Hammurabi’s Code

Hammurabi was the sixth king of Babylon of the First Babylonian Dynasty from 1792 BCE to 1750

BCE middle chronology (1728 BCE – 1686 BCE short chronology). He became the first king of the

Babylonian Empire following the abdication of his father, extending Babylon's control

over Mesopotamia by winning a series of wars against neighboring kingdoms. Although his

empire controlled all of Mesopotamia at the time of his death, his successors were unable to

maintain his empire.

He is known for the set of laws called Hammurabi's Code, one of the first written codes of law in

recorded history. These laws were inscribed on stone tablets (stelae) standing over eight feet tall

(2.4 meters), of unknown provenance, found in Persia in 1901 CE. Owing to his reputation in

modern times as an ancient law-giver, Hammurabi's portrait is in many government buildings

throughout the world.

Source: http://www.ancient.eu.com/hammurabi/