This is the first biography in English of King Hammurabi, who ruled Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC and presents a rounded view of his accomplishments.
- Describes how Hammurabi dealt with powerful rivals and extended his kingdom.
- Draws on the King’s own writings and on diplomatic correspondence that has only recently become available.
- Explores the administration of the kingdom and the legacies of his rule, especially his legal code.
- Demonstrates how Hammurabi’s conquests irrevocably changed the political organization of the Near East, so that he was long remembered as one of the great kings of the past.
- Written to be accessible to a general audience.
List of Illustrations.
Preface.
Map.
Chronology.
Abbreviations.
1. The Early Years.
2. The Defeat of Elam.
3. The Annexation of Larsa.
4. The Overthrow of Eshnunna.
5. Supremacy in the North.
6. The Sack of Mari.
7. Governing the New State.
8. Hammurabi the Lawgiver.
9. Hammurabi's Character.
10.Hammurabi's Legacy.
11. On Writing's Hammurabi's Biography.
Glossary.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Guide to Further Reading.
Index.
“Van De Mieroop evokes vividly Hammurabi’s rise from one King among many to Lord of a territory stretching from the Gulf into Syria …. He succeeds in delineating Hammurabi’s remarkable achievements and providing glimpses of his persolC