A new article will discuss the phenomenon of a technological Tower of Babel in the human community and its history. It is a place in human, technological ascendancy that causes us to forget our origins or the socio-legal underpinnings that made such underpinnings possible. One must remember that Babylon and Hammurabi's code succeeds the ten commandments; that is to say the ten commandments came first. In fact, some of the people who were to be swallowed up the golden calf worshipers may have survived being swallowed up in the earth but remained impressed by the ten commandments. They may have seeded the Babylonian culture with the socio-legal strength and underpinnings provided by the ten commandments. They also hired and sought the assistance of the very best young graduates of Israel's culture to help build Babylon. There is an obvious and immediate correlation between Babylon's growth and strength to its reliance upon the humane and balanced socio-legal principles within the ten commandments. They are, in essence, the ten commandments of community building or empire building. There is some research to indicate this timeline corresponds to actual history. Other accounts suggest Hammurabi's code predates the ten commandments. Some research is necessary to confirm. There is indication that the year 1894 B.C is the date for the origins of Hammurabi's empire and the year of Isaac's 137th birthday. The Egyptians were down the highway with their own code and so were the Babylonians. Moses was not born yet. More than 400 years would have to pass before his birth. But, naming the Babylonian code after Hammurabi following Moses' preparation of the ten commandments or upon it's discovery in 1901 does not mean the code predates the ten commandments but this is the official archaeological account with no reason to doubt it; nor does it mean there could be only one code for early civilizations in the world. But, the ten commandments is the code that Rome used as a model for much of its law. This was before Constantine accepted Christ. Cultures that grow and reproduce rapidly have codes to maintain and safe guard the most important input or factor of an empire's or state's gross domestic product; the human beings. Even if Hammurabi's code predates the ten commandments, it does not diminish the value of either code. In the year 1894 B.C., Asian empires and kingdoms had their own codes for their cultures and societies. It is evident that David and Israel respected the Egyptian civilization as David took wives and horses from Egypt as a sign of the peace that existed between Israel and Egypt. The Egyptians had a code of their own. The ten commandments, however, are quite universal, much like a smile, in that they are based on one principle and that is concisely and simply on love; love of oneself, one's neighbor and one's community. So, keep your covenants. Love your parents, your wife and children. Your neighbor will abide beside you as you do and he will respect you.
In any event, the importance is the code and the wisdom that was given to all men in common for societal development. However, there is a tendency for such empires or societies to revert to barbarism if they do not remain reliant upon such principles in maintaining unity and an umbrella of Mosaic/Abrahamic wisdom and covering or their socio-legal, practical equivalents. Even if you were to secularize society, the principles remain as essential societal building blocks. It seems that societies are in need of continual reminders when such technological towers of Babel emerge in history. The Magna Carta seems to have emerged at a time of cataclysmic change due to the emergence of gun powder and the canon ball. Thomas Hobbes and Leviathan had to write a significant reminder at the time of the emergence of guns and rifles. The devolution into hedonism and a forgetfulness cannot be the bane of our technological ascendancy over time. Technology can excite our unfortunate desire to be independent of the supreme and guiding presence that inspires to record ten simple principles; a supreme being that is obviously a part of us such that we immediately loathe any evil Santa Claus. But, history shows that when the power of one man is left to resist the power of another man who is carrying an equally powerful personal fire arm, the end result is societal existence that is fearful, dissociative, nasty, brutish and short. The moderator is a society that instills, guides and provides rules that allow for safe and communal living. To break any such law is to break peace with yourself since you cannot live very long. They used to cut the head off for theft or molestation of someone's donkeys/asses. It should not be on tv either. Almost 400 years passed between the magna carta and Thomas Hobbes' writing. England entered into a civil war with various political discussions and polemic debates with firearm as a technological tower of Babel as the back drop.
Copyright((2016) is owned by Warren Augustine Lyon: All rights are reserved.
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