Archeology at all times revealed to humanity the secrets of a past life. One of the most valuable finds made at the beginning of the 20th century on the territory of the ancient city of Susa was the rules carved on a stone pillar, which were later called the laws of Hammurabi. What is this peculiar code, and who was its creator? We will tell about it right now.
Who is Hammurabi: a short biography
Little is known about Hammurabi, the king of the ancient Babylonian state. In 1793 BC, he became the sole ruler of his so far small empire. Almost immediately, he began preparing for an invasive war against the surrounding city-states: Lars, Isin, Malgium, Rapikum and Uruk. His plans were realized by the end of 1781 AD, as a result of which Hammurabi united the lands of Lower Mesopotamia into a powerful empire that did not know defeats.
The assertion of imperial power and the enormous influence of his empire on the economy and commodity-money relations in the region further strengthened his sole power. However, it was not these conquests that the king became famous.
The real achievement of that time was the creation of a kind of constitution - the laws of Hammurabi. The rules carved on a stone pillar, according to which Babylon lived at that time, became not only a historical monument, but also a good source of information about the structure of the state and secular life in that era.
The appearance of the stone pillar with the laws
The laws of Hammurabi are written in the Sumerian language, whose alphabet most closely resembles cuneiform writing. The rules carved on a stone pillar are perfectly preserved, which allowed to thoroughly study all the subtleties of the legal and state structure of Babylon during the rule of the creator of laws, as well as for many centuries after his death.
The pillar itself is made of basalt, a fairly solid stone. Its upper front part is crowned with a bas-relief image of Hammurabi, who receives the same laws from the sun god Shamash.
The rest of the surface is dotted with letters outlining how a person should live in the state, than to be guided by the conclusion of any transactions, conclusion or dissolution of marriage, and also the main penalties for misconduct are indicated. The text is divided into three conditional parts: introduction, 282 rules and conclusion. It is worth noting that the rules carved on a stone pillar were not completely preserved: 35 of them were erased. However, they were restored using documents preserved in the library of the king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal.
The laws of King Hammurabi: what areas of life were governed by the rules
Hammurabi, judging by the rules set out on the basalt pillar, tried to resolve almost all spheres of life in his state. The laws contain many points in the field of trade relations, in particular the seller’s responsibility for the sale of low-quality goods, including jewelry, fabrics and even ships. The rules carved on a stone pillar explain in sufficient detail the consequences of any criminal acts, whether it is a theft, intentional or accidental murder or sorcery. In addition, they provide for liability for perjury. A large proportion of the laws are devoted to the institution of marriage and family law, as well as property relations.
The historical value of the laws of Hammurabi
The historical value of the laws of Hammurabi can only be judged by the fact that this is the only well-preserved source that made it possible to learn not only about ancient Babylonian, but also about ancient Eastern law in general. Scientists came to the conclusion that the king of the Babylonian state took as the basis of his laws the rules that prevailed in society at that time, but not everywhere were binding. Also, the laws of Hammurabi made it possible to understand many aspects of the life of the population in Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium BC.