The phrase "the pot calling the kettle black" is in no way racial, it's just better than "the pot calling the kettle sooty".
It comes from the time when all heating was done over a fire and the soot from it gathered on pots and kettles.
Hammurabi's Code is a 7 foot monument inscribed with laws all citizen's must abide by. It is believed to be the first set of written laws, which inspired many other rulers to adopt similar laws and thus is the basis of most of the world's laws and legal systems. May of these laws are also reflected in religious texts.
Hammurabi was King of Babylon from 1792-1750 BC and implemented a list of 282 laws to ensure "the strong may not oppress the weak".
The laws covered criminal, family, and civil law, some examples are;
If a man wishes to disinherit his son, his son's record will be checked and if he is not guilty of any crime sufficient to warrant disinheritance, he may not be disinherited.
If a woman wishes to divorce her husband her faithfulness will be checked, if there is no evidence to show she committed adultery, she may take her dowry and return to her father's house.
If an act of god (flood, drought, etc) damages a man's source of income he will not pay creditors that year and no interest will be accrued.
However, many people take issue with the punishments given for what would be considered a small crime today. For example; a son who strikes his father would have his hand cut off. If a wife was proven to have committed adultery, she would be drowned.
However, many people take issue with the punishments given for what would be considered a small crime today. For example; a son who strikes his father would have his hand cut off. If a wife was proven to have committed adultery, she would be drowned.