King hammurabi babylon biography

(C. 1810 BC-1750 BC)

Who Was Hammurabi?

Hammurabi was born circa 1810 BCE, in Babylon, now modern-day Iraq. He transformed an unstable collection of city-states into a strong empire that spanned ancient Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi’s lasting contribution to western society was his set of laws written on twelve stones and displayed publicly for all to see, the most common being, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth." The laws are generally known as the Code of Hammurabi.

Code of Hammurabi Summary

In approximately 1771, BCE, Hammurabi, king of the Babylonian Empire, decreed a set of laws to every city-state to better govern his bourgeoning empire.

King hammurabi babylon biography for kids

Known today as the Code of Hammurabi, the 282 laws are one of the earliest and more complete written legal codes from ancient times. The codes have served as a model for establishing justice in other cultures and are believed to have influenced laws established by Hebrew scribes, including those in the Book of Exodus.

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