Hammurabis

Hammurabis is a term that most often refers to Hammurabi, the Babylonian king who reigned approximately 1792–1750 BCE, or to the legal code attributed to him. He expanded the Babylonian state from a city-state into a regional power in southern Mesopotamia, defeating rival city-states and uniting much of the area under his control. To organize and legitimize his rule, he issued a comprehensive set of laws—the Code of Hammurabi—carved on a stele dating from his reign.

The Code contains about 282 laws written in Akkadian, addressing economic transactions, property, contracts, family matters, and personal injury and homicide. The laws reflect a society organized by social status, with different penalties for the rich or free citizens, commoners, and slaves, though some provisions show concern for the weak, such as protections for widows and orphans. The Code's structure includes a prologue praising Hammurabi and his divine support, and an epilogue that asserts the code's purpose to maintain justice and social order. The Code's influence extended beyond Mesopotamia, informing later legal traditions and offering a window into ancient Near Eastern concepts of law, justice, and governance. The empire declined after his death, succumbing to internal strife and external pressures, but Hammurabi remains a central figure in the study of ancient law and Mesopotamian politics.