History
Hammurabi: The King Who Wrote the Law
An overview of Hammurabi, the Babylonian king who created one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes in history.
What is it?
Hammurabi was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, reigning from approximately 1792 to 1750 BC. He is renowned for transforming Babylon from a small city-state into a large, powerful empire that controlled all of ancient Mesopotamia. While a skilled military and political leader, Hammurabi's most famous legacy is the Code of Hammurabi, a comprehensive set of 282 laws. This legal text, inscribed on a large stone stele, covered many aspects of daily life, including commerce, family law, property, and crime. It claimed divine authority, depicting Hammurabi receiving the laws from Shamash, the Babylonian god of justice.
Why is it trending?
Hammurabi remains a key figure in historical and legal studies because his code represents a foundational moment in the development of justice. It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world. The code's principles, such as the idea of "an eye for an eye" (lex talionis), are widely recognized and illustrate an early attempt to standardize punishments. Furthermore, concepts embedded in the code, like the presumption of innocence and the use of evidence, are considered precursors to modern legal principles. Discussions around early civilizations, the rule of law, and social justice often reference Hammurabi's contributions.
How does it affect people?
The Code of Hammurabi provides invaluable insight into the social structure and values of ancient Babylonia. The laws differentiated punishments based on social status—affecting nobles, free men, and slaves differently. For people of his time, the code aimed to protect the weak from the strong and create a sense of order and justice. Its influence extended through antiquity, potentially shaping later legal systems, including some principles found in the Bible. For modern society, Hammurabi's Code is a crucial artifact that demonstrates the age-old human pursuit of a just society governed by written, accessible laws, forming a basis for legal concepts that endure today.