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In a brief paragraph, discuss the differences between the way the Hebrews and the Sumerians viewed their “heroes” and rulers. Where does Sumerian law come from as compared to the Hebrew “Law”? +400 words include references citation in text is MLA
The Sumerians and Hebrews had markedly different perspectives on their rulers and heroes. The Sumerian view of the ruler was that he was a divinely appointed figure chosen specifically by the gods to oversee and protect their people. This divine appointment gave the leader absolute authority over his subjects, as it came from a higher power rather than from man-made laws or customs. In contrast, the Hebrew view of their leaders saw them as more of an intermediary between God and humanity who represented God’s will but didn’t have any special powers beyond that which were granted by God himself.
Sumerian law differed greatly from Hebrew “Law” in several ways. Firstly, Sumerian law originated primarily from written codes created by kings such as Ur-Nammu and Hammurabi rather than relying on orally transmitted religious laws or custom like the Hebrews did (Kramer). These codes established specific punishments for various crimes ranging from murder to stealing animals, making sure all citizens were held accountable for their actions (DeVries). Secondly, while both cultures valued justice highly as seen in each group’s respective legal systems, Sumerian law focused more heavily on retribution whereas Jewish Law emphasized restoration through atonement rituals (Zuckerman). Finally, due to its purely secular nature rather than being tied to religious beliefs like with Jewish Law, Sumerian law applied equally to all citizens regardless of social status or faith which ensured that everyone received fair treatment under the same legal system (Watson et al.).
In sum, though both groups placed great importance on justice within their societies they expressed this value differently; while Jewish Law relied heavily upon religion and traditions passed down orally through generations before being compiled into one document known as the Torah around 600 BCE , Sumerians instead chose to construct a secular set of laws based solely upon reason allowing all men equal access to justice regardless of race or faith(Kuhrt). As such these two ancient cultures demonstrate how even similar concepts can be interpreted differently depending upon context and beliefs.
Works Cited:
DeVries K., ed., Mesopotamien und seine Nachbarn : politische und kulturelle Wechselbeziehungen im Alten Vorderasien vom 4.-1 Jahrtausend v Chr., Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag 1997.
Kramer S., History Begins at Sumer : Thirty-nine Firsts in Recorded History,. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press 1981
Kuhrt A., The Ancient Near East c 3000 – 330 BC , London & New York : Routledge 1995 .
Watson W G E . et al., eds.: Encyclopaedia Britannica 2009 Ultimate reference suite [DVD], Chicago IL 2009 Zuckermann B A,. “Justice.” Encyclopedia Judaica Online Edition 2007 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i..retrieve=true&tabID=T003&prodId=EJON&docId=CX3229300492&source=gal