Forward into the 18th century... BCE

Some people say Islamic fundamentalism wants to return the whole world to the Middle Ages. We should be so lucky! In a recent decision, the Iranian supreme court upheld an "eye for an eye" sentence in the case of a man who threw acid in the face of another and was sentenced to have his eyes gouged out.

The concept of an "eye for an eye" is based upon concepts first articulated in the Code of Hammurabi, who lived in the 18th century BCE. It was considered an improvement over tribal codes that demanded death for small infractions.