Ancient Near East

The Law Code of Hammurabi is the piece of work I would like to discuss that comes from the Ancient Near East. In the law Code of Hammurabi there are several laws written that pertain to marriage. Having laws that pertain to marriage means that marriage is an important part of life in the culture of the Babylonians. Husbands are obviously seen as more important because when they commit trespasses in a marriage their punishments are less severe than punishments that the wifes receive for the same crime. But it is also important to take note that the Law Code also does cover rights that wives have in marriage. This is indicative of the fact that wives are not total second class citizens with absolutely no rights. They do have some value in society even if they aren't as highly valued as their husbands.