Spirituality and the Search for Meaning: The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BC)
I last left readers with an important idea to consider over the next few weeks:
I am not going to spend too much time analyzing the history or everything that can be found in the Code of Hammurabi, which are shared in these following links:
History- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi
Digital copy of the Code, English Translation- http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp
Dating back to around 1754 BC during the Old Babylonian Period, the Code of Hammurabi is one of the oldest surviving examples of written law in human history.
Now, some insightful readers might ask, "Doesn't law have to do more with religion and a set of procedures that humans go by to maintain order? What does law have to do with spirituality?" Indeed, when people think of the Code, they think of over 280 laws, many of which influence the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I am not interested in religious law. Rather, I am interested in how spirituality influenced the Code of Hammurabi.
The answer to my question is in the introduction of the Code of Hammurabi.
Moving forward more than 3750 years after Hammurabi, most people, regardless of religion, believe that they are a part of something infinite, a form of kingdom that is greater than themselves. Opponents may shout, "Yes we can!" or, "Make America great again!", but there are more similarities in the sayings than many care to admit. Ultimately both sayings, regardless of political opinion, come from a very human, spiritual belief that we all come from and want to be a part of something infinite or greater than ourselves.
Concluding, ever since the earliest written records of humanity, there has been an effort to explore how we, although finite, are a part of something infinite. For me this is one of the most important characteristics of spirituality and also morality in human beings. If humans believe we are a part of something greater than ourselves, there is greater incentive to form laws, like Hammurabi's Code, that give us rules to live by as we use our finite lives to play a role in the infinite story.
Which leads me into my next major topic in two weeks: If spirituality implies man lives a finite life in an infinite story, who or what is that infinite story?
Spirituality, regardless of religious beliefs, is crucial to an individual's biological, psychological, sociological health and whatever the individual declares as being fruitful in life.Over the next four months, readers and I are going to embark on a voyage exploring the history and importance of spirituality in all of our lives. There is no better place to begin our journey into the history of spirituality than the Code of Hammurabi.
 |
| Babylonia, one of the first recorded great ancient empires. Interesting side facts: Babylonia was located in the heart of one of the Cradles of Civilization. Aside from Babylon, note the ancient city of Ur, the native of home of Abraham. |
I am not going to spend too much time analyzing the history or everything that can be found in the Code of Hammurabi, which are shared in these following links:
History- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi
Digital copy of the Code, English Translation- http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp
Dating back to around 1754 BC during the Old Babylonian Period, the Code of Hammurabi is one of the oldest surviving examples of written law in human history.
Now, some insightful readers might ask, "Doesn't law have to do more with religion and a set of procedures that humans go by to maintain order? What does law have to do with spirituality?" Indeed, when people think of the Code, they think of over 280 laws, many of which influence the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I am not interested in religious law. Rather, I am interested in how spirituality influenced the Code of Hammurabi.
The answer to my question is in the introduction of the Code of Hammurabi.
...they (the many Babylonian Gods) called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid so solidly as those of heaven and earth...This section of the introduction places an important emphasis on the foundation on what it means for humans to be spiritual beings. Although humans are finite, we are a part of something greater, something infinite, which Hammurabi describes as "an everlasting kingdom".
Moving forward more than 3750 years after Hammurabi, most people, regardless of religion, believe that they are a part of something infinite, a form of kingdom that is greater than themselves. Opponents may shout, "Yes we can!" or, "Make America great again!", but there are more similarities in the sayings than many care to admit. Ultimately both sayings, regardless of political opinion, come from a very human, spiritual belief that we all come from and want to be a part of something infinite or greater than ourselves.
Concluding, ever since the earliest written records of humanity, there has been an effort to explore how we, although finite, are a part of something infinite. For me this is one of the most important characteristics of spirituality and also morality in human beings. If humans believe we are a part of something greater than ourselves, there is greater incentive to form laws, like Hammurabi's Code, that give us rules to live by as we use our finite lives to play a role in the infinite story.
Which leads me into my next major topic in two weeks: If spirituality implies man lives a finite life in an infinite story, who or what is that infinite story?
Comments
Post a Comment