fl. c. eighteenth century B.C.

Emperor of Babylon who was the creator of the first known code of civil and criminal laws. He freed Babylon from Elam and expanded it into a powerful empire by conquering neighboring lands. In addition to being a capable military leader, he was an effective administrator, building cities, temples, and canals and promoting progress in agriculture. His legal system, the Hammurabi Code, was discovered in A.D. 1901, carved on the ruins of a monument.