The Oldest Code of Laws in the World: The code of laws promulgated by Hammurabi, King of Babylon, B.C. 2285-2242Hammurabi, King of Babylonia
History
The Oldest Code of Laws in the World: The code of laws promulgated by Hammurabi, King of Babylon, B.C. 2285-2242
Hammurabi, King of Babylonia
Law -- Iraq -- Babylonia -- Sources
section 232. If he has caused the loss of goods, he shall render back
whatever he has caused the loss of, and because he did not make strong
the house he built, and it fell, from his own goods he shall rebuild the
house that fell.
section 233. If a builder has built a house for a man, and has not
jointed his work, and the wall has fallen, that builder at his own cost
shall make good that wall.
section 234. If a boatman has navigated a ship of sixty _GUR_ for a man,
he shall give him two shekels of silver for his fee.
section 235. If a boatman has navigated a ship for a man and has not
made his work trustworthy, and in that same year that he worked that ship
it has suffered an injury, the boatman shall exchange that ship or shall
make it strong at his own expense and shall give a strong ship to the
owner of the ship.
section 236. If a man has given his ship to a boatman, on hire, and the
boatman has been careless, has grounded the ship, or has caused it to be
lost, the boatman shall render ship for ship to the owner.
section 237. If a man has hired a boatman and ship, and with corn, wool,
oil, dates, or whatever it be as freight, has freighted her, that boatman
has been careless and grounded the ship, or has caused what is in her to
be lost, the boatman shall render back the ship which he has grounded and
whatever in her he has caused to be lost.
section 238. If a boatman has grounded the ship of a man and has
refloated her, he shall give money to half her price.
section 239. If a man has hired a boatman, he shall give him six _GUR_
of corn per year.
section 240. If a ship that is going forward has struck a ship at anchor
and has sunk her, the owner of the ship that has been sunk whatever he
has lost in his ship shall recount before God, and that of the ship going
forward which sunk the ship at anchor shall render to him his ship and
whatever of his was lost.
section 241. If a man has taken an ox on distraint, he shall pay one-
third of a mina of silver.
section 242. If a man has hired a working ox for one year, he shall pay
four _GUR_ of corn as its hire.
section 243. If a milch cow, he shall give three _GUR_ of corn to its
owner.
section 244. If a man has hired an ox or sheep and a lion has killed it
in the open field, that loss is for its owner forsooth.
section 245. If a man has hired an ox and through neglect or by blows
has caused it to die, ox for ox to the owner of the ox he shall render.
section 246. If a man has hired an ox and has crushed its foot or has
cut its nape, ox for ox to the owner of the ox he shall render.
section 247. If a man has hired an ox and has caused it to lose its eye,
he shall pay half its price to the owner of the ox.
section 248. If a man has hired an ox, and has crushed its horn, cut off
its tail, or pierced its nostrils, he shall pay a quarter of its price.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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