The Oldest Code of Laws in the World
The code of laws promulgated by Hammurabi, King of Babylon, B.C. 2285-2242
The Oldest Code of Laws in the World is the English translation by C. H. W. Johns of the laws of Hammurabi, king of Babylon in the eighteenth century BC, published in 1903, only a year after the stele bearing them was found at Susa by French excavators. Nearly three hundred provisions deal with false accusation, theft, the duties of soldiers, the renting of fields and houses, debt and interest, marriage, dowry, adultery and divorce, inheritance and adoption, the hire of laborers and animals, and injuries, many of them settled on the principle of an eye for an eye. Johns adds an introduction and an analysis. Later finds have shown it was not the oldest. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the opening pages are free.
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Is The Oldest Code of Laws in the World in the public domain?
Yes. The Oldest Code of Laws in the World by Hammurabi is a public-domain work, here in the translation by C. H. W. Johns. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
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What kind of book is The Oldest Code of Laws in the World?
The Oldest Code of Laws in the World by Hammurabi is filed under "Classics" in the Vinteuil library.
