Did you know that Ancient Egyptian law, which dates as far back as 3000 BCE, had civil codes that were likely broken into 12 books, and were based on the concepts of tradition, rhetorical speech, social equality, and impartiality?
Legal history — the study of the history of laws and how they’ve evolved over time — dates much farther back than most people think, and includes concepts and legal statutes that would surprise most people. Here are a few of the most surprising finds our legislative history research was able to dig up.
The Ancient Celts Protected Animals’ Rights.
According to an ancient Celtic legal statute, it is illegal to override a horse, force a weakened ox to do more work, or threaten any animal with bodily harm. Even though many people only see animals as products and not living beings, a legal statute existed some 4,000 years ago with the legislative intent of protecting animals. The U.S. didn’t pass a similar law until 1966.
The Babylonians Allowed People to Work Off Their Debts.
Hammurabi’s Code was good for more than just an “eye for an eye.” According to its many legal statutes and rules, a man could work for three years in the house of his lender, and have his debts considered repaid.
Jewish Religious Law Made Justice Under The Law Equal.
According to the Mosaic Code, “Do not pervert justice. Do not give special consideration to the poor nor show respect to the great. Judge your people fairly.” Essentially, the code was saying that having a bias — let alone showing it — was wrong. It made it so that everyone would be treated fairly under the law, and that there would be no discrimination as the result of social class.
Humans are born with natural rights — rights that every human should have — so it’s only natural that ancient peoples would develop laws and legal statutes to protect them as their societies developed.
If you’ve found any interesting, ancient legal statutes in your own law research, feel free to share in the comments.