155 lines
7.3 KiB
Markdown
155 lines
7.3 KiB
Markdown
<!-- factbase:31de03 -->
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# Code of Hammurabi
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## Overview
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The Code of Hammurabi (~1754 BCE) is one of the most complete and well-known ancient legal codes, inscribed on a basalt stele and containing 282 laws governing Babylonian society. @t[~1754 BCE]
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## Key Facts
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- Date: ~1754 BCE (Wikipedia/Roth give range 1755–1751 BCE) @t[~1754 BCE]
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- Issuer: Hammurabi, sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty
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- Language: Akkadian (Old Babylonian dialect), written in cuneiform script
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- Medium: Black basalt stele, 2.25 m tall (some older sources describe the material as diorite) [^3]
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- Current location: Louvre Museum, Paris (discovered at Susa, Iran, 1901–1902) [^3]
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- Weight: approximately 4 tons
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## Structure
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- Prologue: Hammurabi as divinely appointed shepherd of his people; relief at top depicts Hammurabi receiving authority from Shamash, the sun god [^1]
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- 282 laws organized by topic, written vertically in cuneiform
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- Epilogue: Blessings for those who uphold the laws, curses for those who deface the stele [^1]
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## Legal Principles
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- *Lex talionis*: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (with class-based modifications) [^2]
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- Three social classes: *awilum* (free), *mushkenum* (dependent), *wardum* (slave)
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- Covers: Property, trade, family law, labor, personal injury, agriculture
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- Presumption of innocence in some cases; trial by ordeal in others [^2]
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- Prescribed specific penalties for each crime; limited retribution to proportional response
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## Discovery and Transmission
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- The stele was taken as plunder to Susa by the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte around 1158 BCE, approximately 600 years after its creation
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- Rediscovered by French archaeologists at Susa in 1901–1902
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- The text was copied and studied by Mesopotamian scribes for over a millennium after its creation, attesting to its lasting authority [^4]
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## Significance
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- Not the earliest code (preceded by Code of Ur-Nammu, ~2100–2050 BCE) but the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East [^4]
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- Provides detailed picture of Old Babylonian society
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- Influenced later Near Eastern legal traditions; parallels noted with the Law of Moses in the Torah [^4]
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- Continues to be studied for its influence on modern legal jurisprudence
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---
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[^1]: Roth, M.T. *Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor* (1997)
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[^2]: Driver, G.R. & Miles, J.C. *The Babylonian Laws* (Oxford, 1952–1955)
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[^3]: Louvre Museum. "The Code of Hammurabi." louvre.fr (accessed 2026)
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[^4]: Wikipedia contributors. "Code of Hammurabi." *Wikipedia* (accessed 2026-02-23)
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---
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## Review Queue
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<!-- factbase:review -->
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 9: "Issuer: Hammurabi, sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Language: Akkadian (Old Babylonian dialect), written in cuneiform script" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Medium: Black basalt stele, 2.25 m tall (some older sources describe the mate..." - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Current location: Louvre Museum, Paris (discovered at Susa, Iran, 1901–1902..." - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Weight: approximately 4 tons" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Prologue: Hammurabi as divinely appointed shepherd of his people; relief at t..." - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "282 laws organized by topic, written vertically in cuneiform" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Epilogue: Blessings for those who uphold the laws, curses for those who defac..." - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 21: "*Lex talionis*: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (with class-based mo..." - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Three social classes: *awilum* (free), *mushkenum* (dependent), *wardum* (slave)" - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Covers: Property, trade, family law, labor, personal injury, agriculture" - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Presumption of innocence in some cases; trial by ordeal in others [^2]" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Prescribed specific penalties for each crime; limited retribution to proporti..." - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 28: "The stele was taken as plunder to Susa by the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte a..." - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 29: "Rediscovered by French archaeologists at Susa in 1901–1902" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 30: "The text was copied and studied by Mesopotamian scribes for over a millennium..." - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 33: "Not the earliest code (preceded by Code of Ur-Nammu, ~2100–2050 BCE) but th..." - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 34: "Provides detailed picture of Old Babylonian society" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 35: "Influenced later Near Eastern legal traditions; parallels noted with the Law ..." - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 36: "Continues to be studied for its influence on modern legal jurisprudence" - when was this true?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 8: "Date: ~1754 BCE (Wikipedia/Roth give range 1755–1751 BCE) @t[~1754 BCE]" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 9: "Issuer: Hammurabi, sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Language: Akkadian (Old Babylonian dialect), written in cuneiform script" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Weight: approximately 4 tons" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "282 laws organized by topic, written vertically in cuneiform" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Three social classes: *awilum* (free), *mushkenum* (dependent), *wardum* (slave)" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Covers: Property, trade, family law, labor, personal injury, agriculture" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Prescribed specific penalties for each crime; limited retribution to proporti..." - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 28: "The stele was taken as plunder to Susa by the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte a..." - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 29: "Rediscovered by French archaeologists at Susa in 1901–1902" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 34: "Provides detailed picture of Old Babylonian society" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 36: "Continues to be studied for its influence on modern legal jurisprudence" - what is the source?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[stale]` Line 16: "Prologue: Hammurabi as divinely appointed shepherd of his people; relief at t..." - Roth source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[stale]` Line 18: "Epilogue: Blessings for those who uphold the laws, curses for those who defac..." - Roth source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[stale]` Line 21: "*Lex talionis*: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (with class-based mo..." - Driver source from 1952 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
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>
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- [ ] `@q[stale]` Line 24: "Presumption of innocence in some cases; trial by ordeal in others [^2]" - Driver source from 1952 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
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>
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