Ancient Law: A historical overview

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instituted regulations to prevent fraud. These regulations covered property rights, sales, contracts, inheritance, adoption, prices and wages, and personal rights for women, children, and slaves (Matthews & Platt, 1992).
B. Egyptian Civilization and Law
The Ancient Egyptian civilization regarded divine kingship as the only acceptable political arrangement for the legal institution. Security and justice were the results of the nation’s rule by a god-king. The Pharaoh was seen as ruling in accordance with Ma’at, which means justice, law, right, and truth (Perry, 1997).
C. Hebrew Civilization and Law
The Covenant, God’s special agreement with the Hebrew people, was the center of religious thought, justice was the theme of Old Testament ethics. The Hebrews, or Jews, had a moral responsibility to overcome injustice, to care for the poor, the weak, and oppressed. Moses, an extraordinary leader of these people, led the Hebrews in their exodus from Egypt in approximately 1250 B.C. They believed that God revealed his law, including ...