HIS 132 - M.GHOSH
WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Document Analysis
Page 1
Historians do not learn about the past by reading textbooks. They learn about the past by reading the documents produced by previous generations. These are known as PRIMARY documents. This assignment invites you to undertake the historian’s task.
In a 1–2-page essay, analyze the selection from Hammurabi’s Code (which is on the other page) and explain what the provisions of the Code can tell us about Mesopotamian society during the time of Hammurabi.
What do these laws tell us about commerce?
What do they tell us about gender and social stratification?
What do they tell us about ma
iage, property and the family?
Your essay must contain an argument, and you must support, or not support that argument with evidence drawn from the excerpt on the other page (primary document).
Remember, NOT to use any other source. The PRIMARY document will be your ONLY source for this assignment.
The essay will be due on the date assigned by the instructor.
General directions for this writing assignment:
It must be typed, double spaced, in a 12-point font. There should be no extra spacing between paragraphs. All papers must have the student’s name and section number.
All written assignments MUST be turned in on the due date announced by the instructor. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that it is turned in on time. No handwritten copies will be accepted. All assignments are individual projects, not group projects.
Plagiarism: All written assignments must be in the student’s own words (no direct copying from sources, no cut-and-paste, no bo
owing the work of other students, etc). If the instructor determines that the student copied from another source-even if it consists of just one sentence-a grade of “0” will be assigned.
Late papers: All assignments are due at the at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Please send them through my email XXXXXXXXXX
Use your school id email only for any co
espondence. Personal email id’s will not be opened.
Late papers will be down one letter grade (i.e.-from A to A-, A-to B+ etc.) for each day that they are late unless a valid excuse is given. Students who do not turn in a paper, will be given a “0” on the assignment.
Grading: All written assignments will be graded on content, grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Also, this assignment will be counted twice (for example if you receive a 90/100, it will go down as two grades – 90/100 and 90/100. If you have any questions, please ask the instructor way ahead of time and NOT at the last minute.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT
HIS 131 – WRITING ASSIGNMENT 1
Hammurabi’s Code had 282 articles, mostly assigning punishments for crimes or compensations for commercial and marital infractions. What insights do these articles provide about Mesopotamian culture, society, values, and gender roles?
6. If anyone steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.
22. If anyone is committing a ro
ery and is caught, then he shall be put to death.
104. If a merchant gives an agent corn, wool, oil, or any other goods to transport, the agent shall give a receipt for the amount, and compensate the merchant therefor. Then he shall obtain a receipt form the merchant for the money that he gives the merchant.
105. If the agent is careless, and does not take a receipt for the money which he gave the merchant, he cannot consider the money as his own.
106. If the agent accept money from the merchant, but have a qua
el with the merchant (denying the receipt), then shall the merchant swear before God and witnesses that he has given this money to the agent, and the agent shall pay him three times the sum.
108. If a tavern-keeper (feminine) does not accept corn according to gross weight in payment of drink, but takes money, and the price of the drink is less than that of the corn, she shall be convicted and thrown into the water.
109. If conspirators meet in the house of a tavern-keeper, and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern-keeper shall be put to death
129. If a man's wife be surprised (in flagrante delicto) with another man, both shall be tied and thrown into the water, but the husband may pardon his wife and the king his slaves.
132. If the "finger is pointed" at a man's wife about another man, but she is not caught sleeping with the other man, she shall jump into the river for her husband.
142. If a woman qua
els with her husband, and say: "You are not congenial to me," the reasons for her prejudice must be presented. If she is guiltless, and there is no fault on her part, but he leaves and neglects her, then no guilt attaches to this woman, she shall take her dowry and go back to her father's house
143. If she is not innocent, but leaves her husband, and ruins her house, neglecting her husband, this woman shall be cast into the water.
195. If a son strikes his father, his hands shall be hewn off.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. [ An eye for an eye ]199. If he put out the eye of a man's slave, or
eak the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
200. If a man knocks out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out. [ A tooth for a tooth]
SOURCE: Hammurabi’s Code of Laws. Translated by L.W. King
http:
eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi_htm