description King Hammurabi Overview
Hammurabi was the sixth king of Babylon's First Dynasty and ruled during the eighteenth century BCE. Through warfare and diplomacy, he brought much of Mesopotamia under Babylonian control, although his empire fragmented after his death. He is chiefly known for the Code of Hammurabi, a collection of legal judgments inscribed on a stone monument and framed by an image of the king before the god Shamash. The text addresses property, commerce, family relations, labor, injury, and legal procedure.
insights Ranking position
King Hammurabi ranks #29 of 221 in the Monarch ranking, behind Emperor Constantine I, ahead of Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte.
help King Hammurabi FAQ
Where can the Code of Hammurabi stele be seen?
The famous inscribed stele is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. French archaeologists found it at Susa in present-day Iran, where it had been taken from Mesopotamia in antiquity.
What is shown at the top of Hammurabi's law stele?
The relief shows Hammurabi standing before Shamash, the Mesopotamian god associated with justice and the sun. Shamash presents symbols of authority, visually grounding the laws in divine legitimacy.
Was Hammurabi's Code the first written law code?
No. Mesopotamian collections such as the laws of Ur-Nammu and Lipit-Ishtar are older, but Hammurabi's is unusually extensive and well preserved.
Did Hammurabi's laws treat everyone equally?
No. Penalties varied according to whether a person was an elite man, commoner, or enslaved person, and according to the victim's social position.
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