Hammurabi was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty. He ruled from 1792 BCE to his natural death in 1750 BCE.

His father was Sin Muballit, who abdicated due to poor health.

Hammurabi expanded Babylon from a small city state into a major empire.

He conquered Larsa, Eshnunna, Mari, and weakened Elam, uniting much of Mesopotamia. The Babylonian Empire eventually stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Khabur River in modern day Syria.

He defeated Assyria’s king Ishme Dagan I and forced tribute from his son.

Hammurabi promoted the worship of Marduk, Babylon’s chief god. Marduk was the patron deity of the ancient city of Babylon and the king of the gods in the Babylonian pantheon. He became supreme after defeating the chaotic goddess Tiamat, which led to the creation of the world and humanity from her body. Known as a god of justice, compassion, healing, and magic, he was often depicted with a serpent dragon and sometimes as a storm deity.

Hammurabi was considered a godlike figure during his lifetime.

Later Mesopotamians used his reign as a chronological reference point, similar to how Christian Europe later used BC and AD.

Hammurabi is best known for the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest written legal codes and a foundation for future justice systems.

The code was inscribed on a black diorite stele. It contained 282 laws. The principle of “an eye for an eye” originates from this code.

The laws covered family, property, trade, labor, and criminal justice.

The code emphasized punishment of perpetrators, unlike earlier legal codes that focused on compensation.

Hammurabi claimed the laws were given to him by Shamash, the god of justice.

The stele was displayed publicly so all could see the laws.

It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length.

The laws varied depending on social class, including nobles, commoners, and slaves.

Punishments could be severe, including death or mutilation.

Property rights were strongly protected.

Contracts and business dealings were carefully regulated.

Marriage and family laws were detailed, including divorce and inheritance.

Judges who ruled unfairly could be removed from office.

False accusations carried severe penalties.

The code helped establish the idea of state responsibility for justice.

It reflected Babylonian values of order and hierarchy.

Hammurabi’s laws were a tool of political control as well as justice.

Hammurabi’s reign marked the height of Babylonian power.

His legal code is studied by historians and law students today.

The stele was rediscovered in 1901 in Susa, which is now part of Iran. It is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Hammurabi’s laws influenced Hebrew law and likely inspired the story of Moses receiving divine laws.

His empire eventually declined after his death and more than 40 years of rule, but Hammurabi remains a symbol of justice and authority.

His name means “the kinsman is a healer.”