In ancient Babylon, what was the most infamous custom? In ancient Babylon, one of the most ignominious customs was the law of Hammurabi. The law of Hammurabi was a set of laws that dates back to around 1754 BCE, during the reign of King Hammurabi of Babylon. It’s one of the oldest given legal canons in history.
The law of Hammurabi was inscribed on a large gravestone pillar called a stele and was placed in a public position for all to see. It contained 282 laws that covered colorful aspects of sumptuous life, including commerce, trade, family matters, and felonious justice.
The reason this custom came ignominious was due to its severe and frequently brutal corrections for offenses. The law followed a principle of” an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” which meant that the discipline for a crime was frequently directly commensurable to the offense committed. Some crimes redounded in harsh penalties, including the death penalty, mutilation, or severe physical discipline.
While the law of Hammurabi is considered an important literal artifact and a significant step in the development of early legal systems, it’s also ignominious for its harsh and enduring nature, especially by ultramodern norms of justice and mortal rights.
