to become, and ef- are with the Lord in the eternal state, and by the grace
fectively was, the ‘god’ of his empire. Unfortunately of God without sin, we will not be gods, but sanctified
for him and his empire, he had no power to change men. The Bible also tells us that all men, from kings
men’s hearts and give them life. So the only purpose to beggars, are sinners subject to God’s just wrath
of his laws was to glorify himself and help keep con- who can only be saved by the mercy and grace of God
trol of his people. through the atonement of Jesus Christ. The main pur-
Unlike Hammurabi and his powerless gods, our tri- pose of God’s laws is to show sinners their need for
une God is the sovereign creator and sustainer of the Christ and give God’s people the rules that help them
universe. The Father has given His Son, Jesus Christ, live for the glory and enjoyment of God. Without God’s
all power in Heaven and Earth, and Jesus, through the laws we could not know how to live for His glory, just
Holy Spirit working in the church is building His eter- like we could not know how to play soccer without
nal kingdom, which will never fail. Christians are part knowing the soccer rules.
of that glorious kingdom building because of His gra-
cious covenant. Unlike Hammurabi, who had neither
the power or goodness to bring real salvation to life, Salvation
Christians will never have to worry about Christ’s king- Since Mesopotamian religion taught that man
dom collapsing or failing. was made to serve the gods and work for the gods,
the Babylonians did not consider or admit that sin
was the problem in life. They thought their problems
Man were caused by not knowing or understanding the
The Code assumes two things about the nature of plan of the gods—so they always strove to find out
man that appear inconsistent. On the one hand, or divine (from which we get divination) what those
Hammurabi assumes “great” men like himself can plans were. Since there are a lot of things to under-
attain divine status through “great” deeds such as stand about life, the number of gods they consulted
conquering cities and empires, ruling vast numbers continually expanded. They arranged their social life
of people and establishing justice through great judg- around working for and soliciting the favors of the
ments like the Code. The Code assumes there is no ab- gods, and they arranged their rules around provid-
solute separation between all men and the gods, but ing the order and control necessary for their society
rather a great “chain of being” from the lowliest hu- to function. Thus, marriage was for procreation and
man being to the greatest god. The gods are simply su- social control, not for love. Similarly, perversions and
permen who live forever, and “great” men may hope to prostitution were permitted, sometimes even encour-
become gods. On the other hand, the laws of the Code aged by the gods, and was even permitted for mar-
assume that “ordinary” men can and will do many ried people as long they stayed married. To the extent
“wrong” things and that it is necessary to stop them people were thought of as good or bad, it was not an
from doing such things by laws and punishments in ethical consideration as in Christianity, but whether
order to bring justice and peace to society. But without they were functioning in the proper manner in their
any power to change people on the inside, real justice role in society and with respect to worship of the gods.
and peace are impossible. Imagine people who want Given their confused view of the world, their thinking
to play soccer but will not play by the rules. The rules was very practical—they sought to obey or manipulate
by themselves will not enable them to play the game. their unpredictable gods and environment in order to
Only a change in the people themselves, giving them obtain security and prosperity. The Code reflects this
the ability and desire to play by the rules will enable on a society-wide scale—it is an attempt to come up
them to play the game. with wise judgments that will keep order and prosper-
Scripture tells us that there is a permanent gulf ity in the larger society. As a result of this unreal view
 Code of Hammurabi 9

of man, Babylonian society never understood the root chief judge of the empire. Of course, his attempts at
cause of its problems—the failure to acknowledge salvation fail. Hammurabi dies without God and, in
and give thanks to the creator God who actually cre- fact, his great justice does not bring any real peace or
ated and sustained them—in short, its sin and need safety to his people. Most of his lifetime his people
for repentance. were at war, and shortly after his death his empire
Hammurabi boldly claims to be “the salvation- began to unravel.
bringing shepherd” of his people, apparently be- As part of his hopeless quest for salvation,
cause he now considers himself divine. Through Hammurabi’s publication of his case laws reflect
his domination and conquering spirit he mistakenly two different but related motives natural to our
believes he has the power to bring salvation to him- sinful human condition. First, Hammurabi wants
to declare and justify his own
power and greatness in building
the Babylonian empire. This is
simply the old pagan desire for
self-glorification, a vivid contrast
to our savior Jesus’ desire to
glorify His Father rather than
Himself. It was only in His giving
glory to His Father that real glory
reflected back to Jesus. The vast
majority of Hammurabi’s Code
statements focus on “me” and
what “I” am and did, with a token
nod to the gods who let him “do
his own thing.” There are many
ways in which Hammurabi sought
glorification during his reign,
including conquering every city
in sight (including those of his
“friends”) and building all kinds of
monuments and statues to himself
(one of which is specifically
referred to in the Code). The
Code is another way in which he
sought self-glorification. As far as
we can tell today, the Code was
not a body of laws enacted for
his government to follow. That is,
Code 263: If he lose an ox or sheep intrusted
neither Hammurabi, nor any of his
to him, he shall compensate the owner, councilors or other authorities made these into laws
ox for ox, sheep for sheep. like our Congress in the United States enacts laws. (No
Code laws are ever referred to in the numerous legal
documents that still exist from Hammurabi’s time,
self and his people. (By the time of Hammurabi, the and they do not represent a comprehensive legal code).
great kings of Mesopotamia, like the Pharaohs, and Rather, the Code is a collection of actual or theoretical
later the Roman Emperors, were exalted as divinity). cases judged by Hammurabi or his judges, written
He seeks to bring salvation to his people through the in the Mesopotamian style of learned or “scientific”
supposed permanent order and justice he brings as treatises (“If such and such happens, then this shall be
10 O m n i b u s I

justice without God was pure folly.

The Bible tells us that salvation is possible only
through Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and
the life. No man comes to the Father but through
Jesus. And those Gentiles who lived before Jesus came
were responsible to look forward to His coming, as
Melchizedek and Jethro did. No matter how just or
good external human laws may seem, they are pow-
erless to bring about true peace and justice without
Jesus Christ.

Source of Justice
Although Hammurabi implies in the picture at the top
of the stele that the sun god gave him the code of laws,
he says repeatedly in the Prologue and Epilogue
that he, Hammurabi, created the laws and is re-
sponsible for law and justice in the land. “I rule
and give light to the land,” “I put law and justice
in the mouth of the people,” “The just rules which
Hammurabi, the wise king, established.” Clearly,
Hammurabi is the creator of the rules, not the gods.
Although Hammurabi claims to be commissioned by
the various gods to bring justice to the land, he brings
no words or laws from the gods. His gods are mute—
speechless—because they are not like the true God. So
he has to create the laws himself.
Now contrast this situation with that of Moses. At
Sinai, where the Lord first gave the people of Israel the
Ten Commandments, Moses went “up to God” and
the
the Lord “called to him from the mountain.”
result.”)
Hammurabi published “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell
the children of Israel: “You have seen what I did to
the Code so all the
the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings
peoples could see the
great wisdom of the god-like and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will
indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then
man who brought order and
you shall be a special treasure to Me above all peo-
justice, as he lets everyone know
ple; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me
over and over in the Prologue and
a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the
Epilogue.
words you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (Ex.
Second, Hammurabi wants to
19:3–6)
keep order and power in his empire.
It is possible that he even desired to
Then at Mount Sinai God gave the Ten
Commandments directly to the people of Israel—
bring more peace, justice and pros-
“And God spoke all these words, saying . . .” (Ex.
perity to his people and thought his
20:1–17) After the frightened people heard the word
“wise” case laws would help him do
of the Lord from the mountain, they pleaded with
so. Although his desire for peace
Moses to give them God’s word, because they were too
and justice was not wrong in itself,
afraid to hear it directly from the Lord. The Lord told
his desire to bring about peace and
Moses the exact words to say when delivering His
 Code of Hammurabi 11

case laws to the people, telling Moses, “Thus you similarities? Although pagans suppress the knowl-
shall say to the Children of Israel.” (Ex. 20:18–23:33) edge of the true God (Rom. 1), they do not suppress
Likewise the Lord gave word for word instructions many of the obvious or observed truths of God’s
to Moses regarding holiness laws and the building world, because they desire the obvious benefits de-
of the Ark of the Covenant and His tabernacle as rived from those truths. Most pagans, even if they de-
recorded in Exodus and Leviticus. Repeatedly the sire to fly, acknowledge gravity and don’t jump off the
books state “And the Lord spoke to Moses” and “Then top of high mountains for fear of death. And many
the Lord said to Moses.” Repeatedly the Lord instructs pagans will obey a law of God if they think there is
Moses “speak to the children of Israel,” “command some benefit in doing so. Similarly, pagans respon-
the children of Israel,” and repeatedly Moses tells the sible for making laws and judging legal cases cannot
people “This is the thing which the Lord commanded.” expect to keep order while ignoring the realities of hu-
Likewise, when Moses talks to the people near the man nature in god’s world. Through experience in the
end of his life, before they are to enter the Promised world they learn that in order to keep peace and pre-
Land, Deuteronomy tells us that “Moses spoke to the vent violence in their kingdoms, laws prohibiting bad
children of Israel according to all that the Lord had behaviors and oppression of the weak by the strong
given him as commandments to them.” are necessary. When pagans establish laws simi-
This contrast is complete. Hammurabi is making lar to God’s laws it does not mean that pagans have
up the rules like the “creative” soccer player in our the right motive or goal for such laws. They are try-
game. His rules are made to work in his favor. On the ing to write the rules to favor themselves so they can
one hand the power-hungry man and empire builder dribble the ball behind the goal, kick it in and claim
Hammurabi proceeded to assert that he was lord and that they have scored. For Christians, such laws are
the savior of his people, the creator of justice and the part of God’s covenant relationship with the world
Code. On the other hand God, the Lord of Heaven and and His people. They are motivated by gratitude and
Earth who redeemed His people with mighty histori- obedience to God for His covenant mercy and grace.
cal works, chose Moses, who was living a quiet life in By contrast, pagans desire peace and justice without
the desert and did not want the job, to be His spokes- acknowledging or submitting to God—a desire that
man before the mighty Pharaoh, led His people out of is ultimately unattainable. True peace and justice
bondage, and explicitly revealed His laws and com- among men is impossible while men are in rebellion
mandments, pursuant to a covenant established by against God, because men can have no peace within
Him with Moses and His people. themselves or with each other until they are recon-
ciled with God. And only God can reconcile men to
What About the Similarities? himself, through the blood atonement of Jesus Christ.
Since Hammurabi is pagan and his gods are de- —William S. Dawson
mons or empty idols, why are some of the case laws
in the Code similar to some in the Mosaic law, given
to us directly by the true God? For example, Law 14
says that a kidnapper shall be put to death for such a For Further Reading
crime, as does Exodus 21:16. There are many applica- Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization. Eighth
tions of the “eye for an eye” (lex talionis) principle in Edition. Boston, Mass.: Wadsworth, 2012. 7–16.
Laws 196–214. These closely parallel Exodus 21:18–
27. (There are other similarities, as well as many dis- Veritas Press History Cards: Old Testament and Ancient
similarities, but no evidence of borrowing or direct Egypt. Lancaster, Pa.: Veritas Press. 19.
influence of Code laws on Mosaic law. The tone of Veritas Press Bible Cards: Genesis through Joshua.
the Mosaic law is obviously more humane than that Lancaster, Pa.: Veritas Press. 4, 5, 8.
of the Babylonian law.) So how do we explain the