Mesopotamia Overview

Today in class we continued a PowerPoint and discussed more on the topic of Mesopotamia, the city of Sumer. The people of Sumer began worshiping gods and goddesses of the natural elements. Over centuries the people made up a time system depending on the 60 seconds in a minute and the 60 minutes in an hour. Also they created groups of times based on the moon cycles. They even build a temple called Ziggurat on top of a mountain. The wandering nomads used animal herds to produce crops. And the first set of rules or laws arose under the rein of King Hammurabi of Babylon. For example some of the laws include, "If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death, If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death, and If any one lose an article, and find it in the possession of another: if the person in whose possession the thing is found say "A merchant sold it to me, I paid for it before witnesses," and if the owner of the thing say, "I will bring witnesses who know my property," then shall the purchaser bring the merchant who sold it to him, and the witnesses before whom he bought it, and the owner shall bring witnesses who can identify his property. The judge shall examine their testimony -- both of the witnesses before whom the price was paid, and of the witnesses who identify the lost article on oath. The merchant is then proved to be a thief and shall be put to death. The owner of the lost article receives his property, and he who bought it receives the money he paid from the estate of the merchant." This are the basis for rule and morals over people. It was the first way to try to prevent crime.