What is the Code of Hammurabi?

One of the oldest known written legal codes, containing 282 laws covering family, property, trade, and criminal matters in ancient Babylon.

What does 'an eye for an eye' mean here?

The principle of lex talionis: punishments should match the crime. Though penalties actually varied by social class in Hammurabi's Babylon.

Where was the stele found?

French archaeologists found it at Susa in Iran, not Babylon. An Elamite king had taken it as war booty around 1150 BCE.

How big is the Code of Hammurabi?

The stele stands 225 cm (7.4 feet) tall. It's carved from diorite, one of the hardest stones used in ancient sculpture.

Where Is Code of Hammurabi? See It at Louvre, Paris

Mesopotamian The Code of Hammurabi, carved around 1754 BCE, preserves one of the earliest known written legal codes. This diorite stele stands over two meters tall, its upper section showing King Hammurabi receiving authority from Shamash, the sun god of justice. Below, 282 laws are inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform covering family, property, trade, and labor.

The laws follow the famous principle of lex talionis: "an eye for an eye." Punishments varied by social class, with harsher penalties for crimes against nobles than commoners. The code reveals much about Babylonian society: arranged marriages, divorce rights, medical malpractice, even wages for various professions.

French archaeologists discovered the stele at Susa, Iran, in 1901-1902. An Elamite king had carried it off as war booty around 1150 BCE. The Louvre now displays it as a monument to ancient jurisprudence.