Hammurabi (reigned 1792-1750 B.C.) was a Babylonian king. One of the outstanding rulers of early antiquity, he is especially known as a lawgiver, the author of the code which bears his name.

Nothing is known of the early life of Hammurabi. His name, sometimes written Khanimurapikh, is West Semitic, and he was the sixth ruler of the Amorite dynasty founded by Shumu Abum in 1894 B.C. On his accession Hammurabi inherited a kingdom of moderate size, one of a number of Mesopotamian city states.

The first years of Hammurabi's reign were spent in consolidating his rule and in diplomatic maneuvers which strengthened his position; in alliance with Rim Sin, king of neighboring Larsa, he repelled the Elamites from the eastern frontier, but in his thirtieth year he turned against his former ally; Rim Sin capitulated, and Hammurabi became master of the south. He then conquered the kingdom of Mari, and in 1759 that city was razed by his orders. Eshnunna and Assyria soon fell to him as well.

These successes established Hammurabi as the leading power in western Asia. He controlled the trade routes to the west and may even have campaigned beyond the Euphrates, though the once popular identification of Hammurabi with "Amraphel, King of Shinar" (Genesis 14:9), does not nowadays find credence. His organization of the captured territories is known from letters he sent to his officials and the governors of provinces; these show him as an able administrator who supervised in person every aspect of his government.

Code of Hammurabi
The code of laws published by Hammurabi's order in every city of his realm has survived in several copies, the most complete being a stele of polished black diorite 8 feet found at Susa whither it had been carried by a later conquerorr. The laws, originally 282 in number, do not form a complete code in the modern sense but are rathera series of enactments dealing with specific cases in which reform of clarification was needed.

They deal with a variety of subjects: marriage and inheritance, slavery, debt and usury, and the activitie of trader, farmer, and tavern keeper. Compensation for specific injuries, the fees of surgeon and barber and veterinarian, a scale of punishments for assault and theft, the wages of laborers, and charges for the hire of boats and livestock are all laid down.

In the prologue to Hs code, the King declares his desire to "establish justice," and at the end he declares that through his enactment: "the strong shall not injure the weak, and the orphan and the widow shall receive justice," Although thls was not a new concept --earlier compilation of laws are known-- Hammurabi yet stands out as one of the great hummanitarian figures of history.