Over many centuries, different civilizations have used different documents to ensure peace, justice and “equality” among people. And these documents are part of what constitutes civilizations. Without them there would be no rules in life. Hammurabi's Code of Law is an example of one such document. It is actually one of the first documents of its kind and is one of the foundations of many documents in history and even the documents of today's societies. Another example is the Bill of Rights. And since Hammurabi's Legislative Code was used as an influence, they share some similarities and some differences. The Code of Hammurabi is considered one of the earliest known attempts to establish a written code of conduct. King Hammurabi ruled Babylon around 2000 BC. During that time, Babylon was a trading center for most of the known, civilized world. Since his fortune lay in trade and other business ventures, Hammurabi's Code provided a basis for the order and certainty essential to commerce. The Code established rules regarding theft, sexual relations, interpersonal violence, and other issues. It was intended to replace feuds with a state-sanctioned system. The Bill of Rights is spelled out in the first ten amendments. This bill contains the rights to; freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures, right to bear arms, right not to house soldiers in peacetime, freedom of the press, freedom of equality justice and the right to freedom and security. These rights are used daily. The people of the United States need these rights to live. America would not be free if these rights had no effect on people. Not only were Hammurabi and Madison both politicians, but they knew the law very well. Hammurabi was a legislator; Madison went to college to study law. There are many differences between Hammurabi's Code of Law and the Bill of Rights. Hammurabi's Code of Law and the Bill of Rights are in two different time periods. Hammurabi's Code of Law tells us the punishments for an individual who commits a crime. The Bill of Rights lists restrictions on the power of governments. The Code of Hammurabi is based on a social class. The Bill of Rights allows us to be free. The Bill of Rights grants freedom to its American citizens. Hammurabi's code was truly brutal towards its citizens. For an example: "If a man destroys another man's eye, they will destroy his." In the Bill of Rights, it gives American citizens freedom of speech, religion, etc.