Code of Hammurabi

ancient history · laws · Babylon

A rulebook in stone. Around 1753 BC, King Hammurabi of Babylon created a set of laws and had them carved into a massive stone pillar called a stele that was about 7 feet tall. This made the laws official and permanent so everyone in his kingdom could see them.

Really old and well kept. The Code of Hammurabi is the longest and best-preserved legal text we have from the ancient Near East, which means it survived thousands of years almost perfectly. That makes it super important for learning how ancient people thought about justice.

Written in Akkadian. The laws were written in Old Babylonian, a dialect of Akkadian, which was the language spoken in ancient Babylon. Reading it today helps historians understand what mattered to people back then.

King Hammurabi's creation. According to the stone carving, Hammurabi, the sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon, created these laws to rule his kingdom. He wanted to show that he was a wise and just leader.

Laws for everyone. The code had many rules covering everything from business deals to family matters and even punishments for crimes. Each rule showed what was fair and what was unfair in Babylonian society.