1. Hammurabi/Hammurapi = “the god Hammu is a healer” (r. c. 1792-50 BC) King of Babylonia, with Babylon as its capital

2. OBV of Epic of Gilgamesh Several new classes of temple personnel incl. temple prostitutes (both sexes) and other types of female temple staff Hammurabi elevating Marduk to headship of pantheon; possible origin of Epic of Creation? Old Babylonian Period (c. 2000-1595 BC)

3. Law Code of Hammurabi Prob. from end of reign Stele found at Susa (Iran) in 1901 by French archaeologists. Prob. moved there by Elamite king c. 1100 BC. At top is Hammurabi standing before Shamash (god of sun and justice)

4. 3 sections: Preamble Laws Epilogue

5. Topics in Law Code: Lawsuit procedure (1-5) Offenses against property (6-25) Land and houses (26-65)~~gap~~ Trade and commerce (100-26) Marriage, family and property (127-94) Assault (195-214) Professions (215-40) Agriculture (241-73) Wages and rates of hire (274-77) Slaves (278-82)

6. Compilation of earlier customary laws, royal edicts, past court cases, extrapolations and amendments “The [amount of] wages for a hired worker is written on the stele, [therefore] in accordance with what they told you, do not withhold their wages, be it barley or silver.” Contract from Ur quoted in William H. Stiebing, Jr., Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture (New York: Longman, 2003), p. 91.

7. Classes in Mesopotamian society: wardum - slave mushkênum - pauper? commoner? dependent of nobility or king? tenant farmer? freedman? awêlum - “man” - noble? landowner?

8. Accuser and accused (1-3) Impact of social class (196-99) Laws protecting women (134, 138-40, 148, 142) Laws protecting children (162, 167-69) Warranties (235, 232, 229-30, 218-20)

9. Preamble and Epilogue: Hammurabi as law-giver, liberator, pious servant of gods and people Seeking to preserve longevity of code and his own fame