| . | Ancient Egyptian Law and Justice |
Babylonian Law |
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| Law Concept |
Egyptian law was based on a common sense view of right and wrong
Some legal cases were resolved by consultation with a divine oracle. The oracle, usually a statue of Maat,
was asked a yes or no question to which the oracle could respond by a movement through the hidden actions of a priest
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The ruling principle was the "lex talionis" - An Eye for an Eye and a tooth for a tooth |
| Archeology |
Very few remains of legal letters and documents
No formal Egyptian code of law has been preserved
Sources of information regarding criminal las ae limited to narratives of ancient Greek writers such as Strao and herodotus, these views are superficial and often contradictory |
The material for the study of Babylonian law is extensive. Contracts exist in the thousands, including conveyances, bonds, receipts, accounts, and the actual legal decisions given by the judges in the law courts
The discovery of the celebrated Code of Hammurabi has made a systematic study of Babylonian laws possible
The temple archives of each city, had vast stores of records of judicial decisions,
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| Law Reinforcment |
Egyptian society operated with reference to decrees of the Pharaoh, having the force of law,
No judges and no courts - government officials judged cases; no ancient Egyptian individuals are known whose only official capacity was to hear legal cases.
A board of officials was set up for particular short-term tasks, by royal commission, such as the judgement of an important legal case
Policemen guarded public places, sometimes making use of dogs. |
Profesional judges worked at estblished courthouses in every city
Babylon and a superior court to those of provincial towns
The royal king, could only pardon when private resentment was appeased
Judges are strictly supervised, and appeal was allowed
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| Patron god |
Maat represented truth, order, balance and justice in the universe. |
Shamash, the Sun god, was their god of Law and Justice
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