Summary
Where did our laws come from? And what's the point of laws anyway? Laws are the rules of a society, and they reflect that society's values. In many countries, that's all laid out in a written constitution. The earliest written laws we know of are from Mesopotamia, which also established the idea of justice as the basis for a good society. The most complete set of those ancient laws were created by Hammurabi, an ancient Mesopotamian king, who ordered them carved into a stone monument which still survives today. Hammurabi's laws spread to nearby civilizations, and eventually the western world, through the Roman Empire. Today, the Roman-European system is the most widespread legal system in the world. Press "play" to learn how our ideas about justice and the rule of law go back nearly 4,000 years!
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Hammurabi's Laws:
- What is one new thing you learned about hammurabi's laws?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining hammurabi's laws.
- Draw or give one example of your own.