Which of the following was NOT found in the Code of Hammurabi?

Which of the following was NOT found in the Code of Hammurabi?

• A. Punishments were equal across all social statuses.
• B. Laws about property.
• C. Trade regulations.
• D. Rules for marriage.

Answer: (A)

In Hammurabi’s code, penalties were not the same for everyone; punishments depended on the offender’s and the victim’s social status. This means the idea that punishments were equal across all social statuses does not fit the code. The code actually assigns harsher penalties when the victim is a higher-status person (for example, harming a noble vs. harming a slave), and it scales penalties based on rank. The code does include laws about property and contracts, as well as rules governing trade and commerce—such as property rights, sales, debt, and standards for weights and measures. It also contains numerous provisions related to marriage, including dowries, marital duties, and divorce. So those elements are part of the Code, which is why the statement about equal punishment across statuses is the one that does not belong.

In Hammurabi’s code, penalties were not the same for everyone; punishments depended on the offender’s and the victim’s social status. This means the idea that punishments were equal across all social statuses does not fit the code. The code actually assigns harsher penalties when the victim is a higher-status person (for example, harming a noble vs. harming a slave), and it scales penalties based on rank.

The code does include laws about property and contracts, as well as rules governing trade and commerce—such as property rights, sales, debt, and standards for weights and measures. It also contains numerous provisions related to marriage, including dowries, marital duties, and divorce. So those elements are part of the Code, which is why the statement about equal punishment across statuses is the one that does not belong.