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::The year he made the throne of the high dais [for] [[Nanna]] of Babylon, the Ekishnungal.
::The year he made the throne of the high dais [for] [[Nanna]] of Babylon, the Ekishnungal.


Other names similarly refer to religious construction (e.g. Ha 6) or large public works projects (e.g. Ha 8 and 9).[http://cdli.ucla.edu/wiki/index.php/Rulers_of_Mesopotamia]
Other names similarly refer to religious construction (e.g. Ha 6) or large public works projects (e.g. Ha 8 and 9).[http://cdli.ucla.edu/wiki/index.php/Rulers_of_Mesopotamia]. Some year names do indicated military activity (e.g. Ha 7, The year Hammurabi, the king, captured [[Uruk]] (and) [[Isin]]). However, it seems that these referred to actions taken not by an independent Babylon, but rather as part of a coalition of states led by the more powerful states of Assur and Larsa.


==Babylonian Expansion==
By his 30th year, Hammurabi initiated an aggressive series of military campaigns against rivals to the east and south. His defeat of Rim-Sin gave him control of all of southern Sumer, including the important religious center of [[Nippur]]. Within several years, Hammurabi added the important city of [[Eshnunna]] to the Babylonian state. Hammurabi's last main rival, [[Mari]], fell to Babylon in his 35th year:


::The year Hammurabi, the king, at the command of An and Enlil, destroyed the walls of Mari and Malgium


With the destruction of Mari, Hammurabi had access to important trade routes along the western [[Euphrates]].


==Hammurabi's Successors==
XX


The first few decades of his reign were relatively peaceful. In the 30th year of his reign, Hammurabi crushed an invading army consisting of [[Elam]]ite and other forces in a decisive battle, and drove them out of Babylonia. The next two years were occupied in adding [[Larsa]] and Yamutbal to his dominion, and he formed Babylonia into a single monarchy centred on Babylon. A great literary revival followed the recovery of Babylonian independence, and the rule of Babylon was obeyed as far as the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Vast numbers of contract tablets, dated in the reigns of Hammurabi and his successors, have been discovered, as well as their autographed letters. Among them is one ordering the dispatch of 240 soldiers from [[Assyria]] and Situllum, a proof that Assyria was at the time a Babylonian dependency.
==Babylon under Hammurabi==
XX
 
===The Code of Hammurabi===


Hammurabi expanded the rule of Babylon by first conquering cities towards the south, before his conquest expanded to cover most parts of Mesopotamia. His military conquests came late in his reign, perhaps brought on by the fall of [[Shamshi-Adad]]'s empire.
[[Image:Milkau Oberer Teil der Stele mit dem Text von Hammurapis Gesetzescode 369-2.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The upper part of the stela of Hammurabi's code of laws]]
[[Image:Milkau Oberer Teil der Stele mit dem Text von Hammurapis Gesetzescode 369-2.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The upper part of the stela of Hammurabi's code of laws]]
He is perhaps best known for [[Wiktionary:promulgate|promulgating]] his code of [[law]]s, known as the [[Code of Hammurabi]]. This was written on a [[stela]] and placed in a public place, so that all could see it, even though very few could read. This stela was removed as plunder to the Elamite capital [[Susa]], where it was rediscovered in [[1901]], and it now stands in the [[Louvre]] museum. While the penalties of his laws may seem cruel to modern readers, the fact that he not only put into writing the laws of his kingdom, but attempted to make them a systematic whole, is considered an important step forward in the evolution of [[civilization]]. The "innocent until proven guilty" idea comes from his laws.
He is perhaps best known for [[Wiktionary:promulgate|promulgating]] his code of [[law]]s, known as the [[Code of Hammurabi]].  
 
One fairly new theory is that the modern designation of it as a law code is wrong: it is thus seen merely as a monument "presenting Hammurabi as an exemplary king of justice." While dealing with many areas of life, the entries do not, by far, cover all possible crimes, and the stele may actually contain contradictions.  While the code was applied and studied extensively in later Babylonian law (as seen in the library of [[Ashurbanipal]]), there as of yet have been no contemporary records discovered that record its use as an actual functioning law code during Hammurabi's own time.
:{{seealso|Babylonian law}}
 
Hammurabi also did other things in order to make Babylon a better place, such as helping to improve the [[irrigation]] process.


Following Hammurabi's successors, the Babylonian Empire collapsed due to military pressure from the [[Hittites]], led by their king [[Mursilis I]]. However it was the [[Kassites]], led by their king [[Agumkakrine]], who eventually ruled Babylon.  Although there were many rebellious cities, the Kassites ruled for 400 years, and respected the [[Code of Hammurabi]].


== References ==
== References ==
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* [http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/AUD_BAI/BABYLONIAN_LAW.html Babylonian Law].  Britannica, 1911.
* [http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/AUD_BAI/BABYLONIAN_LAW.html Babylonian Law].  Britannica, 1911.


According to Charles N. Pope, the Biblical Patriarch Eber was The Babylonian King Hammurabi who reigned over the Babylonian Empire from 1792 BC until his death in 1750 BC


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 10:38, 6 November 2006

For the microcomputer game, see Hamurabi.

Hammurabi, also often transliterated Hammurapi, was the sixth king of the first dynasty of Babylon. Under his rule, Babylonian hegemony was dramatically extended to control most of both southern and northern Mesopotamia. His reign lasted from 1792 BC until his death in 1750 BC (according to the middle chronology).

Early Reign

When Hammurabi came to power following the death of his father Sin-Muballit, Babylon was a minor territorial power in northern Mesopotamia. The kingdom of Larsa under Rim-Sin controlled southern Mesopotamia, while much of northern Mesopotamia was under the rule of Shamshi-Addad of Assur.

Hammurabi's early year names suggest a domestic focus. For instance, Hammurapi year three is:

The year he made the throne of the high dais [for] Nanna of Babylon, the Ekishnungal.

Other names similarly refer to religious construction (e.g. Ha 6) or large public works projects (e.g. Ha 8 and 9).[1]. Some year names do indicated military activity (e.g. Ha 7, The year Hammurabi, the king, captured Uruk (and) Isin). However, it seems that these referred to actions taken not by an independent Babylon, but rather as part of a coalition of states led by the more powerful states of Assur and Larsa.

Babylonian Expansion

By his 30th year, Hammurabi initiated an aggressive series of military campaigns against rivals to the east and south. His defeat of Rim-Sin gave him control of all of southern Sumer, including the important religious center of Nippur. Within several years, Hammurabi added the important city of Eshnunna to the Babylonian state. Hammurabi's last main rival, Mari, fell to Babylon in his 35th year:

The year Hammurabi, the king, at the command of An and Enlil, destroyed the walls of Mari and Malgium

With the destruction of Mari, Hammurabi had access to important trade routes along the western Euphrates.

Hammurabi's Successors

XX

Babylon under Hammurabi

XX

The Code of Hammurabi

The upper part of the stela of Hammurabi's code of laws

He is perhaps best known for promulgating his code of laws, known as the Code of Hammurabi.


References


See also

External links


preceded by
Sin-muballit
dates
succeeded by
Samsu-Iluna
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