Stele of Hammurabi
"The Law Code of Hammurabi is the emblem of the Mesopotamian civilization. This high basalt stele erected by the king of Babylon in the 18th century B.C.E is a work of art, history and literature, and the most complete legal compendium of Antiquity, dating back to earlier than the Biblical laws. Carried there by a prince from the neighboring country of Elam in Iran in the 12th century B.C.E the monument was exhibited on the Susa acropolis among other prestigious Mesopotamian masterpieces."
- The Louvre Museum
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A 7.4-foot tall structure composed of either diorite or basalt, the Stele of Hammurabi manifests various elements which express Hammurabi's religious, social and economical ideologies.
A comparision of a 5' 9" man to the Stele of Hammurabi
Image courtesy of: The Louvre Museum
The Stele of Hammurabi was discovered broken into three pieces. Otherwise, it was largely undamaged.
Image courtesy of: The Louvre Museum |
Atop the stele is a bas-relief depicting Hammurabi receiving the Code of Hammurabi from Shamash. Hammurabi is shown holding his hand in front of his mouth, symbolizing that Hammurabi rules with the permission of the gods. It is the gods who gave him the power to rule, but he himself is not a god; rather, he is the gods' servants
Image courtesy of: Affordable Housing Institute
 Image courtesy of: Art & Culture 104, CulturedArt.Blogspot.com
Beneath the bas-relief are the actual laws. The Stele of Hammurabi was excavated during the winter of 1902 and 1903 by a French archaeological team.
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In 1158 B.C.E., Shutruk-Nahhunte I, king of Anshan and Susa, pillaged the art treasures of Mesopotamian civilizations and took them to his capital and modified the stele to fit with his culture. This explains why some text is carefully erased.
