description Stele of Hammurabi Overview
The Stele of Hammurabi is a diorite monument dating to 1754 BC. It presents the code of laws established by Babylonian King Hammurabi. The stele’s significance lies in its detailed documentation of early legal principles concerning justice, property rights, and social conduct within ancient Mesopotamia. It is an important artifact for historians and archaeologists studying the development of law and civilization in Babylonia.
help Stele of Hammurabi FAQ
Is the Code of Hammurabi the oldest law code?
No. Earlier Mesopotamian law collections include the Code of Ur-Nammu and the Laws of Lipit-Ishtar. Hammurabi's stele remains unusually famous because of its extensive text and exceptional preservation.
What is carved at the top of Hammurabi's stele?
The relief shows King Hammurabi standing before the seated sun and justice god Shamash. The scene presents royal law as connected to divine authority.
Does the Code of Hammurabi really say an eye for an eye?
Several laws apply retaliatory punishment resembling the principle later summarized as an eye for an eye. Penalties nevertheless vary according to the social status of the people involved, so the code does not impose equal treatment in the modern sense.
Why is the Stele of Hammurabi in the Louvre?
French archaeologists found it at Susa, in present-day Iran, where it had been carried from Babylon as war booty in antiquity. The monument is now displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
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