The Code of HammurabiThe Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon about 2250 B. C.Robert Francis Harper , Hammurabi, King of BabylonThe Letters and Inscriptions of Hammurabi. Hammurabi, King of Babylon, L. W. KingDie Gesetze Hammurabis. Hammurabi, King of Babylon, D. H. MüllerDie Gesetze Hammurabis. Hammurabi, King of Babylon, Hugo Winckler

Abstract

THE discovery of the Code of Hammurabi is the most important event which has taken place in the development of Assyriological science since the days of Rawlinson and Layard.In his Introduction, pp.xi, xii, Professor Harper' gives an admirably clear and brief exposition of the discovery and nature of the code, which I cannot do better than quote verbatim: The monument on which the Code of Hammurabi is engraved was found in December, 1901, and January, 1902, on the acropolis of Susa by an expedition sent out by the French government under the director general, M. de Morgan.It is a block of black diorite, nearly eight feet high, broken into three pieces which were easily rejoined.Another fragment was found which does not belong to this monument, but which contains a text corresponding to Column 41, 72-80, and this leads to the conclusion that another copy of this famous code existed in Susa.On the obverse we have a bas-relief exhibiting King Hammurabi receiving the laws from the sun-god, to which the story of Moses receiving the ten words from Yahweh corresponds.Under this relief are engraved sixteen columns of text, four and one-half of which form the prologue.There were originally five more columns on the obverse, but these have been cut off by the Elamitic conqueror.On the reverse there are twenty-eight columns, the last five of which form the epilogue.There are many reasons for believing that this code of laws was published in many places.We may accept the opinion of Scheil and Winckler that the copy found at Susa may have been taken as plunder by Sutruk-Nahunte (about iioo B. C.) and brought to his Elamitic capital.Hammurabi, identified by most Assyriologists with the Amraphel of Genesis 14:I, was the sixth king of the first dynasty of Babylon and reigned for fiftyfive years, about 2250 B. C. We have a good account of his life and deeds in the letters which he wrote to Sin-idinnam and in The Chronicle of the Kings of Babylon, both of which have been edited with great care by Mr. L. W. King."I The Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon about 2250 B. C.

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