Judaism arose in the same geographical realm and cultural terrain as ancient Babylon and Sumer (in fact there was a large presence of Jews in Babylon itself: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-babylonian-jewish-community (Links to an external site.)) .
In this response assignment, we will compare and contrast the legal/religious codes of these ancient societies, one polytheistic and one monotheistic, so as to learn about how the culture and practices of the ancient Babylonians and the Jewish people might be similar or different.
1)With reference to the code of Hammurabi AND the BIBLE, find 3-5 examples where the Bible is SIMILAR to or the SAME AS the code of Hammurabi and 2-3 where it is DIFFERENT. You may copy and paste the similar quotes next to each other and BRIEFLY explain why they are similar or different. Bullet points are OK as long as you EXPLAIN after each point, how they are the same or different.
2) In a paragraph (200 words approx), explain what the comparison of Hammurabi’s code and the Jewish legal texts teaches us about ancient societies in the middle east. What sort of values did ancient middle eastern cultures espouse? Was the law strict or lax? What was the social hierarchy? What was the role of religion in society? What were some things that people needed to do to maintain status and respect within these communities? Feel free to explain how it might be different to grow up in ancient Jewish society or the ancient Mesopotamian society of Hammurabi. Make reference to the Cole and Symes chapters to support your response (8 points).
You must use Exodus 20-23 and the Code of Hammurabi, but you may also use Deuteronomy 12-26 as another means of comparison.
Exodus 20-23: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20-23&version=NRSV (Links to an external site.)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+12-26&version=NRSV (Links to an external site.)
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Code_of_Hammurabi_(Harper_translation) (Links to an external site.)
The legal texts are also in the Brophy sourcebook.