The Code of Hammurabi: History, Inscription, and Legal Statutes

King Hammurabi was the first great king of Babylon.
He conquered the entirety of Mesopotamia to establish the first Babylonian empire.
Hammurabi instituted a centralized legal system today recognized as the Code of Hammurabi.

Recording Formats:
- The legal code was originally inscribed upon clay tablets and etched into stone.
- It stands as one of the oldest recorded codes of law in the world.
The Diorite Stele:
- The most prominent surviving physical artifact containing the legal code is the diorite stele.
- Made from a dense black rock called diorite.
- Shaped like a giant finger.
- Physical dimensions measure approximately $7\,\text{feet}$ tall and $2\,\text{feet}$ wide.
- Contains around $4{,}000$ lines of text.
- Enumerates $282$ distinct laws.
Iconography:
- Located at the very top (the fingertip) of the stele is a carved image depicting King Hammurabi receiving the laws directly from Shamash, the Babylonian sun god.
Linguistic and Decipherment Significance:
- The Code of Hammurabi is among the oldest and longest deciphered historical writings in existence.
- Inscribed using cuneiform script in the Akkadian language.
Archaeological Location and Current Status:
- Archaeologists originally discovered the diorite stele in the ancient city of Susa.
- The artifact is currently preserved and exhibited in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

Subject-Based Categorization:
- Laws addressing common topics were systematically grouped together (for instance, all legal provisions regarding slavery were consolidated in one section).
- This structure permitted citizens to easily locate and read the specific regulations applicable to their circumstances.
Major Sections of the Code:
- Prologue
- Legal procedures
- Household laws
- Slavery
- Trade and business
- Religion
- Epilogue

Role of Shamash:
- Shamash was revered as the Babylonian god of law, justice, and salvation.
The Prologue:
- Serves as the introduction to the legal body.
- Details the divine mandate given by Shamash to King Hammurabi.
- Explicitly stated purpose: "Bring about the rule of righteousness in the land to destroy the wicked and the evildoers, so that the strong should not harm the weak, so that I should rule, and enlighten the land to further the well-being of mankind."
The Epilogue:
- Restates Hammurabi's overarching desire to guarantee justice for all subjects.
- Direct mandate to citizens: "Let the oppressed man come and stand before my image as king of righteousness. Let him understand my words and his case, so he will understand what is just, and his heart will be glad."

Labor Compensation Regulations:
- The legal code codified fixed wages for specific professions.
- Example: A sailor was legally required to be paid a fixed annual wage of $6\,\text{ger}$ of grain per year.
Retributive Penalties and Harsh Laws:
- If a son should strike his father, the son's hands shall be cut off.
- If a man puts out the eye of another man, his own eye shall be put out.
- If any man strikes a person of higher social rank, he shall receive $60$ blows with an ox whip.
- If a builder constructs a house for someone and that house collapses, causing the death of the owner, the builder shall be put to death.

Archaeological Value:
- Provides extensive historical evidence revealing details about daily life, economy, and social structures in ancient Babylon.
Foundational Legal Concepts:
- Established the principle that accusers must provide clear evidence of an alleged crime.
- Introduced the core judicial doctrine of innocent until proven guilty.
- Mandated statutory protections to prevent the strong from harming the weak.

Inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform script on a $7\,\text{feet}$ tall by $2\,\text{feet}$ wide diorite stele.
Contains $282$ laws in approximately $4{,}000$ lines of text.
Displays a carved image at the top of Hammurabi receiving the laws from Shamash, the sun god of justice.
Discovered in Susa and currently housed in the Louvre Museum.

Categorized by subject (e.g., slavery, trade, household) for easy navigation.
Consists of a Prologue, main legal statutes, and an Epilogue.
Outlines a divine goal to establish justice and ensure the strong do not harm the weak.

Enforced fixed wages for professions (e.g., $6\,\text{ger}$ of grain per year for sailors).
Utilized strict retributive justice (e.g., "an eye for an eye", cutting off hands, execution for fatal building collapses).

Offers key insight into ancient Babylonian culture, economy, and society.
Established core legal concepts: requiring evidence, presumption of innocence, and statutory protections for the vulnerable.