Assyrian law
Encyclopedia
Assyrian law was very similar to Sumerian
and Babylonian law
, however, notably more brutal than its predecessors. The first copy of the code to come to light, dated to the reign of Tiglath-Pileser I
, was discovered in the course of excavations by the German Oriental Society (1903–1914). Three Assyria
n law collections have been found to date. Punishments such as the cropping
of ears and noses was common, as it was in the Code of Hammurabi
, which was composed several centuries earlier. Murder was punished by the family being allowed to decide the death penalty for the murderer.
Cuneiform Law
Cuneiform law refers to any of the legal codes written in cuneiform script, that were developed and used throughout the ancient Middle East among the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Elamites, Hurrians, Kassites, and Hittites...
and Babylonian law
Babylonian law
Archaeological material for the study of Babylonian law is singularly extensive. So-called "contracts" exist in the thousands, including a great variety of deeds, conveyances, bonds, receipts, accounts, and most important of all, actual legal decisions given by the judges in the law courts...
, however, notably more brutal than its predecessors. The first copy of the code to come to light, dated to the reign of Tiglath-Pileser I
Tiglath-Pileser I
Tiglath-Pileser I was a king of Assyria during the Middle Assyrian period . According to Georges Roux, Tiglath-Pileser was "one of the two or three great Assyrian monarchs since the days of Shamshi-Adad I"...
, was discovered in the course of excavations by the German Oriental Society (1903–1914). Three Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n law collections have been found to date. Punishments such as the cropping
Cropping (punishment)
Cropping is the removal of a person's ears as an act of physical punishment. It was performed along with the pillorying or immobilisation in the stocks, and sometimes alongside punishments such as branding or fines...
of ears and noses was common, as it was in the Code of Hammurabi
Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved Babylonian law code, dating to ca. 1780 BC . It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world. The sixth Babylonian king, Hammurabi, enacted the code, and partial copies exist on a human-sized stone stele and various clay...
, which was composed several centuries earlier. Murder was punished by the family being allowed to decide the death penalty for the murderer.
Further reading
- C. H. W. Johns (2004). Babylonian and Assyrian laws, contracts, and letters. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1417922133