Hammurabi

Hammurabi (also read Amraphel) was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, ruling circa 1792–1750 BCE. Based in Babylon, he expanded the city’s influence beyond its core area, ultimately creating a centralized state and a short‑lived empire by conquering rival polities in southern Mesopotamia and unifying much of the region.

He is best known for the Code of Hammurabi, a comprehensive set of laws compiled during his reign. The stele bearing the code dates to around 1750 BCE and was found in Susa (Ancient Elam) in 1901; it is now housed in the Louvre. The code consists of 282 laws inscribed in Akkadian on a raised stele and accompanying clay tablets. The prologue and epilogue present Hammurabi as chosen by the sun god Shamash to bring justice. The laws cover civil, commercial, familial, and criminal matters; they reflect the principle of lex talionis in many cases and assign penalties that vary by social status.

In administration, Hammurabi sought to centralize governance, standardize taxation, improve irrigation, and promote trade. After his death, Babylon’s empire endured only briefly before falling to northern rivals, but the Code of Hammurabi and the administrative framework it supported influenced Mesopotamian law for centuries. His reign left a lasting legacy in the study of ancient Near Eastern legal and political systems.