Definition of Code of Hammurabi

The idea of civilization involves some elements: an urban settlement, a population, nails traditions shared and some organizational system politics. For all this to be coherent and harmonious, it is necessary to establish some type of rule legal that allows to regulate life in society. In this sense, the first historical reference of which we have evidence dates back to the second millennium BC in Mesopotamia, where the Code of Hammurabi.

The Sumerian king Hammurabi names this code as the ruler of Babylon, one of the most important and prosperous cities in Mesopotamia. This king has not gone down in history by the expansion of his empire or by his strategy military, but is known to be the first legislator in the history of mankind.

In other words, he was the first ruler to write down a set of norms that should serve as a reference for the entire society. These laws constitute one of the first legal texts of which there is historical evidence.

Proposal content

Of this text emanated the precepts that citizens had to comply with, as well as the appropriate punishments if they did not comply with the established norms. This was quite a novelty in the context of the ancient world, since there was no written tradition of a legislative or normative type. In this way, from this document on, society was not going to be governed by the unilateral and despotic decisions of any president.

The text is written in a stela, which contains 282 laws inspired by a divinity, Shamash, God of the sun.

The code establishes precepts of different nature and scope: administrative matters, criminal matters, punishments and penalties and aspects of civil organization.

Details to be considered

- The text was found in the city of Susa as part of a war booty in 1200 BC.

- Many of the constituent principles of the legislation current are also found in this historical document.

- The code is presented in 46 columns of 3600 lines.

- In turn, the laws aim to harmonize and unify the customs of a vast empire characterized by its heterogeneity.

- The content was sculpted in diorite stone in the shape of a conical column.

- At present this archaeological rest is part of the French heritage and is in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Photo: Fotolia - Okanakdeniz