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factbase-ancient-history/legal-codes/code-of-hammurabi.md
daniel 01866caf6a Fix 656 lazy temporal answers: replace 'static historical fact' with source-attributed answers
- Updated perspective.md: require source citations in temporal answers
- Filed feature request #75 for BCE temporal tag support (tested 7 formats, all rejected)
- Built batch script to replace all 'Static historical fact' answers with proper
  source attribution (ancient text date + modern publication year)
- Fixed source date detection bug (modern books about ancient figures)
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2026-02-22 23:00:39 +00:00

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Code of Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi

Overview

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.

Key Facts

  • Date: ~1754 BCE
  • Issuer: Hammurabi, King of Babylon
  • Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)
  • Medium: Basalt stele, 2.25 m tall
  • Current location: Louvre Museum, Paris (discovered at Susa, 1901)

Structure

  • Prologue: Hammurabi as divinely appointed shepherd of his people
  • 282 laws organized by topic
  • Epilogue: Blessings for those who uphold the laws, curses for those who deface the stele 1
  • Lex talionis: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (with class-based modifications)
  • Three social classes: awilum (free), mushkenum (dependent), wardum (slave)
  • Covers: Property, trade, family law, labor, personal injury, agriculture
  • Presumption of innocence in some cases; trial by ordeal in others 2

Significance

  • Not the earliest code (preceded by Code of Ur-Nammu) but the most complete
  • Provides detailed picture of Old Babylonian society
  • Influenced later Near Eastern legal traditions


Review Queue

  • @q[temporal] Line 10: "Date: ~1754 BCE" - when was this true?

1754 BCE event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.

  • @q[temporal] Line 11: "Issuer: Hammurabi, King of Babylon" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 12: "Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 13: "Medium: Basalt stele, 2.25 m tall" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 14: "Current location: Louvre Museum, Paris (discovered at Susa, 1901)" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 17: "Prologue: Hammurabi as divinely appointed shepherd of his people" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 18: "282 laws organized by topic" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 19: "Epilogue: Blessings for those who uphold the laws, curses for those who defac..." - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 22: "Lex talionis: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (with class-based mo..." - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 23: "Three social classes: awilum (free), mushkenum (dependent), wardum (slave)" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 24: "Covers: Property, trade, family law, labor, personal injury, agriculture" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 25: "Presumption of innocence in some cases; trial by ordeal in others 2 " - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 28: "Not the earliest code (preceded by Code of Ur-Nammu) but the most complete" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 29: "Provides detailed picture of Old Babylonian society" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 30: "Influenced later Near Eastern legal traditions" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Driver (1952) 2 .

  • @q[missing] Line 10: "Date: ~1754 BCE" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 11: "Issuer: Hammurabi, King of Babylon" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 12: "Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 13: "Medium: Basalt stele, 2.25 m tall" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 14: "Current location: Louvre Museum, Paris (discovered at Susa, 1901)" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 17: "Prologue: Hammurabi as divinely appointed shepherd of his people" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 18: "282 laws organized by topic" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 22: "Lex talionis: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (with class-based mo..." - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 23: "Three social classes: awilum (free), mushkenum (dependent), wardum (slave)" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 24: "Covers: Property, trade, family law, labor, personal injury, agriculture" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 28: "Not the earliest code (preceded by Code of Ur-Nammu) but the most complete" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 29: "Provides detailed picture of Old Babylonian society" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[missing] Line 30: "Influenced later Near Eastern legal traditions" - what is the source?

Roth (1997) 1 , Driver & Miles (1952-1955) 2

  • @q[stale] Line 19: "Epilogue: Blessings for those who uphold the laws, curses for those who defac..." - Roth source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?

Scholarship remains current. Roth's work on ancient law codes is still authoritative.

  • @q[stale] Line 25: "Presumption of innocence in some cases; trial by ordeal in others 2 " - Driver source from 1952 may be outdated, is this still accurate?

Scholarship remains current. Driver & Miles' work on Babylonian law is still foundational.


  1. Roth, M.T. Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor (1997) ↩︎

  2. Driver, G.R. & Miles, J.C. The Babylonian Laws (Oxford, 19521955) ↩︎