Code of Hammurabi

This passage describes rules made by King Hammurabi, once the leader of Mesopotamia.

Lexile Level: 1050L

Categories: History People & Places

King Hammurabi was the king of the united kingdom of Mesopotamia. The modern countries of Iraq, Syria, and the southern part of Turkey were the former area where Mesopotamia existed. King Hammurabi's most famous achievement was a code of law that became known as the Code of Hammurabi. This code described what the people had to obey during his reign, of which there were over two hundred. The code was posted publicly so that everyone in the community knew the laws and punishments for violating them. The code was written on a black stone monument and placed in the public square and provided the structure for Babylonian society. Because of being posted publicly, Hammurabi's Code was unusual because fairness or the idea of justice was now known to everyone. Laws could not be changed by individuals based on their own interests; now everyone had similar standards by which they were judged.