Hammurabi

Lore & Background

Hammurabi ascended to the throne as king of a minor city-state, Babylon, around 1792 BC, succeeding his father Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. During his reign, he conquered the city-states of Larsa, Eshnunna, and Mari, and ousted Ishme-Dagan I of the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia, bringing almost all of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule. He undertook public works such as heightening city walls and expanding temples. His letters reveal daily challenges like dealing with floods and mandating calendar changes.

Reader's Guide

Hammurabi's significance lies primarily in his law code, a collection of 282 laws inscribed on a stele and placed publicly. Unlike earlier Sumerian codes that focused on compensating victims, the Code of Hammurabi emphasized physical punishment and prescribed specific penalties for each crime. It was among the first to establish the presumption of innocence and to limit retribution. The code was written in Akkadian, the daily language of Babylon, making it accessible to literate citizens. After his death, Hammurabi was revered as a great conqueror and later as an ideal lawgiver, becoming a frame of reference for later Mesopotamians. Many kings across the Near East claimed him as an ancestor. Rediscovered in 1901 in Iran, the stele is now in the Louvre Museum. His legacy as a lawgiver is reflected in depictions in law buildings worldwide.

Did You Know?

• Hammurabi's law code was one of the first to establish the presumption of innocence.
• The stele of the Code of Hammurabi was rediscovered in 1901 in Susa, Iran, after being plundered by Elamites.
• Hammurabi was seen by many as a god within his own lifetime.
• The Code of Hammurabi and the Law of Moses in the Torah contain numerous similarities.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land." — Hammurabi "If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out." — Hammurabi "Alternately translated as: If a man destroy the eye of another man, they shall destroy his eye." — Hammurabi "Laws of justice which Hammurabi, the wise king, established." — Hammurabi